Flocabulary Team, Author at The Flocabulary Blog

November 25, 2015
Flocabulary Team

North Lewis Elementary School Students Host a Circus for a Week in Rap Junior Shout-Out!

Every week, we ask The Week in Rap Junior fans a question through our Shout-Out Contest, and recognize the school that responds with creativity, imagination, and educational relevance, too. Students in Kristen Strother’s class at North Lewis Elementary School in New Iberia, LA did some delightful storytelling about their very own circus to win the latest Shout-Out. Delve in to discover their masterful use of descriptive language.

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November 23, 2015
Flocabulary Team

Students at W.P. McLean School Design a Better Test for a Week in Rap Shout-Out!

Every week, we celebrate student creativity through the The Week in Rap Shout-Out Contest. For last week’s Shout-Out, students in Melissa Torres’ 8th social studies class at W.P. McLean School in Fort Worth, Texas stood out with their critical thinking about improving college admissions exams. Read on to learn what they proposed!

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November 19, 2015
Flocabulary Team

Helping Students Process Tragedy in the News

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PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 16: People weep as they gather to observe a minute-silence at the Place de la Republique in memory of the victims of the Paris terror attacks last Friday, on November 16, 2015 in Paris, France. Countries across Europe will join France, currently observing three days of national mourning, in a one minute-silence today in an expression of solidarity with the victims of the terrorist attacks, which left at least 129 people dead and hundreds more injured. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

A major challenge for any teacher is knowing how to present news to students about tragic events in the world, including acts of terrorism and hate crimes. Many students are exposed to these news stories along with the rest of us, and they’ll likely have fears, concerns and questions about the event and what it means.

What’s the best way to foster a healthy, safe and supportive environment for students to discuss and process tragedy? We asked three experts in the field of child psychology and mental health who we work with to help answer this question, and we conclude with our suggestions for using art for expression in the classroom.

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November 2, 2015
Flocabulary Team

Bye Buffering: New Variable Video Streaming Means Better Playback

Fall – it’s a great season for feasts, foliage…and new Flocab features. We’re always looking to improve so Flocabulary works the best it can for teachers and students, and recently, that meant addressing an issue we’ve heard from a number of educators out there: buffering. With our latest feature, you have the option of adjusting the playback quality for every Flocabulary video, from high definition (HD) to 240p, the lowest quality option. Adjusting your playback quality offers a quick fix for when internet issues arise.

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October 23, 2015
Flocabulary Team

Why Flocabulary Takes Field Trips to Schools (And Why Every Edtech Company Should, Too)

At Flocabulary, we visit the classrooms of NYC teachers as often as we can to observe Flocab lessons, answer questions and gather feedback. We went on our first visit of fall 2015 today and had a blast! Our Product Director, Aliza Aufrichtig authored this post, originally published on EdSurge.com, to explain why we started this classroom visit tradition and how other edtech companies can do the same.

First Student #336 by ThoseGuys119, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

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