Author: Flocabulary Team

For many teachers, keeping students from texting and tweeting during class is a never-ending (losing) game of Whac-a-Mole. But one teacher decided to embrace the art form of short form communication. Andy Selsberg wrote: I don’t expect all my graduates to go on to Twitter-based careers, but learning how to write concisely, to express one key detail succinctly and eloquently, is an incredibly useful skill, and more in tune with most students’ daily chatter, as well as the world’s conversation. He argues that teaching to write concisely is not only realistic for 21st century communication, but also allows for surprising…

Insights from the teacher behind the Chinese Knowledge video. Adina Lerner is a middle school social studies teacher in Manhattan. We had a chance to visit her classroom twice last year and got to see what she and her students had done with Hip-Hop History of the World: Part I. We saw their amazing video, and we saw a lot more. Ms. Lerner shared some of her insights with us last week. 1. Tell us about the process of making the Chinese Knowledge video. I had a really motivated sixth grade class last year, so I presented the idea of…

Students at PS 57 in NYC created this fantastic video for Flocabulary's "Chinese Knowledge" song from Hip-Hop History of the World: Part I. Acting, costumes, props, choreography--they did it all! We were blown away and think you’ll be, too. A film project is the perfect way to wrap up a year of Flocabulary. This easy-to-follow lesson plan will help you make your own video. When you’re done, send it our way—we’d love to see what your students can do! The Lesson Plan: Part One: Learn the Content 1. Choose the song and unit. 2. Divide the song into sections. Assign…

Five ways to get kids playing and learning The national focus on standardized testing has left behind the once-sacred time for kids to race to the top of the jungle gym. Recess is in retreat, and the lack of time for play may actually be hurting students—and their test scores. Simply put, play is good for you. Here are five ways you can give your kids a brain break: 1. Give your students at least 15 minutes a day of recess A study in the journal Pediatrics found that adding just 15 minutes a day of recess improves student behavior…