Recently I conducted a session at our Staff In-Service titled Social Studies 3.0. During the session I shared four tools that could potentially help enhance a student's learning experience in a particular subject area like social studies. Simply using an exit ticket to assess student's knowledge sometimes doesn't cut it. Asking students to just watch a video clip can only do so much as they try to make sense of the topic at hand. Reading a monthly magazine from your subject specific educational organization only challenges your thinking as an educator to a certain extent. Leveraging the power of web tools can transform learning experiences for students and teachers alike. Here are four of my favorite.....

VideoNot.es ~ http://www.videonot.es/

Watch a video and take notes on your device that automatically sync to Google Drive. This tool is available as an extension in the Chrome Store.

EdPuzzle ~ https://edpuzzle.com/

Insert questions throughout a particular video clip to help students comprehend what they are watching. This comes in handy as a way to flip instruction and/or gather data. Students can also insert their own questions. A library of video clips with embedded questions is also available.

Plickers ~ https://www.plickers.com/

Teachers can collect real time data without requiring students to use technology. Simply print cards, pass out to students, project questions, and scan students answers with mobile device device app.

Twitter ~ http://www.sschat.org/

Stay on top of best practices through your subject specific hashtag on your favorite social media feed. In this particular instance we focused on the #sschat hashtag on Twitter. Check out Cybraryman's webpage on all things hashtags.

The four tools I shared above are just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many innovative ways to make learning fun for students and teachers. Over the next few weeks take one of these tools and try it out. Better yet, do it along with your students to take some of the pressure off.

Brad Currie is the author of All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is an ASCD Emerging Leader, Bammy Award Finalist, ClassDojo Thought Leader and Google Certified Educator. He currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Middle School Vice Principal for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.

PARCC is very controversial and has sparked many debates. As a parent, taxpayer, and educator I often struggle with the impact these assessments have on our students, my own children, fellow colleagues, and education as a whole. Here are twenty reasons for and against PARCC.......

Reason #1 (For) ~ Students need to know how they progress from year to year in subjects like math and literacy.

Reason #2 (Against) ~ Schools will be in testing mode for 40 days (20 in March and 20 in May)

Reason #3 (For) ~ Parents need to know how their children progress from year to year in subjects like math and literacy.

Reason #4 (Against) ~ The test results do not come back until late summer or early fall. This timing makes it incredibly difficult to help students when results come back six months later.

Reason #5 (For) ~ Teachers need to know their students' progress, or lack there of, in order to impact future instruction.

Reason #6 (Against) ~ The computers being used for testing will not be available for other students who are not testing for close to 40 days out of the school year.

Reason #7 (For) ~ Schools can use test results along with other pieces of evidence to help promote the success of students.

Reason #8 (Against) ~ Teachers and support staff will be pulled out of their regular classes to proctor the tests for up to 40 school days.

Reason #9 (For) ~ The shift from paper tests to online tests has forced districts to buy more technology and upgrade infrastructure.

Reason #10 (Against) ~ Critics of standardized testing claim that PARCC is technically not being used for diagnostic purposes.

Reason #11 (For) ~ Ultimately the PARCC will have results made available in a more timely fashion which will address student learning gaps.

Reason #12 (Against) ~ PARCC scores are being tied to teacher evaluations. Is this really fair given that it's one piece of the puzzle?

Reason #13 (For) ~ Students are working on their typing skills more at much younger age in preparation for the PARCC test. This will help them down the road when they enter the real world.

Reason #14 (Against) ~ STRESS. Students, Teachers, Administrators, and Parents are going through undo stress as it relates to testing. This can not be good for anyone's health.

Reason #15 (For) ~ Over time results will show which schools and teachers are ineffective.

Reason #16 (Against) ~ PARCC testing is costing taxpayers millions of dollars.

Reason #17 (For) ~ Standardized testing results help people understand how schools match up with others nationally and globally.

Reason #18 (Against) ~ Tech staff have no choice but to be solely focus on ensuring that the online tests are working at all times. What about other tech issues in non tested learning areas?

Reason #19 (For) ~ Students work hard in school preparing for the PARCC exam. This is their time to shine and show what they know.

Reason #20 (Against) ~ Finnish students rarely take standard tests and are tops in the world at educating their students. Why is it that the United States wants to compare themselves to every other top performing country except for Finland?

Not sure if I totally agree with the reasons listed above, but I am glad I got it off my chest. It will be interesting in the coming months and years to see how these new age standardized tests impact the educational world. Let's all try to keep an open mind and continue to do what's best for kids.

Brad Currie is the author of All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is an ASCD Emerging Leader, Bammy Award Finalist, ClassDojo Thought Leader and Google Certified Educator. He currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Middle School Vice Principal for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.

• Take attendance with ClassDojo. As students walk into class each day, have them approach the SmartBoard and tap their avatar. This will enable teachers to know exactly who is in class on any given day.
  
  
• Use the timer function within ClassDojo to keep students on track as they move from one learning activity to another.
  
  
• Recognize improved social behaviors in a small group setting. Set goals for specific behaviors that students need to focus on and then give credit to where credit is due.
  
  
• Improve an individual student's behavior by providing access to ClassDojo's results among parents and teachers. What better way to stay in the loop with a child's progress than through the ClassDojo web application. If everyone involved in a particular child's education is on the same digital page it can do wonders for promoting their success.