I’ve been an elementary school principal for seven years now. In the last three years we’ve endured the first Los Angeles teacher strike in thirty years and the first global pandemic in the last hundred years. Here’s my best advice on reopening after the thirteen month coronavirus closure. You have to be aware of trauma. …
Author: Mathew Needleman
Mathew Needleman, Apple Distinguished Educator and Google Certified Innovator has been pioneering the use of instructional technology for over two decades. He has been a classroom teacher, literacy coach, conference keynoter, and he currently serves as an elementary school principal in Los Angeles, California. He is the founder of the independent education studio, Needleworks Pictures.
Reading Remedies Now Available Free Online
Reading Remedies, the iOS app I created to help teachers and parents diagnose potential reading difficulties and support students with fluency development is no longer available in the app store. However, I’ve made the app available online as a free web app. Check out Reading Remedies here. In 2011, the app store was already home …
The Right Way to Show Movies in Class
I like to think of myself as a proponent of using multimedia in the classroom to better engage students in the curriculum. I’ve amassed a large collection of movies from youtube, teachertube, itunes podcasts, and commercial DVDs that I show in frequent short bursts in the classroom with adults and children to help make my …
It’s a Hoax! Teach Critical Thinking and Analysis Through Online Hoaxes
What follows are three of my favorite hoax links, shared in a Google Workshop for Educators. Use these to teach students that not everything posted on the internet is true. All About Explorers An attractive site looking site chock full of information about famous explorers, except all the information is false. RYT Hospital Men can …
New Movie: A Quarantine Project
I’m a film school dropout and fifteen years ago I started Video in the Classroom.com to share best practices and movies from my own classroom which I used to increase reading fluency and comprehension. As an elementary principal I encourage moviemaking through our one to one program and schoolwide project based learning. It’s one of …
Low Level Tech/Higher Level Thinking
Years ago, I created a hierarchy to explain my thinking around higher level usage of technology. Since then, Common Core standards have been adopted and the SAMR model has risen to popularity. I still use my hierarchy. Nevertheless, through my work in supporting 136 schools with their instructional technology needs, I have found it …
If You’re Dying by Powerpoint Don’t Try Prezi
I’m happy that many educators outside of the blogosphere are beginning to recognize that sitting power points that are chock full of bullet points are not the way they want to engage and be engaged. However, I believe if they think the answer is to switch from Powerpoint to Prezi, Haiku, or any other brand …
Four Steps for Troubleshooting iOS Devices (Updated)
I’m updating my steps for updating iOS devices to include the new process of force-quitting apps in iOS 7. There’s not too much you can do to fix a problem when your iPad or iPhone stops working…that’s the good news. There’s just a few things you can try and these usually work. Try each of …
Using Notability for Classroom Observation
This article describes how to use the app, Notability, to assist in classroom observation. Classroom teachers can easily adapt these directions for student observation. I recommend Notability at a cost of $1-$2 over any potentially costly commercial classroom observation system I’ve yet seen. Notability provides the most flexibility for meeting individual needs. If you’re looking …
iPhoneography Resources (Great Apps and People to Follow on Instagram)
Here are my resources on iPhoneography from the 2013 CUE Conference. Keep reading or iPhoneography CUELA. People to follow on Instagram: needleworks (your presenter) magrelacanela (grade 4 teacher) fisler_school (see learning) joshhohnson (for contests) Here’s a list of apps sorted by Tiers. Find app sales: AppShopper (free) create an app wishlist and receive notifications of …