Teachers Network Wins Prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award

Teachers Network is pleased to announce that “Project-Based Learning for English Language Learners,” a film produced and directed by Teachers Network has won the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award. For more information about our complete list of Successful Teaching Practices in Action videos--available for school districts, universities, and others--please visit: www.teachersnetwork.org/videos

Teachers Network Publishes Professional Teachers Handbook

Teachers Network is proud to announce the publication of Professional Teachers Handbook, a practical how-to-guide—with real world, tried-and-true strategies and techniques—that all teachers will find incredibly useful in their everyday professional lives.

Congratulations to the Spring 2009 Teachnet Grant Winners

Fifteen New York City educators were chosen to receive the Teachnet Disseminator Grant on February 23, 2009. A list of the recipients is now on our main grants page: http://www.teachersnetwork.org/grants

Congratulations to the founding members of the Teachnet Institute!!

The 21 members below reflect New York City educators from every borough, every grade level, nearly every subject area, with both veteran educators and new teachers in our ranks. For the list of new members, please visit our Teachnet Institute home page.

Christopher Columbus Webquest

Deirdre Kelly

This webquest allows students to explore the background of Columbus, create a timeline of events in his life, design and make a model of one of Columbus' ships, explore life on board one of these ships, Identify the cause and effect of Columbus' discovery of America, and examine the implications of the voyage for Native Americans. In the course of completing this webquest, children will have an opportunity to work cooperatively in groups, developing important social skills and gaining an opportunity to learn from one another.

Subject Area: Social Studies

Grade Level: Elementary (fourth grade)

Christopher Columbus Webquest 

Adapted by Danielle Taylor & Rebecca Sacra

This three-week study incorporates technology to understand what life on a ship was like. The project Introduces Columbus and focuses on instruments of navigation.

Opportunities for Learning and Interactions that Promote Literate Actions and Practices: An Ethnographic Study of a Family Literacy Program

Sandra Bravo; Santa Barbara, California

This study examines how family literacy programs are implemented across California, as well as how these programs promote or constrain parents to becoming involved in schools. This study suggests the need to examine two questions: If the school system wants parents involved in school, what are they doing to make school more accessible to parents? What do schools provide as opportunities for parents to get involved in their children's education?

Parent Involvement & Immigrant Engagement

New Teachers Helpline

Need answers to your pressing questions? Look no further than the NYC Helpline! Staffed by experienced New York City Teachers, the NYC Helpline guarantees a response to your posted questions within 72 hours.

Organizing Your Day as a New Teacher by Rebecca Hollander
When I think back to my first year of teaching, I remember being totally overwhelmed at the sheer amount of information I was supposed to remember! Someone once told me that teachers need to be able to make at least one hundred decisions every class – I don’t believe that; I think it’s more like two hundred.

Beginnings--Getting It Together by Pam Tyrell
The new academic year can be formidable, even for the most seasoned teaching veteran. Entry year teachers have many exciting decisions to make, and often get so caught up in the details that critical decisions get lost in the shuffle. Before you take that first step into your classroom, start a preparation checklist.

How (and Why) to Create an Interest Survey for Your Students by Judi Fenton
Most teachers feel that knowing our students well makes it possible for us to teach them better. But how can we speed up the process of getting to know them? Through an interest survey we can easily collect information that will enable us to differentiate instruction for our students throughout the year.