Education: the Nesi Way

Congratulations to the #SuperBowlChampion @Giants

Mr. Nesi — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:35:58 +0000

Happy with another BIG Blue Championship! Congrats to all the NY Giants for a great season. Thanks for the great memories this season.

Feel free to use this image as a Facebook cover photo. All I ask is that you host the image on your own hosting site.

2012 State of the Union | The American Dream

Mr. Nesi — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:36:43 +0000

The President made the annual State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress tonight. He touched on topics like, partisan politics, taxes, education, foreign policy, energy, and of course, the American dream.

We might not always agree with what the President says, but I am sure we can all agree that there is work to be done. The solution to every problem opens the door to solve new problems. Democracy is a living process that is never complete and there is something beautiful about that never-ending process.

Something that I took away from the address was that hope reigns eternal and as long as there is hope, happiness is possible. It takes hard work to be happy and all we can do is attempt to do the right thing and work as hard as possible. When adversity stands in your path to success, you must be relentless in your own pursuit of happiness.

What are your thoughts?

UPDATE: Wordle word cloud based on the text of the President’s address (word limit set to 25).

US Primary Elections Explained

Mr. Nesi — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:39:57 +0000

Courtesy CPGrey.com

Primary elections are how political parties in the United States pick their strongest candidate to run for president.

Happy Holiday’s | #seasonsgreetings

Mr. Nesi — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:00:28 +0000

‘Twas the day before Christmas, and all through my house. Not a creature was stirring, except for my chihuahua, Bambi!

Happy Holiday’s from my family to yours! I wish everyone the happiest, warmest, and safest holiday. 2011 is rapidly coming to a close and 2012 will be here in only a week. Time flies when you’re having fun and I have had quite a 2011. I have learned so much this year about a wide variety of topics.

What did I learn? Here we go:

Family is #1 Don’t take for granted the people who care about you the most. In good times and bad, they will always be there. Take some time to thank those closest to you for supporting you.
Never stop learning Some people might think I am joking when I say I am a life-long learner, but it is no joke. I learn something new almost everyday. You don’t ever really stop learning and I learned some interesting things this year about myself and about others.
Never quit If you have a goal in life, do everything you can, exhaust every option, and travel every road that you have to achieve your goals. Do not settle for “almost.” We are all important as individuals and our goals are meaningful. The obstacles you meet will teach you something (refer to #2).
Technology rocks! From Schoology to Cel.ly and from iPods to iPads technology brings brought so much to may classes in 2011. I can’t wait to see what tools are available in 2012!

What did you learn this year? Please comment.

I Want to Flip! | #flippedclassroom

Mr. Nesi — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:45:22 +0000

Flipping the classroom is a concept I have taken great interest in. I am researching the idea thoroughly and I look forward to flipping my classroom and creating an environment where students can move at their own pace and I can guide them when they are in class.

Here is a great TED talk featuring Sal Kahn talking about how he began the Kahn Academy and his vision for how video fits into education.

Do You #Collaborate?

Mr. Nesi — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:54:24 +0000

According to Merriam-Webster:

collaborate (verb): to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.

Collaboration is something that is talked about in all teacher preparation programs and yet on a daily basis, how much do we truly collaborate? I would like to here how you collaborate and hear your successes and you’re not so successful experiences with collaboration.

Please comment below and let learn from each other.

Apps Apps Apps | New Jersey iPOD Teacher

Mr. Nesi — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:56:21 +0000

As a part of my personal quest to integrate technology into my classroom I would like to share some recommended apps and how I will be using them during the coming school year.

This post also goes out to all my students and parents.

FLASHCARDLET

A fantastic app for students to have digital flashcards right on their handheld device (iPOD, iPHONE, iPAD). Using this app together with Quizlet has allowed me to eliminate the traditional vocabulary assignment from my classroom. I simply create chapter flashcard sets and then share the link with my students. Students can download them, print them, etc. Click the icon to visit the app page.

SCAN

From the moment I saw QR codes in the windows of my local mall I knew that there would be a future for this technology in my classroom. I have already tried my hand at QR code scavenger hunt this year and the kids enjoyed it. This is a great app because you do not need internet access to use this app. For my scavenger hunt the QR Codes contained embedded text questions. Click the icon to visit the app page.

If you recommend other apps, please comment and share.

On Your Mark Get Set… | New Jersey Social Studies Teacher

Mr. Nesi — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 03:04:39 +0000

The school year is truly a marathon and a sprinter’s approach will lead a teacher to disaster. The journey officially began on Wednesday morning when my new students arrived for first period. The students I met throughout the day seemed to be as excited as I was at the opportunity that was presented. A new start. First impressions.

As this moment approached I could not help but do my best to prepare for it and have a plan that I believed in and felt I could execute with relatively few problems. During the summer months I reflected heavily on how I would approach this new school year. What type of teacher did I want to be? How did I want my students to perceive me?

This year social studies is going to be like a roller coaster! There will be ups and downs, as well as thrills and chills. There will be points when you want to get off the ride. But when all is said and done and June arrives, I hope the students will look back and say, “Yeah, I would do that again!”

I am making a very concentrated effort to make my classes very engaging and student-centered. More them and less me. I want my students to think and I want them explore. Then the material I present to them will become more meaningful. Their ability to ask questions should also become more refined. I reminded them that when they were 3 or 4 years old that their favorite question was, “Why?” and they asked it all the time. I told they need to remember how to ask that question and become curious about history and everything else they study this year, and beyond.

Schoology | Why no love?

Mr. Nesi — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:23:09 +0000

I am writing this post because Schoology gets no love on the internet!

Every feed I follow and many sites that I frequent give all their love and attention to Edmodo. It’s not fair and I just wanted to take the time to show some love for great site in Schoology.

From Schoology.com:

What is Schoology?

Schoology is an easy-to-use, easy-to-implement online learning, classroom management, and social networking platform that enhances student engagement and improves learning through better communication, collaboration, and increased access to curriculum and supplemental content.

This could not be more true. I love the crisp feel of their site and I am looking forward to introducing this years students to the site. I like the simplicity of the site and while I believe it has the look of Facebook it does not have the ‘childish’ look of Edmodo.

Some of the features that I am exited about are:

Tests and Quizzes
Online dropbox
Blog
Email & SMS alerts
Discussion boards for each class section

Once I decided to implement Schoology I knew made the correct decision and I look forward to updating you about the choice I have made.

Schoology, I love you!

My Dog Days of Summer

Mr. Nesi — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 02:35:30 +0000

Summer is a time for recharging the batteries as a teacher and this is the first summer that I am recharging the batteries. Knowing that I will be returning to the school I left is June has been such a rewarding feeling, and it’s a feeling that I hope I never take for granted.

When I return to room 105 (I get to go the same room!) I am looking forward to new challenges of a new school year as well as the excitement. I can’t wait to meet my new students and I really can’t wait to get going in the new block schedule format at my school! The blocks will afford me the time to work with my students for a greater amount of time in class and that will be most beneficial based on some of what I have planned for the year.

As for the summer I am happy to report that I am really enjoying the camp I work at! It’s my 3rd year and I really enjoy the kids I get to work with and it’s always great to get together with the people I work with too!

How is you summer going? Leave a comment or a tweet @mrnesi