In the News: 14 Open Educational Resources for High School

To kick off this week's curation, we'll start with something we published here at Edutopia: the last video in our Tech2Learn series. The videos, which were co-produced by Teaching Channel, look at inspiring ways educators use tech tools in the classroom.

Last week's package, "Blended Learning Energizes High School Math Students," looked at an algebra teacher who has embraced Khan Academy in class, and so far, he's seen some promising improvement on test scores. In addition to the video, several resources were also released with the package.

14 Open Resources for High School Teachers

GettingSmart posted this treasure trove of tools for teachers, and although the list is aligned with high school curriculum, many of the listings also feature great K-8 pages. There's some familiar favorites, including Khan Academy and PBS LearningMedia, as well as some lesser-known, just-as-useful teaching resources included in the list. (GettingSmart)

Google Puts Historical Archives Online with New Cultural Institute

Last week, Google launched the Google Cultural Institute, a free online collection of 42 historical archives. Google worked with several museums to produce the packages that feature a variety of media resources -- including text, video and photographs -- centered on historical figures and important events. With the interactive multimedia pieces, history is making a big jump into the digital generation.

Professor Builds Tool That Automatically Grades Writing Assignments

Never grade another essay! That's the thinking behind the computer program SAGrader, which allows teachers to post writing assignments online and then grades them in seconds when students are finished. And... it works (for the most part). In testing, the program agreed with human graders 93-98 percent of the time. (Edudemic)

The Flip: End of a Love Affair

Last week, this piece by teacher Shelley Wright stirred up a great conversation about the flipped classroom. For Wright, there were a number of different reasons flipping her classroom didn't work, but ultimately, she decided to embrace a project-based learning model in her class. (Powerful Learning Practice)

PD: How Do Educators Get to Know What They Don’t Know?

Author Tom Whitby proposed the question and looked at a couple of possible answers to how educators develop. (One interesting answer: from student teachers?) But, for Whitby, the best way to improve education -- providing the "biggest bang for the all-important, tax buck" -- is through professional development. (SmartBlog on Education)

In Case You Missed It: Other Quick Hits

• Considering October is Bullying Prevention Month, last week's Five-Minute Film Festival from Edutopia's Amy Erin Borovoy is very timely, featuring an array of inspiring video resources for preventing bullying in our schools.
  
• Here, the New York Times has put together some lesson plans and other resources to help classrooms celebrate Halloween. (New York Times)
• A number of TED Talks have really opened up some interesting and inspiring conversations about education. Last week, the TED Blog published 10 Talks on Making Schools Great, touching on topics such as online education and personalized learning. (TED Blog)
• Reader's Digest posted this slideshow, highlighting 13 Things Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You. At times, the piece is humorous and at others thought-provoking.

Each week, Edutopia curates some of the most interesting education news from around the Web. We'd love your help! Let us know of any must-reads we missed in the comments, or you can contact me on Twitter (@EducationMatt).