Educational Resources in New York Times Learning blog
Resource: New York Times Learning blog
Age Group: 6-12th Grade Students and Adult Ed Students
Cost: Free!
Time Needed: Flexible
Location: www.learning.blogs.nytimes.com
Description:
When I discovered the New York Times Learning blog I knew I was in luck. I was teaching GED in a community center and needed something that would appeal to my nontraditional students with different learning styles and abilities. I also needed a comprehensive site that included current events to provide a bridge to what some of my students considered dry subjects.
The blog is designed and maintained by excellent teachers and it shows. Any teacher, student, or parent can visit the blog and get lost, but in a good way. There is a section of lesson plans listed by subject categories. There are also sections for student contests, skills practice, poetry pairings, and weekly news quiz. Whereas some educational resources feature only bare bones lesson plans, here it is all about connections. A recent lesson plan in the Science section that teaches students how to design, build, test and modify paper airplanes was inspired by a New York Times article about the Perlan Project. A short video about the Perlan Project also accompanies the lesson plan.
Newcomers to the site should probably start with the How To Use This Blog section to get a better idea of where they want to focus their time. One of my favorite parts of the blog is the On This Day in History section where you can read about some of the historical events that happened on a particular day. When we discovered that one day was the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in New York City my students were intrigued and wanted to learn more. The blog provided a host of resources connected to the fire that provided a larger context for understanding topics like, workplace safety, immigration issues, and women’s roles in society.
Another favorite of mine is the Student Opinion section that is posted daily. In this section a question about a recent controversy is posed and students 13 and older can respond. The most recent question, “When Do Pranks Cross the Line to Become Bullying?” was inspired by the accusations surrounding the Miami Dolphins players. This section breathes new life into the old “write a letter to the editor about an issue that interests you.” Students can see their opinions posted almost immediately. They are no longer witnesses to history but active participants who lend their own voice to the larger conversation. What can be better?
Marylou Fusco is a writer and teacher living in Philadelphia. She has taught students in a variety of settings. Her writing has appeared in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals