Teacher in the Vanguard

Six Keys to Turning Kids on to History

Six Keys to Turning Kids on to History

I’m just back from my second teaching visit to the International School of Dusseldorf. It is, without question, my favorite school visit of the year. Not only do I get to share my passion for turning kids on to history with a truly talented and dedicated teaching team, I also get to work with amazing young minds in a world-class learning environment.

There is nothing more rewarding than seeing light bulbs going on before your very eyes. And this happens on a regular basis at ISD!

You can read about my mandate with Grade 7 here. I also worked with Grade 6 students to give them a taste of what’s to come next year when they, too, will be asked to mash historical research up with digital storytelling to create interactive historical narratives of their own invention.

I am proud and honored to be part of such a 21st century interdisciplinary educational program. And I enjoyed enlisting my ISD colleagues in our search these past eight months for the keys to unlocking history for kids.

Here's what we came up with...

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Introducing JCC: Jayne Clare Consulting: Interview with Anne Rachel & Jayne Clare, Co-Founders of Teachers With Apps, Part 5

Need an educational consultant to help you take your apps to the next level? Need help to ensure that your products best meet the needs of teachers and students?


Then you won't want to miss the latest installment of our debut video interview series -- TEACHERS IN THE VANGUARD -- with Jayne Clare and Anne Rachel, Co-Founders of Teachers With Apps.


In Part I of the series, we learn how these two Teachers in the Vanguard moved quickly from pioneer app developers to creators of an app resource and discovery site that benefits a community of educators, parents and other care-givers now 50,000 strong.


In Part 2, we discover the criteria and considerations Anne and Jayne use when evaluating the apps they choose to recommend on the TWA site.


In Part 3, the two offer us insights, direct from the front lines, on the ever-evolving app industry, and the respect they share for developers of educational products.


And in Part 4, we find out how Jayne and Anne have come to honor both worthy products and the people and organizations behind them: those developers who seem never fail at keeping children and learning at the forefront of their efforts.


Now, in Part 5, Jayne introduces us to Jayne Clare Consulting (JCC) and sets us up for Anne's latest news, to be revealed in our final episode to follow.


Do you have a question for Anne or Jayne?
Click "comments" to the right to leave your message.


Like to nominate a Teacher in the vanguard?
Introduce us to him or her today!

The Teachers With Apps App Certification & Certified Developer Programs: Interview with Anne Rachel & Jayne Clare, Co-Founders of Teachers With Apps, Part 4

In Part 4 of this debut series -- TEACHERS IN THE VANGUARD -- Jayne Clare and Anne Rachel, Co-Founders of Teachers With Apps, fill us in on their latest, greatest app-ventures:
 

The Teachers With Apps
App Certification
and
Certified Developer
Programs

 

In Part I, we learn how these two Teachers in the Vanguard moved quickly from pioneer app developers to creators of an app resource and discovery site that benefits a community of educators, parents and other care-givers now 50,000 strong.
 

In Part 2 of the series, we discover the criteria and considerations Anne and Jayne use when evaluating the apps they choose to recommend on the TWA site.
 

In Part 3, the two offer us insights, direct from the front lines, on the ever-evolving app industry, and the respect they share for developers of educational products.
 

Now, in this latest episode, we find out how Jayne and Anne have come to honor both worthy products and the people and organizations behind them: those developers who seem never fail at keeping children and learning at the forefront of their efforts.


If you have a question for Anne or Jayne, don't hesitate to click "comments" and ask. Thanks!


Do you know a teacher in the vanguard?
Introduce him or her to us today!

On Apps and the Future of Learning: Interview with Anne Rachel & Jayne Clare, Co-Founders of Teachers With Apps, Part 1

Career educators and life-long friends, Jayne Clare and Anne Rachel were already in the vanguard in 2009 when theirs were among the first education apps to hit the App Store.
 

"We knew from the very beginning that this was the future. There was no doubt in our minds that this was the way children were going to be learning. We wanted to be on the cutting edge. We wanted to be where everything was happening and maybe a few steps ahead," Jayne states in a recent interview debuting today on this blog.


"We are both dedicated to the idea that quality mobile educational apps are not only the tools of the future, but the tools of today. That with them, we can reach children well beyond the classroom," adds Anne.
 

Branded under their joint venture, i-Itch Inc: Apps that Delight and Develop, Anne and Jayne’s reading-readiness apps – ABC On the Go, ABC Shakedown, and ABC Shakedown Plus – were instant hits. They all rose quickly to the top of the education category. But the voices of these apps were soon shouted down by the mob of products, many (if not most) of questionable educational quality, that continue to flood into the education category, and that now number in the tens of thousands. 
 

As Anne and Jayne watched more and more “truly educational apps” get swept aside by big-brand, big-budget bullies with little educational value, they decided it was time to stride forward again. They saw the need for a resource site where teachers, parents, and app users could reliably discover great educational content. And so they resolved to create it.
 

In 2010, Teachers With Apps was born with the goal of showcasing top-of-the-class apps and, later, top-of-the-class developers. The site aims to help teachers and caregivers source App Store gems that have become lost from view. The site is a safe haven for educational app developers, working on a shoestring, who are in the business of changing lives, first. But the main objective of Teacher With Apps has always been to ensure that educationally sound content finds its way into the hands of children and youth.
 

What makes Teachers With Apps stand apart?

  • Founded by educators, the company worldview is grounded in age-appropriate educational theory and practice.  

  • All reviews are contributed by teachers.

  • All reviewed apps are field-tested with students.

  • Only recommended apps are featured on the Teachers With Apps site.

If you find an app on Teachers With Apps, you can feel confident it’s worthy of your child’s or your students’ attention.
 

I am honored and delighted to launch this new interview series, TEACHERS IN THE VANGUARD, by introducing you to Anne Rachel and Jayne Clare of Teachers With Apps.


Enjoy! And please don't hesitate to leave your comments for Jayne and Anne.
 

Best, Sarah