Reinforcing+Effort+and+Providing+Recognition

= Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition = Effort and recognition speak to the attitudes and beliefs of students, and teachers must show the connection between effort and achievement. Research shows that although not all students realize the importance of effort, they can learn to change their beliefs to emphasize effort. When students are rewarded or praised for achieving specific goals, their level of achievement is higher. Also, symbolic recognition works better than tangible rewards.

Have students create own website, blog or wiki as an electronic portfolio. As a teacher, use classroom websites, blogs or wikis to showcase student work. Personalize your recognition, use the “Praise, Prompt, and Praise” strategy or concrete symbols of recognition. Explicitly teach students about the importance of effort and ask students to keep track of their effort in relationship to achievement.

** Awards **

 * Make Awards for Children: @http://kidbibs.com/awards/card.htm
 * Microsoft Certificate Templates: @http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT010104300.aspx
 * Scholastic - Kids are Authors: @http://www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/contest/kaa_about.asp
 * teAchnonolgy- Teacher Tools- Printable Award Certificate Maker: @http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/certificates/

**Blogs & Wikis**

 * Blogger: http://www.blogger.com
 * Class Blog Meister: @http://classblogmeister.com/index.php
 * Edmodo (educational Twitter): @http://www.edmodo.com/
 * Edublogs: @http://edublogs.org/
 * Google Sites (web sites): http://sites.google.com
 * OnSugar (blog): @http://home.onsugar.com/
 * PBWorks (wikis): @http://pbworks.com/content/edu+overview
 * Tumblr (blog): @http://www.tumblr.com/
 * Twitter (micro blogging): @http://twitter.com/
 * Webs (free web sites & hosting): @http://www.webs.com/
 * Wetoku (online video broadcasting): @http://wetoku.com/
 * Wikispaces for Educators (free wikis): @http://www.wikispaces.com/content/private-label/k-12
 * Wikispaces for Higher Ed (free wikis): @http://www.wikispaces.com/content/private-label/higher-ed
 * WordPress.org (blog/web site): @http://wordpress.org/
 * Yola (web sites): @http://www.yola.com/

**Podcasting and Videocasting**

 * Audioboo (Mobile & web platform that allows you to record and upload audio.): http://audioboo.fm/
 * Tokbox (Add a live 20 person video chat room to your website or blog in seconds!): @http://www.tokbox.com/opentok/widgets