Every new beginning ...

Moving on is hard. Change is hard. Leaving is hard. I am someone who enjoys consistency and a sense of familiarity. I like digging into someone, growing roots, so that whatever I am doing, where I am, whoever I am with, means something. I become socially, emotionally, and even physically invested with my whole being. 

For the past seven years, I have been growing my roots deep in Green Brook Township Public Schools, first as a teacher and the last two as Technology Coordinator and Supervisor of Instruction. These roots have dug deep as I have had the chance to personally teach over 500 students in that time, work with nearly 100 teachers, help improve the learning and education of nearly 1000 students and be involved in a fantastic small community. I have gone through many life changes here that I will never forget - marriage, home ownership, the arrival of my two children, rescuing a few pets along the way, finding out I wasn't that good at soccer (you get the picture). 

As the start of school is right around the corner, I cannot help but think about new beginnings, fresh starts, and the eagerness that I know I hold dear to my heart about this time of year and the good feelings it brings along with it. I think about new teachers, new students, and returning educators and the excitement they bring each and every day.

I am excited to start the school year off with my Green Brook family one last time but it is bittersweet knowing that it is my last one. Writing an email to my Green Brook family to let them know I has resigned as Supervisor of Instruction and Technology to accept a position in Princeton Public Schools as a Supervisor of Social Studies and Global Education was, and will always be, the hardest task I have had to do in my years there. 

I don't like saying goodbye - I don't like "uprooting" or "removing" my roots. I am thinking of this as a chance to plant new roots, but never forgetting to water my old ones as well. My family in Green Brook will never, ever, leave my heart and mind. I have made some near and dear friends that will be with me the rest of my life. 

New beginnings happen because something ended – it’s like that band Semisonic’s line “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”

Thank you, Green Brook for the journey we took together, through all the ups, downs, laughs, and cries we shared together. 

So while this journey may be coming to an end, I am excited to start a new one in Princeton Public Schools come this October. 

Timothy J. Charleston

App-O-Da-Week #4

As a good friend and fellow Social Studies teacher once said to me - "In the end, history matters."

Some students dread coming to Social Studies, while others are as excited as can be. 
And while Social Studies (or history if you still teach or call it that) gets NO LOVE on state assessments (I'm looking at you, NJ ASK, PARCC, and anything else), we do get some massive love in the APP world.

So, in this weeks edition of our App-O-Da-Week, we are highlighting the apps that are filled with a bunch of maps and old dead people from history, that's right, the SOCIAL STUDIES APPS.  We will be highlighting two apps this week, one for elementary school students and the other for middle school students. Both apps will deal with Geography.


One of the lost arts today is looking at, and figuring out maps. Well, there is a great app for that!

Its called Stack the States - $0.99 -

While not entirely free (there is a FREE lite version that I would recommend trying before making this huge purchase...) it is a great app that teaches state recognition and capitals and the like in a progression like fashion, unlocking states as they go along. Perfect for kids in grades 1-4. It's fun and addictive, which is the crux of any good educational app. Make it fun and they will want to learn even more!

Even Commonsensemedia.org wrote a nice piece about it! Here is what they said:

• Help kids search for interesting facts or landmarks in each state to keep learning fun.
• Plan imaginary visits to state capitals. Map out the trip and sights to see.
• Encourage kids to dig deeper into the history of their own state, or states where relatives live.

Stack the States has great educational and entertainment value. Kids will fall in love with its ease of use that should keep them entertained and learning. Enough said. Take a look!

The second app is aimed at older students - particularly in middle school. This app is FREE. Yes, we love the word FREE in education and this one is a good one. 

It's called History: Maps of the World. 

The maps are rendered in beautiful HD quality. There are literally hundreds of maps. Even Edudemic thinks its a great app!

"History and geography (duh) collide on this very popular resource, which provides access to maps past and present so users can watch how borders and projections shift over time." - Edudemic, 50 Must-Download Apps For Lifelong Learners

Here are the key features:

- Wide variety of historical displays
- Support for Category/Era view
- Keyword Search
- Displays the source about each map
- Zoom in/out (zoom-in/out with pinch, zoom-in with double tab, and zoom-out with two-fingers tap

A local school district in Alabama came up with this great video on the App - check it out!

I like this app because it gets to the point - there is no need for an Atlas. Students have historic, geographic, and others maps at their fingertips. 




So, for our recap:

App #1 - Stack the States - $0.99

App #2 - History: Maps of the World - FREE

While I may be biased on these apps (and oh yes, I am), I think both are great pickups that will enhance learning and won't cripple your wallet. 

Remember - in the end, HISTORY matters. Plus, we rock.

PS - join us on Twitter for this gem of a chat!