Monthly Archives: November 2011
The Future of Teaching Is Virtual: An Interview With Bena Kallick | Edudemic
There are many notions about how best to measure teacher effectiveness. Now that the issue has entered the political and mass media realm, there is ironically perhaps more confusion than ever about what “learning” looks like. In your eyes, what does it “look like” when a teacher learns? Beyond external measures i.e., walk-throughs, formal observations, etc., what are symptoms that teachers themselves can look for to indicate their craft is evolving?When you ask what it looks like for teachers, I would say that these are some indicators:Looks for feedback from students both through their work as well as through their responses to the work.Looks for feedback from not only peers, but any credible source—e.g., experts in the fieldReflects on work and modifies based on what might need to be changedPlans thoughtfully; monitors the process of teaching and learning; modifies based on insights gained from observations about student learningUses data thoughtfully to customize as much as is possible for studentsDocuments reflections through a journal or another way to keep records of thoughtsRemains open to continuous learning habit of mindThinks flexibly Habit of MindIs metacognitive Habit of MindApplies knowledge from past experience Habit of MindThese are some of the characteristics that come to mind. They are all verbs—these are behaviors in a teacher. As for evidence, there might be curriculum maps, journals public not private, conferences, goal setting and monitoring results in light of student learning, participation in study groups, book studies, action research, and PLCs to name several.
via The Future of Teaching Is Virtual: An Interview With Bena Kallick | Edudemic.
The Innovative Educator: Kids Learn By Teaching Each Other with Upside Down Academy
I’d like my daughter to have the opportunity to spend as much time as possible doing projects and producing interesting work. Knowing that the opportunity to have such experiences was limited in the traditional school setting where students often simply consume information without any practical way to apply it, I considered homeschooling. Like many Dads, I would never have thought of homeschooling my daughter before, but with so many free and open educational resources available for students to learn whatever they want, it seemed like more of a possibility. The question was, is there an easier way to do project-based learning about any topic on demand in the same way that The Khan Academy makes learning feasible for anyone with internet access?
via The Innovative Educator: Kids Learn By Teaching Each Other with Upside Down Academy.
Libraries and Museums Become Hands-On Learning Labs | MindShift
Earlier this month, we covered the Fayetteville Free Library‘s new Fab Lab, the public library’s plans to build a “makerspace” where library patrons could gain hands-on experience using 3D printers and other tools and could take programming and “shop” classes.It’s part of a larger movement to rethink and re-imagine what a public library will look like and what functions it will serve. While many people do see libraries solely as book repositories, it’s clear that the library is much more than that. For many, it’s an important community center and a place that offers access to digital tools and media.A new competition sponsored by the Institute for Museum and Library Services IMLS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has just announced 12 winning libraries and museums that will receive $1.2 million in grant money help push the boundaries of what these institutions look like, specifically helping to create facilities that are better “learning labs” for teens.The idea was inspired by YOUmedia, a teen learning space at the Chicago Public Library’s downtown center. YOUmedia provides teens with access to thousands of books. But it also contains over 100 laptop and desktop computers — machines that are equipped with various media creation software — as well as an in-house recording studio with keyboards, turntables and a mixing board. YOUmedia also provides classes and connections to mentors so that teens can learn how to use the equipment.
via Libraries and Museums Become Hands-On Learning Labs | MindShift.
Challenge Based Learning
Students today have instant access to information through technology and the web, manage their own acquisition of knowledge through informal learning, and have progressed beyond consumers of content to become producers and publishers. As a result, traditional teaching and learning methods are becoming less effective at engaging students and motivating them to achieve.Today’s school curriculum presents students with assignments that lack a real-world context and activities that lead to uninspired projects and end in a letter grade. Many students either learn to do just enough to get by or they lose interest and drop out. In this interconnected world, with ubiquitous access to powerful technology and access to a worldwide community, new models of teaching and learning are possible.
What It’s Like To Actually Deploy iPads In Classrooms | Edudemic
Edudemic is chock full of iPad in the classroom resources. That’s because using iPads in the classroom and for educational purposes is important. It’s an exciting time for education technology and it’s fun to talk about all the amazing ways technology can help in learning.But what happens when you move beyond talking and actually purchase dozens of iPads for your classroom? There are plenty of iPad storage / sync carts that you can buy but what happens when all that stuff actually arrives at your school? Where do you start?Worry not, edtech integrator! The Palm Beach County school system has a full review of their deployment process along with photos and commentary. Their incredible wiki features tons of great resources the best iPad apps for particular grades, how much iPad labs actually cost, etc. so be sure to check it out. Below is their must-have guide for installing, setting up, and syncing iPads in the classroom:We have to admit that initial set up is seeming like it is going to be the most intense part of the process. It is a lot of work to get everything ready for the classroom. Below is information on each part of the our initial set up prior to the devices going out to the schools.
via What It’s Like To Actually Deploy iPads In Classrooms | Edudemic.
Measuring 1:1 Results — THE Journal
Four years ago Mooresville Graded School District MGSD in Mooresville, NC, rolled out a 1:1 laptop program that put MacBooks in the hands of all students in grades 3 through 12. Even before the computers were doled out though, Scott Smith, CTO of the 5,500-student district, said the IT team, school leaders, administrators, and teachers decided that they wanted to do more than just “hand out laptops to kids.”"We looked at the initiative as a digital conversion,” said Smith, “knowing that it was completely transforming the teaching and learning environment that we were all accustomed to.”Improved student engagement, state and national assessment scores, and student attendance were a few of the districts top priorities. To achieve those goals MGSD developed a three-pronged approach that comprises the equipment itself, free value-added assessment software, and regular Scantron assessments to track progress.Smith described the districts approach to THE Journal and talked about the tools that MGSD is using and the results its seen from its integrated 1:1 approach.
Special Curators note:
I had the good fortune to see the Mooresville, NC program up close and personal and all I can say is, Wowsers!
The Best Web 2.0 Applications For Education In 2011 — So Far | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
I usually just do a year-end list on Web 2.0 Applications For Education and many other topics, but it gets a little crazy having to review all of my zillion posts at once. So, to make it easier for me — and perhaps, to make it a little more useful to readers — I’m going to start publishing mid-year lists, too. These won’t be ranked, unlike my year-end “The Best…” lists, and just because a site appears on a mid-year list doesn’t guarantee it will be included in an end-of-the-year one. But, at least, I won’t have to review all my year’s posts in December…
via The Best Web 2.0 Applications For Education In 2011 — So Far | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day….
SchoolCIO Blogs – DAILY INSIGHT: Using tech to impact student achievement
Lately, there’s been a fair amount of concern about how technology is or isn’t impacting student achievement, i.e., standardized test scores. Some districts are deciding what to cut: staffing, technology, chess club, sport programs, library books or someone else’s sacred cows. I find this interesting, since technology has never shown an ability to improve student test scores on its own. Technology has been able to do two things fairly well for instruction:1. engage learners more decisively than traditional methods thus more time on task; and2. allow staff to more easily and effectively differentiate instruction to accommodate a variety of learning styles.So, technology isn’t at fault if it isn’t improving test scores. The issue lies in the way technology is or isn’t being implemented.
via SchoolCIO Blogs – DAILY INSIGHT: Using tech to impact student achievement.
eSchool News » How to teach young children in the digital age » Print
As research suggests more than half of children ages 5-8 have used a mobile device such as a smart phone, iPod touch, or iPad, a new report offers recommendations for how policy makers and education leaders can take a more robust and modern approach to helping young students learn and develop in the digital age.“Take a Giant Step [2],” from the Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council, finds that the integration of innovative, research-based training models for early childhood educators is a key element missing in the design of high-quality early learning programs.The Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council, established by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education and co-chaired by Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond and Cooney Center Executive Director Michael H. Levine, reviewed research from foundations and government agencies and discovered that fewer than half of all early learning programs in the U.S. are considered high quality and promote significant learning among underserved students.
via eSchool News » How to teach young children in the digital age » Print.
Mathematics Teaching Using Journals: Writing Strategies That Improve Problem Solving and Concept Learning | Suite101.com
Math journals provide advantages for students to develop a better understanding of mathematics, with teachers learning their students views and beliefs regarding math.Mathematics teaching involves the use of many strategies for helping students learn and develop an understanding of math. One teaching strategy is the use of journals, which allows students to shed light on their views and beliefs about math concepts through writing. Students can use these journals to communicate their thoughts, ideas, and understanding about mathematics. This strategy provides teachers with an indication of students understanding or misunderstanding of concepts.Writing in math journals also provides an alternative mode of mathematics teaching and learning for those creative students who have not previously been reached by more traditional, structured, or linear teaching strategy. Because a student often knows more than he or she can or is willing to explain verbally, journal writing provides a safe venue for students to express what they know or do not know about specific math concepts or problem solving.
