Monthly Archives: January 2012
Educational Technology Bill of Rights for Students | Digital Learning Environments
The following are what I believe are the rights of all student to have with regards to using technology as an educational tool, written as a student to their teacher: 1 I have the right to use my own technology at school. I should not be forced to leave my new technology at home to use in most cases out-of-date school technology. If I can afford it, let me use it — you don’t need to buy me one. If I cannot afford it, please help me get one — I don’t mind working for it. 2 I have the right to access the school’s WiFi. Stop blaming bandwidth, security or whatever else — if I can get on WiFi at McDonalds, I think that I should be able to get online at school. 3 I have the right to submit digital artifacts that prove my understanding of a subject, regardless of whether or not my teacher knows what they are. Just because you have never heard of Prezi, Voki, or Glogster, doesn’t mean that I should not be able to use these tools to prove to you that I understand what you are teaching me.
via Educational Technology Bill of Rights for Students | Digital Learning Environments.
What If Schools Created a Culture of “Do” INSTEAD of a Culture of “Know?” – The Tempered Radical
Here at Educon yesterday, I had the chance to learn a bit more about design thinking from David Jakes. Davids central point was that schools and teachers often get stuck in a “Yeah, but…” mindset when thinking about change. Instead of dreaming about whats possible — taking a “What if” stance towards the challenges standing in our way — were all too ready to trip over the hurdles in front of us without even attempting to jump. David asked each table group to come up with a “What if” question spotlighting a more positive — and possible — future for classrooms and then to break that question down into the tangible steps that schools and teachers would need to take in order to move towards that future.
via What If Schools Created a Culture of “Do” INSTEAD of a Culture of “Know?” – The Tempered Radical.
Over 25 Links Uncovering Project Based Learning Resources On The Web | 21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning
Welcome to this first in a series of PBL Mania Posts. For the next few weeks I am celebrating Project Based Learning by hosting a webinar at Edtech Leaders Online, and by presenting a PBL session at the NICE Conference in Chicago. In this post I will introduce you to some awesome places on the web containing some of the very best PBL resources. Before reading, please take a moment to subscribe to this 21centuryedtech Blog by email or RSS and also give me a follow on Twitter at mjgormans. You will not want to miss this series or future posts involving STEM, Flipping the Classroom, Technology Integration, Common Core, and 21st Century Skills, So Sign Up Now! As always… thanks and have a great week. - Mike Gorman 21centuryedtechWelcome to the land of PBL knowledge. I searched the internet for some of the very finest links leading you to some of the best resources regarding PBL. I start our journey with what I consider the mother lode of PBL resources at the BUCK Institute BIE. After all…BIE is a world leader in PBL.
eSchool News » Ed-tech group outlines goals to help schools implement technology » Print
One of the nation’s major educational technology advocacy groups has identified five key goals in a new three-year advocacy plan that will help advance new K-12 ed-tech learning opportunities.The Consortium for School Networking CoSN, while celebrating its 20th anniversary, released its Strategic Plan: 2012-2015 [2], which updates CoSN’s advocacy efforts.“We’re excited to launch our new strategic plan, particularly at a time when CoSN is celebrating two decades of success in school system technology,” said CoSN CEO Keith Krueger. “We undertook this effort to reframe, refocus, and refresh our objectives, as it’s important to ensure that our goals and priorities continue to evolve along with today’s ever-changing technology environment. Our new plan does that, and we look forward to strengthening our organization and thought leadership in the years ahead.”To execute its mission, CoSN identified the following five external goals:
via eSchool News » Ed-tech group outlines goals to help schools implement technology » Print.
Reflecting on two years of 1:1 [guest post] | Dangerously Irrelevant
Beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, our school went through a number of transformations and changes, all aimed at enhancing the quality of the learning and teaching within our building. We adapted a 5 x 3 trimester schedule providing longer class periods and a lower student-to-teacher ratio. We added a house system separating the student body into six different houses mixed by age. Through a partnership with Apple, we implemented a 1:1 laptop program with our students receiving MacBooks. Below are five lessons we learned and the two biggest struggles we continue to face.
via Reflecting on two years of 1:1 [guest post] | Dangerously Irrelevant.
My View: Flipped classrooms give every student a chance to succeed – Schools of Thought – CNN.com Blogs
I’m a principal at Clintondale High, a financially challenged school near Detroit. I’m in charge of doing my best to make sure that Clintondale students get the best education possible when they walk through our doors.There are constant hurdles to making this happen. We are a school of choice, so not all students come in with the same skill levels in reading, math, science or other subjects. Almost 75% of our students receive free or reduced-price lunch because of today’s economic climate, and a large part of our student population commutes from Detroit, which often times takes an hour or longer, especially if the bus is late.Every year, our failure rates have been through the roof. The students weren’t paying attention, they weren’t doing their homework, they were being disruptive, or they weren’t coming to school at all. Sadly, these issues are not that uncommon, particularly in this economic climate, where the percentage of students who fall into the poverty category is increasing by the day.
Top 10 Free Online Tutoring Tools for 2012 | Edudemic
The Internet provides a wealth of resources for teachers, tutors, and students to go well beyond classroom learning. Whether you’re a teacher preparing for tomorrow’s lecture, a professional tutor working with one or two students, or you just want to help your cousin in Alabama with some trig homework, these free tools will help you interact with your students sans the confines of the classroom.
City of Materials | ASM International
The City of Materials is brought to you by the ASM Education Committee.
The strategic plan of ASM International included a Life Long Learning initiative. Putting that idea into practice, the ASM Education K-12 sub-committee envisioned an interactive environment where students of all ages could see the impact that Materials Science and Engineering has on their daily lives.
Our vision includes the following:
• City Tour where students can interact with materials and solve cases using their understanding of science
• Podcasts written by college students to introduce a myriad of ideas in an easy listening format on Materials Radio
• Fun hands-on activities that enable students to experiment in their own home
• A basic introduction to materials science as well as a wide array of links to other sites
• Information on the programs and scholarships offered to high school and college students by ASM Materials Education Foundation
All of this has been brought to you courtesy of the hard working volunteers in the K-12 subcommittee, countless teachers who reviewed the content and the financial contributions of ASM International and ASM Materials Education Foundation.
Shift Your Classroom: Small Strategic Steps | Powerful Learning Practice
I’ve come to describe my shifted classroom as an inquiry-driven, project-based, tech-embedded environment. But that’s not where I started.For most of my teaching career, I’ve been a pretty traditional teacher even now I slip back into that mode sometimes. However, as I went through the motions of trying to “teach” my students, something didn’t feel right. My students seemed to learn things only for the exam, were focused on the mark, not the learning that was supposed to be taking place. When the unit or semester was over, they dumped all their notes and assignments. Frustrating.My shift to a student-centred classroom has been a roller coaster ride, but well worth the work and effort you can read about some of it here. For the most part, my students are engaged and have started to take responsibility for their education. We view knowledge as a process, not a product. I think the most valuable skill my students have acquired is the ability to learn, unlearn, and re-learn. Given today’s constantly changing world, this is one of the most important things they’ll take with them when they graduate.Teachers who are interested in shifting their classrooms often don’t know where to start. It can be overwhelming, frightening, and even discouraging, especially when no one else around you seems to think the system is broken. The question I’ve been asked often throughout the past year is “Where should a teacher begin?” I’ve reflected on this a fair amount, and I think small strategic steps are the key.
via Shift Your Classroom: Small Strategic Steps | Powerful Learning Practice.
5 Reasons The OLPC Tablet Could Replace Classroom iPads | Edudemic
I’m a huge fan of iPads. That’s been documented quite frequently on this site. I’ve advocated for more classrooms to adopt them and even given a few away to teachers. That being said, the new OLPC One Laptop Per Child Tablet, dubbed the XO-3, may very well be the answer to your interactive learning prayers. Here’s 5 reasons why:
via 5 Reasons The OLPC Tablet Could Replace Classroom iPads | Edudemic.
