Three TED talks, a look at Education Technology around the world. I recently had the pleasure of joining Robert (Bob) Schuetz and Chris Aviles in an ongoing conversation about, what else, learning.
Bob is a veteran educator of 25 years who is nothing short of a philosophical mastermind. Chris brings eight years of experience and a ton of innovative ideas to the table. Needless to say, their total sense of wonder and passion for learning inspired me greatly. That's why we decided to put our conversation into a blog with the hopes that it ... How Tech Will Transform the Traditional Classroom. Ben Jackson is a writer and app developer living in Brooklyn, NY.
He likes clean typography, dirty language, strong coffee, apple pie and comfortable chairs, and he writes about his obsessions at 90WPM. As the post-PC era moves from interesting theory to cold, hard reality, one of the most pressing questions is: How can we use tablets, and especially the iPad, to help people learn? Most of the focus has been on ebooks replacing textbooks, a trend fueled by Apple’s recent updates to iBooks. Specifically, the company released iBooks Author, a tool for creating immersive ebooks on the desktop. Plus, the new iPad is now the first tablet with a retina screen, making reading and watching multimedia on the device even more enjoyable.
But technology is only as good as the system it’s applied to. Not Just a Textbook The iPad (not to mention the iPhone and iPod touch) is a personal, mobile computer capable of performing tasks unthinkable 10 years ago on a high-end desktop. Low-Budget Alternatives. Teaching with Google+ Stream This is like Facebook's News Feed, where the sharing happens.
Updates, links and other media from the people you follow will show up here. Posts aren't "hidden," but are "muted. "Circles This was a defining feature for Google+ when it was released -- a selling point that allows users to add people to different "circles" as a way of separating content, updates and the general mixing of different areas of your life. Whereas Facebook lumps everyone together in a single feed, Google+ streams allow you far more flexibility. Users are currently split regarding how well this works in application. Most of the differences between Google+ and Facebook are a matter of branding: one company's "follow" is another company's "Add to Circles.
" Beginning Classroom Integration. Future of Teaching: Swedish School System Goes Classroom-Free. Last week, GOOD posted a short profile of a school system in Sweden that has done away with classrooms.
Vittra operates 30 schools in the country and features a classroom-less design to “stimulate ‘children’s curiosity and creativity’ and offer them opportunities for both collaborative and independent time,” according to a principal of one of the schools. Below is a snippet from the article titled “Is Sweden’s Classroom-Free School the Future of Learning?” The newest Vittra school, Telefonplan, opened its doors last August. Designed by architecture firm Rosan Bosch, the Stockholm-area campus seems more like a creative space you’d find at Google or Pixar than a school at all. Students can work independently on their laptops while lounging on one of the “sitting islands” in the photo above. Teacher ranked “less effective” by the Los Angeles Times takes his own life.
By Tom Carter 1 October 2010 The body of Rigoberto Ruelas, Jr., an elementary school teacher from an impoverished suburb of Los Angeles, was found far below a remote forest bridge on Sunday.
It appears that Ruelas intentionally leapt to his death not long after he was labeled a “less effective teacher” by the Los Angeles Times. On Wednesday, hundreds of people attended funeral services for Ruelas. Former colleagues and students spoke of Ruelas as an excellent teacher who went above and beyond what was required. Ruelas, 39, worked at Miramonte Elementary, a school where each day of teaching requires a certain degree of heroism.
Ruelas had worked at Miramonte Elementary School all his life. 30 Inspiring Pinterest Pins for Teachers. Posted on Monday January 2, 2012 by Staff Writers Over the past year, Pinterest has become one of the most popular social media sites out there, letting people create boards composed of various “pins” from the web, that organize ideas on just about any topic under the sun.
Teachers have gotten in on the act as well, sharing lesson plans, classroom photos, cute ideas, and inspirational materials with others in the profession and anyone on the web who wants to learn more about education. Whether you’re a teacher yourself, still a college student, or just want some educational inspiration for a kid in your life, check out these great Pinterest pins. You’ll find some motivational quotes, great craft ideas, and new ways to make your lessons fun and exciting! Classroom promisesThese classroom promises are inspirational to you and your students alike, whether they’re in grade school or high school. Learning through TwisterA whole new twist on Twister is found on this pin. Some creative ideas for using Popplet in the classroom.