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Deeper Learning: A Collaborative Classroom Is Key. What's ideal when it comes to collaboration in our classrooms? Here's one coveted scenario: several children gathered at a table engaged in a high-level task, discussing, possibly debating an issue, making shared decisions, and designing a product that demonstrates all this deeper learning. As teachers, we'd love to see this right out the gate, but this sort of sophisticated teamwork takes scaffolding. It won't just happen by placing students together with a piece of provocative text or an engaging task. (Heck, this deeper learning collaboration is challenging for most adults!) In preparing our students for college and careers, 21st century skills call on us to develop highly collaborative citizens -- it's one of the 4 Cs, after all. So how do we begin this scaffolded journey? Once we've shared with students the task or assessment they are challenged to complete with their group, here's some suggested steps for supporting students in deep and meaningful collaboration: Model What We Expect.

iPads in the Classroom: 4 Steps to Prepare Teachers for Success. The best administrators know that the key to any new program or initiative is comprehensive preparation and training for their staff. If your district is considering deploying iPads in the classroom for the first time or you are restructuring or expanding an existing iPad initiative, what steps will you take to prepare your staff and students to successfully integrate tablet technology into the classroom? Before taking the plunge and investing in iPads, it's important to think through the instructional changes that will need to take place to ensure your iPad rollout is a success. The eSpark team supports schools and districts across the country to integrate personalized learning and iPads into classrooms. Through our experience deploying tens of thousands of classroom iPads with our partnerships, we have identified four steps that are vital to the success of an iPad initiative.

Step #1: Identify an Instructional Purpose You may be hoping that iPads in the classroom will lead to: Is technology dangerous? This guest post was written by Tali, a pre-service teacher in her final year of studying to be a primary school teacher. You may have read an earlier guest post by a pre-service teacher in the UK – A conversation with Tali indicates that it’s not much better in Australia. Why can’t so called education experts figure out how to prepare teachers? Recently, I was informed that technology is dangerous. The person who so confidently imparted this pearl of wisdom is a university lecturer in education (I am studying to be a primary teacher).

This is not the first time that one of my lecturers has warned me of the ‘dangers of technology’, but I always find these warnings quite amusing, so I resisted the urge to laugh and instead asked what it is about technology that is so deeply threatening. He knowingly informed me that technology makes children feel that their classroom learning is boring, because the Internet is more interesting. A computer is a tool like any other. Like this: Like Loading... 10 Commandments of Innovative Teaching.

As a new teacher I remember getting into my classroom for the first time. I set up the space like classrooms I had seen before and enjoyed; I got my lesson plans in order; packed the filing cabinets with resources; started to make copies of overhead slides; put together an area for reading and stacked the shelves with books I had picked up in college or from my parents house. Then the students arrived, and all my plans went out the window. I realized very quickly that the type of teaching I had been exposed to and grew up with, and the type of teaching taught at many undergrad programs…was quickly becoming a past practice.

That’s not to say many of the pedagogical and instructional strategies I learned don’t stick with me today (the good ones always will) but these students were different learners than I was…and at the time I was only 22 years old. After teaching in a nice classroom of my own at the middle school I jumped up to the high school ranks and became a “floating” teacher. 1. HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY INTO THE 21st CENTURY CLASSROOM – PART 1: WEB TOOLS | Aysin Alp's Blog. Today, there are many websites, tools, and resources that are readily available to us through the WWW. In order to introduce these applications to our students and implement them into our classrooms, we need to know where to find them and how to use them. As educators we already know that every child learns differently, so providing various means to give our students the opportunity to express what they know and to use their imagination through innovation has become part of 21st century teaching, which every teacher should practice.

The New Way of Learning infographic by the Adidas Group gives us hints about why and how we should transform learning: Even if they aren’t familiar with technology and consequently don’t feel comfortable with it, each teacher should give it a try to transform teaching and learning as it is worth doing. As a first step you can start by talking to your colleagues who are teaching with technology.

100+ Presentations for the Professional Development of Teachers. iPad Professional Development Lesson Plan (1.5 hrs) You may be responsible for conducting professional development or workshops on the use of iPad technology and may have developed your own teaching and learning plan. The most difficult issue to address is the range of skills that are present within the group. There are several ways that the dilemma can be overcome. To determine required professional development I usually construct a Google Form and distribute it to teaching staff to evaluate competencies.

I use the results to address areas of need and in this manner professional development is targeted and meets general needs and specific issues needing address. Alternatively a range of sessions can be provided and from the workshops staff can select topics they are interested in. In this manner attention and motivation are enhanced and learning enriched.

When professional development is required for a large group, I have discovered infotainment often works best. 1. Use Explain Everything to facilitate discussion. 2. 3. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Movies to Develop Leadership in Educational Technology. As the year ends, I am republishing the Opinion Drive-thru's seven most viewed posts of 2013. This is #1During the first meetings of my Leadership in Technology College of Education course (ED 6270) at Madonna University I have used some short YouTube movies for both the face-to-face and online versions of the course. Developing Professional Learning Networks This is a one minute movie about an Australian teacher training program that shows teachers the benefits in using Twitter. After watching it, my students-- all full time teachers-- wanted me to prepare a lesson on it as well.

An Illustration of Flipped Classroom: The Full Picture During our first class we looked at Reuben Puentedura’s SAMR Model, agreeing that at its very basic level, the “flipped classroom” is more of a case of technology allowing for substitution of lecture supplied by technology for a live lecture. Henry Jenkins on Participatory Culture This is a fascinating video with all kinds of implications. Twitter. 10 Time-Saving Videos All About iPads In The Classroom.

You’re probably knee-deep in the new school year worrying about the Common Core State Standards, if students are paying attention, and if you’re really getting through to your students. However, many teachers and administrators are starting to think about something else. They’re figuring out how to integrate technology into the curriculum, the classroom, and at home. One of the most popular pieces of edtech is, of course, the iPad. We talk about it all darn day here on Edudemic and that’s because it’s seen widespread adoption and it’s the single device we hear the most questions about. How do set up the iPad for students? Who can be an admin? In an effort to save you a little bit of time, I’ve gone through a treasure trove of YouTube videos that are all about iPads in the classroom. Recommended Apps Worth Using This video walks through some useful apps that I have tried out and like. The Comprehensive Guide To The Apple iPad (Beginner) How To Set Up Apple TV In The Classroom.

An Interesting Collection of Handy iPad Tips for Teachers and Students. Today while I was attending an iPad workshop I noticed that some teachers are using their iPads in a time-wasting manner. I am not sure if they are new to iPad or not but the first thing one can do when he/she got a new piece of these smart gadgetry ( a phone , a tablet, chromebook) is to head over to YouTube and type in the name of that gadget followed by the word " tutorial" and you will get all kinds of videos on tips and tricks related to that device. Most of people do not bother going through those thickly written guides accompanying the newly purchased gadgets. Videos and visual tutorials are better alternatives. If you have an iPad and you want to get the maximum out of in order to enhance your iPadding experience and improve your productivity on it, the tutorials below are part of what you need. These are some very good video tutorials that will introduce you to a wide variety of tips related to using and handling your iPad.

7 Key Characteristics Of Better Learning Feedback. 7 Key Characteristics Of Better Learning Feedback by Grant Wiggins, Authentic Education On May 26, 2015, Grant Wiggins passed away. Grant was tremendously influential on TeachThought’s approach to education, and we were lucky enough for him to contribute his content to our site. Occasionally, we are going to go back and re-share his most memorable posts. Yesterday we shared an article on close reading, and today Grant looks at providing better feedback for learning.

Whether or not the feedback is just “there” to be grasped or offered by another person, all the examples highlight seven key characteristics of helpful feedback. Helpful feedback is – Goal-referencedTransparentActionableUser-friendlyTimelyOngoingConsistent 1. Given a desired outcome, feedback is what tells me if I should continue on or change course. Note that goals (and the criteria for them) are often implicit in everyday situations. 2. 3. Thus, “good job!” 4. 5. A great problem in education, however, is the opposite. 6. 7. 7 Inspiring TED Talks on the 21st Century Curriculum. 1- Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover A high-school math teacher, Dan Meyer says the experience of teaching within the set curriculum is like “[selling] a product to a market that doesn’t want it, but is forced by law to buy it.”

His students don’t learn how to retain information, but instead, how to decode a textbook. The key, for him, lies in trusting in students’ ability to problem-solve. In this talk from TEDxNYED, he imagines lessons where kids are involved in the formulation of problems. 2- Mae Jemison on teaching arts and sciences together At TED2002, astronaut and designer Mae Jemison points out a false dichotomy: that the arts and sciences are mutually exclusive. 3- Liz Coleman’s call to reinvent liberal arts education The president of Bennington College, Liz Coleman posits at TED2009 that modern liberal arts education pushes students towards a single discipline with an exclusive viewpoint with an aversion to social values. 5- Geoff Mulgan: A short intro to the Studio School. 4 Presentations Every Teacher Should See. 1-Digital e-Portfolio 2-Cyberbullying 3-Social Media 101 4-The Destruction of Non-linear learning. 70+ Web Tools Organized For Bloom's Digital Taxonomy.

The number of web tools currently available to teachers, administrators, and students is downright absurd. You can’t swing an iPad without hitting a free web tool looking to revolutionize your classroom. Luckily, there are a few brave souls out in the world wide web attempting to organize the chaos a bit. We like to take our best shot here at Edudemic but also like to showcase some of the great organizing done by others. One of those fabulous organizers is Phillippa Cleaves ( @pipcleaves – worth following!)

From Sydney, Australia who built the Prezi you see below. In the presentation, Phillippa outlines which web tools you should check out for each part of Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy . It’s a daunting task to try and figure this kind of stuff out so I hope you’re as grateful as I am for Phillippa’s hard work. The web tools are all listed (and clickable!) NOTE: You can click on any of the web tools listed in the presentation to go to their respective website. 2 Must Watch Videos on The Importance of Technology Integration in Education. Do you feel stuck when trying to come up with solid arguments in favor of your use of technology in your teaching ?

Do you want some inspiration on how and why this technology should be part of the curriculum you teach ? Are you skeptic about the importance of technology in education ? These and several other questions are constantly simmering in some educators minds driving them ,in extreme cases, to even question whether or not to let in technology into their classrooms.However, today I have handpicked for you two great videos on the importance of using technology in education.I have probably watched these clips more than ten times but each time I see them it seems like I never watched them.

They are just amazing .They are short and you can watch both of them in less than 8 minutes. Have a look and let us know if they have impressed you or not. Enjoy 1- An Introduction to Technology Integration in Education 2- Importance of Technology to Education. The 21st century classroom. Doesn't just focus on "what" kids learn, it focuses more on "how" kids learn best...

Knows the difference between something that is hard, and something that is rigorous... Makes learning both relevant and meaningful... Recognizes we're preparing our students for a world that doesn't yet exist using technology that hasn't yet been invented to solve problems we haven't even thought of... Embraces the notion that education should be done "with" our students, rather than "to" our students...

Provides opportunities for students to explore, discover, create & experience failure... Accepts that the world is a playground for learners, and learning can no longer be contained to the four walls of a classroom... Understands that you can't be "data-driven" unless you actually make adjustments and modifications to your instructional practices as a result of that data... 100 Best YouTube Videos for Teachers | Smart Teaching. Changing Society: Why Teachers Need to Embrace Technology. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: 23 Excellent Professional Development Tools for Teachers. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: 10 Great Guides for Better Professional Learning Network. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: 15 Geat Teaching and Learning iPad Apps.

20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network - Getting Smart by Miriam Clifford. 50 Educational Podcasts You Should Check Out. Instructional Technology Professional Development by Design. The Pros and Cons of Computer Labs. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: Top 10 Videos on 21st Century Learning. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: Teacher's Comprehensive List of Great Educational Technology Resources. 20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network. Videos Suggested for Back to School Faculty Meetings and other educational audiences. How to Create a Quality PD Plan for Technology.

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Formative Assessment. 21k12 in 2012: My Year in Blogging, including Two Top Ten Lists. Top 10 Posts of 2012: Deep, Meaningful and Creative Learning. Good Schools Start With Good Goals - Getting Smart by Tom Vander Ark. An Introduction to Technology Integration. Apps for Professional Development. Socrative: A New Way to Teach on Tildee. Ten Common Mistakes in Building an eLearning Strategy by Marc J. Rosenberg. 50 Excellent Online Professional Development Resources for Teachers.

Blog Tool, Publishing Platform, and CMS. 21CTools - home. The Best Places To Learn Web 2.0 Basics. E-learning. Here Are Ten Rules to Create Engaging Elearning. 20 Technology Skills that Every Educator Should Have. The Complete Educator’s Guide to Using Google Reader. Twitter. The 21st century pedagogy teachers should be aware of. The 21st-Century Digital Learner. The 20 Best Pinterest Boards About Education Technology. Figuring Out Pinterest. SCIL Snapshot Tours — Calendar. PLN. Create a Personal Learning Network. 23 Resources about Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) Professional Development with the Experts Through Twitter - Finding Common Ground.

Response: The Best Ways To Use Tech In The Classroom - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo. Technology Integration Matrix. Free technology teacher training videos for teachers. 3 EdTech Tips (resolutions?) for 2012. 6 Alternatives To Bullet Lists. Creating Learning Experiences That Connect, Inspire, and Engage. Icebreakers. Ten Online Training Do's and Dont's. Background Information for Your Next E-Learning Course. PD for ipads. 15 Great Free iPad Apps for Professional Development. My 35 Favorite Free Apps for Teaching. How a 1:1 Staff iPad Initiative Can Impact Teacher Professional Learning - iPads in Education. Top 7 Guides on how to Use iPad in your Classroom. Learning Technology Trends To Watch In 2012. Planning for Responsible Tech Integration. Professional Development Learning Design | PLANE.