10 Ways Twitter Has Made Better Teachers. Cramlington Learning Village « Reflective Teacher And Learner. The RRRRRvengers! As I talked about in an earlier blog post, next year our school will be taking the next step up on our L2L journey. It’s been one that has been going for around 5 years now and has been an exciting learning journey as it has progressed. One of the mistakes we have learnt from during its infancy came from not having a framework which we were driving L2L towards. As a novice to L2L when I took it on, it was understandably a bit of a whirlwind trying to see how the many different L2L champions were doing things.
We looked at many ideas ranging from Guy Claxtons ‘Learning Powers’ to the Habits of Mind programme. I am happy to say that the Eureka moment for my own take on L2L came after having a personalised visit to Cramlington Learning Village arranged by Ken Brechin and Mark Lovatt in 2009. Now if you haven’t heard of the R’s before, here is a very quick (and brief) introduction. Responsibility Resourcefulness Resilience Reflectiveness Readiness Reasoning. Resilience. I was extremely privileged to be asked to record a short video for #TMClevedon last week by the rather wonderful Mark Anderson @ICTEvangelist. I decided to talk about Resilience: Our journey to become Independent Learners – this is the story so far of how at Temple Moor High School we are trying to develop our students to become resilient and independent learners. The presentation was also recorded on the night In fact, all the presentations delivered on the night can be found here Make sure you take a look at David Didau’s (@LearningSpy) presentation on SOLO Taxonomy – it is excellent.
Although I wasn’t there on the night, it has become clearly apparent that the night was a huge success and a fantastic event all-round - well done Mark and his team!! Some of the resources in the video can be found here; New 5R profile - this is something we are just starting to use at Temple Moor. Presentation used to launch the 5Rs. Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You? « Michael Graham Richard. Here is an excerpt from an article about Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University: Through more than three decades of systematic research, [Carol Dweck] has been figuring out answers to why some people achieve their potential while equally talented others don’t—why some become Muhammad Ali and others Mike Tyson.
The key, she found, isn’t ability; it’s whether you look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed. To anyone who is into personal growth and self-improvement, this seems obvious. But clearly, it is not obvious to everybody: look at this diagram by Nigel Holmes representing the two types of mindsets and I’ll sure you’ll recognize the attitudes of many people you know. Fixed Mindset Let’s have a look, starting with the Fixed Mindset side: People who hold these beliefs think that “they are the way they are”, but that doesn’t mean that they have less of a desire for a positive self-image than anyone else. E2F - Independent Learning - Independent learning. Developing Independent Learners. Four Strategies to Spark Curiosity via Student Questioning.
British archaeologist Mary Leakey described her own learning as being "compelled by curiosity. " Curiosity is the name we give to the state of having unanswered questions. And unanswered questions, by their nature, help us maintain a learning mindset. When we realize that we do not know all there is to know about something in which we are interested, we thirst. We pursue. We act as though what we do not know is more important than what we do, as though what we do not possess is worth the chase to own it. How do we help students discover this drive? Strategy One: Equip Students to Ask Questions At its essence, curiosity is asking questions and pursuing answers. We often ask students if they have any questions, but we rarely teach them how to ask advantageous questions. Strategy Two: Provide a Launch Pad Even if students have mastered the full range of question forming, it is difficult to inquire about topics with which they have no familiarity.
Strategy Three: Cast a Wide Net References. Videos to help you rethink education, learning, & school. Having children causes one to (re)think seriously about education and the role of school. Education obviously is the most powerful thing in the world. And yet the old Mark Twain chestnut — "I never let school get in the way of my education" — speaks to the core of my own thinking regarding education. I am not an expert in education by any means, but like almost everyone, I have strong ideas based on my personal experiences going through formal, mass schooling. Personally, the best years where I learned the most and was inspired to study and learn on my own were surely the six years of elementary school, and then university and graduate school.
One thing I am sure of is that while listening carefully to teachers (and to the masters, etc.) is important, the real learning requires lots and lots of doing, not just listening. Seth Godin on EducationIn this short interview, Seth Godin sums up the essence of the problem. Dr. Presentation tips for teachers (Never give a boring lecture again!) 25 TED Talks Perfect For Classrooms. The 50 Best Sources of Free STEM Education Online 12.05K Views 0 Likes Colleges, universities, and other educational forums in your community can be excellent places to learn more about a variety of STEM topics, but there is also a wealth of educational material available on the web for those who prefer to learn at their own pace or take a more individual approach.
9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn, by Leo Babauta. Kids in today’s school system are not being prepared well for tomorrow’s world. As someone who went from the corporate world and then the government world to the ever-changing online world, I know how the world of yesterday is rapidly becoming irrelevant. I was trained in the newspaper industry, where we all believed we would be relevant forever — and I now believe will go the way of the horse and buggy. Unfortunately, I was educated in a school system that believed the world in which it existed would remain essentially the same, with minor changes in fashion. We were trained with a skill set that was based on what jobs were most in demand in the 1980s, not what might happen in the 2000s.
And that kinda makes sense, given that no one could really know what life would be like 20 years from now. We had no idea what the world had in store for us. And here’s the thing: we still don’t. How then to prepare our kids for a world that is unpredictable, unknown? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Print. 20 Essential TED Talks for Future Leaders. Digital Differentiation. Technology is a tool that can be used to help teachers facilitate learning experiences that address the diverse learning needs of all students and help them develop 21st Century Skills.
At it's most basic level, digital tools can be used to help students find, understand and use information. When combined with student-driven learning experiences fueled by Essential Questions offering flexible learning paths, it can be the ticket to success. Here is a closer look at three components of effectively using technology as a tool for digital differentiation. Note: The interactive graphics you see below have been updated. The goal is to design student-driven learning experiences that are fueled by standards-based Essential Questions and facilitated by digital tools to provide students with flexible learning paths. Essential Questions: Student-driven learning experiences should be driven by standards-based Essential Questions.
Teacher Facilitated Learning Experiences: Developing Independent Learners « Reflective Teacher and Learner. As part of the work I have been doing as part of my PLC group (see this previous post about PLC’s) I have been thinking a lot recently about different strategies that could be used to help pupils become better independent learners. The PLC group began our work by discussing what was meant by ‘independent learning’.
Could you be an independent learner whilst working in a group? Could you seek help from other people and still be learning independently? Pupils’ ideas of ‘independent learning’ seemed to very negative. After some research we decided to split our PLC group in to two; one group would look at a language that could be developed and used school-wide. Our ‘language group’ came across Guy Claxton’s ‘Building Learning Power’ model. Our strategies group have come up with a central theme of ‘C3B4ME’. One pupil in the class will be chosen by the teacher to wear the ‘C3B4ME’ badge. Pupils will also be signposted to other sources of help such as: Like this: Like Loading...
What Teens Learn by Overcoming Challenges. Today's research in adolescent development validates a statement made over 100 years ago by the great African American educator, Booker T. Washington. He said, "I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed. " We now know that learning to overcome challenges during adolescence develops initiative, an important characteristic of how we successfully pursue goals.
Initiative: A Misunderstood Ability As a researcher, I have spent a number of years studying how adolescents engage with meaningful goals. While initiative is understandably complex, many years of research helps us appreciate its importance and why some young people have more of it than others. Initiative is developed in adolescence, through mastery experiences and through supportive relationships that teenagers form with adults. Experiences that Teach Initiative Encourage Teens to Challenge Themselves Sources Adlai-Gail, W. Discovering How to Learn Smarter. Big Ideas Getty By Annie Murphy Paul It’s not often that a story about the brain warms the heart. But that’s exactly what happened to me when I read an article last month in the Washington Post.
Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck conducted the groundbreaking research showing that praise intended to raise young people’s self-esteem can seriously backfire. Now Dweck has designed a program, called Brainology, which aims to help students develop a growth mindset. That, in fact, is something like the credo of this column, which will be appearing every week on MindShift. Annie Murphy Paul, the author of Origins, is at work on a book about the science of learning. Related Explore: Brainology, learning styles, Neuroscience. With | alistair smith learning.
I work with Associates, Partner Schools and Organisations whom I trust and who share the same values. Associates In the field of education, individuals who are flexible enough to operate with and alongside classroom practitioners whilst having the whole school perspective are rare. Where they do exist, they are already in schools! In professional sport, especially football, there are very few who break in to the industry without first having had success there.
The associates with whom I work are trusted, experienced professionals who bring a freshness and energy to what they do. Partner Schools A partner school is a school with whom I have had an enduring relationship and, I like to think, a positive impact on the lives of staff and students. Organisations Here is a sample of ‘fellow travelers’ Resources Publishers Books I’ve authored Books I’ve co-authored A selection of books I’d recommend - and one for the footballer in you, Inverting the Pyramid: Jonathan Wilson. For Each to Excel:Preparing Students to Learn Without Us. Here's what I wonder: Can my 12-year-old son Tucker, a kid who lives for anything having to do with basketball, learn just about every math concept he needs to be successful in life in the context of playing the game he loves? I posed that question on my blog a few months ago, and the post elicited more than 60 responses from readers who connected basketball to the study of bivariate data, complex equations, statistical analysis, slope, variables, predicting outcomes, probability, geometric shapes, mean, median, mode, averages, arc, force, angles, percentages, fractions, linear inequalities, volume, speed, mass, acceleration, and dozens of other concepts that are no doubt part of Tucker's K–12 math curriculum (Richardson, 2010).
And when I showed him some of the great ideas that teachers had left on my blog, he lit up. "Really? " he asked. "I could do that? " Yes, I think he could. But in the midst of this culture of customization, what about education? Beyond Differentiation Why? International Society for Technology in Education - Learning & Leading > Feature: Teach Your Students to Fail Better.
What should we be teaching? By Kevin Washburn, on January 31st, 2012 What should we be teaching? This question received significant attention at the November 2011 Learning and the Brain Conference in Boston. With the changes in our world and in our students, what should we, then, teach? The question reveals a consequential recognition: some of what we’ve taught and how we’ve been teaching it lacks relevance for today’s world and today’s learners. Specifically, several presenters suggested education’s over-reliance on questions that have one right answer may prevent teachers from emphasizing the content and skills that will benefit today’s students.
Wagner’s “Survival Skills” What we should emphasize instead, according to Wagner, are seven “survival skills” that today’s students (and many of today’s working adults) need for thriving in an increasingly technological world. Critical thinking and problem solving. It may be time for just such an examination. References Wagner, T. Image. 10 Important Skills Students need for the Future. The future. What do our students really need to know and be able to do to succeed in future education and careers? Content is a part of what they need to know. Standardized tests test content knowledge and some skills. There are huge debates raging over standardized testing, curriculum, and the like. Content is important to a point. I learned many of these skills in college because even 20 years ago, my school, WPI, understood these ideas. Research by the Institute for the Future released in a report entitled “Future Work Skills 2020″ shows that preparing for a specific career area based on content is difficult and, instead, people should be developing certain broad skills.
Here are the skills: Sense-making. Social intelligence. Novel and adaptive thinking. Cross-cultural competency. Computational thinking. New-media literacy. Transdisciplinarity. Cognitive load management. Virtual collaboration. A summary map of the skills: The Power of Feedback. 5 Basic Elements of Cooperative Learning - Cooperative Learning. Today's Teachers Must Become Connected Educators. OMG: Engaging Students on Their Own Terms. Reflective Teacher and Learner. Pedagogy and People over Places and Spaces | A View from the Middle Pedagogy and People over Places and Spaces | Thoughts on Learning with Middle School Students. Thoughts and Crosses - Solving Equations Differentiation - reflectivemathsteacher's posterous. Where does the time go!? 3 Tips on Flipping Your Classroom with #iPads #flippedclassroom. Think For Yourself - Before It's Too Late...
How | alistair smith learning. The Future Belongs to the Curious.