Classroom in the Cloud: Technology as a Learning Environment. In September 2013, I was recruited by then-principal Eric Sheninger to be the new library media specialist of New Milford (New Jersey) High School, and was tasked with seeking to improve student performance by developing an exciting and engaging learning environment for all. My vision was of a learner-centered space where students and teachers would have access to exciting technologies, digital and print resources, and productive spaces offering scope for collaboration and creativity. In seeking to turn what been a largely unvisited and unused library into a vibrant part of the school community, I felt challenged by the limitations of the physical space. The library had not been renovated in decades, and it offered very little in terms of what a modern-day learning "commons" should be.
My inspiration at this point was Pixar Animation Studios. A New Learning Space Many virtual learning solutions exist in the market. Image credit: Laura Fleming The Always-Open Library. Five-Minute Film Festival: The Basics of Blended Learning. The Structural Approach. El_198912_kagan.pdf. Cooperative Learning. Handbook of Emerging Technologies for Learning. "Forbes" The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World's Most Surprising School System. RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms. MindShift GuidetoDigitalGamesandLearning. How to Teach Multiliteracies? The Canadian Journal of Teaching Research. The Secret to Teaching Great Writing: Use the News!
As a professional writer and a writing specialist, I know that not everyone is as hepped up about words as I am. (What, you mean you don’t want to spend the next five hours chatting about the relationship between a character’s syntax and their familial history? Say it ain’t so!). I know that if I have any hope of maintaining student (and teacher) attention spans, I have to keep it relevant to the here and now. My secret: use the news! With all of its of-the-moment relevancy and juicy tidbits, the news is the perfect lens through which to teach the ins and outs of craft – or, probably more accurately, the perfect mask to distract students as I sneak in the real lessons. Let’s take a look at some of the most creative and effective techniques out there today. Photo credit MickBaker(Rooster) via Flickr 1. Sure, you could talk until you’re blue in the face about well-structured, 5-paragraph essays with clear beginning, middles, and ends.
What arguments is the author making? 2. 3. 4. 5. SMILE (Social Media in learning and Education) Quest to learn.