Using Old Tech (Not Edtech) to Teach Thinking Skills

I've been trying to use Google Docs to good effect in my ninth grade history classroom. It's a critical tool in that it lets me see the students puzzle out answers to their questions (especially with a heavy reliance of the "see revisions" function). I've viewed classroom technology as the means to sharing knowledge, in addition to acquiring or manipulating it. Yet I find that not only has the computer itself become something of a distraction, but the students aren't making enough use of the tech’s "share-ability" -- that is, they struggle to work effectively together on it, and to have their ideas cohere in an intelligible way. It occurred to me that co-editing in a Google Doc is a skill that itself needs to be taught and practiced before it can become effective in the classroom. I also started thinking that perhaps one fault of technology is that it brings the world to the student, rather than spurring the student to get up out the chair and go find it. The Power of Post-it Notes

What You Can Learn About Learning Through Video Game Play Shakalaka boom! Yeah, well done! Way to hold your ground! Cool base design! Thanks for the bombers! How do you hoard loot if they keep stealing if from you? Don't worry about trophies if you are trying to get loot. Sounds strange? I invited the cousins and nephews to get involved and we made our own clan. For those that are not familiar with the game, the point is to gather elixir, and gold to build your base to Level 11. Discoveries After playing this game, there's nine things that I have learned about education and learning: #1. #2. #3. #4. #5. #6. #7. #8. #9. How do I justify spending time on a simple game?

untitled untitled Middle School Science | Free Lesson Plans & Resources for Grades 5 – 8