How the Finnish school system outshines U.S. education | Social and Behavioral Science Research The Finnish school system might sound like a restless American schoolchild's daydream: school hours cut in half, little homework, no standardized tests, 50-minute recess and free lunch. But the Finns' unconventional approach to education has vaulted Finland to the upper echelon of countries in overall academic performance, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Finnish students have ranked at or near the top of the Program for International Student Assessment ever since testing started in 2000. In the most recent assessment in 2009, they ranked sixth in math, second in science and third in reading. But Finland's system hasn't always been successful. "Finland had been traditionally thought of as the lowest achieving country in Scandinavia, and one of the lower achieving ones in Europe for a very long time. From worst to first "We came from behind from everybody else," Sahlberg said. Lower cost, better results Source: Stanford.Edu
edu.tic.TED. Imperdibles La verdad es que TED es un escaparate de ideas y buenas razones en muchas disciplinas. Por ello quiero invitarles a la reflexión sobre las ideas de algunas de las conferencias –con subtítulos en español- que creo son imperdibles para enterder mejor la relación educación y tecnología. Es un derroche de ideas, razones, prospecciones y buen humor que se pueden ver indistintamente, sin orden. No obstante, déjenme proponerles un menú orientativo en torno a las preguntas que a nosotros, los pedagogos, nos invaden y preocupan con normalidad. Menú edu.tic.ted Barry Schwartz Sugata Mitra Ken Robinson Lawrence Lessig Nicholas Christakis Kevin Kelly
11 coisas que voce nao sabia sobre a google (Fonte da imagem: Google) Toda empresa que se torna líder em sua área de atuação possui no mínimo uma história interessante relacionada aos seus bastidores. Com a gigante das buscas Google não poderia ser diferente, já que se trata de uma companhia conhecida pela inovação constante e pelos métodos de trabalho que fogem ao tradicional. Neste artigo, reunimos algumas curiosidades pouco divulgadas sobre a empresa, que incluem informações relacionadas à sua construção, filosofia de negócio e relacionamento com funcionários. Confira abaixo a lista, e não deixe de postar sua opinião (e outras curiosidades) em nossa seção de comentários. Não seja mau Esse é o lema não oficial da companhia, que figura em destaque no código de conduta que todos os funcionários devem seguir. Bill Gates considerou a compra da companhia uma má ideia Em 2002, o então CEO da Microsoft teve a oportunidade de adquirir a Google. Dinheiro para mulheres bonitas (Fonte da imagem: YouTube) Obsessão por notas escolares
Just What Does it Mean to Integrate Technology Here we are in 2012 and technology is a booming industry in education. SMARTBoards, Projectors, Document Cameras, Airliners, Clicker Systems, Video and Photo devices, iPods and iPads are invading classrooms all over the world. Teachers and students are being asked to use these new tools, with some having training and others being thrown to the wolves. But just what does it mean to integrate technology? Does using a projector each day count as a teacher using technology? I use technology everyday, but getting my students to use it has been a struggle. With teacher accountability changing all the time, where will technology integration fit into the equation? I firmly believe that if I was at a 1:1 school I would have much more success with integration. So the big question still remains....Just what does it mean to integrate technology?
Não deixe para amanhã: a dica de Isaac Newton para vencer a procrastinação As razões para deixarmos as tarefas para depois são muitas, e profundamente variadas. Este hábito, que corresponde à definição de procrastinação, costuma conduzir a outro padrão indesejável: a síndrome do estudante, ou o hábito de só começar a fazer as coisas no limite do seu prazo - introduzindo uma série de riscos e custos adicionais por não haver mais tempo para um estudo adicional, para um plano B ou para lidar com um obstáculo que, se tivesse surgido no início do prazo, seria trivial. Métodos baseados em ferramentas de controle objetivo das pendências e prazos, como os do GTD, podem fazer muito no combate a estes efeitos tão danosos à produtividade, mas eles encontram rapidamente o seu limite de atuação quando a causa não está relacionada diretamente à organização pessoal, mas sim à motivação ou a um paradigma menos compatível com a eficiência. Vencendo com as Leis de Newton Provavelmente você já estudou as Leis de Newton em alguma cadeira de Física no ensino médio ou secundário.
The Public Library Manifesto: Why Libraries Matter, and How We Can Save Them by David Morris Why libraries matter, and how we can save them. posted May 06, 2011 "The word 'public' has been removed from the name of the Fort Worth Library. In an age of greed and selfishness, the public library stands as an enduring monument to the values of cooperation and sharing. This is not the time to take the word “public” out of the public library. The public library is a singularly American invention. Public libraries are one of the most ubiquitous of all American institutions, more widespread than Starbucks or McDonalds. By the 1870s, 11 states together boasted 188 public libraries. Almost two thirds of us carry library cards. Protecting the Right to Know When we think of libraries, we tend to think of books, and rightly so: Public libraries are by far our largest bookstores, and a majority of the 2.5 billion items checked out are still books. But libraries are much more than bookstores. In 1872, the right to know led the Worcester Massachusetts Public Library to open its doors on Sundays.
Make the next school year amazing for your students! “If you end up with a boring miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest, or some guy on television telling you how to do your shit, then you deserve it.” -Frank Zappa Inside of every student I’ve ever taught lives a passionate, curious mind that can either flourish or stagnate, both inside and outside the classroom. Image credit: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, via Ideally, every one of the teachers a student encounters in their life would be great: would take pride in being the best teacher they can, would love what they teach, would be empowered to teach their own style and their own lessons and curriculum, and would genuinely care about the students as individual people. What makes matters even worse is that this isn’t what the system values. Image credit: Endeavor Tutoring and Test Preparation. 1.) 2.) Image credit: The Art of Teaching Science / Jack Hassard. Image credit: Jimmy Walker-Pearson.
Teaching Creativity - Professional Development for Teachers A few weeks ago fellow Voices blogger Shelley Wright wrote a provocative blog on flipping Bloom’s Taxonomy and beginning the learning experience with Creativity. As the person most directly responsible for our school’s Professional Development I have been wondering what professional development looks like when you turn Bloom’s on its head. Teachers young and old are comfortable with the old model and path. Even if they have never heard of Bloom’s Taxonomy (it happens in independent schools where some young teachers have never taken an education course), teachers are inherently comfortable with the approach the taxonomy lays out. Remembering and Understanding are sooo easy to assess—give a quiz; find out what you student doesn’t know. Ongoing education for teachers in all of Bloom’s Taxonomy except for Creativity is relatively straightforward. Encouraging teachers to teach creativity requires a different approach. Why teachers who create do Creativity so well Teaching Creativity is messy