What is PBL? To help teachers do PBL well, we created a comprehensive, research-based model for PBL — a "gold standard" to help teachers, schools, and organizations to measure, calibrate, and improve their practice. In Gold Standard PBL, projects are focused on student learning goals and include Essential Project Design Elements: Epic Guide To Game Based Learning Games are fun. We can use them to teach. It isn’t that hard. Game based learning excites learning in my classroom. It can ignite your classroom too. In this post, I’ll share what I’m doing in my classroom. This post is sponsored by Samsung. Game Based Learning in My Classroom Three houses are at war in my keyboarding classroom. And despite what some may think, the game is not required to motivate great behavior because I don’t even try to reward everything. What are serious games? Welcome to serious games. Not only do we want our students to be excited about learning but we also want them to be intrinsically motivated. Interestingly, as can be evidenced by the kids running to my keyboarding classroom each day, effective game-based learning does release dopamine (which activates the pleasure centers of the brain.) Therefore, we educators need to educate ourselves on game based learning. Blog Posts and Current Resources School-Wide Game Based Learning Interviews with Experts Websites Books
Defined STEM What is STEAM Education? | The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM As more schools are shifting to include a STEAM approach, there’s a general question that many start to ask: Who are the STEAM teachers? Then, of course, we start to explore follow up questions like: When does STEAM occur? Is it a class or is it throughout the day? Once you head down this path, you start to see all of the forks in the road. Who teaches STEAM? The answer to this is one is easy: everyone. This can seem oversimplified, but honestly, it’s an inherent quality of this approach. By limiting or labeling someone as the “STEAM Teacher”, you’re cutting out the very heart of this idea. This goes back to the idea of “it’s not my job to teach that”. “It’s not my job to teach those kindergarteners to tie their shoes.” “It’s not my job to explain basic math functions to these kids.” “It’s not my job to show my students how to hold a paintbrush”. Guess what? With that in mind, if the opportunity is there to teach a STEAM lesson, take it! When does STEAM occur? Are there STEAM credentials?
Pixie - Creativity software to engage young minds Pixie is exciting creativity software students can use to share ideas, imagination, and understanding through a combination of text, original artwork, voice narration, and images. Creating with technology appeals to diverse learners, and encourages thinking, creativity, and communication skills. Project work with Pixie engages students in the curriculum and helps you meet the goals of your curriculum. Have Chromebooks? Check out Wixie Students show what they know Pixie can be used across many grade levels and curriculum areas. Pixie helps all students produce high-level work, providing a sense of pride in their abilities and fostering the determination to achieve. Tech4Learning | tech4learning.com/pixie | 877-834-5453 Pixie has great tools for self expression Use Pixie on mixed devices The Pixie app for iPad, Android, and Pixie 4 on Mac and Windows have similar interfaces. Compare the features of Pixie for iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows Pixie lets students share their learning in many ways
Pros & Cons of Social Media in Classrooms 6 Pros & Cons Of Social Media In The Classroom contributed by Aimee Hosler Like it or not, American youth are decidedly online. According to a 2013 report by Pew Research, 78 percent of teens have cell phones, and almost half of those are smartphones — which means they can log onto the Internet virtually anywhere, any time. You can bet many of those students are also using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat — maybe to excess. These statistics might make educators a little uncomfortable. In fact, with a little planning, social media can be a powerful teaching tool. Social media in the classroom isn’t necessarily good or bad; it depends on how it’s used. The Case For Social Media In The Classroom 1. Delmatoff told Mashable that at one point, students were nervous their blogging assignments might get them into trouble–because they were so fun! 2. 3. Part of the reason social media can teach these important life lessons is that it’s ‘real’ to many students. 1. 2. 3.
Designing a School Makerspace Makerspaces, STEAM labs, and fab labs are popping up in schools across the country. Makerspaces provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent as they deeply engage in science, engineering and tinkering. A makerspace is not solely a science lab, woodshop, computer lab or art room, but it may contain elements found in all of these familiar spaces. Cardboard construction Prototyping Woodworking Electronics Robotics Digital fabrication Building bicycles and kinetic machines Textiles and sewing Designing a space to accommodate such a wide range of activities is a challenging process. Some schools have chosen to incorporate makerspaces within multiple classroom spaces. Ask the Right Questions Because of the constantly evolving activities that a makerspace accommodates, a flexible design is critical from the outset. What range of subjects will be taught in the space? Which tools are most needed? Who are the kids that will be using the space?
Battelle for Kids P21’s Frameworks for 21st Century Learning were developed with input from teachers, education experts, and business leaders to define and illustrate the skills and knowledge students need to succeed in work and life, as well as the support systems necessary for 21st century learning outcomes. They have been used by thousands of educators and hundreds of schools in the U.S. and abroad to put 21st century skills at the center of learning. Battelle for Kids looks forward to engaging yet again with educators and other experts to update the Frameworks. We encourage personal use of these Frameworks by all who can benefit: Permission for Use Permission for commercial use and/or distribution of these resources or other information produced must be made in writing to Battelle for Kids with a clearly defined request and description of how the material will be used. In addition, please note that:
Makerspaces: On Scanning the Road & Gently Easing the Brakes As school librarians, we are driven by our mission and our vision, by our national standards, by the needs and interests of our communities, and to some degree, by our own talents, passions and dispositions. We are all about inspiring learners to think, create, share and grow. We are all about becoming empowered leaders who transform teaching and learning. But, there is NOT just one right way to do library. Making is important. But should a formal makerspace need to be a part of every school library? Lately I hear from administrators who, after reading an article or post about makerspaces in libraries, believe their library must have or be a makerspace, without serious consideration of how that program might or might not address local needs. At conferences, librarians share with me that their administrators insist they devote significant library real estate to 3D printing and a variety of other maker equipment. The space case: Library spaces ARE changing and we need to do some thinking
22 Ways to Use Social Media in Your Classroom Let’s face it, social media is going to be around for a long time. So instead of complaining about your student’s preoccupation with it, why not leverage it as a pedagogical tool? In this piece, I will list 22 ways that you can use social media. Twitter Keep up with trends Teachers and administrators talk on twitter. Communicate with students and parents Almost everyone is on Twitter now, so it’s the perfect way to stay in touch with students and parents. Get feedback from students Ask students to tweet you their questions, comments, and more. Show off your classroom Live tweeting what’s going on is a fun way to keep parents in the loop. Get students summarizing Asking them to summarize what they’ve learned is a great way to see what students remember. Connect with other classes Join your classroom with another via Twitter. Make Twitter the homework Instead of a boring worksheet, have students tweet about assigned readings. Tweet as a historic figure Write a Twitter haiku Edit tweets Facebook Skype
The Library Book The Library Book So that the staff, both teaching and admin, were aware of the library’s services and procedures I created The Library Book which became a ready reference for them. It took the form of a folder with sleeves so that updates and additions were made easily. I also included a treat or two and a book voucher for our Book Fair for a personal purchase. I surveyed staff to see what it was they particularly wanted to know so that I had a prioritised list to start the process. Because all schools are different, I’ve just listed the contents here to provide a starting point for your thinking but where applicable I’ve added a brief explanation. Title Page – to ensure staff made the connection between the library and their teaching programs, I called it The Library Book: linking literacy and literature for lifelong learners. Benchmarks – in Australia, national literacy testing takes place in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 so the literacy benchmarks for the appropriate years were summarised.