Socratic seminars, fish bowls, and computers October 6, 2011 by mrkaiser208 The concept of a fish bowl or Socratic seminar is not new. Just Google it and see how many hits come up. This learning method has been used for years by numerous teachers. However, this doesn’t mean that everyone knows about it. Instead of using the typical Socratic seminar format, I decided to try the fish bowl technique that was posted several years ago on the Learning and Laptops blog. What I want to talk about is my observations on how this worked with my classes. One of the biggest challenges that we had today was hearing the conversation in the middle of the room. The other problem with the inner circle was keeping the discussion going. Where the inner circle struggled with their discussion, the outer circle discussion flourished on the computers. Thinking on this, though, I still think there were some mental gains from the inner circle. Now I am heading into controversial territory. Like this: Like Loading...
Memory Improvement Techniques - Improve Your Memory with MindToo © VeerPRZEMYSLAW PRZYBYLSKI Use these techniques to improve your memory. The tools in this section help you to improve your memory. They help you both to remember facts accurately and to remember the structure of information. The tools are split into two sections. As with other mind tools, the more practice you give yourself with these techniques, the more effectively you will use them. Mnemonics 'Mnemonic' is another word for memory tool. The idea behind using mnemonics is to encode difficult-to-remember information in a way that is much easier to remember. Our brains evolved to code and interpret complex stimuli such as images, colors, structures, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, positions, emotions and language. Unfortunately, a lot of the information we have to remember in modern life is presented differently – as words printed on a page. This section of Mind Tools shows you how to use all the memory resources available to you to remember information in a highly efficient way.
Using Whiteboards in the Chemistry Classroom & Beyond One of the most fascinating aspects of student learning is the way in which information is processed in a student's mind. Teachers, and students alike, cannot fully appreciate how a student ascertains a set of given facts, a new concept, or solves a problem. This is because thinking takes place 'behind the scenes' in the human brain. When a student demonstrates that they have learned something, or comprehend an idea, it almost seems magical how the learning took place. Essential to improving teaching is an understanding of student learning; similarly, essential to student learning is an understanding of how students themselves perceive and process information. Each of these modes of making thinking visible help students to develop expert strategies for thinking about subject area content and problem solving within a subject area. When a teacher asks students to "show their work," this is an attempt to peek 'behind the scenes' of student thinking. Techniques References
Making Study Plan, Study Schedule A very well-known saying is, “He who fails to plan, he plans to fail”. Planning is very much important, if you want to be a successful student. A schedule helps you in utilizing your time more productively. A schedule is made on weekly or monthly or daily basis. Count the number of subjects included in your course. Example. • Book-1 = 15 chapters = 185 topics • Book-2 = 20 chapters = 200 topics • Book-3 = 13 chapters = 145 topics • Book-4 = 16 chapters = 190 topics His entire course comprises of 185+200+145+190 = 720 Topics He has 6 month for preparation or 30x6 = 180 Days Divide total topics by total days you have for preparation, 720 topics/180 days = 4 topic/per day. After this calculation he shall make a table (having rows and column) on paper with the help of ruler and pen.
Upgrade your KWL Chart to the 21st Century One of the take aways from the Curriculum Mapping Institute this past week was that it brought an upgrade to THE trusted KWL (Know, What to Know and Learned) Chart to the forefront. It seems a no brainer…one of those things… “I should have thought about it”… So what is this upgrade all about? An “H” snuck into the Acronym! What does this “H” stand for”? I started out by searching Google, which immediately wanted to correct my search term and showed me the traditional “KWL chart” results. The top search results turned out mostly downloadable files for templates, which was quiet interesting as there were several explanations in these tutorials what the “H” could stand for: HOW can we find the answers to these questions? In direct relation to our quest to bring Information literacy in the 21st century to our teachers and students, the “HOW will we find the information” sticks out right away for me. My Twitter network was much better in helping me extend my search for KWHL. Related 12. 8. 29.
Flashcards: The worlds largest online library of printable flash cards - StumbleUpon Using Quizzes to Promote Student Engagement and Collaboration January 26, 2012 By: Audrey Deterding, Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning Quizzes are standard in many college classrooms, and determining how to best use this learning format generates a variety of discussion and suggestions. First, the chalkboard or whiteboard in the classroom becomes what I call a “community space.” Whatever information is put up on the board can be used by the rest of the class on the quiz. When I first introduced this idea to the class, there were some reservations, especially about my being “fair” when selecting the students. Although students have the opportunity to decline to write, I have yet to have a student do so. Audrey Deterding Ph.D. is an assistant professor of communication at Indiana University Southeast. Reprinted from Deterding, A. (2010) A New Kind of “Space” for Quizzes. Recent Trackbacks Around the Web: New Frontiers « the Bok Blog
Born to Learn ~ You are Born to Learn Blended Learning: Adding Asynchronous Discussions to Your F2F Classrooms This post was co-authored with Elizabeth Alderton, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. --------- We have all done it: "participated" in a face-to-face discussion, nodding along in agreement, but not really present. Many of us have sat in discussions, afraid to throw in our two cents because we might sound silly. On other occasions, we have had a fantastic idea to share, but the conversation passed by before we had a chance to contribute. If it happens to us, it also must be happening to students in our classroom discussions. Blending online social learning opportunities, like asynchronous online discussions, into your traditional face-to-face classes can be beneficial to your students. The following common themes related to asynchronous discussions were found in five different action research projects in blended classrooms. Theme One: Processing Time Synchronous conversations are often fast-paced. Theme Two: Anxiety Reduction Theme Three: Size Matters Conclusion
SOLO taxonomy I am pleased to say that John Biggs himself has endorsed this representation of his ideas; "I've just found your website on SOLO et al. via google. I'm delighted! Your diagrams of prestructural-extended abstract are very elegant..." (Unsolicited email, 29 May 2005) The SOLO taxonomy stands for: Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes It describes level of increasing complexity in a student's understanding of a subject, through five stages, and it is claimed to be applicable to any subject area. I confess to a slight distrust of this kind of "progressive" model, which aspires inexorably to a final state. However, the emerging field of work on Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge links in very effectively with the SOLO taxonomy and offers some points about how the above issues might be addressed. There is a small but enthusiastic group of teachers using the SOLO taxonomy to structure their teaching in schools, and blogging about it.
Every Student Response Strategies « LessonCast True implementation of personalized learning in schools requires a shift in the roles of educators and a shift in educator professional learning. This course examines the evolving role of teachers incorporating personalized learning experiences in the classroom. Taking a close look at what personalized learning is and isn’t, participants create resources to support teacher roles as facilitator, assessor, instructional designer, content curator, coach, and advisor, and family-school collaborator. Lessoncast believes in personalized professional learning. Several modules have assignment options. While the course opens on July 21 (8:00 am EST), you may register at any time and complete the course activities at your own pace.
Study Vibe - How to study - study skills for primary and high school students by Mobify Single Best Free Way to Transform Classrooms (Primary-Lifelong) of Any Size--and Fast Too! It may sound like I'm selling snake oil, but I actually do have one trick that, at no cost, can transform your classroom or public speaking event, whether a seminar or a lecture, whether for 8 year olds or doctoral students, CEOs or senior citizens. You can try this tomorrow, and turn the biggest lecture into an interactive, collaborative experience without so much as an investment even in clickers or a projector. I've used it in most of the 55+ presentations I've given this year for my book Now You See It and I've used it in my classes. Here is the expensive version. It requires the swank new technology called "index cards": 1. 2. 3. 4. NB: Do not skip any of the above steps. 5. 6. Okay, there you have it my single best trick. It doesn't just work for humanities--Eric Mazur does it in physics classes at Harvard. Try it tomorrow.