Wrong Focus: Teacher-Centered Classrooms and Technology There is a buzz around me these days about how EdTech is failing to live up to its promise fueled primarily by the In Classrooms of Future, Stagnant Scores. What is surprising to most when they share this piece with me or ask me my opinion about the failures of EdTech is my response. For the most part, I agree that it is failing but that failure has more to do with us than with the technology. Why? We continue to focus on the value of EdTech by what the teachers do with it NOT what the students do with it.We continue to focus on the value of EdTech by what happens to high stakes, standardized test scores. Teacher-Centered Classrooms/Technology When the focus of technology is on the teacher and teaching not learners and learning, it is easy to see EdTech as a failure: a waste of time, money, and resources. Is it any wonder we find ourselves unable to fulfill the promise we’ve preached about EdTech? Look at the front of the classroom from the students’ perspective. Now flip it. Paper. Really?
Google launches YouTube curriculum to educate students on digital citizenship (video) Google has developed an interactive curriculum on YouTube to support teachers in educating students on how to be safe, engaged and confident model netizens. The initiative is aimed at students aged 13 to 17 and will help them to develop digital literacy skills on YouTube that would be applicable across the web. A list of 10 lessons has been devised, in which students can learn about YouTube’s policies, how to report content, how to protect their own privacy, and how to be responsible YouTube community members and, in the broader picture, digital citizens. Each lesson comes with guidelines for teachers and ready-made slides for presentation. Elaine Burke
Five-Minute Film Festival: Flipped Classrooms I really enjoyed Mary Beth Hertz's excellent blog published earlier this week, "The Flipped Classroom: Pro and Con" -- one of the most concise and balanced views I've read on the buzz-wordy concept of flipping the classroom. Advocates say that "flipped classrooms" help overburdened teachers differentiate their instruction to reach more learners, provide an avenue into more hands-on and student-driven learning during classtime, and shift the teacher's role from "sage on the stage" to learning coach and facilitator. Critics say it's just a fad, relies too heavily on rote instruction, and doesn't go far enough in making the needed changes for teaching and learning reform. I've rounded up this list of videos so you can learn more about the challenges and benefits of flipped classrooms. Video Playlist: Flipping the Classroom Keep watching the player below to see the entire playlist, or view this playlist on YouTube. More Flipped Class Resources Flipping the Classroom Guides and PD
Social Media For Administrators (Blog Posts) cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by Ken Whytock I recently decided to compile some of the blog posts that I have written regarding social media and administrators on my own blog site. I have created a “page” for these articles that I will continue to update as I write posts that may be helpful, but I just wanted to share this as a blog post to those people who may subscribe to this through an RSS feed or email subscription. As I have done a lot of work with school administrators on why they should be using social media and some practical ways to use it within their schools, I wanted to compile some articles together that will help schools/organizations move forward. The Why The Power of Twitter - This was one of my first experiences with the power of the network and how Twitter was an amazing resource that could be used to connect with passionate educators all around the world. The How What Should A Networked Educational Leader Tweet About?
The Flipped Classroom: Pro and Con In 2012, I attended the ISTE conference in San Diego, CA. While I was only there for about 36 hours, it was easy for me to pick up on one of the hottest topics for the three-day event. The "flipped classroom" was being discussed in social lounges, in conference sessions, on the exhibit floor, on the hashtag and even at dinner. People wanted to know what it was, what it wasn't, how it's done and why it works. Others wanted to sing its praises and often included a vignette about how it works in their classroom and how it transformed learning for their students. Still others railed that the model is nothing transformative at all and that it still emphasizes sage-on-the-stage direct instruction rather than student-centered learning. What It Is The authors go on to explain that the model is a mixture of direct instruction and constructivism, that it makes it easier for students who may have missed class to keep up because they can watch the videos at any time. What It Isn't Why It Works
Teachers Are Poor Consumers of Learning July 24, 2012 by tomwhitby There are only a few explanations that many educators offer up as reasons not to learn and use any technology as tools for learning. One of the most popular excuses, frequently cited by educators, is that there is not enough time to learn all of the stuff that is out there. It certainly is true that there are a huge number of things to learn out there that are linked to technology. In sales people are taught that if you can answer a customer’s objection to a product, you are more likely to make the sale. As educators, we deal with information, and once that was a limited commodity. As educators, do we throw up our hands and say that this is all too much, and there is not enough time for our students to learn all of the stuff that is out there? Why don’t educators learn from their own teaching? Like this: Like Loading...
ICT in the Early Years It's the Pedagogy, Stupid: Lessons from an iPad Lending Program Recently, we were tasked with developing policies and procedures for an equipment lending program initiated within the Faculty Technology Resources Center at the University of Cincinnati. The program was conceived as a method for encouraging the use of technology in the classroom. By loaning equipment to faculty for an academic term, we would encourage them to evaluate—and hopefully innovate—the utility of various "cutting edge" technologies with no financial risks to themselves or their departments. Some colleges and universities are already providing all incoming students with iPads. We're Here, Now What? Once we decided to implement the lending program we were excited, but also a little nervous. Load iPads with eBooks and then select and assign reading groups for certain books. As a consequence, we began to roll our eyes every time we encountered a claim in the blogosphere about the revolutionary potential of the iPad for education. How to Lend an iPad It's the Pedagogy, Stupid
Etherpad Foundation › Live Document Collaboration IP glossary This glossary helps explain some of the most important IP words, terms and concepts. Skip to: ATMOSS (Australian Trade Mark On-line Search System) The IP Australia Trade Mark Register database. Assignee The person(s) or corporate body to whom all or limited rights under an IP right are legally transferred. Assignment of rights This occurs when you sell or bequeath your IP rights to someone else. Australian Official Journal of Patents (AJOP) The journal issued by IP Australia listing patent applications awaiting approval. Authorised user A person who is authorised by and under the control of the owner of a trade mark to use the trade mark in relation to goods and services covered by the trade mark. Basic application A basic application is the priority document in any country where patent protection is sought in another country. Certification mark Circuit layout rights Circuit layout rights automatically protect original layout designs for integrated circuits and computer chips. Classes Collective mark