The Need for an Evidence-based Approach to Demonstrating Value When I read the Editor’s View column in the current issue of IWR (Information World Review, Nov/Dec 2011) the words seemed familiar. The column began “Evaluating the shortlist for the IWR Information Professional of the Year Award, one of the judges noted that at a time when the library profession was suffering from the economic turmoil there was a need for an evidence-based approach to demonstrating the value for libraries“. Checking my email it seems that these were the words I used when I voted for Ian Anstice as this year’s IWR Information Professional of the Year. As described in the announcement about the award published in IWR “The judges – all previous winners- gave Anstice, a branch manager of a public library in Cheshire, the honour for his work in documenting the changes taking place across the public library sector as a whole“. But what does “evidence-gathering” entail? Librarians are worriers, and one thing we like to worry a lot about is the future of libraries. Really?
Rethinking Curriculum Recently I was visiting some friends who are also teachers who got me thinking about the words "21st century skills". It's interesting to question whether, at this point just 11 years into the 21st century, we really know what skills student will need to be successful in the future. My friends asked me if 100 years ago, in 1911, teachers could have predicted the skills that their students would need to be successful at the end of the 20th century. I thought that probably they could not have done this. This year the oldest person in my family died at the age of 98. She was born in 1913 and certainly wasn't given at school the skills that she developed in the last years of her life to use a computer or a smartphone. The first half of the 20th century was marked by a very fast pace of technological inventions. In the final chapter of Curriculum 21, Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick write: Our students are in the 21st century and they are waiting for the teachers and the curriculum to catch up.
Zkoušení, do kterého se zapojí celá třída • Jak zlepšit školní dějepis a zeměpis Jak zapojit do ústního zkoušení na začátku hodiny celou třídu? Zvolila jsem následující způsob: (na SŠ je možné chtít třeba 5 otázek). Tato metoda má následující výhody: - žáci jsou nuceni , aby si mohli připravit otázky - , „přinejhorším“ může zopakovat otázky, které učitel položil v hodině - otázky zkoušenému kladou žáci sami, jejich a pro zkoušeného může být srozumitelnější - učitel vidí, a má (viz níže možnost upřesnění učiva, které bylo špatně pochopeno) - (a uvědomí si, že když se zeptají „Jak dopadla bitva mezi Řeky a Peršany? - učitel si může chvíli vydechnout, jelikož během zkoušení není středem pozornosti, a může Na základě popsané výuky o významu církve pro středověkého člověka (viz. se žáci 6. třídy například zeptali: V hodině jsme popisovali tympanon kostel v St-Lazare d’Autun, kde je zobrazen poslední soud. Takovou otázku položí většinou žáci, kteří nad učivem opravdu přemýšlí.
This Year’s 10 Best TED Talks To Share With Students In honor of the recent TED Live announcement , I thought it’d be a good idea to remind you why TED rocks. Below is just a small fraction of the amazing presentations put on by the folks over at TED. Each one of the presentations embedded below is perfect for sharing with students and showing in class*. Heck, assigning the viewing of these TED talks as homework isn’t a bad idea. Do you use TED in the classroom? *There are of course many more presentations but I picked these because I thought they resonated with me and would do the same with students. Philip Zimbardo: The Demise of Guys? Philip Zimbardo was the leader of the notorious 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment — and an expert witness at Abu Ghraib. Pavan Sukhdev: Put A Value On Nature! A banker by training, Pavan Sukhdev runs the numbers on greening up — showing that green economies are an effective engine for creating jobs and creating wealth. Annie Murphy Paul: What We Learn Before We’re Born Pop quiz: When does learning begin?
Kirkpatrick's Revised Four Level Evaluation Model I had an interesting discussion with Clark Quinn on using Kirkpatrick's model in learning processes other than courses. Clark argues that use of Kirkpatrick’s model is only for courses because training is the dominant discussion on their web site. I disagree and wonder if perhaps it is more of a “not invented here” hesitation because advancing concepts to the next level has often been a primary means of moving forward. It might sound good to forget an old model, but if you do not help people relearn, then their old concepts have a nasty habit of reappearing. In addition, training is far more than just courses. So after some heavy reflection I did a rewrite on my Kirkpatrick web page and have listed some of the highlights below. While some mistakenly assume the four levels are only for training processes, the model can be used for other learning processes. 1. Reaction is not a good measurement as studies have shown. 2. 3. In addition, it aids the troubling-shooting process.
15 Sites Building and Promoting Educational PBL Communities… Across School and Around the Globe Welcome to the fourth in a series of PBL Mania Posts . For the next few weeks I am celebrating Project Based Learning. In this post I will introduce you to some outstanding collaboration tools found on the web that can be used in the PBL classroom. Before reading please take a moment to subscribe to this 21centuryedtech Blog by email or RSS and also give me a follow on Twitter at mjgormans. You will not want to miss this series or future posts involving STEM, Flipping the Classroom, Technology Integration, Common Core, and 21st Century Skills, So Sign Up Now! As always… thanks and have a great week. – Mike Gorman (21centuryedtech) Quick Notes - You may be interested in learning more about PBL World in Napa, CA presented by BIE this June. 15 Sites Building and Promoting Educational PBL Communities… Across School and Around the Globe This PBL Mania post will explore some on-line digital resources that can help build community to enhance the PBL experience. Like this: Like Loading...
The Problem of "Pedagogy" in a Web 2.0 Era Pedagogy | Viewpoint The Problem of 'Pedagogy' in a Web 2.0 Era By Trent Batson06/15/11 In a time of knowledge stability, teach; in a time of rapid change in knowledge, learn… Clearly, we have left the time of knowledge stability and entered a time of incredibly rapid change. Web 2.0, a term coined in 2004, is a description of the new Web architecture, but is also a historical marker between the era of comfortable stability and the era of unsettling change. There is no requirement that faculty in higher education understand learning theory. Such discoveries can be epiphanies. When we in higher education do talk about learning, we use the word “pedagogy.” Three Skills Every 21st-Century Manager Needs The world of work has changed dramatically over the past decade. Companies are more global and employee groups more diverse than ever before. Organizational structures are less hierarchical and more collaborative. We asked experts in cross-cultural communication, information networks, and the science of attention what specific skills executives should cultivate to tackle these new challenges. Skill 1: Code Switching Between Cultures To work well with foreign colleagues, you may have to risk feeling inauthentic and incompetent. by Andrew L. Marco, the Italian COO of a technology company in Mumbai, can’t motivate his Indian employees. So what’s holding them back? Executives often feel inauthentic when their behavior conflicts with their ingrained values and beliefs, and doubly uncomfortable when others assume that it is a true reflection of who they are. The good news is that it’s possible to overcome this problem. The second step is to adapt your behavior to reduce your distress.
Ten meta-trends impacting learning | In a world where libraries are completely reinventing themselves, where universities and schools are moving away from labs to BYOD, and where the focus of everything seems to be on mobiles —what will be the role of technology in the next decade? What do leading institutions need to be doing now to prepare? What are the strategies that will provide them the most flexibility? The greatest competitive advantage? These are the overarching questions that recently drove the discussions at 10th anniversary New Media Consortium Horizon Project special convocation and retreat. Over its decade of work, the Horizon Project has grown to the point that it may very well be producing the single most important body of research into emerging technology within the world of education. The NMC and the Horizon Project are best known for its flagship Horizon Reports that focus on higher education and K-12 globally. Out of the discussion, 28 metatrends were identified. 1.
3 Must-Have Technology Tools For Your Classroom Classrooms need more than just chalk and a few notebooks. There’s a plethora of technology out there but how do you choose what’s right for you? What’s the best technology for your particular classroom? Here are a few examples of helpful technology perfect for teachers young and old. eReaders Teachers are finding that the addition of eReaders, or electronic books, are providing a different level of knowledge enhancement. Public schools are perpetually under strict budget limitations; the addition of an eReader for each student seemed impossible. Amazon’s Kindle eReader has led the way into many school districts; executives at Amazon realized the untapped educational applications and began offering textbooks through the Kindle platform. For example, a teacher may only use one or two chapters from one particular niche textbook; if the school district had to purchase this physical textbook for just a few chapters, the administration would never approve of the investment. Wi-Fi Tablets
Putting the User at the Heart of Education This is an update on a recent Usability workshop held by Ben Showers and Torsten Reimer as part of their work on the Usability and Adaptability of User-Interfaces. As universities and academic institutions increase the focus and investment on improving the ‘student experience’, so the ‘user’ needs to find their way into the heart of everything the institution does, not just the teaching and learning. Usability and user experience (UX) have become important considerations in the design and creation of new websites, software and systems for universities. UX should become a critical tool in the sector’s response to the challenges of rising student fees, the need to make every investment count in the light of reduced budgets and increasing expectations from students and staff who are used to new sleek gadgets and web 2.0 environments. In light of this context, Torsten and I recently held a two day workshop exploring usability in higher education. Affecting the project/development culture