What Is an Essential Question? What is an essential question? An essential question is – well, essential: important, vital, at the heart of the matter – the essence of the issue. Think of questions in your life that fit this definition – but don’t just yet think about it like a teacher; consider the question as a thoughtful adult. What kinds of questions come to mind? What is a question that any thoughtful and intellectually-alive person ponders and should keep pondering? In Understanding by Design we remind readers that “essential” has a few different connotations:
Edudemic / 100 best Class Tools The Wordle of this list! (Click image to enlarge) One of the most popular posts on Edudemic in 2010 was The 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By You and I felt it might be time for an update to that list for 2011. MASTER Tools Modeling And Simulation Tools for Education Reform MASTER Tools, developed by The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc. are the result of on-going collaborations with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), George Mason University, and other education organizations. They are designed to be interactive tools and simulation environments that enable and encourage exploration and discovery through observation, conjecture, and modeling activities. Our growing portfolio of MASTER tools will soon be fully integrated with new collaboration tools and online research facilities to create an authentic scientific experience. All of our simulations and supporting curriculum materials are designed in accordance with the new National Science Education Standards and the National Math Education Standards.
5 Ways To Use Video Collaboration For Effective Learning In today’s connected world, students are increasingly comfortable using video to communicate in their personal lives. From using Facetime to keep in contact with families at home to connecting via Google Hangout with friends studying abroad, students are coming into the classroom with a rich skill set of video collaboration methods, often without knowing it. Video has become second-nature to so many students. For effective learning, incorporating real-time video is increasingly important and can truly enhance student outcomes. What Schools Can Learn From Google, IDEO, and Pixar A community about to build or rehab a school often creates checklists of best practices, looks for furniture that matches its mascot, and orders shiny new lockers to line its corridors. These are all fine steps, but the process of planning and designing a new school requires both looking outward (to the future, to the community, to innovative corporate powerhouses) as well as inward (to the playfulness and creativity that are at the core of learning). In many ways, what makes the Googles of the world exceptional begins in the childhood classroom -- an embrace of creativity, play, and collaboration. It was just one year ago that 1,500 CEOs identified creativity as the number-one leadership competency in our complex global marketplace. We can no longer afford to teach our kids or design their schoolhouses the way we used to if we’re to maintain a competitive edge.
23 Formative Digital Resources Welcome to a series that is must read for any PBL or STEM educator. It will include information to reflect and build upon as you consider both PBL and STEM. Best of all, it will finish with over 50 amazing resources you will want to investigate. First, to ensure you do not miss one of these valuable posts or other resources covering PBL, Digital Curriculum, Web 2.0, STEM, 21st century learning, and technology integration please sign up for 21centuryedtech by email or RSS. As always, I invite you to follow me on twitter (@mjgormans). Please give this post a retweet and pass it on.
How to implement studio teaching? Philosophy Studio teaching is not just another kind of classroom activity. It is not a lab session, nor is it just a series of class projects. It is an approach to teaching and learning that gets students actively engaged in directing their own learning. The instructor is not the focus of the class, as in traditional classrooms. This pedagogical philosophy will be new to many students and so requires time for adjustment -- fortunately not a great deal of time.
2010 Horizon Report Download the 2010 Horizon ReportPDF • ePub (also available in other languages) The 2010 Horizon Report is a collaboration betweenThe New Media Consortium and theEDUCAUSE Learning Initiative An EDUCAUSE Program © 2010, The New Media Consortium. WALC2011 The active learning model is currently utilized in many undergraduate programs throughout the United States and continues to expand at the university level. Research shows that implementation of the active learning model results in a significant increase in students’ knowledge retention and improvements in student performance. Particularly impressive gains have been documented among groups of students that traditionally have been under-represented in science. The 2011 Windward School Active Learning Colloquium aims to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for school leaders to guide reform of the learning, assessment, and teaching of science at the secondary school level. Colloquium participants will be introduced to the research that supports the active learning instructional model and will work with team members to gain practical classroom experience in instructional methods that promote active learning.
Skyline CPI A Complete How-To for Creating Curriculum Sites and Student Portfolios using Google's Tools! Note: at this time Google is currently switching from Google Docs to Google Drive. We will update this site as soon as the switch is complete. The WhatA methodology for creating and organizing online student portfolios and curriculum sharing sites throughout an entire school. No need to spend money as Google provides everything schools need to undertake such a project and move your school into a truly 21st Century teaching model.