Ten education blogs worth following Education blogs, on any and every topic, abound online. Unfortunately, educators are probably the last people who have the time to go out and search for them. Which blogs review good free resources? Which can offer information about school reform trends? Which highlight short, how-to videos for those who aren’t very tech-savvy? In this time-saving list, you’ll find 10 of the best education blogs that readers have recommended, that have won multiple awards, or that other educators just can’t stop talking about. The blogs are listed in alphabetical order. 1. What is the best way to improve education using social media? 2. Flipped Learning was created by Jon Bergmann, a teacher, educational coach, and writer who has helped educators around the world reconsider what education can look like. See also:Panelists: Blogs are changing education 3. The purpose of this site is to share information about free resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. 4. 5.
The Association of Educational Publishers Group News According to ABC News’ Children Late for School, Parents Charged in Virginia, the Virginia school district had the sheriff’s deputy’s handcuff and arrest Maureen Blake while hosting a slumber party for her children. It seems that Blake was responsible for her children being tardy ten times since the start of this school year. Apparently she had the same problem last year and paid around $2,000 in fines. District spokesman Wayde Byard said, “Even when they’re a minute late… it’s very disruptive.” Undoubtedly it is disruptive when children walk in late; although it is apparent the district is not doing anything to deter this behavior. Mark Denicore, an attorney, who also faces misdemeanor charges for his children showing up late, asked a few very relevant questions, “What else is causing a disruption? Without a doubt those questions have not even touched the surface. When I first read this I must admit I was at a loss for words, obviously I have moved past that. Like this: Like Loading...
ROCK HILL | Technology 'hooks' students at Northwestern High ROCK HILL — South Carolina is at risk of a water shortage. With $500,000 in grants available for innovative conservation projects, it's up to the students in Bryan Coburn's introduction to engineering course at Northwestern High to devise solutions. Armed with smartphones and an array of Web tools, the teens spent much of last semester on that hypothetical assignment. By the project's end, they had created elaborate online portfolios showcasing their research, 3D designs and multimedia packages. Students said they never felt so enthralled by school work. "It was amazing," freshman Parker Hooten said. That's the kind of school experience that Coburn, the state's Teacher of the Year in 2009, and the founders of a national program want to replicate. Coburn is among a cadre of celebrated teachers rethinking how to prepare students to excel in an age of rapid innovation and global uncertainty. The project is called "The Model Classroom." But it's not a technology training course.
Technology: Two Ideas to Move From Enduring It to Employing It It’s a complaint we hear from both teachers and parents today: the kids are getting lost in technology. Once they start a video game, they wander into another state of mind. Once they peer at their smart phone screen, they get lost gazing at the glow. Many educators question whether technology has made education more difficult. Maybe…but it doesn’t have to be. When it comes to technology, leaders/educators live in one of three camps: Endure it – They feel uncomfortable and wish it would go away.Enjoy it – They love new gadgets, but to them it’s all entertainment.Employ it – They not only embrace it, but use it to reach their goals. Susanne Lajoie, from the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology lives in Camp #3. Lajoie is the Director of a newly funded “Learning Environments Across Disciplines” (LEADS) project in Canada. “Far too often, sweeping statements are made about how technology can lead to improvements in classrooms and learning in general,” says Lajoie.
Cellphones: Contraband or a Classroom Tool Text messaging has become one the fastest and most popular forms of communication. Just a few years ago, cell phones were seen as the newest teenage addiction. Today, however, they can be an important classroom tool, although some schools regard them as disruptive, distracting, and have implemented policies that prohibit using them on school grounds. Most parents are okay with cell phone use, the students are more than okay with cell phone use, yet schools have adopted zero tolerance policies. Some teachers worry that cellphones will increase cheating, lead to sexting, decrease use of proper grammar, and be a distraction to learning. Increasing costs and disappearing school funding has made updating technology often impossible and even basic school supplies dwindle. I polled my students to discover that 95% of my 8th graders owned a cell phone and 55% had smart phones. Schools across the country need to be more flexible with their cell phone policies.
Best practices for professional development in technology-enabled classrooms By Lisa deRoy Education Advocate, SMART Technologies The National Staff Development Council’s (NSDC) current definition of professional development sets the stage for progressively repositioning professional development in a new light. It focuses on continuous, professional learning within a school where educators actively take part in setting the goals and assessing the outcomes. This definition also makes additional key points: Professional development is aligned with both state standards and school improvement goalsProfessional development occurs multiple times a week, working with an established and prepared group of administrators, teachers, coaches and mentors. Professional development practices moves the teacher forward in sustainable, targeted learning over time. SMART’s continuum offers realistic expectations about how quickly teachers can incorporate classroom technology into the curriculum; moving away from teacher-centered activities to student-based activities. Phases 1 and 2
Hybrid Classes Prepare Students for College - Chartiers Valley, PA Patch Less class time adds more responsibility and independence for CV students Upperclassmen at Chartiers Valley High School are learning more by attending class less with a new hybrid format. The classes only meet once a week and are offered first period in the morning, allowing students to arrive about an hour later than normal. “The hybrid classes are part of an initiative started two years ago to restructure the senior year to help students be more prepared for college and beyond,” said Terri Flynn, the new director of administrative services who was instrumental in developing the program. Similar to college, students are expected to come to class having already read the chapter and prepared with questions. “It’s a privilege, but it also comes with more responsibility,” said Kyrstyn Proie, a Chartiers Valley senior who is taking both hybrid Economics and Statistics courses. “The best thing I am learning is how to manage my own time,” senior Katelyn Kubus said.
Why Technology Truly Matters To Education. This is the kind of story that makes me love what I do. If I’m ever feeling like the work I do (integrating technology) is not important, I should just watch this video and read the story. This story dovetails nicely with this week’s story on how we’re about to see the end of teaching as we know it . Thanks to the Google Blog for shining a light on the story of Morgan, a 16-year-old student in Wells, Maine. Here’s the key parts of the story from the Official Google Blog : We all have memories of the great teachers who shaped our childhood. One teacher who has taken advantage of the web as an educational tool is Cheryl Oakes, a resource room teacher in Wells, Maine.
Technology and Education | Box of Tricks - Five Things Students Want Their Teachers to Know about Online Learning 0 Comments December 19, 2011 By: Lisa Nielsen Dec 19 Written by: 12/19/2011 3:56 AM ShareThis Kids love having the opportunity to learn online but it’s not merely the medium or the technology that students enjoy. 1. Skype or Google Video: Great for projects where students work in pairs. Students appreciate the opportunity to learn online, but want their teachers to be sure to incorporate these elements which allow them to realize the benefits of online learning while not losing what they enjoy about face-to-face interactions. Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students.
Tech Integration Training EssayTagger.com - Grade Essays Faster Seven Digital Learning Tips for Students Happy Digital Learning Day! As an educator, I have definitely evolved from tech tentative to tech tenacious in a very short period of time. Because of my recently found passion for educational technology, I want to share some of the scaffolds I've developed to help my students evolve into digital learners. In order to help them prep for an eventual transition to web-facilitated (some online usage) or hybrid schooling (up to 80 percent online), I've been pulling together a list of qualities common to many successful online learners. As many of us incorporate more and more online lessons, assignments, assessments, and digital presentations into our instruction, it's important for students to understand the skills that they will need to function at their best. The good news is that succeeding in an online environment isn't so different than succeeding in a traditional classroom. But it's good to know what you're getting into. You have to have a sense of self.