How To Easily Make Your Own Textbook One of the latest buzz words in social media is curation. Some media analysts ponder whether the content curator might be the next big social media job of the future. In a review of Steven Rosenbaum’s Curation Nation, Frank Paynter wrote that: ‘The job of curator has spread across the digital media world and may already have replaced “editor” and “publisher” in the minds of marketers and social media mavens’. What are the implications of curation in education? We are seeing more and more publishers jumping into the digital textbook market but so far the digital editions are mere pdf versions of the hardcover versions. What? The Journal’s article: 5K-12 Ed Tech Trends for 2012 includes: ‘Beyond the Digital Textbook’ as one of the trends with the premise of adding interactivity to digital versions of textbooks. Is there an option for a free, relevant course companion? THE PROCESS The process of creating your digital textbook involves three steps: Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate!
CogDogRoo - StoryTools 50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story (return) Note! 50+ Ways is no longer being updated here but over at the new site for 50+ Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story-- It has more organizational features and includes ways for you to add content to the site once you join the new wiki. Below you will find 50+ web tools you can use to create your own web-based story. Again, the mission is not to review or try every single one (that would be madness, I know), but pick one that sounds interesting and see if you can produce something. Slideshow Tools Generates content that allows linear playback of a series of images, some with ability to add audio. 2. Upload images from computer or flickr or upload PowerPoint files. 3. "...effortlessly combine photos and video clips with words and music to personalize your story. 4. "RockYou! 5. 6. 8. 9. pictobrowser 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Timeline Tools 17. 18. xtimeline
textivate Create Instant Interactive Text Based Activities Creating computer based materials can be incredibly time consuming and also very frustrating as websites and web based content can change so quickly, that's why it is always so nice to discover tools like Textivate which can enable you to create instant interactivity using almost any text you find from around the web. All you need to do is copy and paste your text into the Textivate window and then click on 'textivate now'. Here you can see some text I have copied from the Goldilocks story which I found on the Project Gutenberg site. Now I get a range of different exercise types to choose from. All I have to do to generate the exercise is to click on one of the square and I instantly have an interactive activity. There are quite a few to choose from. You can also have the text arranged vertically so that students drag and drop the parts into position. Some of my favourite task types it creates are the instant gapfill activity. Why not try this one out for yourself and see how you get on: Best
Educators Evaluate 'Flipped Classrooms' Benefits and drawbacks seen in replacing lectures with on-demand video A growing number of educators are working to turn learning on its head by replacing traditional classroom lectures with video tutorials , an approach popularly called the "flipped classroom." Interest in that teaching method was in full view this summer at the International Society for Technology in Education annual conference in San Diego, where almost every session on the topic was filled to capacity. The movement was inspired partly by the work of Salman Khan, who created a library of free online tutoring videos spanning a variety of academic subjects, known as the Khan Academy , which many view as a touchstone of the flipped-classroom technique. But, much like the Khan Academy itself, the approach is attracting increasing scrutiny—and criticism—among educators and researchers. The term "flipping" comes from the idea of swapping homework for class work.
Spotlight on Implementing Online Learning As e-learning moves further into the K-12 mainstream, it is attracting greater scrutiny from educators, policymakers, researchers, and the news media. March 12, 2012 - Education Week Multidistrict collaborations help schools save money and share best practices about online teaching and learning. The "flip model" of schooling calls for students to watch lectures online for homework and use class time for discussions, problem-solving, and labs. September 27, 2011 - Education Week As e-learning moves into the K-12 mainstream, it is attracting a growing number of critics, who say it suffers from a lack of accountability and insufficient evidence of effectiveness. November 23, 2011 | Updated: May 7, 2012 - Education Week E-learning programs evolve to meet the needs of a fast-growing population of children with autism, but experts caution that online learning can have drawbacks for these students. August 22, 2011 - Education Week
A Tale of Two Students Meet Michael. In June, he graduated from a high school where he was encouraged to use his own technology for teaching and learning, and to connect to the district’s Wi-Fi network, where he shared almost complete open internet access on school- and personal-learning devices while on campus. The district’s guidelines for appropriate conduct are delineated in the student code of conduct. The underlying principle that guides policy development in his district is one of trust. During his high school career, Michael was encouraged to communicate and collaborate with his classmates and friends using the communication tools that best served their needs. Through curricular projects, Michael learned how to use social media to increase his productivity and learning. He is fully aware of his digital persona, and while he hasn’t consciously molded it to “look good” to a college admissions officer or prospective employer, it does. What can we learn from Michael’s and Jessica’s stories?
Top 12 Ways Technology Changed Learning In the 21st century, technology has changed the ways in which we communicate and go about our lives. Very few educators would disagree with the notion that technology has dramatically changed the teaching and learning process. With the help of some fellow teachers, here is a short list of the top 12 ways how technology has changed education: Communication Evolution Because we text, our students have learned a dialect that we don't always understand. Expanding Audience Students' sense of audience is completely different. Effective teachers are always on the prowl for new and exciting teaching... As December rolls by, the holiday hype has most likely invaded your classroom.... Restorative justice has been helping educators entirely rethink the way they... Teachers should try out some of the following 21st-century technology in the... Here are a few signs that will ensure that you, through your teaching... Poster Boards: A Thing of the Past Bye Bye to 3-Ring Binders Interactive Textbooks
For 'Connected Educator Month,' Tips From 33 Educators We Admire Stacy BrownErin Olson, an English teacher in Iowa who is featured in our post, uses Twitter-like technology to enhance classroom discussion. Go to related 2011 article » The U.S. To celebrate, we asked every educator who has written a guest post for us, been featured in a Reader Idea, or collaborated on one of our features to answer two simple questions: What is one important thing you’ve learned from someone in your Personal Learning Network (P.L.N.), however you define that network? Reading their responses, below, is a crash course in how to be a “connected educator.” So read what they have to say, follow the links to their work both within and outside The Learning Network, and, when you’re done, tell us how you’d answer those two questions yourself. Update | Aug. 2: We accidentally left two people off our list, below. Aliza Aufrichtig | Flocabulary The Year in Rap Contest 1. 2. Heather Barikmo | LaGuardia Community College Reader Idea | ‘One in Eight Million’ for English Language Learners
New Social Collaboration Tool Helps Students, Professionals Work Together Keyware, Inc. recently announced the launch of its social collaboration tool, SafeShare, which allows gamers, students and even business professionals get together digitally and do what they do best – collaborate and help. The SafeShare application allows for up to 20 users share a computer screen, offering up a real time close-up of what their friends are seeing, whether it’s a game view, tutoring session, or meeting proposal, by clicking on thumbnail views displayed on the side of the screen. The application’s launch is rather timely as we gear up for back to school. SafeShare allows students who can’t meet in person to collaborate online for group assignments, tutoring projects or homework. There’s no worry of tying up phone lines, either, as SafeShare relies on VoIP technology. SafeShare has the potential to make information sharing and teamwork so much simpler and more efficient,” said Keyware CEO John F. Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology?