iTeach with iPads | Innovating learning and literacy with iPads in kindergarten 20 questions (and answers) about MOOCs I was asked by the excellent Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach to speak to her PLP class about MOOCs, and, while we had what i thought was an excellent forty minute chat, there were tons of comments that i never had the chance to address. As i look over the questions they asked, I see that in answering their questions i have a chance to lay out many of the thoughts that I have had about MOOCs while they have been all the rage here on the internet in the last few weeks. I opened the discussion with a quick personal intro to my contribution to the MOOC discussion and then we moved to Q & A. Intro Edtechtalk and community – 2005 In 2005 Jeff Lebow and I started edtechtalk. What i discovered was that, simply by engaging in random discussions with new people we happened upon – I was learning. Rhizomes 2006 This lead me to new ideas about what it meant to learn and what it meant to know. Q & A. Pete: Does the MOOC really have to be “massive”? I see it as a win. Pete: Is/Will there be an accredited MOOC?
An Open Letter to Tech-Fearing Teachers Everywhere - The Inspired Classroom You are certain to enjoy today’s guest post from Neven Jurkovic. He has written a letter for all tech-fearing teachers and has done so in a positive and motivating way. So, for today’s post in this month’s tech series, consider how you might use his ideas and words to coax a colleague or even yourself! ~EMP Dear Technophobic Teacher, Thanks for taking a few moments to read this letter. Quote #1: “The kids will learn technology whether we teach it or not, so why waste our time on it?” I’m glad you brought this up. Quote #2: “Technology changes so fast that anything we teach them about technology will be obsolete by the time they get into the workplace.” I’ll grant you this: If we spend all of our time teaching specific tools or websites, you’re right, there’s a real chance that we’ll have wasted our time. Quote #3: “We didn’t have much technology in schools when I was growing up, and we turned out just fine.” The world has changed. About the Author:
About | Alpha Alternative School ALPHA is Toronto’s original democratic school (oldest elementary alternative public school in Toronto, operating since 1972), and is part of a growing number of similar schools worldwide. The ALPHA school environment is designed to maximize the development of core values: competence, initiative, self-respect, cooperation & social responsibility, diversity, freedom of expression, autonomy and social justice.At the core of the ALPHA philosophy is the recognition that all children are unique and develop differently and at different rates.Multi-age grouping cultivates a cooperative learning environment where peers learn from one another and look after one another.ALPHA encourages active engagement with real and meaningful pursuits, and even the youngest children are encouraged to develop a personal sense of responsibility for their own learning. ALPHA is a fully public school within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB).
8 Examples of Transforming Lessons Through the SAMR Cycle The SAMR Model for integrating technology into teaching, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, has gained a good deal of exposure in recent years. “SAMR” is an acronym that stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. The SAMR model provides a technique for moving through degrees of technology adoption to find more meaningful uses of technology in teaching and move away from simply using “tech for tech’s sake”. We recently discussed the SAMR model during an Academic Technology Work Group meeting at The College of Westchester. Following are 8 examples of the SAMR process, each taking an example of a typical classroom exercise that does not use technology and walking it through each phase of SAMR. The goal of this exercise was to help me (and readers) better understand the SAMR model, and to really see how lessons and assessments can be transformed while considering the benefits of evolving them through these stages. Lesson: Writing a Short Paper Lesson: Art/Painting
Every Educator Has a Story . . . Just Tell It. This is one of my favorite cartoons ever. The “punch” line is that every person on the planet has a story to tell. I also know that every teacher story to tell. Educators are doing amazing things with their learners in spite (i.e., to show spite toward) of the standards-based and accountability-driven movements. This is my own call to action for educators to tell their stories of those rich and amazing things they are doing in their classrooms. Write a blog.Tweet about it.Make photo essays and upload to a photo sharing site like Flickr.Take some video footage and share it on YouTube, TeacherTube, or Vimeo.Ask learner to blog about it.Share on Facebook.Give virtual presentations at conferences such as Global Education and K12 Online.Ask local reporters to come to your classroomOthers? For example, I am incorporating students’ mobile devices into an undergraduate course on Interpersonal Relationships. I now have a record/reflection about the class. Like this: Like Loading...
5 New Technologies That Have Changed The Digital Classroom In the past, the suggestion of getting a college degree without ever cracking a book meant paying a degree mill. It meant the degree was in name only, reflecting neither learning nor effort. Then distance learning meant correspondence courses, perhaps combined with some coordinated telecasts. Technology has already changed all that, and the future will change it even further. eTexts Now online college students can obtain legitimate college degrees without cracking a book– but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to read. Students can copy the PDF to mobile devices, and carry all of their texts on one iPad or Galaxy Tab. Virtual Libraries Most online school programs — even those which still use correspondence course designs have robust virtual libraries – something that never existed 15 years ago. Distance learners access the same journals as campus students — from anywhere in the world. Online School Portals Webcams & Teleconferencing Mobile Apps & Augmented Reality
Weak signal:Re Envisioning the field trip with 6 Common Misconceptions About Blended Learning Infographic Blended Learning Infograpics 6 Common Misconceptions About Blended Learning Infographic 6 Common Misconceptions About Blended Learning Infographic When implementing blended learning, stakeholders may have preconceived notions about this model of learning. The following outlines some common blended learning myths. Myth #1: Students work in isolation In order to be considered blended learning, students need opportunities to interact with peers and the instructor in live, real-time settings. We live in a social age. Because teachers are not tied up with direct instruction during physical classroom time, online learning options can serve as a means to increase interaction and personalized contact time between students and teachers. Myth #2: Students complete online content by working primarily asynchronously at school and at home Some educators believe blended learning is when you put your entire course into a learning management system and students work on it 100% asynchronously. Myth #6.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Introduction[edit] Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework to understand and describe the kinds of knowledge needed by a teacher for effective pedagogical practice in a technology enhanced learning environment. The idea of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) was first described by Lee Shulman (Shulman 1986) and TPACK builds on those core ideas through the inclusion of technology. The TPACK Framework[edit] The TPACK framework argues that effective technology integration for teaching specific content or subject matter requires understanding and negotiating the relationships between these three components: Technology, Pedagogy, and Content. The TPACK framework highlights complex relationships that exist between content, pedagogy and technology knowledge areas and may be a useful organizational structure for defining what it is that teachers need to know to integrate technology effectively (Archambault & Crippen, 2009). TPACK Knowledge Areas[edit] Context[edit]
Prezi! A Great Way to Engage Your Students! UPDATE 3/13/2014: A number of the below Prezis no longer work, as Prezi no longer supports animation. I haven't tested all of the Prezis, but I know that the -ot Word Family and the Digraphs Prezi freeze. I am extremely sorry for this issue. Aside from the bad grammar in that sentence, I am very upset about this situation. I have been using Prezi in my classroom this year and it is a great way to get instant engagement! This post is linked up with the following Linky Parties! Do you use Prezi at all with your class?
Unschooling "Read a little, try a little, wait a while, watch." People learn by playing, thinking and amazing themselves. They learn while they're laughing at something surprising, and they learn while they're wondering "What the heck is this!?" My favorite and oldest discussion group is called AlwaysLearning, where the principles underlying unschooling are the topic. On facebook, my less favorite but busier discussion: Radical Unschooling Info If unschooling can't work in the real world, nothing at all can. Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum. I've removed the link I had because used copies on Amazon are listed way too high. The way adults tend to learn things is the way people best learn—by asking questions, looking things up, trying things out, and getting help when it's needed. Regional groups, lists and resources (by language, nation, state, religious or special focus) THIS PAGE IS OLD for a webpage.
9 Ways To Use Social Networks In eLearning - eLearning Industry The eLearning is a term mostly serving to describe deliberate education with advanced technical user-friendly and intuitive teaching methods. Few of us, however, acknowledge the role different social networks play in teaching us to organize the conventional learning process thus merging it with eLearning step by step. Here you can get a rundown of using social networks in eLearning and how they make it ever more readily accessible and integrated for students. Getting to know how to operate these useful branchy GUIs on their own can make you a power user. 1. Running low on reading/writing focus at the lecture? 2. The notorious Instagram. 3. A great finding for a scatterbrain student, this web app will help you organize all the material you need to process. 4. This one should not be a stranger to anyone. 5. Originally designed as a database to remember everything, Evernote is a very useful tool for writers. 6. Is your browser bookmark folder a painful display? 7. 8. 9. Get 2 Free eBooks
The 2012 A-Z List Of Educational Twitter Hashtags We got so many additions and updates to our 2011 list we thought it was time to bring you the most up-to-date list for 2012. So, without further ado, here’s the 2012 A-Z list of educational Twitter hashtags. We went through all the comments on the 2011 version , wrote down all the Twitter and Facebook updates, and compiled this list over the course of several months. What follows is our best effort to bring you the biggest and baddest list of hashtags. I’m sure we still missed some as new hashtags seemingly pop up every day. In any case, let us know what we missed in the comments or on our Facebook page! First, some background to get you up to speed on what the heck a hashtag is. First, What’s A Hashtag? Whether you’re a new or seasoned Twitter user, you likely come across confusing hashtags that probably look like a bunch of nonsense. The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keyword or topic in a Tweet. How To Hide Your Hashtag Chat From Followers Sources The Most Popular Hashtags