Ten Terrific Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Tools Today, I am running a workshop about using mind mapping and brainstorming tools to help students meet some of the Common Core standards in English Language Arts. Below are some of the tools that we will be using today. On a related note, if you're interested in having me come to your school or facilitate a virtual workshop, please click here for more information. Popplet is a great service that combines the best of online sticky note services like Wallwisher with collaborative mind mapping functions. Text 2 Mind Map offers a great way to turn your typed outlines into mind maps. Realtime Board is a new online tool for hosting online, collaborative brainstorming sessions. Inkflow is an iPad app for visual thinkers who like to sketch to process what they're hearing, seeing, and learning. iBrainstorm is a free brainstorming application for the iPad and the iPhone. SyncSpace is a collaborative whiteboard app available for iPad here and for Android here.
instaGrok | A new way to learn How To Make Students Better Online Researchers I recently came across an article in Wired Magazine called “ Why Kids Can’t Search “. I’m always interested in this particular topic, because it’s something I struggle with in my middle and high school classes constantly, and I know I’m not alone in my frustrations. Getting kids to really focus on what exactly they are searching for, and then be able to further distill idea into a few key specific search terms is a skill that we must teach students, and we have to do it over and over again. We never question the vital importance of teaching literacy, but we have to be mindful that there are many kinds of “literacies”. In the past, we spent a lot of time in schools teaching kids how to do library research, and how to use a variety reference materials like dictionaries, encyclopedias, microfiche, card catalogs, public records, anthologies, and other sources too numerous to recall. The real answer? SPEND TIME teaching your kids the digital literacy skill of proper searching. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Five-Minute Film Festival: Teaching Digital Citizenship "Digital citizenship" is an umbrella term that covers a whole host of important issues. Broadly, it's the guidelines for responsible, appropriate behavior when one is using technology. But specifically, it can cover anything from "netiquette" to cyberbullying; technology access and the digital divide; online safety and privacy; copyright, plagiarism, and digital law, and more. In fact, some programs that teach digital citizenship have outlined no less than nine elements that intersect to inform a well-equipped digital citizen. It's an overwhelming array of skills to be taught and topics to explore. But while there is much talk about the importance of teaching digital citizenship in this information society, not many are sure what that really looks like. Video Playlist: Teaching Digital Citizenship Watch the player below to see the whole playlist, or view it on YouTube. What is Digital Citizenship? More Resources for Learning About Digital Citizenship
S.O.S. for Information Literacy 10 Interactive Lessons By Google On Digital Citizenship 10 Interactive Lessons By Google On Digital Citizenship Added by Jeff Dunn on 2012-07-22 YouTube has a firm place in the current classroom. From Khan Academy’s videos to YouTube EDU and beyond, there’s a reason all these videos are finding a home in schools. In an effort to help keep the ball rolling, Google just launched a set of 10 interactive lessons designed to support teachers in educating students on digital citizenship. Google (which owns YouTube) built the lessons to educate students about YouTube’s policies, how to flag content, how to be a safer online citizen, and protect their identities. Below is a list of lessons, and the recommended flow for delivery. Or you can download the Full Teacher’s Guide or the Full Set of Slides in PDF . The killer feature for this curriculum is the extra features that come with each video. Category: Videos Tags: digital citizenship , guide , How To , presentations , Videos You may also like Second Grader Shows How She Uses Evernote For Fluency 4 Comments
How To Get Rid Of Facebook Notifications & Other Annoying Things You Don’t Want To See [Weekly Facebook Tips] It’s funny how sometimes you can use an online service all the time, getting annoyed at little things without realising there’s an easy way to do something about it. Several of my friends who use Facebook almost every day recently told me how they hate always getting Facebook notifications for dumb games people want them to play, or updates about these games in their home feed. Obviously, if these people can be avid Facebook users without knowing there’s a fix, then there’s bound to be a few more of you out there too. As I can’t even begin to imagine the horrors of using Facebook with all those annoyances in my face, I feel I should go back to basics here and make sure everyone knows how to get rid of them. If the post doesn’t apply to you, you no doubt know a friend or two who might be able to make use of the knowledge. Getting Rid Of Unwanted Notifications To be more specific about which notifications you want to get, look at each of the sections below that in more detail.
Information Literacy - Home What is Information Literacy? Information Literacy is the ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. It is the knowledge of commonly used research techniques. Information literacy is critically important because we are surrounded by a growing ocean of information in all formats. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading, false. Information literacy skills are used for academic purposes, such as research papers and group presentations.
The Keys to Inquiry: Introduction "We learn best when we learn from our own experiences." "Children need to be active learners, seeking answers to questions that they care about.""Science should be hands-on and minds-on so that children make sense of what they experience." The goal of the Everyday Classroom Tools Project is to provide opportunities for students to learn that inquiry and their own experiences can help them achieve a deeper understanding of their world. It aims to foster a spirit of inquiry in all students. This document has two sections. Author: Tina GrotzerProject ZeroHarvard Graduate School of Education Section I Section II ECT Home Page | Introduction to the Threads of Inquiry | Contents of the ECT Pages
Virtual Information Inquiry: Information Inquiry In inquiry-based learning environments, students are engaged in activities that help them actively pose questions, investigate, solve problems, and draw conclusions about the world around them. As independent thinkers, children become researchers, writers, videographers, and activists rather than passive receivers of a textbook's content. They do meaningful work that addresses essential questions and important standards. It's critical that learners take ownership of the inquiry process. Questioning is at the core of information inquiry and drives the teaching and learning process. In an era of "one answer" standardized tests, this idea of opening a student's mind to questioning and exploring many answers is essential. The poster on the right comes from an elementary classroom that supports inquiry-based learning. Quality Inquiry Environments According to Karen Sheingold (1987), inquiry is a complex process that includes: What makes an effective inquiry experience? Learn More Hudspith, Bob.
Inquiry-based Learning: Explanation What is inquiry-based learning? An old adage states: "Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." The last part of this statement is the essence of inquiry-based learning, says our workshop author Joe Exline 1. Inquiry implies involvement that leads to understanding. Furthermore, involvement in learning implies possessing skills and attitudes that permit you to seek resolutions to questions and issues while you construct new knowledge. "Inquiry" is defined as "a seeking for truth, information, or knowledge -- seeking information by questioning." A Context for Inquiry Unfortunately, our traditional educational system has worked in a way that discourages the natural process of inquiry. Some of the discouragement of our natural inquiry process may come from a lack of understanding about the deeper nature of inquiry-based learning. Importance of Inquiry Memorizing facts and information is not the most important skill in today's world. The Application of Inquiry