Education

“When are we ever going to use this?” When I was a teacher, this was a question I heard almost daily. I would imagine that has not changed much since I left the classroom five years ago, particularly when it comes to math. Game-based learning Students don’t just play board games like they used to, instead they look to find those same “board” game in Web-based or app format to download to a phone, tablet, etc. At the end of a long day, a tired first grade student lifts her chair, flips it over and lays the seat down on the top of her desk. Like the choice in Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, how a teacher chooses to get the student to put the chair on the desk might at first seem not too matter much, but in the long run it can make all the difference. Before we look at the choices a teacher has in getting the chair from the floor to the top of the desk, let’s examine what both choices have in common: (read more…) Location, location, location. (read more…)

ELT Blogging Survey - Reflection in Open Space After nearly three years, I'm now approaching the end of my Masters. You might call it the 'thick end' as it involves the by no means small matter of conducting research and writing a dissertation. As regular readers will know, I am researching the use of blogs by ELT teachers, focusing on how/to what extent they are used as part of reflective practice and the role the community plays in this. With that topic in mind, I have designed a survey, which I have embedded below. If you are an ELT teacher who has his/her own blog about language teaching, I would appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes to answer the questions and contribute to my research. If you can't see the embedded survey clearly in your browser, please click here to see the full version.

30+ Open Wikis Every Educator Should Know About How Students Benefit From Using Social Media 12.65K Views 0 Likes A lot of criticism has been leveled at social media and the effect it has on the way students process and retain information, as well as how distracting it can be. However, social media offers plenty of opportunities for learning and interactivity, and if you take a moment to think about it, it's not too hard to see how students benefit from using social media. 3 Tech Tips Your Grandma Could Teach You 2.02K Views 0 Likes Those who have been using technology, in some form, have a few tech tips you should know about.

WorldLillie: A Free Program for Kids Ag... Have you heard of the Virtual Teaching Expo? Would you like to learn more about teaching blogs? Are you in need of some creative teaching tips? Are you looking for inspirational mentors to learn from at your grade level? Look no further than the Virtual Teaching Expo. We have found the best of the best to share their spectacular ideas with YOU. We like to call these expos professional development in your PJs. Here are a few of the favorite comments from teachers who have joined us! I watched all of your presentations while sipping coffee, putting on my makeup, unloading the dishwasher, and just relaxing. ...at the end of your video you said that you hoped that I found at least one thing that I can use. I still go back to the last few expos that were several months ago and get a refresher. Your presentation was super! I am LOVING the Kindergarten EXPO...I have to watch it in tiny segments...because I'm trying to finish my report cards. Hi, I am in Australia and we are a week away from starting our new school year. You can join in too!

Student Centred Blogging Posted by Mrs Kathleen Morris on Thursday, April 19th 2012 Student centred learning is an theory that seems to have gained popularity in education communities over the years. Wikipedia defines this type of learning as “putting students first … focused on the student’s needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles with the teacher as a facilitator of learning. Teacher-centred learning has the teacher at its centre in an active role and students in a passive, receptive role. Student-centred learning requires students to be active, responsible participants in their own learning.” I would describe the blogging program that occurs in my classroom as largely student centred. I’ve had many teachers comment on the way that the students in my class respond to blogging. I believe the success I have with student centred blogging occurs because our program begins as teacher centred. Kelly Jordan and I team teach. I see my role as a teacher to get the wheel spinning.

BLC Conference - Registration Attended by colleagues from around the world who care deeply about bringing creative, innovative and rigorous learning practices to their students, the BLC13 conference provided our attendees with inspiration and practical skills while expanding their professional networks. Reserve Your Place at BLC 2013 Education Conference Since BLC was first held in 1999, our conference has grown by leaps and bounds. We are thrilled that our conference has become the premier global learning event in the country and could not be happier with its growing appeal. BLC sells out quickly, so register today! Pre-Conference & Main Conference Registration To register for pre-conference workshops, main conference sessions or both, you will need to create an online account. If you are registering for a team, you will be prompted to complete a registration form for each member. Need help? Pre-Conference Workshops These intensive, hands-on workshops run from Sunday, July 21 through Tuesday, July 23. Team Discount

Los Bloguitos Teacher Reboot Camp Settings Every Blogger User Should Know#.T9U_ZCnhkIY.twitter This is a post I had simmering in the back of my mind for a while until this morning when someone asked how I was able to publish posts so quickly. The truth is that while sometimes I do write a bunch of posts in quick succession, I often use the scheduling tool in Blogger to publish posts. I use the scheduling tool when I know I will be away from my computer or think that I won't have time to write on a particular day. For example, this coming weekend I'll be home but I have a lot of things to do that will keep me from writing new blog posts so I've already written and scheduled posts that will appear live on Sunday. Click on the images below to view them in full size and see the details contained within them. How to schedule posts: In the new Blogger interface. In the old Blogger interface. How to prevent publishing your email address in RSS feeds: I often see Blogger users publishing their email addresses in RSS feeds. In the new Blogger interface. How to back-up your Blogger blog.

Growing First