Combating Racism in a Multicultural World We all want students to become global citizens who can successfully engage with an increasingly diverse world. But how do we facilitate interactions and learning experiences that foster acceptance and understanding of a range of people and cultures? How can we inspire them to work for social justice and actively counter bullying, stereotypes and racism? Here are nine tips for teaching diversity skills, defined as the ability to learn about differences, talk about them, accept them and (if conflict is involved) peacefully resolve them. Building these skills isn’t as hard as you might think. Bring learning to life. Integrate multisensory “props” into lessons to deepen learning about a variety of cultures. Expose students to a variety of people and environments. Breaking down barriers begins with getting to know people and spending time with them. On-site options include virtual (Web-based) “pen pals” or pairing up with a classroom in another country. Let students pursue their interests.
20 BYOD Resources For The 21st Century Schools by Hope Mulholland, TeachThought Intern BYOD policies–Bring Your Own Device–allow schools to bring technology into the classroom with a “bottom-up” approach. Such an approach can save money, allow students to use their own devices, and encourage a student-centered approach to learning. Recently we explained that “digital natives or not, technology dropped into the laps of students in schools isn’t always as accessible as it might be. By allowing students to bring in their own devices for learning–rather than insisting that they learn both content and device in school–there is an important opportunity to connect with not just their personal lives, but their natural way of doing things.” But when you allow students to bring in hundreds of unique devices into a formerly closed technology setting, chaos can result–which is where, unfortunately, policy can be necessary. Below is a list of 20 resources to help you get started with BYOD in your school or classroom. Articles about BYOD 1. 2. 3.
Whispercast The great BYOD debate The great BYOD debate continues… Gary Stager wrote a post (Oct 2011) on BYOD the Worst idea of the 21st century. He provided some interesting arguments refuting the quality of the devices, educative potential, underfunding from schools - as well as the age-old equity issue. Audrey Watters response (two days later) provided some pedagogical questions to the debate, such as, “How will we tackle that very thorny problem of making sure that all lessons, projects, assignments, e-textbooks and so on are accessible across platforms, across devices?” How will students manage their own software, browsers on their own devices in the best possible way to ehnace their education? "And, of course, how do we make sure that everyone — from school districts to families — can have access to high-quality technology and to high-speed Internet?” How have schools in New Zealand tackled these issues so far – from within the school, to the wider community? Claire Amos: Ten tips for BYOD BYOD PTA Presentation
The Mobile Native Building an Effective School BYOD Plan Granted, but… BYOD – Worst Idea of the 21st Century? In 1990, I began helping schools across the globe realize the transformational learning potential of a laptop for every child. From the start there was a recognition of the certain inevitability that every student would own their a personal mobile personal computer in the near future, whether school provided it or not. Twenty-one years later, way too few students have a personal computer and the very issue seems to become more controversial with each passing day. Schools and school districts who have come to the personal computing party decades late now have conjured a cheap less-empowering way to produce an illusion of modernity. They call it “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) or “Bring Your Own Technology” (BYOT) and it’s a terribly reckless idea for the following reasons. BYOD enshrines inequity The only way to guarantee equitable educational experiences is for each student to have access to the same materials and learning opportunities.
EdTech Cheat Sheet Understanding New Trends in Educational Technology Trying to keep up with all of the new buzzwords in the booming Educational Technology sector can leave you feeling like a kindergartner in a calculus class. Don't tell your teach, but we put together a little cheat sheet to keep you informed on what's happening inside and outside of today's most innovative schools. Think we're missing any major terms or trends? Let us know on Twitter. @GoBoundless Gamification? Virtual Classroom? Digital Storytelling? 1:1 Technology Providing every student with a laptop or tablet to make learning more individualized, increase independence and extend academics beyond the classroom. Also: much cooler than just giving out stickers. Adaptive Learning Software that adapts it's content and pacing to the current knowledge level of the user, so it's almost like having a personal tailor for your education. Asynchronous Learning Blended Learning A sure recipe for success: Course Management System (CMS) Differentiated Learning
First 5 Lessons Learned In Our First Year Of BYOT | BYOT or Bring Your Own Technology is off to a rousing start in our District and at the high school where I serve as a Campus Technology Integration Specialist. As the year winds to an end, I thought I would share some of the first lessons that were learned. You should know that our high school is large with over 160 teachers and 2500 students. Lesson 1 - Get administration on board! These folks are critical. Lesson 2 – Do Your Homework! Take some time and find out what’s already known about BYOT/BYOD! Lesson 3 – Form a campus BYOT Cadre! Invite faculty and staff from your campus to join the BYOT Cadre and build ownership in the process. Lesson 4 – Build a carefully considered BYOT Acceptable Use Policy! All stakeholders benefit from the creation of a well-designed BYOT/BYOD Acceptable Use Policy. Lesson 5 – Squash the idea that BYOT is ONLY project-based! There’s a misconception that BYOT implies classroom projects.
Free Technology for Teachers Google Apps / Software for learning / Technologies What are Google Apps? l Snapshot of learning l School stories What are Google Apps? Google Apps for Education is a free suite of hosted email and collaboration applications for schools and other educational organisations. Snapshot of learning Increasing ownership of learning through e-portfolios The processes and progress of learning were effectively documented in e-portfolios at Bucklands Beach Intermediate School. School stories Te Kura o Tiori Burnham School Rob Clarke, principal of Te Kura o Tiori Burnham School, explains how and why they use Google Apps. In the Interface magazine article, A new way of running school software, Rob explains the specific apps being used and their future plans. Using Google Apps for future focused schoolsBlended e-learning facilitator, Brad Thomas and students from Ruawai School explain how using Google Apps has enabled a transformation in learning. Breen's Intermediate School Holy Cross School Ruawai Primary School Parkvale School Pt England School