Creating Classrooms We Need: 8 Ways Into Inquiry Learning If kids can access information from sources other than school, and if school is no longer the only place where information lives, what, then happens to the role of this institution? “Our whole reason for showing up for school has changed, but infrastructure has stayed behind,” said Diana Laufenberg, who taught history at the progressive public school Science Leadership Academy for many years. Laufenberg provided some insight into how she guided students to find their own learning paths at school, and enumerated some of these ideas at SXSWEdu last week. 1. Laufenberg recalled a group of tenacious students who continued to ask permission to focus their video project on the subject of drugs, despite her repeated objections. 2. Laufenberg’s answer: Get them curious enough in the subject to do research on their own. “Rather than saying, ‘We’re going to study immigration,’ I took them through a process where they become interested in it themselves,” she said. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Related
The 7 Powerful Idea Shifts In Learning Today by Terry Heick, TeachThought.com : Shift_Learning: The 7 Most Powerful Idea Shifts In Learning Today So we’re taking a stand here. This is all incredibly subjective, but so are the VH1 Top 100 Hair Bands Videos and those are fun, am I right? So subjective it is. Let’s make a list. Utopian visions of learning are tempting, if for no other reason than they absolve us of accountability to create itright now, leading to nebulous romanticizing about how powerful learning could be if we just did more of X and Y. But therein lies the rub: Tomorrow’s learning is already available, and below are 7 of the most compelling and powerful trends, concepts, and resources that represent its promise. The Challenge of Implementation It’s challenging enough to manage a traditional learning environment where the curriculum is handed to you, and meetings are set, and you’re simply there to manage; adding more ingredients to the mix seems like asking for trouble. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
work - mediaweaver - Gmail Response: Do's and Don'ts for Better Project-Based Learning - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo Last week's question was: What are the Do's & Don'ts of Project-Based Learning? Few people know more about Project-Based Learning than Suzie Boss, and she graciously agreed to respond to this "question of the week." In addition, several readers left thoughtful comments. Between them, I don't really have much to add. Response From Suzie Boss Suzie Boss is an education writer and consultant who focuses on project-based learning and social change. What are some do's and don'ts for project-based learning? This is a question well worth considering, given the groundswell of interest in project-based learning that's occurring across the country--and beyond. The new standards call on students to--among other things--think critically, read carefully, apply math to analyze and solve real-world problems, make well-founded arguments, and use technology to communicate effectively. Such benefits aren't automatic. Here are ten teacher-tested tips to help you get on the right track with PBL. Jeremy Aldrich:
Western Philosophy Ramping Up Technology for Your Next PBL Project In my last post about taking PBL projects up a notch, I focused on integration of subject matters and disciplines. Fittingly, this post focuses on integrating technology. Teachers often adjust and improve projects by finding new and innovative ways to infuse technology into the PBL process and products. In my classroom, one of the driving forces for reflection in terms of technology integration is the Technology Integration Matrix from the Florida Center for Instructional Technology. Authentic Audience Communication Teachers often struggle to physically bring authentic audience members into the learning environment. From Products to Management Tech and PBL newbies find easy integration with PBL products. Technology to Assess Collaboration Related to the tip above, teachers can use technology not only to collaborate, but also as tool to assess that critical 21st century skill, collaboration. Technology Literacy as a 21st Century Skill
18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently This list has been expanded into the new book, “Wired to Create: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind,” by Carolyn Gregoire and Scott Barry Kaufman. Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways. Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context. Neuroscience paints a complicated picture of creativity. And psychologically speaking, creative personality types are difficult to pin down, largely because they’re complex, paradoxical and tend to avoid habit or routine. “It’s actually hard for creative people to know themselves because the creative self is more complex than the non-creative self,” Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist at New York University who has spent years researching creativity, told The Huffington Post. While there’s no “typical” creative type, there are some tell-tale characteristics and behaviors of highly creative people. They daydream. They observe everything.
Integration Strategies for PBL This series is about taking your PBL projects "up a notch." I wrote a blog about how to get started, but after you get started and are familiar with the benefits of keeping it small and focused, what are some of your next steps? One area where I see teachers taking their PBL projects up a notch is through integration. However, integration is actually quite complicated and includes many levels of implementation. Know Your Level of Integration When you plan your integrated PBL project, consider the following definitions and levels of integration articulated in Integrated Curriculum, an ASCD book edited by Heidi Hayes Jacob. Know Content that Isn't Your Own Teachers of the Blood Project at High Tech High really articulate this well. It's Gotta Fit This one is crucial. Limit Products to Target ALL Content Standards If you really want students to see the connections of the disciplines, then limit the amount of culminating products and performances that students are producing.
Technology and Education | Box of Tricks New Website Launch to Further Project Based Learning in North American Schools (PRWEB) November 24, 2012 PBL, Project Based Learning (PBL), or Problem Based Learning is a method of instruction where student learning is based upon real world experiences. PBL helps to bridge the gap between the classroom and real life, as students design, create, collaborate and solve problems rather than sit as passive listeners. Although the concept of “learn by doing,” dates back to early proponents like Aristotle, PBL is becoming increasingly prevalent in public education recently, and for good reason. In fact, districts, states, and provinces have already set into motion changes in their curriculum that make PBL components like collaboration, reflection, and critical thinking a mandated part of the curriculum. The new PBLSuperStore website offers project based learning units online for students, teachers and educators. PBL shifts the focus from teaching, to learning, with teachers becoming more of a resource, rather than disseminators of information.
Can Schools Create a Culture of Learning By Doing? - Education What if we had a culture of "do" instead of a culture of "know" in our schools? That was the question posed by sixth-grade language arts teacher Bill Ferriter and three other educators at last weekend’s EduCon, an education innovation conference held in Philadelphia. Ferriter writes on his blog, The Tempered Radical, that the group came up with the question during a session designed to push educators to dream big and develop ambitious solutions for the problems facing schools. Although knowing academic content is foundational, he writes, students often complain about feeling disconnected from what they’re learning because they’re never given the chance to apply their knowledge in meaningful ways. Models like service learning are proven to boost student engagement and reduce the dropout rate, yet the test-heavy school culture has created an environment where teachers simply cover the curriculum and students regurgitate facts onto a test. Photo via (cc) Flickr user Mark Gstohl
Practical Tips for Mobile Learning in the PBL Classroom Given the number of technology tools being used by educators and students, it's no wonder that mobile technologies and mobile learning are being explored in various implementations. From data collection tools to mobile phones, students are learning at school and on their own. Remember, however, that technology is a tool for learning, so we still need to focus on models that provide engaging uses for these tools. Project-based learning can pair well with tenets and best practices for mobile learning to create intention and flexible contexts for learning. Here are some tips and ideas to consider if you want to try mobile learning with your next PBL project. 1. Educators can use the "Need to Know" activity, and have students create a list of questions and "need to knows" to compete the project. Use Twitter, or another related tool, with a hashtag to create a backchannel list of "need to knows." 2. PBL projects present a great opportunity to have students go out in the field. 3. 4. 5.
3 Things That Have Slowed the Change Process Down in Education (And What We Can Do About It) There has been a lot of talk on the idea that education as a whole takes a long time to change. As an educator, this is a challenging notion, since we are seeing many people doing some amazing things that did not exist when I was a student. Change is happening but sometimes it is hard to see when you are in the middle of the process. Some things are out of the hands of schools. Here are some of the challenges we have had in the past and how we can tackle them 1. Education has traditionally been an isolating profession where we get some time together, but not nearly enough. How so many educators have shifted this “norm” is by using social media spaces to connect and learn from educators all over the world, and making a significant difference in their own classrooms, and creating much more engaging and empowering learning spaces. We need to make this happen and create transparency in our own classrooms. Make it go viral. 2. 3. Wow.