Digital citizenship: creating a deliberative pedagogical context | Social Theory Applied Published by Cristina Costa on May 17, 2014 Democracia y Libertad (CC) by Flickr ID Elisabeth D’Orcy Digital citizenship and digital literacies are topics with a growing popularity, given the impact of the so called digital economy debate on curriculum design. Obviously this is debatable and heavily reliant on the mindset of both individuals and institutions involved in it. In trying to look for critical approaches to both the themes of citizenship and literacy I found the work of Habermas and of those associated with him. Searching for key readings, I found a book chapter by Tomas Englund (2012) on ‘Educational implications of the ideas of deliberative democracy’. Englund puts an emphasis on deliberative communication as a democratic form of life, of which the school should be part. I am interested in the role of education in developing contemporary forms of citizenship literacy. Englund answers this question by stating that citizenship literacy Reference: Englund, T. (2012).
To Close the Achievement Gap, We Need to Close the Teaching Gap | Linda Darling-Hammond For years now, educators have looked to international tests as a yardstick to measure how well U.S. students are learning 21st-century skills compared to their peers. The answer has been: not so well. The U.S. has been falling further behind other nations and has struggled with a large achievement gap. Federal policy under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Department of Education's 'flexibility' waivers has sought to address this problem by beefing up testing policies -- requiring more tests and upping the consequences for poor results: including denying diplomas to students, firing teachers, and closing schools. Now we have international evidence about something that has a greater effect on learning than testing: Teaching. In short, the survey shows that American teachers today work harder under much more challenging conditions than teachers elsewhere in the industrialized world. In addition, the feedback from test data is different across countries.
buildingdigitalcitizens - home A Balanced Approach To Social Media For Teachers A Balanced Approach To Social Media For Teachers by Laura Farmer Sitting at night, in front of my computer, I look at my image on Twitter. I skim through all my hundreds of tweets. Thoughts race through my mind, and suddenly, I type in the key words–social media and narcissism–in the Google search engine. Call it a moment of weakness, an identity crisis, or just plain craziness, in that moment it all made sense. Over the next week, social media free, I reevaluated. So, how do we stretch ourselves, as educators, without losing our educational identity, or our minds for that matter? 4 Tips For A Balanced Approach To Social Media For Teachers 1. First, let’s keep it focused. Whatever example you follow, choose a niche and be great at it. 2. Secondly, know that it’s okay to be you. 3. Ask yourself, what would I like to learn from Twitter? 4. Finally, stretch your educational pedagogy–bend, but don’t break. Take a deep breathe, and know that you are a fabulous teacher; the methods work.
Cybersmart Tagged What you do online could tag you for life This captioned film contains moving images, a sound track and dialogue. A full copy of the script, including scene descriptions, is provided in a separate file titled ‘Tagged film script’. Gold — WorldMediaFestival Silver — New York Festivals Winner – ATOM Awards When a group of high-school friends post a rumour about a rival it sparks a chain reaction that leaves no one untouched. Developed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s Cybersmart program, Tagged is recommended for use with students aged 14 and over. Tagged is supported by lesson plans and compelling character reflection interviews. Educational Leadership:Professional Learning: Reimagined:Bright Spots in Professional Learning Not so long ago, the only measure of the quality of a professional development session was whether the participants were smiling when they left the room—and not just because it was over. In recent years, though, the standards for professional learning have been edging up. Because research is revealing what kind of professional learning most improves student achievement, schools are reimagining professional development. As a result, educators are trying new formats with encouraging results. Our authors share some bright spots: Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Thomas Guskey, Richard DuFour, and Bryan Goodwin weigh in on the challenges of professional learning, each with a different emphasis. Coaching and Mentoring. Coaching support is also important for implementation. Using Video Innovatively. In another video technology innovation, TeachLivE adds both humor and a surreal aspect to the practice of teaching. Learning How Adults Learn. Teacher-Driven PD.
Essential elements of digital citizenship Nearly all of the ISTE Standards list digital citizenship as one of the aspects of education technology that all members of a school or district should support. Specifically, the standards tend to focus on the safe, legal and ethical use of technology in schools. This is certainly at the heart of the ideas behind digital citizenship, but as technology integration grows, not only in schools but in society as a whole, I believe the concept of digital citizenship will continue to expand. When I wrote my first book, Digital Citizenship in Schools, with Gerald Bailey, we considered where this might lead on a bigger scale. The idea was to create a framework of defining elements that provide a structure for digital citizenship education on which everything else could hang. As a result, we identified nine key elements that help define how to best use technology in every school, home and community. Respect Educate Protect Advancing digital citizenship education Gearing up for another year
Right Question Institute - A Catalyst for Microdemocracy 5 Reasons You Should Be Teaching Digital Citizenship 5 Reasons You Should Be Teaching Digital Citizenship by Paul Barnwell, Teacher of English & Digital Media Students buzzed about the latest uproar on Instagram. Anonymous sources had posted a “questionable”–and NSFW–list for multiple public schools in our city on Instagram, leading to distraught girls, viral Twitter reactions, and an investigation. This type of cyberbullying and reckless use of digital communication is rampant among teens, but this recent episode was only unusually due to its elevated publicity. Every day, I see a student deficit on how to mindfully employ the unbridled potential and power of their smartphones and other digital tools. Is it those cruel sources who exploit the images? Is it parents who purchase smartphones and laptops for their children and fail to set boundaries or teach their kids about responsible use? Is it the lack of education and discussion in schools about the ways students can be more mindful, responsible users of technology? A combination, of course.
The elements of #blendedlearning implementation | California Dreamin' by Rob Darrow The elements of #blendedlearning implementation The definition of blended learning has pretty much been determined as “a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path and/or pace; at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home; and the modalities along each student’s path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience.” (Horn & Staker, 2013). The real challenge is how does one best implements blended learning. 1. These six elements are in a specific order on purpose because without leadership, it is difficult for any initiative to succeed. Future blogposts will focus on each element with examples of promising practices for each element. Like this: Like Loading...