Dipsticks: Efficient Ways to Check for Understanding
What strategy can double student learning gains? According to 250 empirical studies, the answer is formative assessment, defined by Bill Younglove as "the frequent, interactive checking of student progress and understanding in order to identify learning needs and adjust teaching appropriately." Unlike summative assessment, which evaluates student learning according to a benchmark, formative assessment monitors student understanding so that kids are always aware of their academic strengths and learning gaps. Meanwhile, teachers can improve the effectiveness of their instruction, re-teaching if necessary. "When the cook tastes the soup," writes Robert E. Stake, "that's formative; when the guests taste the soup, that's summative." Alternative formative assessment (AFA) strategies can be as simple (and important) as checking the oil in your car -- hence the name "dipsticks." In the sections below, we'll discuss things to consider when implementing AFAs. 53 Ways to Check for Understanding
The 8 Skills Students Must Have For The Future
Editor’s note: This is a revised version of an article written by Katie Lepi that originally appeared on June 7th, 2014. We believe this information is still highly relevant, but we wanted to update it with the latest thinking. To do that, we invited writer Michael Sledd to take the reins. Education has traditionally focused on the basic “3Rs” of reading, writing and arithmetic. This naturally leads to the question of what those skills are or will be, and while there are other excellent suggestions out there, Pearson’s 2014 edition of “The Learning Curve” report lists the 8 skills below as those most necessary to succeed in the 21st century. Understanding and Teaching These Skills In order to incorporate these skills into their lessons and to develop student ability in each area, teachers must first understand what these things truly mean. Leadership People have discussed leadership for centuries, and generated a wide array of different definitions and theories about what it means. Takeaway
(Tips for Teachers) Experiential Learning with the Help of Technology
About ETR Community EdTechReview (ETR) is a community of and for everyone involved in education technology to connect and collaborate both online and offline to discover, learn, utilize and share about the best ways technology can improve learning, teaching, and leading in the 21st century. EdTechReview spreads awareness on education technology and its role in 21st century education through best research and practices of using technology in education, and by facilitating events, training, professional development, and consultation in its adoption and implementation.
Rethinking Technology, Creativity & Learning in the 21st Century
Over the past year my research team (the Deep-Play Research group) and I have been writing an on-going series of articles about rethinking technology and creativity for the 21st century. Published in the journal TechTrends, these articles have been great fun to write, providing us the freedom to think deeply about these issues and, most importantly, put our ideas in words, and share them with the wider world. We have attempted to keep the writing as as accessible (and non-academic) as we can. The first article in the list below, was actually not part of the column but is included here since it presents the first clear articulation of our ideas about trans-disciplinary learning. Mishra, P., Koehler, M.J., & Henriksen, D. (2011). Here are the articles in the series: Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21st Century Mishra, P., & The Deep-Play Research Group (2012).
22 Apps To Make Videos In The Classroom
22 Of The Best Apps To Make Videos In The Classroom by TeachThought Staff In education, perhaps one of the least utilized talents of iOS hardware is creating exceptional video. While it’s not uncommon for teachers and students to use iPads to create videos, creating stunning videos that are compelling, well-produced, innovative, truly social, and/or something worth sharing with the world isn’t so easy. Truth be told, that’s less about the technology and more a matter of teaching, learning, and planning–who is creating the video, why are they creating it, and who are they creating it for. Below are 22 apps we’ve handpicked as powerful teaching and learning tools to work with digital media in your classroom. How can I help students turn these iPads into tools for magnificent creation? 22 Of The Newest Apps To Make Videos In The Classroom; 22 Of The Newest–And Best–Apps To Make Videos In The Classroom
International Education News l The PIE News l English Australia offers MOOEC teacher training
Launched in collaboration with International Education Services (IEC) which last year debuted the world’s first English language MOOC, the sessions will train teachers to teach language more effectively using MOOEC technology. “Our aim is to develop the capacity of our sector to the increasingly important area of online learning” “Our aim is to develop the capacity of our sector to the increasingly important area of online learning,” Sue Blundell, English Australia’s Executive Director, said. Participants will be shown how to plan an online lesson during the initial session, learn about best practices in online English language provision and receive guidance on how to identify engaging content and construct a lesson using MOOEC’s authoring tool. Blundell told The PIE News that the project is an exciting opportunity for English Australia to “play a leading role” in online learning. IEC’s MOOEC currently offers more than 50 lessons developed by 15 universities and colleges.
TeacherTube
Web 2.0 Science Tools
By Laura Turner The following web2.0 sites would be useful for science educators at the high school and middle school level. Some would also be appropriate for higher elementary grade levels. There are many new ‘tools’ or websites that take advantage of the higher speed and bandwidth of today’s Internet. Web 2.0 can also be described as the second round of new technology development and adoption. EcoKids This award-winning EcoKids web site is an interactive environmental web site for children, their families, and educators in Canada and around the world. Experience Math and Science with Gizmos (3-12) www.explorelearning.com This site features 450 interactive simulations for math and science. Exploratorium www.exploratorium.edu This site was one of the first science museums to build a site on the World Wide Web. Google Google SketchUp Create, modify, and share 3-d models! St.
SAMR model
