A Web 2.0 Class Christopher Columbus was wrong when he reported to the King and Queen that the world is round. In fact, the world is flat and so are many of our classrooms in this great nation. For years, students learned within the parameters of a building, which then separated them into rooms. Students would attend class daily and the teacher would present the daily lesson. This is how a school day has progressed for years. And in many US classrooms, it still does. Students in Van Meter, Iowa, Burlington, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are experiencing education in a new room. A Flat Classroom Led by the efforts and collaboration of Patrick Larkin (1) , Principal of Burlington High School (2) , Shannon Miller (3) , Librarian at Van Meter High School (4) , and William Brannick (5) , Principal of Monsignor Bonner (6) & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School (7) these three schools are collaborating weekly through various technology mediums. Last year Mrs. The Virtual Classroom Mr.
A Quick Guide To Questioning In The Classroom A Guide to Questioning in the Classroom by TeachThought Staff This post was promoted by Noet Scholarly Tools who are offering TeachThought readers 20% off their entire order at Noet.com with coupon code TEACHTHOUGHT (enter the coupon code after you’ve signed in)! Get started with their Harvard Fiction Classics or introductory packages on Greek and Latin classics. This is part 1 of a 2-part series on questioning in the classroom. Something we’ve become known for is our focus on thought, inquiry, and understanding, and questions are a big part of that. If the ultimate goal of education is for students to be able to effectively answer questions, then focusing on content and response strategies makes sense. Why Questions Are More Important Than Answers The ability to ask the right question at the right time is a powerful indicator of authentic understanding. Questions are more important than answers because they reflect both understanding and curiosity in equal portions. Cognitive Dissonance
32 Innovative (Free!) Online Educational Tools to Try in 2015 Want to be a better student? There are literally thousands of apps for that. Not to mention a wide array of other online learning tools. They’re not all changing education — but a few innovative ones are. Among the wide-ranging apps, sites, learning management systems, flashcard creators, and content archives, there are a few dozen that promise to make an impact on how students learn this year. Noodle’s team of education experts investigated the vast array of online learning tools to create this list of the 32 best, most innovative online tools that we think will change the education space in 2015. We spoke with teachers, tutors, and leaders in the space. We have grouped these 32 selections based on how they are making a difference in student education. Without further ado, here are the tools that you’ll want to have on your computer, tablet, or smartphone this year... Classroom Connectors Clever Why it’s good: Clever saves time in the classroom. Edmodo Kahoot! What it is: Kahoot! Schoology
5 Ways to Help Your Students Become Better Questioners The humble question is an indispensable tool: the spade that helps us dig for truth, or the flashlight that illuminates surrounding darkness. Questioning helps us learn, explore the unknown, and adapt to change. That makes it a most precious “app” today, in a world where everything is changing and so much is unknown. And yet, we don’t seem to value questioning as much as we should. To change that is easier said than done. How to Encourage Questioning 1. Asking a question can be a scary step into the void. 2. This is a tough one. 3. Part of the appeal of “questions-only” exercises is that there’s an element of play involved, as in: Can you turn that answer/statement into a question? 4. Obviously, we must praise and celebrate the questions that are asked -- and not only the on-target, penetrating ones, but also the more expansive, sometimes-offbeat ones (I found that seemingly “crazy questions” sometimes result in the biggest breakthroughs). 5.
50 Education Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Know About via Edudemic Technology and education are pretty intertwined these days and nearly every teacher has a few favorite tech tools that make doing his or her job and connecting with students a little bit easier and more fun for all involved. Yet as with anything related to technology, new tools are hitting the market constantly and older ones rising to prominence, broadening their scope, or just adding new features that make them better matches for education, which can make it hard to keep up with the newest and most useful tools even for the most tech-savvy teachers. Here, we’ve compiled a list of some of the tech tools, including some that are becoming increasingly popular and widely used, that should be part of any teacher’s tech tool arsenal this year, whether for their own personal use or as educational aids in the classroom. Social Learning These tools use the power of social media to help students learn and teachers connect. Learning Lesson Planning and Tools Useful Tools
5 Powerful Questions Teachers Can Ask Students My first year teaching a literacy coach came to observe my classroom. After the students left, she commented on how I asked the whole class a question, would wait just a few seconds, and then answer it myself. "It's cute," she added. Um, I don't think she thought it was so cute. So that day, I learned about wait/think time. Many would agree that for inquiry to be alive and well in a classroom that, amongst other things, the teacher needs to be expert at asking strategic questions, and not only asking well-designed ones, but ones that will also lead students to questions of their own. Keeping It Simple I also learned over the years that asking straightforward, simply-worded questions can be just as effective as those intricate ones. #1. This question interrupts us from telling too much. #2. After students share what they think, this follow-up question pushes them to provide reasoning for their thinking. #3. #4. #5. How do you ask questions in your classroom?
Motivator: Create your own motivational posters! First time here? Welcome! We have a lot of fun stuff to play with like ourMotivational Poster maker, Magazine Cover maker, Pop Art poster, and much more! Play as much as you like—everything is free. Create, share, and buy your own customized motivational posters. 4 Essential Rules Of 21st Century Learning 4 Essential Rules Of 21st Century Learning by Jennifer Rita Nichols The term “21st century” has become an integral part of educational thinking and planning for the future. Various studies have shown us that rote memorization is not an effective learning strategy, and that teacher-centered classrooms may not be the most efficiently structured ones for student engagement. However, despite learning about the skills that students will need to develop to become successful in the 21st century, as well as what beliefs about education may be worth hanging onto or throwing away, schools and teachers are left trying to figure out what their role needs to be in the education of their 21st century students. Once upon a time, the role of the educator was to prepare students for the specific tasks they would be required to complete (be it a trade, craft, or profession). Nowadays, we don’t live in the same world. So then, what is the role of education in the 21st century? Society has changed. 1. 2. 3.
Innovating Pedagogy 2014 | Open University Innovations Report #3 This series of help sheets is designed for people who are trying out distance and online education for the first time, and for teachers who have already taught at a distance and want to try something new. Each help sheet outlines one approach to learning at a distance and provides guidance on how to put this into practice. All the help sheets are based on approaches covered in past Innovating Pedagogy reports and take into account that students may have only limited access to technology and the Internet. The latest report in our annual series explores new forms of teaching, learning and assessment for an interactive world, to guide teachers and policy makers in productive innovation. Download Innovating Pedagogy 2020 This eighth report, produced in collaboration with the National Institute for Digital Learning (NIDL), Dublin City University, Ireland, proposes ten innovations that are already in currency but have not yet had a profound influence on education in their current form.
Schools are finally teaching what kids need to be successful in life — Quartz Research shows that teaching kids things like perseverance and self-control can improve their health, academic achievement, and happiness in life. But teaching character, or social and emotional learning, has proven dicey. The science was sometimes squishy, the curriculum often felt driven by those trying to set a moral agenda, and schools had too much else to do, like close the academic gap between high- and low-income kids, and the skills gap between US kids and some of their global counterparts. That’s beginning to change. From Singapore and China to Britain, policymakers and educators are investing more time and money in scientific research on character. The debate is no longer about whether character matters, but which traits—grit, open mindedness, optimism—matter the most and how to effectively teach those. “Success in today’s world puts a higher premium on character qualities,” says Andreas Schleicher, head of education and skills for the OECD. “That just does not add up.”