Critical Thinking Toolbox: How to Brainstorm Brainstorming is an essential part of critical thinking and a tool that people use to invent an idea, find a solution to a problem, or answer a question. Like: naming a puppy, or . . . Prehistoric Man: "I wonder why all the stars move around in the same way every night, except for just a few? Those few wander about from night to night." Prehistoric Friend: "Why do we need to know that?" Philosophical Man: "Maybe it's because they are gods and follow their own rules." Philosophical Friend: "Maybe it's because they got knocked loose from the celestial ceiling and are kind of just rolling around up there." Scientific Man: "Maybe the planets move around earth in funny little loops." Skeptic: "It's probably all an optical illusion." Galileo: "Maybe earth isn't the center of the universe like we thought. Credit: Hans & Nathaniel Bluedorn Considering a lot of bad ideas before we get to a good one is how brainstorming works. 6 Elements of the Perfect Brainstorm Brainstorming is simple and natural. 1.
Share Your Insights: The Future of Education Gone are the days when education was confined to the walls of a classroom. The traditional learning model is being turned on its head with the rising popularity of open education and new technologies to facilitate online learning. What’s the future of education? What are new and best tactics for teaching and learning today? Ahead of next week’s Online Learning Conference, we’re taking a look at the state and future of open education — and want your insights, too! <<View all Open Education SlideShares, and share yours, too>> Here are a few decks not to miss: The New Online University Stanford has become one of many universities to experiment with MOOCs. Are MOOCs Here to Stay? Non-traditional college students are now the new normal, says Yvonne Belanger. The Network of MOOCs To truly understand MOOCs, we must also understand the patterns and communication behind them. READ MORE: Discover and Share Best Content Marketing Strategies Photo: Doremi/Shutterstock Related Posts
Class Discussion to Encourage Critical Thinking: Resources for Grades 9-12 About Socratic Seminars Socratic Seminars: Patience & Practice <img class="media-image media-element file-content-image" src="/sites/default/files/styles/content_image_breakpoints_theme_edutopia_desktop_1x/public/content/73/video.gif?itok=pmoQLTDv" alt="" /> (Teaching Channel, 2013) At Mountain View High School in Mountain View, California, teacher Paige Price discusses how she uses Socratic Seminars in her classroom to address the question, “What’s the purpose of poetic language?” Make sure to check out the supporting materials related to the featured activities, including scoring and student preparation guides. How KIPP Teachers Learn to Teach Critical Thinking <img class="media-image media-element file-content-image" src="/sites/default/files/styles/content_image_breakpoints_theme_edutopia_desktop_1x/public/content/73/video.gif? Back to Top Downloads from Schools that Work More Blogs About Class Discussion
How to Stream Google Hangouts On Air to Twitter and Facebook Are you using Google Hangouts on Air? Do you want your Twitter and Facebook followers to join in? By sharing the YouTube link of your Google Hangout to Twitter and Facebook, you can stream the live event to reach more viewers. In this article you’ll discover how to stream your next Google Hangout On Air to your Facebook and Twitter followers. Why Google Hangouts On Air? Google Hangouts On Air are live video broadcasts that stream simultaneously on Google+ and YouTube. Find out how to stream Google Hangouts to Twitter and Facebook. Because Hangouts are tied to YouTube, you can broadcast (or replay) your Hangout event anywhere you can embed a YouTube video. Set Up the Hangout On Air Before you can embed your Hangout in Facebook or Twitter, you need to set it up. Log into Google+ and go to the Google Hangouts On Air page. The main Google Hangouts On Air page shows you all of the other Hangouts currently going on. The Google Hangouts On Air homepage is a great place to see other broadcasts.
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. 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. So ask yourself this beautiful question: How might I encourage more questioning in my classroom?
Trees of Knowledge Hacking Everyday Objects Inspires Students to Explore Technology (Transcript) Jay: This circuit consists of a speaker, so you can hear the sounds when they're made, a battery for power. If we were to hook the circuit up to itself with no resistor... [ high-pitched tone ] ...you'll get that constant frequency. If we disconnect the circuit, then we can hook it to another resistor. Jay: So, I'll just start. Jay: It's like the whole education system is locked down from some ancient, you know, 100-year-old idea, except for kindergarten. Jay: We're going to forget that cans are for holding food, and we're going to make cans and everything else here do something else. Jay: The way kindergarten was designed was a set of what we would call toys, so, blocks, finger paint, certain geometrical shapes, and hoops. I have a marrot triangle. The Leaning Tower of Flowers. Jay: So, you call it blocks? Yeah. Jay: Great. Jay: So, hold her hand. [ circuit squeaks ] [ various tones play ] [ vibrato tones play ] Oh!
Three Steps to Critical Thinking Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono is a bona fide genius. The author, inventor, Rhodes scholar and Nobel prize-nominated economist graduated from college at age 15. In the field of education and business, he is famous for originating the term lateral thinking. In his spare time, he also wrote Six Thinking Hats and several other books on creativity. Creative and Critical Thinking Can Be Taught De Bono repeats throughout his writing that critical and creative thinking can be taught. Teaching scenario #1 When you ask a volunteer from your AP English class to analyze the Gettysburg Address, not one hand raises. Teaching scenario #2 You post an anonymous 10th grade argumentative essay on the document camera for your students to critique, but the same three volunteers who always answer are the only kids with comments to contribute. Teaching scenario #3 You want to prime your 7th grade social studies students to look more deeply at the pros and cons of gun control legislation. The PMI Steps
10 Things Successful eLearning Professionals Do Differently eLearning professionals need to raise the bar and reset their expectations if their learners are to consider courses worthwhile. The following ten points are things we have found successful eLearning professionals do differently. We hope they can help developers change their mindsets to create the best courses possible. 1. They Make it a Goal to Learn About Their Audience. Successful eLearning developers know what motivates their learners to take online courses instead of spending their time on other activities. 2. Thinking of learners as more than computer users, and instead as social individuals is even more important in eLearning than traditional learning situations due to the physical barrier. 3. In almost all courses, learners want the course to get to the point sooner, wrap up faster, and finish earlier. Helping students to pay attention is a primary concern of successful eLearning professionals. 4. 5. In quiet design, everything on a screen has a purpose. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Students Evolve from Consumers to Critics and Creators Critical-thinking skills -- and fluency in multimedia production -- are integral to media literacy. Running Time: 8 min. For many students, what happens in the traditional American classroom is boring. Small wonder, when you compare such relatively inanimate stuff as pencil-and-paper-bound reading, writing, and math drills to the media mix of mind-bending imagery and hair-raising sound that consumes most of their waking hours outside school. A recent study, "Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds," found that students in grades 3-12 spend an average of six hours and twenty-one minutes plugged in to some type of media each day. For this digital generation, electronic media is increasingly seductive, influential, and pervasive, yet most schools treat the written word as the only means of communication worthy of study. Credit: Edutopia One place kids live is the multiplex, where they indulge in popcorn and eye candy. Credit: The Jacob Burns Film Center
Technology SAMR Model for Administrators - Part 1: Staff Presentations The introduction of wireless networks and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs in classrooms has increased the demand for teachers to effectively utilize technology worldwide. We have seen an emphasis placed on technology-centered professional development to ensure that classroom educators are best prepared for these challenges. Throughout this process, teachers may feel that they are at the forefront of professional development while administrators may feel a little behind the power curve. Throughout this series, I will focus on the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model highlighting different tasks that school-based administrators may face during the school year. Part 1: Staff Presentations Part 2: Community Interaction Part 3: File Management Part 4: Classroom Evaluations Part 5: Staff Input Google Apps for Education (GAFE) will be the primary software that I reference, but other programs could be substituted. Lead by Example Staff Presentations
College Readiness: Reading Critically We have a generation of students that are trained to automatically trust the textbook, or for that matter, trust anything that is written. Today, many students don't know how to read things with a grain of salt. So how do we go about fixing this? Well, first we have to get them to read, then get them to read critically. Mem Fox's book, Reading Magic, states that the love of reading has to start young. Dr. Today, Mike Rose is a professor at UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Between the Lines Reading has to be synonymous to thinking. With all of that creative learning juice flowing in student's brains while they read, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. We should teach students to identify concepts while they read and then judge which of them is a key concept. Have you heard of the residue of thinking? As you can see, using Cornell Notes the right way can help students read critically, which by the way helps them remember what they read. Going Digital
The challenge, then, is to think about how to be specific enough in your search that you make the search engine do the work for you. by vtapestry Oct 7