Two great quotes about education technology I heard one very quotable thing today, and read another very quotable thing. The first was to do with copyright, the second to do with embracing technology in education. See what you think: Copyright Tom Kent, of the Associated Press, was speaking at a Westminster Forum conference on the theme of the future of news. I think that’s a great way of bringing home to people the reality that using other people’s stuff without their permission (unless it already comes with permission, like a Creative Commons licence) is theft. This is not a new thing, of course. The impact of technology in education I read an article submitted to me by Nigel Willetts, for Computers in Classrooms. When faced with a steam-rolling technology, you either become part of the technology or part of the road! I’m currently working on the next edition of the newsletter, and Nigel’s is one of the articles that will be included. So, two very nice quotes I think, to mull over, and to discuss with colleagues and pupils.
Lessons taught in 3D help children learn more and behave better as it increases levels of concentration By Gareth Finighan Updated: 21:00 GMT, 6 January 2012 Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images are used in lessons, research suggests. They are quicker to learn and absorb new concepts, and display higher levels of concentration. Professor Anne Bamford, of the University of the Arts, London, studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries including the UK. An added dimension: researchers found that students were able to focus more and retained more information during classes taught in 3D (Posed by model) The project, to be unveiled at the BETT education technology show in London’s Olympia next week, focused on 740 pupils aged ten and 11. In each school, one class studied science in the usual way. Pupils in 3D classes could remember more than the 2D classes after four weeks, improving test scores by an average 17 per cent compared with eight per cent for 2D lessons. One teacher in the study said: 'In class with 3D you have the "wow" effect.
Bridge to Learning - Educational Research The fundamental model of school education is still a teacher talking to a group of pupils. It has barely changed over the centuries, even since Plato established the earliest “akademia” in a shady olive grove in ancient Athens.A Victorian schoolteacher could enter a 21st century classroom and feel completely at home. Whiteboards may have eliminated chalk dust, chairs may have migrated from rows to groups, but a teacher still stands in front of the class, talking, testing and questioning.But that model won’t be the same in twenty years’ time. It may well be extinct in ten.Technology is already bringing about a profound transformation in education, in ways that we can see before our very eyes and in others that we haven’t even dreamt of yet. Nothing too remarkable here, and any regular reader of this blog will recognise similar ideas spouted on these pages. The present IT national curriculum for schools would be abolished leaving schools freedom to design their own curriculum.
The Dos and Don'ts of Tech Integration PD Of all the initiatives a school can begin, integrating technology may require the most professional development. This is partly because of the equipment, hardware, and software involved and partly because of the shift that a teacher must make in his or her teaching style, technique, and planning process in order to effectively use technology in the classroom. Here are some basic "dos" and "don'ts" for anyone doing tech integration professional development. This approach requires those who provide professional development for teachers to listen to their needs, and to know the school and staff they are either visiting or presenting to. For technology integration to be successful, a trainer needs to know these variances among the teachers he or she is working with and plan for how teachers will apply what they've learned with you once the session is over. For more on building a PD model that supports teacher collaboration and voice, see my posts on the Edcamp model. see more see less
High school students know that their learning isn’t relevant As was so aptly said just a few days ago: It is hard to make an argument that there are many desirable post-secondary educational or career scenarios for current high school students that will not require the use of computer technology on a daily basis. The kids have known this for quite some time now. Do we have the will to integrate digital technologies into students’ learning in regular, frequent, and meaningful ways? Robert Fried noted that: We have opted not to create schools as places where children’s curiosity, sensory awareness, power, and communication can flourish, but rather to erect temples of knowledge where we sit them down, tell them a lot of stuff we think is important, try to control their restless curiosity, and test them to see how well they’ve listened to us. He also stated that: [M]ost of what [our students] experience during school hours passes over them like the shadow of a cloud, or through them like an undigested seed.
Answers to your ‘flipped school’ questions by Greg Green, Special to CNN Editor’s note: Greg Green is the principal at Clintondale High School in Clinton Township, Michigan. His guest post on this blog titled “My View: Flipped classrooms give every student a chance to succeed” generated more than 500 comments and was shared thousands of times on social media. In this post, Green offers answers to some of the questions you asked the most. The response to my guest post last week about flipping the classroom on CNN’s Schools of Thought blog was overwhelming and thought-provoking. 1. There were many comments on the role of teachers in the flipped model, some questioning whether the flipped classroom replaces teachers with video instructions. Teaching is one of the only professions where people are expected to be experts in everything. 2. The traditional education model was difficult for our students outside of school. 3. 4. The smartphone topic definitely touched a nerve for many readers and generated a lot of comments. 5.
What are e-Portfolios? An e-portfolio is a purposeful aggregation of digital items – ideas, evidence, reflections, feedback etc, which ‘presents’ a selected audience with evidence of a person’s learning and/or ability.Sutherland and Powell (2007) If portfolios are ‘simply a collection of documents relating to a learner’s progress, development and achievements’ (Beetham 2005) then e-portfolios could be defined as simply digital collections of these documents. However, ideas of what an e-portfolio ‘is’ are complex and to an extent the definition and purpose will vary depending on the perspective from which a particular person is approaching the concept. A helpful starting point is to distinguish between e-portfolios as products, e-portfolios as tools or systems and the processes associated with e-portfolio development although they are intrinsically linked and in the case of product and process, interdependent. Understanding how e-portfolios work
Technology and Young Children Key Messages When used intentionally and appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and development. Intentional use requires early childhood teachers and administrators to have information and resources regarding the nature of these tools and the implications of their use with children. Limitations on the use of technology and media are important. Special considerations must be given to the use of technology with infants and toddlers. Attention to digital citizenship and equitable access is essential. View Key Messages Summary (PDF) Examples of Effective Practice View Examples of Effective Practice (PDF) Technology That Supports Early Learning Pre-recorded Webcast: Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs This prerecorded 21-minute webcast addresses key messages in the position statement. View the webcast
e-Learning Roadmap The e-Learning Roadmap is a planning tool designed to help your school identify where it currently is in relation to e-Learning, and where it would like to go. The e-Learning Roadmap provides a number of statements under the following headings: Leadership & PlanningICT & the CurriculumProfessional Developmente-Learning CultureICT Infrastructure The statements are categorised as follows: Initial; e-Enabled; e-Confident & e-Mature. The e-Learning Roadmap is available in a number of different formats: Printed as an A2 poster in the e-Learning Handbook.To download as an A2 poster. PDF Versions of Roadmap: Download as an A2 poster: English version Irish version Download and print section by section: Leadership and Planning Area ICT in the Curriculum area Professional Development area eLearning Culture area ICT Infrastructure area
Cool website for leaders and managers of educational ICT by efacilitator Apr 12