Group items tagged

"I was listening to Chris Molanphy's excellent Hit Parade podcast this week, which is based on his equally great Hit Parade column for Slate Magazine. In this episode, he details the circumstances that lead the Beatles to hold the still-unbeaten record of having the top 5 spots on the Billboard charts all at once. More remarkably, it's not that this feat was achieved through their own talent - it was almost entirely a snafu caused by the lack of interest in the Beatles by major labels. Indeed, much of the feedback they had received from labels and the American music industry was tepid at best and negative at worst. Dick Rowe at Decca Records cemented his place in history by declining to sign the Beatles, saying "Guitar groups are on the way out." He wasn't wrong - the data he had showed that there wasn't likely to be much of a return in signing the Beatles. Instead, Decca signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, who would cost them less money. And so, you're probably wondering how in the world this connects to education. When I look at this moment in history, I see a lot of talented people making choices which are informed by data. As teachers, we too need to look at data. It's how we understand our students better, and when used properly, can be influential in shaping our practice to make our teaching more effective. Certainly data is used as a summative tool, but it is most useful as a formative tool for students and teachers alike. How does the use of data in regards to the Beatles relate to teachers?"

"During the #NYCSchoolsTech monthly Twitter chat Kelly Mendoza, Common Sense Education's #MediaLiteracy expert, shared ideas and resources including Common Sense Education's comprehensive Media Literacy Toolkit. However, Kelly wasn't the only one with great ideas and resources to share. Participate, where the chats are archived has a handy dandy feature where all shared resources are collected. This chat had a collection of 24 resources contributed by participants which you could view here.  Here are three resources that stood out to me as one's innovative educators could put to use right away. "

"Join thousands of Canadians across the country to teach beginner-friendly coding lessons in your community. No coding experience necessary."

"Inspired to turn useful tips, tricks, and ideas into infographics, #NYCSchoolsTech specialist, Joe Santiago created his first infographic. The focus is on how teachers who want to update their practice can use technology when doing formative assessments."

"Coding or computer programming in schools is becoming a big push in schools around the world. Political leaders have been looking at statistics and realised that technology fields will employ a growing number of citizens in the future."