Group items tagged

"The micro-computer revolution of the 80's radically improved how teachers and schools carry on the business of learning. We now have iPads in classrooms that will not only improve it, but it has the potential to change the business of learning in schools. The question is, "Are teachers ready to adjust their teaching for this new learning revolution?""

"Improving Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking Skills with Media"

"No matter how old the profession, those who work in a particular field have always had the ability to communicate with one another to compare notes and improve services. The form of communication began with face-to-face contact in early civilization and evolved to a more digital form in today's age of technological advances. Technology has always improved communication methods by enabling all-not just professionals-the ability to consult, collaborate, and learn from others. This has progressed from the earliest printing presses to the most recent smartphones."

"Last month, the Institute of Play released a 160-page whitepaper on successfully designing and implementing video games as classroom assessment tools. It is widely hoped that the Institute's study, along with further research by SRI, will prove conclusively that cognitive skills are significantly improved by playing educational video games. This was not news to the math education community, which has known about the benefits of games in the classroom for a long time. Back in 2004, a study by Tisa Lach and Lynae Sakshaug had already shown that middle school students made significant improvements in algebraic reasoning, spatial sense, and problem-solving abilities after playing biweekly sessions of popular tabletop games such as Connect Four, Mastermind, Rush Hour, and Guess Who. "

"Third graders played for just 10 minutes per day, 3 days a week, for four weeks. The comparison group's class received the same materials and the same instruction, but didn't play the game. The result of playing was a staggering 20.5% improvement after just two hours of self-guided play."

"Over the past six weeks in CEP 811 I have learned about constructivism and Maker Education by reviewing the research that supports this type of instruction. More importantly, during the past six weeks I have become a Maker as I created a remix video, an interactive cell model and a SketchUp of my ideal classroom. This week, I created an infographic using Easelly to inspire and encourage educators to incorporate a maker mentality in their classroom. My infographic focused on the following reasons why Maker Education can improve student learning. Maker Education provides authentic and relevant tasks. Maker Education is active and engaging. Maker Education builds community in classrooms, schools and beyond. Maker Education strengthens students metacognitive abilities. Maker Education supports student choice and leads to a type of personalized learning."

"In honor of Autism Awareness Month, this week's featured Top Picks lists highlight the best edtech for kids on the autism spectrum. For these kids, technology can act as a bridge -- helping them unlock their potential by improving verbal communication, developing social skills, enhancing the ability to learn and organize information, and improving their overall understanding of their environment. Technology can also be extremely helpful for parents and teachers of kids with autism, as apps, games, and websites can replace more expensive specialized devices. The lists here include more than 40 apps, games, and websites focused on four important areas of growth: executive function, social skills, language skills, and emotional intelligence."

"Finally, science has given its approval to one of the literary world's most cherished ideas about the value of literature. Even though the study only measured short-term benefits, it was taken to stand for a wider truth about the morally improving effects of the stuff, the "Finally, science has given its approval to one of the literary world's most cherished ideas about the value of literature. Even though the study only measured short-term benefits, it was taken to stand for a wider truth about the morally improving effects of the stuff, the notion that it makes you a better, more empathic person."

"Creative Commons has recently rolled out its new 4.0 licenses and made it available for adoption worldwide. This is a fruit of two years of hard work to overcome some of the weaknesses that marked the 2011 version CC licenses .Some of the features and improvements included in 4.0 licences which make them easily shared and re-used include : improved readability and organization and common-sense attribution."

"Caring about and maintaining our mental health is as important as our physical health. We only have one brain and one body, so it's our job to keep it running in the best way we can by paying attention to and working to improve our mental and physical health. We seem to know more about our bodies than we do our minds. This website is designed to share information about mental health and provide you with resources that can help you understand your mental health and assist those you care about. Use the tools, resources, events and engagement tools to improve mental health literacy in your community and help change the conversation."

"Teacher collaboration is among the cornerstones of school improvement. When teachers connect-for the right reasons-good things happen. The ability to connect is increased exponentially through technology. Digital collaboration by teachers has an infinite numbers out possible outcomes, from formal teacher improvement, to informal connecting for people that get you. A global teacher's lounge, if you will. Social media-based professional development is another possible outcome when teachers connect. In contrast to sit-and-get, impersonal training, self-selected and self-directed PD has the potential for just in time, just enough, just for me qualities. The following infographic Mia MacMeekin takes these kinds of ideas and itemizes them, coming up with thirteen strategies for digital collaboration by teachers. She has a few ideas on the graphic, and we've added our own below."

"After testing 10 different apps in the classroom for several weeks, I can confidently endorse Operation Math, Free Graphing Calculator, and DragonBox Algebra 5+ as the best math fluency apps for iOS and Android. These apps were more useful, more engaging, and more educational than their competitors. Read on to learn how each of the three apps uniquely facilitates or improves students' math abilities."

Whether you manufacture a product or are in the service sector - a private organization or a government agency - ISO is a fundamental business model. It is the foundation from which to build an enterprise. It focuses attention on organizational processes, your customers (internal and external), competency-based training, and continual improvement. That translates to improved business results.

"Today it's possible to film, edit, and publish movies all on an iOS device. There's no more importing video into a computer, and apps are making the process easier than ever! See a demonstration and examples of how to create excellent educational films by using a variety of iPhone and iPad apps to film, edit, enhance, and publish videos. Learn about tips and tricks for helping students memorize lines, improving sound quality, changing camera angles, improving lighting, and much more. We'll even produce a short film together!"

"Everyone has a pet theory on how to improve public education: better professional development for teachers, more money, better curriculum, testing for accountability, teacher incentives, technology, streamlined bureaucracy. Policymakers have been trying these solutions for years with mixed results. But those who study the brain have their own ideas for improving how kids learn: focus on teaching kids how to learn."

"Education technology devices have become symbolic of the efforts to transform US education through blended and personalized learning--and desktops, laptops, and tablets are quickly becoming ubiquitous in education. Devices are crucial as a conduit for content; however, they do not directly improve learning outcomes. These tangible examples are, with the exception of few dazzling products, nearly indistinguishable. When we are shown images of technology enhancing education, it is rarely a picture of particular software or data systems--it is a student with a device. Devices are crucial as a conduit for content; however, they do not directly improve learning outcomes."

"This is a collection of project-based engineering lessons for kids. Project-based learning allows students to control the direction and pace of their learning. Activities that promote investigation, critical thinking, and hands-on subject matter are also central to project-based learning. These project-based lessons focus on basic principles of physics, structural, and mechanical engineering. Physical models are built from a similar set of materials that can be easily sourced online (links are provided in-lesson). All of the project plans in this collection are designed to be used in an after school enrichment setting, though you may use and modify these ideas for other not-for-profit purposes provided you cite The Workshop for Young Engineers. This is a growing and improving collection of lesson plans. Please comment to share your ideas to improve lessons and photos of your designs."

"I recently spent some time with the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk in Copenhagen, where I conducted some exercises on sharpening questioning skills. It's often the case that when you have to teach people something, you learn a lot yourself. One of the things I had to get my arms around was a pretty basic question: How do you improve a question? I'm sure there are many potential answers to that, but in thinking about, I came up with these eight ways to take an existing question and make it better"

"Feedback is crucial for learning and improving, but it's rarely fun to be on the receiving end of it when it's critical. Many people have a negative reaction to feedback, especially feedback on their creative work. In a study of seven companies and 11,471 days of creative work, researchers found two striking patterns: First, getting feedback was incredibly rare, indicating that people seemed to avoid it; and second, when people did receive feedback, it generally left a negative emotional residue. So what might good feedback for creative work look like? By "good feedback," I mean feedback that creative workers actually want and that leads to changes that improve their creative output."

"Having a growth mindset allows you to believe that you can improve and change with practice and determination. With a growth mindset, you view challenges with excitement and look forward to the opportunity to overcome them because you know you will get something out of the process and learn from your mistakes. Those with a fixed mindset, who believe their traits, talents, and abilities are permanent and cannot be improved, are less likely to enjoy as much success in school, work, and life in general. When teachers foster a growth mindset in the classroom, it helps students understand their full potential. Teachers with a growth mindset teach their students that intelligence is moldable and expandable, which keeps students inspired to learn, even if they are facing failure."