Group items tagged

"I knew it was going to be an interesting phone call (any call usually is before 8:00 in I.T.). When the teacher asked why she couldn't get to "insertwebsite.com" and her kids were arriving in 15 minutes for the first BYOD pilot class, I took my first deep breath of the morning…. The second call came about 8:25… She was still trying to get students logged into their devices… A technology specialist and a tech were trying to assist…. Some had limited connectivity to our wireless; others were trying to reach their carrier network, which didn't have a good signal in that part of the building. The app she was trying to get everyone on wasn't working and wouldn't pull up for everyone… "

"Imagine if we taught pilots to fly without ever letting them in a cockpit. Or gave them the keys to a commercial airplane without the required hours-or years-of hands on training and practice. Sure, we'd show them plenty of PowerPoint presentations and make them sit through a few seminars on the theory and physics of flight, but then we'd slap on a graduation cap and let them take off into the big blue sky. Not only would it likely be ineffective, it would be borderline criminal. Yet when it comes to professional development for classroom teachers, that's almost exactly what we do. Most professional development opportunities for educators are still lecture style - telling, showing, and explaining how something can be done. And when the 'learning' is finished, we push teachers onto the runway with a cabin full of students and wish them luck. Predictably, many crash and burn."

"Short Circuit is an after-school experience with a fresh approach to electronics and physical computing for young people. The Short Circuit Curriculum Guide includes seven informal learning activity modules that encourage students to express their creativity and develop DIY digital media skills by exploring innovative uses for physical and digital materials, like circuits, conductive inks, LEDs and the latest programming languages. Short Circuit Curriculum Guide modules include lesson plans and individualized assessment tools based on programs piloted at Quest to Learn, as well as by the Digital Youth Network and YouMedia programs in Chicago."

"We were recently gifted with a Makerbot Replicator (5th Gen) to pilot in our elementary school library. Our librarian, Angelique Lackey, and I knew that time was short before the end of the year, but we wanted students to experience the power of creating with this device. "

"One of the things I was keen to do this year in setting up an in-house research centre at Wellington College was to have a small number of students partner with us on our project with Harvard faculty on Growth Mindsets and Grit. A key point for me was what does this research actually look like in the classroom and and at the level of the student? Another goal was to have them help us in designing a survey by having them pilot test some of the more problematic questions so we could get as reliable data as possible. We asked the students to read some of the literature and research in these areas and then had a series of group discussion with them where we discovered a huge range of things that was really helpful in helping us understand Growth Mindsets from multiple perspectives. "

"We were recently gifted with a Makerbot Replicator (5th Gen) to pilot in our elementary school library. Our librarian, Angelique Lackey, and I knew that time was short before the end of the year, but we wanted students to experience the power of creating with this device. If you search the web for 3D printing curriculum to use in elementary schools, you will find a sparse number of appropriate resources. Most of the "curriculum" turns out to be instructions on using a 3D printer like this, or lists of manipulatives teachers can make on a 3D printer. Angelique and I were looking for something that would be more transformational for our students, however. "

" think we would all agree that a classroom with iPads looks and functions very differently than a classroom without iPads. While many administrators and support staff complete standard walk-throughs, some of them struggle with what to look for beyond the basics when it comes to evaluating a classroom infused with iPads. Recently, our district started offering iLEAP academies, which blend classroom site visits and in-house professional development for districts all over my state. Many of the attendees are administrators, support staff, and teachers that have limited familiarity with 1:1 classrooms but are seeking best practices to take back to their own schools and campuses as they implement a 1:1 iPad initiative or pilot. When I began searching for ways to facilitate this type of classroom visit, I happened on an excellent list of observation tips for a traditional classroom but found nothing specifically tailored to iPads. Thus, I felt there was need to create a "What to Look For" list that would embody the behind-the-scenes and not-always-obvious instructional pieces to look for when visiting a classroom with iPads. These tips are very granular and specific to iPads, but could easily be adapted for other 1:1 settings."

Students at Presbyterian Ladies College (PLC), a private girls' school in Sydney, Australia, are participating in a pilot project in which they can use cell phones, the internet, and can even call a friend or relative to help them with an exam question

Schools in two states are piloting a game development program that weaves Web 2.0 skills, such as blogging, advanced social networking, and wiki contribution and use, with the full range of 21st-century skills, including collaboration, problem solving, decision making, and digital citizenship.

Trinity College - University of Melbourne

The hot air balloon pilot needs your help to answer questions correctly so that he can refuel his balloon and fly to the next level. Very imaginative game. Great illustrations. Challenging for younger students. Good for Gr 3 + BBC - KS2 Bitesize - Games -

HeyMath! is the #1 E-Learning program for Math in Singapore - a country that has been ranked #1 for math proficiency globally in a recent study conducted by the American Institutes of Research, and consistently outperforms in TIMSS surveys. Over half the highest performing students in Singapore use HeyMath! as their core instructional technology resource for middle-high school math. We're also thrilled to announce that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (with the highest NAEP math scores in the US) recently funded a pilot study for a group of teachers in western Massachusetts to explore HeyMath! as a potential resource for MA teachers to strengthen their own mathematical content knowledge as well as to enhance classroom lessons and instruction.

"The Franklin Academy High School implemented a 1:1 iPad deployment a the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. Over the course of the next two school years, the pilot was expanded to include all grades 9-12 in the high school. This deployment has reached 475 high school students and all teaching staff. Our K-8 program deployed iPads across the grade levels in the form of class sets and mobile carts. This study targeted our 1:1 deployment at the high school to investigate the impact the device has had on teaching and learning. The survey used to gather the student data was administered in April of 2014. Students included in the survey used the device anywhere from 1 to 4 years. The students use the iPad while at school and home. Results of the survey hope to shed light on the impact the use of the iPad has had on academic gains as well as the development of the most important non-cognitive skills our program is founded upon."

Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, has asked the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to design and pursue innovative strategies that would aid the state to derive value for money in its procurement processes. He said to achieve significant headway by way of socio-economic development, conscious efforts must be made to improve public procurement.Dr Duffuor made the call in an address read for him at the fifth public forum, organized by the PPA in Kumasi, on Thursday.

Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, has asked the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to design and pursue innovative strategies that would aid the state to derive value for money in its procurement processes. He said to achieve significant headway by way of socio-economic development, conscious efforts must be made to improve public procurement.Dr Duffuor made the call in an address read for him at the fifth public forum, organized by the PPA in Kumasi, on Thursday.

"The Franklin Academy High School in North Carolina initiated a 1:1 iPad program at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. Over the course of the following two years, the pilot was expanded to include all grades (9-12) in the high school. In April, 2014, the Academy released results of a study that sheds light on the impact that the use of the iPad has had on academics, and the development of the vital non-cognitive skills that their program is founded upon."

"What happens when you gather 14 of the world's brightest teenagers at Singularity University and ask them to design the future of education? During last summer's Exponential Youth Camp  (XYC) pilot here at SU, we found out. Here are the teens' six tips for entrepreneurs and educators building future of education."