Group items tagged

Being a teacher definitely isn't for everyone. The things I put teachers through while I was at school is enough for me not to pursue it as a career. This infographic highlights some interesting facts related to the profession. For example, the average salary of a teacher is $53,910 and 17% of all teachers have a second job. Check out the infographic below for more indepth data on being a teacher. (Source: Masters in Teaching

embrace the potential revolutionary power of the digital tools that have defined the first decade of the 21st century

Making, Maker Centred Learning and STEAM fit neatly alongside Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) for many schools. Commonly this approach includes a constructivist view of knowledge and teachers seek to establish conditions which allow students to explore questions and ideas with greater independence than may occur in the traditional classroom.  Learning becomes a collaborative partnership between teachers and students with a clear focus on a learner centric approach.

The things I particularly like here are real-time, how Google Wave makes collaborate note-taking much more effective for learners and how collaborators/students can be tracked (play-back ability).

Real-time collaboration in Google Wave, play-back ability (teacher/instructor can see who did what) and students have actually said that their collaboratge note-taking was "more complete".

"Not too long ago, many teachers would have been horrified at the thought of their students watching them on YouTube. But in the world of "flipped" classrooms, students watching online videos of their teachers is a key part of their instruction. Tyler Johnstone, an algebra teacher in Folsom, CA, is one of the growing number of educators who have integrated the flipped model into their classrooms."

designed by teachers for teachers. They have made the process of creating and monitoring a class blog safe and efficient. Sign-ups are fast and simple, making it easy to co-ordinate a whole class of new students. At the same time, the blog's privacy and security is protected by default. This makes life incredibly easy for the teacher, allowing you to get straight in to the fun bit of blogging!

Skype in the classroom is a free directory for teachers who want to use Skype to bring education to life in their classrooms. Join today to share resources, chat with teachers and even pair classes. Start by creating a profile, then explore the directory to find teachers and resources that match your interests. You can then share inspiring links, videos and tips with other teachers.

Skype in the classroom is a free directory for teachers who want to use Skype to bring education to life in their classrooms.

25 Collaborative learning strategies, teaching tips and techniques, and classroom management techniques are provided to assist teachers and students using Skype.

"Inspired by my previous post about collaboration across Twitter, Jon (@TeamTait) Tait has been busy again with a new infographic on the topic:"

Dennis is a former English teacher and administrator in urban and suburban schools for many years. Dennis has always gravitated toward K12 leadership, learning and technology topics. He has graduate degrees from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English and Harvard University's School of Education. In addition to blogging about K12 learning, leading and web 2.0 tools/pedagogies at innovation3.edublogs.org, he is president of the Massachusetts affiliate of ASCD, a member of the Leadership Council for ASCD; a member of the Massachusetts Working Group for Educator Quality; Co-Facilitator of the Massachusetts High School Redesign Task Force; and a member of Massachusetts STEM Summit V Planning Committee. The web 2.0 conversation is not about technology tools; it is about student learning. Dennis subscribes to the definition of Professional Learning Communities that Rick and Becky DuFour and many other leaders of education have espoused. In simple terms, * learning (for us and for students) is our purpose, * we can improve student learning if we learn together collaboratively, and * monitoring student learning is the only way to know: 1. what students are learning, 2. how we are teaching and 3. how we get better at it. A former English teacher and administrator in urban and suburban schools for many years, he has always gravitated toward K12 leadership, learning and technology topics. He has graduate degrees from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English and Harvard University's School of Education. He is married with three children and four grandchildren. Among other things, he loves running, cycling, kayaking, contemporary poetry, photography and the outdoors. In the summer of 2007 his professional life changed when he attended the Building Learning Communities Conference 2007 and in three days experienced, for the first time, the power of Web 2.0 tools and their potential for transforming schools and learning. That experience

Students want more control over their own learning experiences through technology and want to define their own educational destinies and determine the direction of their learning. "This free agent learner is one that is technology-enabled, technology-empowered, and technology-engaged to be ... an important part of driving their own educational destiny. To some extent they feel ... it's a responsibility. They also feel it's a right to be able to do that. So technology has enabled this free agent learner. We have the opportunity in education to make sure they're on the right track and to be supportive of their learning experiences." Ive been waiting for this! This is exciting it points to the idea that students will co-create their curriculum. In my mind it will become imperitive that individuals choose their highest bliss-subjects and projects that reflect their passions. In the new collaborative work environments students will be more highly valued for their contributions to areas that they are most naturally motivated to explore. Their resulting contributions will result in inventiveness and cutting edge investigations via passion, self motivation and peer inspiration and direct access to thought leaders/mentors in the field. Teachers might become guides to ensuring students intentions are achieved- teachers as arbiters of human potential. Students will no longer be compared to each other. They will score according to their own self affirmed destinations-allowing of course for reviews and changes of destiny.Teachers might also need roles in law and ethics to ensure students are safe in their online world activities, monitoring students and their online peers, intercepting or prompting inside the conversations?

Of those who have some interest in gaming, responses were varied as to its value in education. Sixty-five percent said it appeals to different learning styles; another 65 percent said it increases student engagement. Others said it allows for student-centered learning (47 percent), helps develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills (40 percent), helps develop creativity (39 percent), allows students to gain experience through trial and error (37 percent), and helps students visualize difficult concepts (35 percent). But perhaps the most significant trend in education technology, Evans said, is the emergence of the student as a "free agent learner": Students want more control over their own learning experiences through technology and want to define their own educational destinies and determine the direction of their learning. "This free agent learner is one that is technology-enabled, technology-empowered, and technology-engaged to be ... an important part of driving their own educational destiny. To some extent they feel ... it's a responsibility. They also feel it's a right to be able to do that. So technology has enabled this free agent learner. We have the opportunity in education to make sure they're on the right track and to be supportive of their learning experiences."

Our goal is to transform school systems by developing professional communities of teachers and school leaders with interactive online courses and on-site support programs that enable schools to cultivate the critical learning students need for the 21st century world. Research-Based. WIDE World professional development programs are based on Teaching for Understanding, a classroom-tested framework developed through research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Online. WIDE World courses are conducted online and are asynchronous. This allows for flexible, adaptive, and convenient learning for all participants, regardless of location or schedule. Job-embedded. Through our courses, WIDE World learners integrate research-based strategies in their own workplace. Online coaches support cycles of learning, applying, and reflecting as teams of educators improve lesson plans, instruction, and data-driven action projects. Team-Based with Coaching. Systemic change requires coordinated effort from all stakeholders. Expert coaches help teachers, leaders, and specialists work in teams to develop a common language for defining and achieving shared goals. Tailored for Local Impact. WIDE World works with you to design professional development programs adapted precisely to address the needs of your school, program, district, or system and build local capacity for continuous improvement. Global Learning. In the online environment, participants collaborate with innovative educators from across the US and around the globe.

"As school districts explore the use of social computing throughout the school day and as an approach to extend instruction; many educators are making the decision to create a wiki, publish video online, or to participate in blogging, social networking or virtual worlds. Social media guidelines encourage educators to participate in social computing and strive to create an atmosphere of trust and individual accountability. Teachers who must hide their online activity because of nonexistent social media guidelines risk losing their jobs and reputations. A better approach is to collaboratively develop a policy that is acceptable to administrators, school board members, teachers and parents allowing for involvement in the global conversation in which many are contributing."

If you want a google plus invitation just leave a comment with your email and I will invite you to try this new semantic web tool and also I will invite you to join #edtech20 teachers circle to collaborate  with 150 teachers worldwide

"In the first of a series of 5 webinars, Martin Burrett (@ICTMagic) showcased innovative ways that school leaders and teachers can eliminate the bulk of e-mails out of their school lives. Using online, collaborative communication tools, teachers and school leaders can easily send messages to each other, with fantastic tools that allow users to 'turn off notifications', or turning on 'snooze mode'. Such features help in that messages only arrive when the user specifies, therefore eliminating the need to deal with e-mails when they arrive at a time when individuals should be resting."

"A lessoncast is a spreadable example of the what, why, and how of effective teaching.  Lessoncasts feature one lesson idea or management strategy in 2 minutes 30 seconds or less. Lessoncasts include teacher-created downloadable resources to help implement the ideas. A lessoncast is NOT a lesson plan, but rather a quick how-to overview meant to inspire and support teachers looking for effective resources" (About LessonCast.org, ¶2, 2012.06.04).

Dr. Nellie Deutsch (2012.08.03) argued that in order to successfully integrate technology to teachers' practices, they must endeavour "to embrace their mistakes" (Fear of Making Mistakes, ¶2), with personal as well as technological support (Technology at School, & Teachers Need Support).

"This wiki is intended to be a clearinghouse of applications, lessons and experiences using the iPad in the classroom. The intention is that all apps listed have been tested and recommended by teachers using them. The Apps pages are generally created using google docs spreadsheets, feel free to update the wiki or the spreadsheets. (A link is provided on each page for the spreadsheets... at least the ones I've started working on...) At this point, as a high school science teacher, most of the apps I've recommended and investigated are geared to this level. Some can be used at any level. I invite you to add pages dedicated to your areas of interest and expertise if they are not already listed here. I would love to see a section on Literature and Language and Elementary Skills added to the wiki along with additions to any of the currently developed spreadsheets. It would also be sweet to share specific lessons or ideas for applications and activities. "