Group items tagged

 Pattern Recognition, Environmental Scanning, Network Weaving, Foresight, and Conscious Awareness

“Those who tell the stories rule society.” ~ Plato

ecause what our students need to learn is changing, because our understanding of how learning works is changing, because the technology which enhances learning is changing.

A steady diet of pundit Thomas Friedman, publisher Rupert Murdoch, and press releases from the Business Roundtable would convince most readers that CEO decisions in managing their businesses, technological choices, swings in financial markets, and global boom-and-bust cycles had little to do with the U.S. economy. While putting onto public schools the solution for economic downturns, rather than business executives, is a loony non-sequitur, it is a victory in shifting blame from corporate leaders’ flawed decisions to the shoulders of educators

It is also a myth that all U.S. schools are broken. Surely,most urban schools are low-performing and in many cases have earned the label of “dropout factories.” Washington, D.C, for example, would be a poster child for such districts. Moreover, although islands of excellence in urban districts do exist (including D.C.), they are seldom stable over time. Where the myth-making enters is when urban schools are conflated with all U.S. schools. Not only I but many others have pointed out that the U.S. has a three-tiered system of schooling where the top two tiers have mostly “successful” schools by current standards. The bottom tier contains failing urban schools. Thus, all U.S. schools are not failures by any standard.

“The PC-centric era is over,” the IDC report says. Within 18 months, it forecasts, non-PC devices capable of running software applications will outsell PCs. In tablets, IDC adds, Apple’s iPad will remain the leader, but lower-cost tablets will begin making inroads, especially as demand for tablets really takes off in emerging markets.

he 2010 Education Council had plenty to say — and they’re certain they’ll be heard. Among their suggestions: 1) Allow access to restricted Web sites like YouTube for educational purposes. 2) Hold technology integration training workshops for teachers. 3) Use cell phones as a “teacher-defined learning tool.” 4) Partner with media-savvy youth organizations like YouMedia so that students who participate in technology-rich projects outside of school can receive elective credits.

he most important recommendations is for CPS to offer workshops for teachers on using technology in the classroom.

teachers should have a personal password for unblocking restricted websites for educational purposes.