Content Literacy

Great example that social networking is not just playing.

Another example that conceptualizing the network helped draw her to the engineering field.

WorldWide Telescope is Microsoft's answer to Google Earth and Google Sky. It's pretty cool and does a lot of stuff that I don't understand but am sure someone interested in astronomy would love. I look at it and think about using the zooms of planets to have student calculate the size of some features knowing the scale. It's not utilizing the total power of the software, but it gets me in the door, makes it a cool activity for the students, and creates a little love to science in a math class. i can live with that!

A member of the Content Literacy Ning Sean Nash started this group to connect biology teachers from all over together. I love one of the premises of the group: "Step one in participation within The Synapse: read & explore. Step two: share. Be a resource. Help to create a synapse that communicates in both directions!"

Another digital storytelling site. I've not gone through the process with this site, but sharing it.

Have been looking for more cc (creative commons) or copyright free photos to use in the work I'm doing. Catherine Rubin and I have been discussing the issues involved in cc. Here's another site that might provide more options to teachers looking to include images in the work they are doing.

Using music to make connections in content learning, most specifically social studies. The non-profit organization works to design lessons that get permission from artists for students to use their lyrics as the basis of their writing. I like the idea and think it fits well with the type of thinking we use at CTL so I'm sharing it!

OK, this is a pretty cool game site that is all about teaching and learning. I played the multiplication game longer than I should have and even played with the pet hamster for a while. He runs on that whell a long time. From the website, "All games here were made by Exuberant Games. Each game goes through important information for a certain subject matter for grades Kindergarten through 6th grade. The math games are great if you need to review your math facts for addition, subtraction , or division. Be sure to check out our new games for other subjects.

Looking for a great interactive venn diagram activity then look no further. Students can work on their multiples/multiplication/lcm skills in an interactive way. If you have a smartboard then just imagine the fun students can have.

Great site if you are looking for significant problems to let your students (higher level) ponder. Also, the organization of the site is impressive.

Another description of the creative commons discussion and working with students to develop their understanding of what they can and 'should' do when creating classroom presentations.

"A story is told by one person or by a creative team to an audience that is usually quiet, even receptive. Or at least that's what a story used to be, and that's how a story used to be told. Today, with digital networks and social media, this pattern is changing. Stories now are open-ended, branching, hyperlinked, cross-media, participatory, exploratory, and unpredictable. And they are told in new ways: Web 2.0 storytelling picks up these new types of stories and runs with them, accelerating the pace of creation and participation while revealing new directions for narratives to flow." Storytelling is changing how are you going to let your students tell stories? Great article, especially if you've never thought about digital storytelling before. I like the idea that storytelling is no longer a passive reception, but an inclusive/participatory activity when expanded into remixing or open-ended. Presents lots of different possible modes, so you can pick one and go with it, open it up for students, and expand your horizons as students use tools differently than you to achieve their story.

This is a great presentation. If you want to see how the best thinkers in the world are presenting their data, then take a look at this presentation by Hans Rosling. I think this presents a challenge to math teachers to have students look at data differently than we are now. I think the data on the income and child mortality rate is incredible. Such a powerful data set and it's a linear relationship!!

Powerful topic, poverty and patterns in data relationships over time, WOW. Hans Rosling uses some incredible statistical software to present the data, but the idea can be mimicked using some PP type technologies and creating graphs. The topic of poverty is explored in a very easy understandable way; I think high school students would understand the topic and love the idea. Make sure you listen to his use of the databases, and remember he is one of the premier statisticians in the world. He is changing how he presents data, and I think we need to listen to his message on this topic.

another example of looking at the transmission of data from teacher to student differently in the age of technology. Teachers must realize that it's not just saying the information, but allowing students opportunities to interact with the material, and in lecture situations, teachers must create opportunities for students to interact. In high school, especially, it is important that teachers understand the model that they are used to doesn't work and that they must prepare students to be able to take valuable notes that in which they make connections to.

While some professors seek to exclude the devices from the classroom, others are creating multimedia-rich curricula in which students can draw on online resources and interact with each other. Banning laptops is just plain wrong, according to Don Krug, associate professor at UBC's department of curriculum studies. He says students are adults, and the best a professor can hope for is a "respectful learning environment," where students limit their own behaviour. "If they really want to learn the information, they will. They're paying a lot of money," he says. "We're better off teaching them how to be responsible learners." Shows two polar solutions to laptop problems: total ban & adapting curricula to include multi-media interaction. Also presents respectful learning environment as best course for students who are adults. - comment by Kent Gerber

Seth Godin speaking on blogging. It's not dead yet, and I think it's a great tool for educator's to develop their own skills as well as the writing skills of their students.

The potential power of IVC. Perhaps we can reference somewhere if needed.

Anybody interested in podcasts needs to check this resource out. Topics about PD, content, classroom and even advanced content topics.

How about a quote from the blog post as a description, "These videos make connections between tinkering, innovative ideas, the idea of making work public as in a studio, creativity and collaboration, the ability to incorporate criticism, and more. Well worth watching!" I"m not sure it's that exciting, but I agree with well worth watching