Group items tagged

Learning that incorporates student choice provides a pathway for students to fully, genuinely invest themselves in quality work that matters. When students participate in learning design this allows students to make sense of content on their own terms. There are times when students are able to research their interests and independently projects. Student voice, student choice is very important in classrooms. 1- How hard is it to have student voice, student choice in a classroom? 2- How do you accommodate to all of the different student voices and choices? 3- How can we have student voice, student choice in classes that have to follow strict standards?

Love! My classroom philosophy is "student voice/student choice"

This article provides 10 suggested guidelines to follow for schools seeking to implement a student centered learning environment. This begins with the definition of student centered learning to mean learning which is student driven. The suggestions range in content from changing the teacher role to be one of coach / facilitator to redefining student success so as to not be overly reliant on grades and test scores. Discussion Questions: 1. The article uses student centered learning and student driven learning to be synonymous. Is this truly the case, or is student driven learning merely one iteration of student centered learning? 2. The article is careful to clarify that student centered learning is not a one size fits all nor equally applicable to all subjects. Which subjects are less amenable to the student centered / driven learning as portrayed in the article? 3. How realistic is it for a school to transition away from grades as a measurement of student learning given that grades and class rank are two of the main criteria colleges look at in making admission determinations?

Love the concept of student centered learning :)

I have been very intrigued by the thought of a flipped classroom (where students watch your lecture in the privacy of their own home and then come to class and work on homework and assignments) so I wanted to do little more research on the idea. This is a great article FOR flipped classrooms. There were 453 instructors who flipped their classrooms and 67 percent said they experienced increased test scores, 88 percent saw improved student attitudes and 99 percent said they would do it again. The flipped classroom allows for self-pacing and it helps students look up information they may have been scared to ask in class. This reminds me of when I was in college, if I read the chapter prior to my class I ALWAYS got more out of the lectures and homework than I did if I did not read. The flipped classroom allows for students to do their homework in class when the instructor is present so they can get help. In a flipped classroom instead of talking AT our students we are circulating and talking WITH them therefore, instructors have more one-on-one time with the students. What do you think of incorporating a flipped classroom? DISCUSSION: 1) Would you be willing to try a flipped classroom if your school would allow? Or, would you ask if you could try a flipped classroom? 2) I wonder if students would even watch the videos. In my daughter's school it seems most students aren't even doing their homework, do you think they would watch the videos before class? 3) Do you think the flipped classroom would be effective and: increase test scores, provide for improved student attitudes, improve student-teacher interaction, and allow students to learn at their own pace?

I am starting to see this more and more in my school. Great questions to consider!

Experience has taught Colleen Ruggieri to hand over some control of the classroom and the schedule along with the iPod Touches she distributes to her students. She doesn't mind if students use work time for more than English lessons; the technology-rich environment encourages it. "Monitor student behavior, but don't continuously worry about multitasking," Ruggieri advised.

This article talks about using Ipods or Ipads in an English setting. She uses the apps to access her student's knowledge of literary terms or reading comprehension and allows her students a different way to learn. Often, students that are knowledgeable of applications or devices become the authority in teaching the class and the teacher.

I think iPods and iPads provide a wide variety of options for English classrooms. I'm amazed that the students didn't have issues with reading on such small devices.

Little attention has been given to absenteeism in schools. A new report finds that many students miss up to a month of school a year and it effects their test scores tremendously. It can set students back by 1 to 2 years, even more so for special education students. 1. How do we as teachers effect student absenteeism? 2. On a bus stop I drive by everyday, it says, "The solution to truancy is A(p)parent." How can we get parents to be involved with their kids in school? 3. What classroom practices can we have in place to help students to miss class? For example, my cooperative teacher has a blog students can pull information from if they miss class and she requires them to do so.

Student absenteeism is a reality we face in schools. Great questions!

This article speaks on the what students really think about technology. While most are excited and love the fact they can use computers and internet to find answers, some are worried about the freedom. They may feel there is more opportunities to be distracted or mislead in the information they gather. Also, the online classes are too easy for young students as they don't really have to learn anything when they can take the test with their notes in front of them. There are positives and negatives about using technology in the classroom and students who really want to learn are finding them both.

The use of cell phones are, often times, banned in the classrooms. This article discusses how smart phones in the classroom may be beneficial to students and their learning. Smart phones allows students to learn in a way that is comfortable to them, gives them access to find answers quickly, utilize audio and video on the devices to enhance the learning process, and allows for social learning. Schools shouldn't be thinking of ways to keep students from using their smart phone devices, but instead, think of how to allow use of smart phones in the classroom. Teachers can be a positive influence in helping students use their smart phones appropriately in the classroom to assist in learning.

This is also an inexpensive source of technology for the schools since most students have a Smartphone and the school doesn't have to provide the device.

This article discusses how mistakes are a teachable opportunity that many educators are missing. The writer hopes to change the shame and hiding that comes with mistakes and instead discuss them openly so that teachers and students can share what they learned as a result of their mistake. The article goes on to give advice to teachers to create a personal learning community where mistakes can be viewed as opportunities and nine things to change in your classroom with your students and how you address mistakes. 1.Do you believe that students should have the opportunity to fix mistakes on graded papers (for credit) so that they are learning from them? 2. The article believes that many creative, talented kids are being left out of gifted programs because they only include the students with the least mistakes on standardized tests. What do you think would be the best way to identify these students? 3. Do you believe that students learn from their mistakes currently?

Shannon Walker posted the above article. I forgot to sign it, since my username is different!

Thanks, Shannon. Love this article.

To best prepare students for an increasingly technological society, there is a push to teach computer science, including coding skills. Exposing students to HTML, CSS, and web design at an early age sets students up for success by teaching them critical thinking and problem solving skills. There are many online resources that teachers can use to introduce students to coding. - How to budget constraints affect computer science classes? - How are Omaha school systems changing their curriculum to prepare students for an increasingly technology-based workplace? - Can coding be incorporated into other classes? How can we as teachers encourage students to explore computer science careers? - Emily Davidson

Great summary and excellent questions!

This was an article by Robert Earl from "The Atlantic". It focuses on how American High School students are using their cellphones to listen to music, texting, in the hallways and any opportunity to use it in the classroom with the teacher's permission. According to the University of Michigan, 71% of the students receive or send text messages by their cellphones in class. Many students say they "can focus on their schoolwork better if they are listening to music through their earbuds". There are four advantages that benefits the students and two disadvantages of using cellphones in the classroom. The most important message is that either way students must be taught to love learning -- to embrace the process of finding answers. We as educators to need to embrace using all types of technology in the classroom as well.

This article is talking about the benefits technology has for, not only general education classroom students, but also for special education students and students with disabilities. Technology has helped fill in the gap for students with special needs, whether it is a hearing or vision impairment, or low motor skills. Assistive technology, defined as "any technology, high tech or low tech, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of students with disabilities. Technology helps make learning possible to those who may not have the chance to learn otherwise.

Assistive technologies provide a wealth of opportunities for students with special needs.

This article is about Amplify, a new online school curriculum that promises to personalize education for students. While it might appear pricey at $199 per student per year, the price tag includes a preloaded tablet for each student with curriculum content tailored to state standards. This tool is meant to make learning more interactive, as well as track student progress, including areas where the student struggles; early studies have shown positive outcomes in reading and comprehension.

Five trends in CCSS: Instruction in How to Listen; Evolution of the Teacher-Student relationship; Increased Responsibility for Students; Move toward Project-based learning; and K-12 will get serious about Coding. These trends will have an impact on you as a teacher, be informed...be a learner first. Questions: 1) How will these trends affect or change the physical make-up of your classroom setting? 2) If you compare how your students use social media with the trend of teaching students how to listen, what challenges do you anticipate? 3) What are your thoughts regarding the trend "the evolving of the teacher-student relationship"?

Make sure your summary represents graduate level writing. I like the list, but impress me with the last two sentences. WONDERFUL questions!

You will find some great points regarding some hot trends in education in this article. Parents will be seeing their children using more technology and requiring more screen time to finish projects. Educators need to keep in mind technology adds no value to the classroom, students still need printed items to complete their learning. The new trend is the flipped classroom, where students watch lectures at home and students spend more time collaborating, discussing, and work on homework in class. 1. Do you think the flipped classroom will become a new trend in the near future? 2. How will the flipped classroom affect how you teach? How will it affect your objectives and seven structures? 3. How can you effectively incorporate technology in your classroom add value to learning?

I have seen these issues come up recently in our district. Good summary and great questions to think about!

"Imagine a system that provides teachers with real-time insights to understand how a student is performing. The teacher can then use the data to spot weak areas and adjust the lesson plan accordingly. This type of tailored instruction has the ability to greatly improve student performance." We've been learning about individualized instruction in all of our classes, and now Xerox researchers have been tracking students for the past 7 years in New York and California to invent a system where teachers "could determine what concepts were being taught successfully and which were missing the mark-- and they could do it on a student-by-student, class-by-class basis."

It is important to remember students with writing disabilities, have the hardest time with writing. This article is about assistive technology we can use to help those students. By giving these tools students who have trouble writing, can help them become better writers, or at least make their writing better. Either way it will help the student needing writing help.

Nice find. Always good to have this kind of research to support our learners.

This article discusses Federal research and programs to promote and utilize technology for students with disabilities.The article discusses the needs for furthering the knowledge on tools that could be utilized for students with disabilities to get them at an educational level suitable for independence. The core of this article is to be able to learn what instruments work, which do not, and the future of technology with students that have disabilities. How does technology affect the education of the students with these disabilities.

This website has a lot of information for teachers with students with learning disabilities (LD). The site covers students with ADHA, ADD, and LD. The site has videos on students with LD and how to help them. The resource is endless for example,Processing deficits, the two most difficult areas are visual and auditory perception. This area of resource gives articles, multimedia, questions and answers, recommended books, in our Learning Store, recommended links, and forums to talk to other educators and parents. I will use this by referring to the information when I need more information to help with a student with LD, ADHD, or ADD.

Studies are finding that when teachers and parents agree with kids that STEM subjects are not their best, students do not pursue those subjects. IT also says we should focus our praise on the process and not necessarily what comes natural. This encourages our children to embrace the process of learning instead of only the things that come natural. What are some other reasons you think kids quit STEM subjects? Do you think we validate our students/children too often? Why or why not? How else can we engage or encourage our students without the typical element of praise?

This article is TOTALLY speaking to me :) Wish I could re-do science in high school and believe more in myself. (Got good grades, but never "got" it.)

Don't let the title fool you, this is a very interesting article with good points. At the root of many American problems lies an ineffective and outdated education system that is failing our students. Inequality and education have always been continually linked, and if we don't fix education, we don't fix inequality. Simply put, our students are not being prepared to compete in today's global, hyper-connected economy, and, for low-income students, the outlook is especially grim. DISCUSSION: 1.) Are massive online open courses going to be effective? 2.) The authors want to create adaptive optimized learning environments. How will low-income schools be able to afford this luxury? 3.) Is using "gaming" an effective way to intrigue student learning?

Great article to consider. Excellent questions!