Group items tagged

Virtual Classroom design and package 

As technology evolves and its inner workings increasingly disappear from view, replaced with solid-state parts hidden by glass, aluminium and plastic, our understanding of what makes the world operate is similarly impeded. When machinery from just a few decades ago is viewed a world of moving parts, linkages, cogs and levers is revealed. These mechanical objects contain an inherent beauty and inspire curiosity in ways that modern devices with their pristine surfaces and simplified design language do not. Opportunities to explore devices from the past open our eyes and lead us to new questions of how our devices function, how machines do the jobs we need them to do and how engineers solve problems.

"What is it? Here's an article by BIE, updated from its original appearance in the September 2010 issue of Educational Leadership magazine from ASCD. Good for general audiences as well as educators, it explains the essential elements that make rigorous PBL different from "doing projects." Why do we like it? This article was written because some teachers say they "do projects" already (so why learn more about PBL) and some educators and members of the general public may have negative stereotypes of PBL as merely a "fun" or "hands-on" activity. How can you use it? Share this article with anyone, from teachers to parents to administrators, to explain PBL and provide a common framework for projects. The 8 Essential Elements are the basis of BIE's Project Design Rubric and PBL 101 Workshop."

Superb Apple and Android apps designed to improve home/school communication to inform parents about what their children are doing in school. Teachers can input simple lesson topics, or detailed lesson information for parents. Teachers can also assign badges for individual pupils.

Software designed to manage peer-assessment of students' essays (or other types of work)

CAST is an educational research & development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning.

"For kid makers, having a dedicated space to work on projects can be pretty wonderful, and it just might help them create more than they ever imagined.  A workspace doesn't need to be huge -- a small workbench that is efficient, compact and flexible in its use and storage can fit almost anywhere.  Here are some tips on how to design and set up a mini maker space made just for your kids."

If you are in 7th or 8th grade read more about the Early Entrance Program at the University of Washington, the premier early entrance program in the nation. If you are in 10th grade read more about the UW Academy for Young Scholars, the Robinson Center's early university entrance program for students offered in collaboration with the UW Honors Program. Summer Programs Do you want a fun and inspiring summer experience? If you are in 5th or 6th grade, learn more about Summer Challenge, the Robinson Center's summer program for students in elementary school. These hands-on classes provide multi-disciplinary learning experiences for three weeks during the summer on the UW-Seattle campus. If you are in 7th-10th grade learn more about Summer Stretch, the Robinson Center's summer program designed for students who want to learn a variety of subjects at an accelerated pace. Courses include math, humanities, science and writing, and are located on the UW-Seattle campus.

A fabulous site for creating and finding online children's books. Design your 'bestseller' by uploading images and using the bank of media to drag and drop your story to perfection. Then share with a link. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/English

Behind the rhetoric and politics, education is about the outcomes it achieves for its learners. More than being about the nuances of technology, learning space design, curriculum structures and pedagogical practices schools should have effective answers to questions that focus on what they hope to achieve for their learners. How we answer this question should then dictate the measures we utilise to achieve these goals and it is to these ends that we must apply our efforts.

"At our small, fast-moving nonprofit company, everyone does a couple of jobs - and productivity apps help us manage roles that shift between coding, writing/designing and running a full-scale conference twice a year. We asked the TED staff what apps they can't live without. And beyond the classics-Instagram, Google Maps, Spotify, Uber, Seamless-we found some great apps that might help you too. (A star denotes that the app is free, or at least has a free version.)"

A font designed to make reading easier for those who are dyslexic. Looks very good.

In honor of the 30th anniversary of School Library Month, VideoAmy has produced a list of interesting and insightful videos and resources that explore the future of the school library.

Within our project design, reflection is a key element that helps us support students as they work to understand the why, what, and how of their learning within the project.

The maker movement and with it maker-centered learning brings new possibilities and challenges into the classroom. It has spawned makerspaces and students are busy designing and making products. The danger with all this frenzied making is that it is very easy to miss the point, to focus on the product and not the journey.