Group items tagged

Earlier this year a group of teachers I work with explored the 'Eight Cultural Forces' identified by Ron Ritchhart of Harvard's Project Zero. In doing so we decided to focus on our use of the term learning instead of the word work. Our goal was to bring our language choices into the spotlight and explore how a more deliberate focus on learning might alter the culture of our classrooms. Two terms later this focus persists and it is worth reflecting on the effect that this has had.

"The Stripling Inquiry Model has six phases; however, it's not a linear process but rather a recursive one in which the learner might revisit a previous stage to ask additional questions or organize information, as the need arises. Each phase involves critical thinking skills that empower young people to learn on their own and develop the thinking skills to be independent, lifelong learners. The phases are as follows: Connect: observe, experience, connect a subject to self and previous knowledge Wonder: predict, develop questions and hypotheses Investigate: find and evaluate information to answer questions, test hypotheses Construct: draw conclusions, arrive at new understandings Express: apply understandings to a new context, share learning with others Reflect: examine one's own learning and ask new questions (Stripling 2003, 8). Technology and, in particular, Web 2.0 tools and services can be used throughout the inquiry process to support the appropriate thinking skills. The key is to focus on student learning, not the Web 2.0 technology. The focus is on the phase(s) of inquiry at which students are concentrating and deciding which technology tool can best support the thinking processes and instructional strategies of that phase of inquiry. This increases the effectiveness of both the learning experience and the use of technology. An outline of the inquiry phases aligned with Web 2.0 technology tools and instructional strategies can be seen in Figure 2."

What your kids look for in a snack might be different than what you look for as a parent. While they focus on taste, you focus on nutrition. Same goes for games. Glitzy, big-name games can be enticing, just like junk food. Some are flashy and addictive but do little to feed kids' curiosity or help them develop.

The guideposts are a useful assessment tool based on how individual guides integrate the Four Roles/Resources of the Reader. The guidepost indicators may be used to monitor student learning. However, use the guideposts flexibly. While the guideposts do cover each of the Four Roles/Resources of the Reader, teachers may choose to focus on one or two roles or fewer indicators for each role. Teachers may also find that there are other learning outcomes which they would like to focus on and which reflect the particular needs of their students.

Creative Educator articles focus on constructivism and creativity and share ideas about the power of technology as a learning tool when put in student hands.Topics include ideas, inspiration and strategies to help the educator grow professionally and design their classroom to meet the needs of your learners. Most articles focus on K-12 but they relate to any professional educator.

Author describes study that showed that middle, hs, and university students were highly distractible by technology and were anxious if they could not check their devices. He described a strategy called "tech breaks" where students are allowed to check devices and social media for a minute and then to focus on school work for 15 minutes as a way of improving their metacognitive skills. 

I wonder if using technology in the classroom - integrally - would mitigate some of the anxiety and/or increase attention. I wonder if there are other teaching/learning strategies we might employ that would increase engagement such that students would be distracted from their distraction...

"Slacking off during class isn't only a bad habit, but it's also very detrimental to your grade! Focusing in class really proves to teachers that you are a capable student but it also shows that you have got a solid level of maturity and self control, which will be very important in your future life. Read on to find out more about "How to Focus More in Class" "

Life science videos from VCU covering topics such as evolution, genetics, biotechnology, research careers. I really like how the videos aren't just informative but focus on relevant or interesting topics, giving a real-world connection for students. For example, within the biotechnology videos, there is a focus on topics such as silk making, individualized drugs, tissue engineering, alternative transplants, etc. Videos tend to be short as well and won't take an entire period but can easily be incorporated into your lesson at any point.

Nice get! You need Realplayer installed to play the videos online or when you download them.

"Conversation is key . Sawyer succinctly explains this principle: "Conversation leads to flow, and flow leads to creativity." When having students work in groups, consider what will spark rich conversation. The original researcher on flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, found that rich conversation precedes and ignites flow more than any other activity.1 Tasks that require (or force) interaction lead to richer collaborative conceptualization. Set a clear but open-ended goal . Groups produce the richest ideas when they have a goal that will focus their interaction but also has fluid enough boundaries to allow for creativity. This is a challenge we often overlook. As teachers, we often have an idea of what a group's final product should look like (or sound like, or…). If we put students into groups to produce a predetermined outcome, we prevent creative thinking from finding an entry point. Try not announcing time limits. As teachers we often use a time limit as a "motivator" that we hope will keep group work focused. In reality, this may be a major detractor from quality group work. Deadlines, according to Sawyer, tend to impede flow and produce lower quality results. Groups produce their best work in low-pressure situations. Without a need to "keep one eye on the clock," the group's focus can be fully given to the task. Do not appoint a group "leader." In research studies, supervisors, or group leaders, tend to subvert flow unless they participate as an equal, listening and allowing the group's thoughts and decisions to guide the interaction. Keep it small. Groups with the minimum number of members that are needed to accomplish a task are more efficient and effective. Consider weaving together individual and group work. For additive tasks-tasks in whicha group is expectedtoproduce a list, adding one idea to another-research suggests that better results develop

"With a greater focus on accessibility and inclusivity, Microsoft has announced ten major updates to their services available in 2019, that can have a positive impact on using their tools for teaching and learning. In a blog post, Mike Tholsfen highlighted how the Immersive Reader technology, along with Line Focus in Microsoft Word, and an even more impressive feature of being able to change page colours in Word desktop."

"Building a rich vocabulary, across the curriculum, is one of the main aims for most teachers. Not only does a rich vocabulary help to create strong writing skills, but also can help with improving access to all areas of the curriculum. In his book, Andrew Jennings explains why vocabulary should be a focus in your classroom, providing resources and inspiration to help optimise vocabulary learning. Resources include a focus on SPaG facts, key vocab words that support various popular primary topics, an etymology section to inspire pupils, and looking at various grammatical features that can help build a repertoire of rich vocabulary. Throughout, the book provides other resources that can be copied for classroom use, or be used to take home to help build vocabulary skills away from the school setting."

"Even with 'expert' advice from consultants, self-proclaimed gurus, or politicians, managing behaviour in secondary schools is an art within itself. Different personalities, socio-economic conditions and expectations are all unique to each individual setting so no one slant on how to manage behaviour will suit all schools. Yet the role of pastoral care in many schools has evidently been diminished with the focus turning towards academic achievement in high stakes exam results, with pupils being reduced to 'units of progress'. This is not only a UK shift in focus, with many jurisdictions around the world following a similar pattern."

Being able to construct a learning progression from simple facts to important concepts or simplex skills to complex ones is our daily bread and butter.  The ability to do this really well sets some teachers apart.  It helps create a focus on learning within the classroom rather than just being busy.  Whilst the sequencing of knowledge is a crucial starting point the real star teachers also know the points at which key misunderstandings or mistakes are often made by pupils.  In the classroom they are already alert to these possible errors and can intervene quickly and incisively.  Teachers spending time planning together must focus on the learning progressions or journeys, if you prefer.  A critical element of this planning is the determining of excellence; what standard should these pupils be able to reach.  My suggestion would be start with the end in mind; what kep concept or complex skill are you trying to teach.

This year is the fiftieth birthday of Harvard's Project Zero, a research project designed to explore the nature of thinking and learning and from this suggest pedagogies which align with what we know about the mind. For its birthday celebration Project Zero shared insights from its five decades of research with presentations from Howard Gardner, David Perkins, Shari Tasman, Steve Seidel and Daniel Wilson. The presentations revealed the changing nature of the work of Project Zero from its early days and focus on arts education to its current position as a research organisation with broad interests across education but with a focus on thinking, understanding and the workings of the mind.

Current definitions of technology integration are a conceptual swamp. Some definitions focus on the technology itself and student access to the devices and software. Some concentrate on the technol…

Current definitions of technology integration are a conceptual swamp. Some definitions focus on the technology itself and student access to the devices and software. Some concentrate on the technol…

"In this research-backed presentation, Travis discusses the impact of technology and its ability to transform the way students think, create and learn, with a particular focus on Microsoft Surface Pro 3." Regardless of the model of the equipment, this presentation is excellent for all of those interested in topics such as: - Impact of technology in teaching and learning - Tablets in classroom - BYOD - Digital vs. handwriting notetaking

"In this research-backed presentation, Travis discusses the impact of technology and its ability to transform the way students think, create and learn, with a particular focus on Microsoft Surface Pro 3." Regardless of the model of the equipment, this presentation is excellent for all of those interested in topics such as: - Impact of technology in teaching and learning - Tablets in classroom - BYOD - Digital vs. handwriting notetaking

on the revolutionary aspect of MOOCs to break down traditional barriers to higher ed as regularly stated by CEOs Koller and Thrun: "This rhetoric is perhaps the most glittery yet in the public discourse about online higher education. But it is also a diversion shifting attention away from the logic of profit-making. For parents, students, and the general public who focus primarily on what education means for people's futures, for social mobility, for a healthy economy and a robust democracy, a dip into the insider talk of MOOCs, their investors, and industry analysts is both instructive and disorienting."

There is a danger in seeking finished perfection in all that we do. There is a risk that our students will focus solely on the attributes that define a finished piece and overlook the importance of the process that leads to it.