A humorous, interactive YouTube video dealing with peer pressure and sexting - a sad but real issue facing kids (and adults :-( ) today
choice embedded at the end of the scenario with feedback.
create interactive quizzes that are based on YouTube clips. Your quizzes can be about anything of your choosing. The structure of the quizzes has a viewer watch a short clip then answer a multiple choice question about the clip. Viewers know right away if they chose the correct answer or not.
As you watch this video, try not to focus only on the negative aspects. What is in here that is positive, that needs to be understood by adults, and can be leveraged in education? What about kids like Vishal? What about Nicholas at the end? Do employers want 4.0 students who can't work within social and collaborative contexts? See what Tom Peters has to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_w4AfflmeM
"We already have a guitar. I can learn on my own and with my friends." Me: "It seems like you should get lessons for the basics." Her: "Mom, that's what the Internet is for." It turns out she's already been practicing with the help of YouTube tutorials.
because of the abundance of knowledge and social connections
balancing the competitive pressures of college-readiness, the need for unstructured learning and socializing, and the role of the Internet in all of that
Trends indicate that families with the means to do so are investing more and more in enrichment activities to give their kids a leg up
padding resumes for college
an arms race in achievement
the Internet has been a lifeline for self-directed learning and connection to peers.
parents more often than not have a negative view of the role of the Internet in learning, but young people almost always have a positive one
Young people are desperate for learning that is relevant and part of the fabric of their social lives, where they are making choices about how, when, and what to learn, without it all being mapped for them in advance
Learning on the Internet is about posting a burning question on a forum like Quora or Stack Exchange, searching for a how to video on YouTube or Vimeo, or browsing a site like Instructables, Skillshare, and Mentormob for a new project to pick up.
but I'm also delighted that she finds the time to cultivate interests in a self-directed way that is about contributing to her community of peers
This is a great piece that captures much of the essence of how many (teens are the focus, but not exclusive to the points made) are seeing learning today... really important to understand.
We tried out the Flubaroo script in class for automatically grading assignments with Google Docs. This script, Doctopus, is more about managing assignments and can really save a great deal of time once you have it all set up with a class using Google Apps.
Such an authentic and inspirational use of Google Forms. A perfect example of how what matters most is what we DO with our tools, not the tools themselves