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"1. The teacher is choosing the technology. It's not always possible, but when you can, let the students choose, and see what happens. Not all of them will be able to. Some need help; so let other students help them. 2. The teacher is choosing the function. This doesn't mean you can't choose the function, but if you students can't control the technology the use nor its function, this can be problematic: the learning is passive from the beginning. 3. The teacher is determining the process. To an extent you have to, but don't overdo it. 4. The technology is distracting. If the technology is more magical than the project, product, collaboration, process, or content itself, try to muffle the bells and whistles. Or use them to your advantage. 5. The technology isn't necessary. You wouldn't use a ruler to teach expository writing, nor would you use a Wendell Berry essay to teach about the Water Cycle. No need for a Khan Academy account and a fully-personalized and potentially self-directed proficiency chart of mathematical concepts just to show a 3 minute video on the number line. 6. The process is too complex. Keep it simple. Fewer moving parts = greater precision. And less to go wrong. 7. Students have access to too much. What materials, models, peer groups, or related content do students actually need? See #6. 8. The teacher is the judge, jury, and executioner. Get out of the way. You're (probably) less interesting than the content, experts, and communities (if you're doing it right). 9. They artificially limiting the scale. Technology connects everything to everything. Use this to the advantage of the students! 10. They're not limiting the scale. However, giving students the keys to the universe with no framework, plan, boundaries or even vague goals is equally problematic. 11. Students access is limited to too little. The opposite of too board a scale is too little-akin to taking students to the ocean to fish but squaring of

"It seems only fitting to explore the role of questions in education by asking questions about the process of doing so. I propose that we start with the customary way of framing this topic and then proceed to questions that are deeper and potentially more subversive of traditional schooling. 1. WHICH QUESTIONS? To begin, let's consider what we might ask our students. The least interesting questions are those with straightforward factual answers. That's why a number of writers have encouraged the use of questions described variously as "true" (Wolf, 1987), "essential" (Simon, 2002), "generative" (Perkins, 1992; Perrone, 1998), "guiding" (Traver, 1998), or "fertile" (Harpaz & Lefstein, 2000). What the best of these share is that they're open-ended. Sometimes, in fact, no definitive right answer can be found at all. And even when there is one - or at least when there is reason to prefer some responses to others - the answer isn't obvious and can't be summarized in a sentence. Why is it so hard to find a cure for cancer? Do numbers ever end? Why do people lie? Why did we invade Vietnam? Grappling with meaty questions like these (which were among those generated by a class in Plainview, NY) is a real project . . . literally. A question-based approach to teaching tends to shade into learning that is problem- (Delisle, 1997) and project-based (Kilpatrick, 1918; Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Wolk, 1998). Intellectual proficiency is strengthened as students figure out how to do justice to a rich question. As they investigate and come to understand important ideas more fully, new questions arise along with better ways of asking them, and the learning spirals upwards. Guiding students through this process is not a technique that can be stapled onto our existing pedagogy, nor is it something that teachers can be trained to master during an in-service day. What's required is a continual focus on creating a classroom that is about thinking rather

"Open with a question or two. Another favorite education writer of mine, the cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham, argues that teachers should focus more on the use of questions. "The material I want students to learn," he writes in his book Why Don't Students Like School?, "is actually the answer to a question. On its own, the answer is almost never interesting. But if you know the question, the answer may be quite interesting." My colleague Greg Weiner, an associate professor of political science, puts those ideas into practice. At the beginning of class, he shows four or five questions on a slide for students to consider. Class then proceeds in the usual fashion. At the end, he returns to the questions so that students can both see some potential answers and understand that they have learned something that day. What did we learn last time? A favorite activity of many instructors is to spend a few minutes at the opening of class reviewing what happened in the previous session. That makes perfect sense, and is supported by the idea that we don't learn from single exposure to material - we need to return frequently to whatever we are attempting to master.But instead of offering a capsule review to students, why not ask them to offer one back to you?Reactivate what they learned in previous courses. Plenty of excellent evidence suggests that whatever knowledge students bring into a course has a major influence on what they take away from it. So a sure-fire technique to improve student learning is to begin class by revisiting, not just what they learned in the previous session, but what they already knew about the subject matter.Write it down. All three of the previous activities would benefit from having students spend a few minutes writing down their responses. That way, every student has the opportunity to answer the question, practice memory retrieval from the previous session, or surface their prior knowledge - and not just the students most likely to

"Generating electricity is not only inefficient, it also makes pedal power less sustainable, less robust and more costly. To begin with, batteries have to be manufactured, and they have to be replaced regularly. This requires energy, which can completely negate the ecological advantage of pedal power. According to this research paper (pdf), the embodied energy of a 150Wh lead-acid battery (like the one offered with the Windstream pedal power generator) is at least 37,500 Wh, which equals 250 full charges of the battery (more sources: 1/2). In other words: if you can deliver 75 watts of power to the battery, you have to pedal for 500 hours in order to generate the energy that was needed to manufacture the battery. Because the life expectancy of a lead-acid battery can be as low as 300 discharge/charge cycles (sources: 1/2), you are basically pedalling to produce the energy required to manufacture the battery. If you also factor in the embodied energy of other electronics and parts, the ecological advantage of a pedal powered generator connected to a battery becomes rather doubtful. It might costs more energy than it delivers."

"By "NLRBE," I mean core resource-based economy ("RBE") concepts, as fleshed out and expanded by Peter Joseph and his organization, "The Zeitgeist Movement" ("TZM"). *Important Reminder* Please remember that, by using this site, you agree to leave no confidential information in blog post comments or elsewhere on the site, or to rely upon anything in this post, or on this site generally, without qualified, independent, confirming research (per this site's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which you agreed to by accessing this site). Why? Unfortunately, on this website and in my blog posts, I can and do offer nothing more than expressions of opinion and general information, which could be inadequately researched, inapplicable to your situation, out-of-date, and/or mistaken. Thus, no statement on my website or blog posts is intended to guarantee any particular outcome for you, or to constitute any kind of advice, legal or otherwise. Qualified "advice" is customized to your particular circumstances, current, accurate, and offered in direct relationship with a qualified professional. And qualified advice is critical to obtain before you take action. I do offer qualified legal advice and assurances of confidentiality, but only within the context of attorney-client relationships, which are formed exclusively via written attorney-client fee agreements, not through blog posts, blog post comments, website pages or communications, or any other means whatsoever (however, please visit my Services page to see whether or not I am currently accepting new clients). By "RBE," I mean the original economic model, as presented by Jacque Fresco and his "Venus Project" ("TVP"). My take on his RBE model is more fully explained in my last blog post, "What Do I Mean by 'Resource-Based Economy' (or 'RBE')?" Given what I heard in a recent talk by Joseph, I am now sorely tempted to begin using the term "NLRBE," rather than "RBE," to refer

"It has me thinking about what it would mean to improve online classes. A few ideas come to mind: Use multiple platforms. I'm not against using an LMS as a central hub. However, I think it's valuable to experiment with the types of productivity tools you will actually use outside of a classroom. Use Google Docs to share ideas, create surveys, and ask questions. Use Google Hangouts to meet as a group. Go project-based. I haven't figured this out entirely with my first class but my hope is that we can go fully project-based in the same way that my face-to-face class is. In fact, the asynchronous nature of online classes actually means there is a better potential of creating a project-based culture that mirrors the way people actually work on projects. Make something together. I use a collaboration grid with co-creating and communicating on separate spectrums (x-axis) and multimedia and text on another spectrum (y-axis). This has been an effective way to think through collaborative tools that allow students to co-create. Embrace a synchronous/asynchronous blend: I love using Voxer because students can speak back and forth in the moment. However, if they miss it, they can listen to it later. The same is true of using a Google Hangouts On Air. Make it more connective. We tend to treat online instruction as if it is a linear process and we don't do enough to link things back and forth and connect ideas, resources, discussions and content creation in a seamless, back-and-forth nature. Incorporate multimedia. It's a simple idea, but I create a short video at the beginning of each week and I encourage students to create video and audio as well. This has a way of making things more concrete. There's something deeply human about hearing an actual human voice. I know, crazy, right? Go mobile. I don't simply mean use a smart phone. I mean assign some things that allow students to get out in the world and create videos, snap pictures, or simpl

"... Reclaiming pedagogy as a form of educated and militant hope begins with the crucial recognition that education is not solely about job training and the production of ethically challenged entrepreneurial subjects and that artistic production does not only have to serve market interests, but are also about matters of civic engagement and literacy, critical thinking, and the capacity for democratic agency, action, and change. It is also inextricably connected to the related issues of power, inclusion, and social responsibility.[2] If young people, artists, and other cultural workers are to develop a deep respect for others, a keen sense of the common good, as well as an informed notion of community engagement, pedagogy must be viewed as a cultural, political, and moral force that provides the knowledge, values, and social relations to make such democratic practices possible. In this instance, pedagogy needs to be rigorous, self-reflective, and committed not to the dead zone of instrumental rationality but to the practice of freedom and liberation for the most vulnerable and oppressed, to a critical sensibility capable of advancing the parameters of knowledge, addressing crucial social issues, and connecting private troubles into public issues. Any viable notion of critical pedagogy must overcome the image of education as purely instrumental, as dead zones of the imagination, and sites of oppressive discipline and imposed conformity. ..."

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"Colocación Mirada Cuerpo erguido Manos Silencio 1. Colocación. La presencia en el aula está muy relacionada con la posición que ocupemos en la misma. En otros artículos ya me he referido a la importancia de la disposición de un docente para gestionar correctamente una sesión lectiva. En este sentido recomiendo la lectura de los artículos 5 posiciones básicas del profesor en el aula y 5 consejos para empezar con buen pie una clase. En ambos artículos incido en el hecho de que, para ganar presencia, debemos hacernos visibles a nuestros alumnos. En este sentido, recomiendo priorizar estar de pie el máximo tiempo que sea posible, en una posición centrada del aula, sobre todo al iniciar la clase, y realizar desplazamientos entre los pasillos que se crean en el aula. Normalmente la mesa y la silla del docente suele estar en una esquina del aula y esto hace que perdamos presencia y visibilidad. Creo que es fundamental que nos vean para que nos escuchen. Cuando haya pasado un tiempo de la sesión lectiva y no estemos enseñando, nuestra presencia no será tan determinante e incluso podemos pasar desapercibidos si vemos que en el aula hay un clima de trabajo y concentración. Al final de la sesión lectiva debemos recuperar otra vez la posición inicial central. 2. Mirada. Sé que en ocasiones enfrentarse a un grupo de alumnos puede resultar algo intimidatorio. También es cierto que no hay dos personas iguales y que de entre las personas o docentes los hay más introvertidos y más extrovertidos. Pero saber mirar a nuestros alumnos a los ojos es muy recomendable si lo que queremos es aumentar nuestra presencia en el aula. Cuando miramos a los ojos de los alumnos les estamos transmitiendo mucha información sin necesidad de pronunciar una sola palabra. Cuando sostenemos la mirada a un alumno le estamos diciendo, precisamente, que este alumno nos importa, que queremos escuchar, no oír, aquello que nos quiere transmitir. También le podemos mirar para indicarle

"Comenzar con buen pie una clase es un aspecto que todos los docentes debemos tener muy en cuenta. Suena el timbre o la sirena y es la señal del comienzo de una nueva clase lectiva. Pues bien, el inicio de una sesión lectiva es, posiblemente, uno de los momentos más delicados con el que nos podemos encontrar los docentes. Para comenzar con buen pie una clase, os quiero dar cinco recomendaciones muy sencillas que creo que facilitará, y mucho, el éxito de vuestra sesión. Sé que no es lo mismo que suene el timbre a primera hora de la mañana, después del patio o a última hora. Pero, independientemente de la hora en que nos toca dar clase, es bueno que tengáis en cuentas estos aspectos e intentar no variar vuestra rutina: Sé puntual. Sin duda la puntualidad es un elemento clave para empezar con buen pie una clase. Sé que no siempre es fácil llegar muy puntual, porque en muchas ocasiones debemos desplazarnos de una clase a otra. Sin embargo, en otras ocasiones esperamos a que suene el timbre para ir al lavabo, beber agua, buscar nuestro material escolar, apurar el café, etc. Esto provoca que lleguemos precipitadamente a clase y hayan pasado entre cinco o diez minutos. Todo este tiempo que perdemos antes de llegar al aula es un tiempo que después nos costará recuperar una vez estemos dentros. Tampoco hay que olvidar que buena parte de los conflictos que se producen en el aula se producen justo al inicio o al final de las sesiones lectivas, en ese impás en el que el aula se queda momentáneamente sin profesor. Saluda. Cuando entremos en clase debemos empezar con un saludo a nuestros alumnos. Debe ser un saludo enérgico y que conlleve una fuerte actitud postural. Además de demostrarles respeto y educación, ayuda a que los alumnos que suelen estar a veces de pie o en las taquillas oigan nuestra voz e interioricen que hemos llegado a clase. Recordad también que vuestro saludo debe implicar una respuesta de todo el alumnado. Insistid en las prime

"Puntualidad Saludo Presencia Tono de voz Planificación Comenzar con buen pie una clase es un aspecto que todos los docentes debemos tener muy en cuenta. Suena el timbre o la sirena y es la señal del comienzo de una nueva clase lectiva. Pues bien, el inicio de una sesión lectiva es, posiblemente, uno de los momentos más delicados con el que nos podemos encontrar los docentes. Para comenzar con buen pie una clase, os quiero dar cinco recomendaciones muy sencillas que creo que facilitará, y mucho, el éxito de vuestra sesión. Sé que no es lo mismo que suene el timbre a primera hora de la mañana, después del patio o a última hora. Pero, independientemente de la hora en que nos toca dar clase, es bueno que tengáis en cuentas estos aspectos e intentar no variar vuestra rutina: Sé puntual. Sin duda la puntualidad es un elemento clave para empezar con buen pie una clase. Sé que no siempre es fácil llegar muy puntual, porque en muchas ocasiones debemos desplazarnos de una clase a otra. Sin embargo, en otras ocasiones esperamos a que suene el timbre para ir al lavabo, beber agua, buscar nuestro material escolar, apurar el café, etc. Esto provoca que lleguemos precipitadamente a clase y hayan pasado entre cinco o diez minutos. Todo este tiempo que perdemos antes de llegar al aula es un tiempo que después nos costará recuperar una vez estemos dentros. Tampoco hay que olvidar que buena parte de los conflictos que se producen en el aula se producen justo al inicio o al final de las sesiones lectivas, en ese impás en el que el aula se queda momentáneamente sin profesor. Saluda. Cuando entremos en clase debemos empezar con un saludo a nuestros alumnos. Debe ser un saludo enérgico y que conlleve una fuerte actitud postural. Además de demostrarles respeto y educación, ayuda a que los alumnos que suelen estar a veces de pie o en las taquillas oigan nuestra voz e interioricen que hemos llegado a clase. Recordad también que vuestro saludo de

"1- Reserva una fecha 2- "vende" el flipped, motiva a tus alumnos y a sus familias 3- "Apártate" del primer plano 4- Comprueba quienes no tienen acceso a internet 5- Evalúa, evalúa, evalúa 6- Dales a tus alumnos una razón para cambiar su forma de aprender" (ampliados en el enlace)

""Dice el refrán que una imagen vale más que 1000 palabras...". Pero en este caso le daremos la vuelta al refrán y diremos "...más de 1000 palabras que te darán una imagen... de mi aula". Así empezamos la primera sesión de tutoría del curso 2015/2016 con 3ºESO. Con esta actividad, que paso a relataros,pretendemos que el alumno rompa el hielo del comienzo del curso escolar desdevarios ámbitos: "el personal, pensando en quién es, que le apasiona, que le cuesta…; el grupal, descubriendo y conociendo a las personas con las que va a convivir los próximos nueve meses; y el espacial, convirtiendo el espacio-aula en un lugar del que también se sienta protagonista junto con sus compañeros... DESARROLLO DE LA DINÁMICA La idea inicial de la actividad nace de otra genial creada y compartida en la red por Estrella López Aguilar y titulada "Yo en 100 palabras". Un comienzo similar con un desenlace diferente. La dinámica se desarrollará en 4 momentos."