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In our busy and highly connected lives it can be difficult to find time to slow down, to deliberately and mindfully engage in reflective contemplation. Taking the time to do so can be significant for success, creativity, mental well-being and learning and yet we seem to struggle to commit time to this valuable practice. Schools, in particular seem to offer little time for students to slow down and think, and with the busy lives students lead such time is often entirely absent.

Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds: Strategies for Online Instruction Clark Aldrich 1 Resenha John Wiley & Sons, 02/10/2009 - 144 páginas Jossey-Bass Guides to Online Teaching and Learning Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds Strategies for Online Instruction Clark Aldrich Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds The infusion of games, simulations, and virtual worlds into online learning can be a transforming experience for both the instructor and the student. This practical guide, written by education game expert Clark Aldrich, shows faculty members and instructional designers how to identify opportunities for building games, simulations, and virtual environments into the curriculum; how to successfully incorporate these interactive environments to enhance student learning; and how to measure the learning outcomes. It also discusses how to build institutional support for using and financing more complex simulations. The book includes frameworks, tips, case studies and other real examples, and resources. Praise for Learning Online with Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds "Clark Aldrich provides powerful insights into the dynamic arena of games, simulations, and virtual worlds in a simultaneously entertaining and serious manner as only he can. If you are involved with educating anyone, from your own children to classrooms full of students, you need to devour this book." -- Karl Kapp, assistant director, Institute for Interactive Technologies, Bloomsburg University "At a time when the technologies for e-learning are evolving faster than most people can follow, Aldrich successfully bridges the perceptual gap between virtual worlds, digital games, and educational simulations, and provides educators with all they really need to use this technology to enhance and enrich their e-learning experiences." -- Katrin Becker, instructor, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Mount R

An important overview for any one using Moodle, especially useful for those contemplating an upgrade to 2.0 .  (I'll make the move when we have 2.1 or 2.2.)  

Oddly lately I have been pondering how schools responds to the question of a work life balance. Let me try to explain my thinking. I am still trying to clarify my thinking here, so please bear with me. What does it mean to achieve work life balance, and should we want to?

It is tempting to make predictions of the skills that our students will need beyond their time at school. Such wondering can be a useful guide as we contemplate what we shall focus on with our curriculum. Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of predictions for future skillsets published by educators, economists and analysts. What might we learn from such lists, and how should education systems respond?

Constructivism is one of those ideas we throw around in educational circles without stopping to think about what we mean by it. They are the terms that have multiple meanings, are at once highly technical and common usage and are likely to cause debate and disagreements. Constructivism in particular carries a quantity of baggage with it. It is a term that is appropriated by supporters of educational approaches that are in stark contrast to the opposing view; constructivism vs didactic methods or direct instruction. The question is what are the origins of constructivism and does a belief in this as an approach to understanding learning necessitate an abandonment of direct instruction or is this a false dichotomy?

Product Management could be your key to move out of a stagnating career. At times many of us may feel that we are stuck in a profession, in a job role, or in an organization that is not for us. It may feel like it is not our true calling. Well, then why waste time? Make a career switch into a career of your choice. Muster the courage and make the move. If Product Management is your likely choice, then this is the right blog for you. If not, then why not explore what is it like to be a PM! (Product Manager not Prime Minister) So, what would you be doing as a PM? Wearing multiple hats. As a Product Manager, you have to wear different hats at different times. Be a Psychologist - Embark upon a journey to empathize and understand consumer needs and challenges Be a Consumer Behaviour expert - Leave no stone unturned to mine latent consumer insights Be a Marketeer - Use frameworks to gauge the perfect product-market fit Be a Diplomat - Negotiate with and influence relevant stakeholders to obtain desired results Be an Architect and an Interior Designer - Build and design products that address consumer pain-points effectively and transpires into a practical and scalable solution Be a co-ordinator - Guide and Direct cross-functional teams to deliver timely results in sync with the overarching objective Be a crisis manager - Diagnose the situation, identify hurdles and be agile in resolving them while the product is being tested in the market Be a Relationship Manager - The duty of a PM does not end as soon as the product is launched. It extends further to keep creating and nurturing a delightful experience for the customer. Now, you're aware of the roles you are likely to perform. What about the skills required to fulfil them efficiently? Well, most experienced PMs emphasize on soft skills being the differentiator between a good and a great PM. Let's have a look at the most essential hard and soft skills required to be a product manager: Com

If we believe that all learning is a consequence of thinking, then we should consider what types of thinking our learners are likely to benefit from at each phase of their inquiry. This is where the Understanding Map, developed by Ritchhart, Church & Morrison offers useful guidance. By contemplating the demands of each phase of our chosen inquiry model, we can plan for how we might scaffold thinking moves which will enhance our learners' learning.

To ensure reflective practice is more than an activity added to our schedule, we need to take a reflective stance. Too often, reflection becomes the thing we do at the end of a task or the end of the day. We look back and contemplate what was, and with that in mind, we look forward to what we might do differently next time. It is in this way a very reactionary process. By all means, this form of reflection has its place, and it can be a powerful strategy to deploy as we seek to learn from experience. If we value reflective practice, we will be sure to set aside time for this form of reflection on a routine basis. By engaging in reflection habitually, we ensure that it is a routine part of our day. But adopting a reflective stance can make this more powerful.

Recently I have been contemplating how we might define inquiry. Like many terms in education, it is often used in multiple contexts and has a range of meanings attached to it. Coming to agreement on what inquiry is, requires negotiating seemingly divergent understandings. If we are to avoid oversimplifications and dichotomous thinking, we need to explore these multiple perspectives and find a balance point.

In my Nursing Reflective Essay, laboratory contemplation will allow me to recognize the errors I have made so that I can properly address them in the future.