LCS Innovation

Found this archived CEM event - supposed to be a month of blogging but there are only a few entries - interesting ones though - glad to have background knowledge from Jane McGonagal's TED talks on how gaming can change the world and save a life. Did make me think again about how I wanted to incorporate gaming in my classroom.

Introduction to TIM - and how to assess how tech is being used in the classroom.

Intriguing. I wish he would have shown one of two examples on the inner boxes. Guess you need to visit the site for that.

written with partner in mind but good to remember when we are helping a student through a conflict situation -- get them to focus on the "I" -- challenge statements that aren't true, where they are imposing judgement or blame "What is not as helpful is to try and impose personal feelings and interpretations on someone else. Stay on your side of the net; express "I" statements about how the situation or dialogue is feeling to you, what you think is important about it, why you want to talk about it-your main intention for having the dialogue. Refrain from "you" statements where you tell your partner what his or her thoughts, feelings, and truths are or blaming him/her for your differences. Then ask open-ended questions: "Who does this happen with?" "What are you feeling when it happens?" "Where in our relationship did this start to be an issue?" "How do you respond when this is going on?" Questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no" are often leading and laced with our personal agenda about what is true."

Some basic tips for using technology in the classroom that will prevent "the fail".

"This section looks at the various aspects and principles relating to digital literacy and the many skills and competencies that fall under the digital literacy umbrella. The relationship between digital literacy and digital citizenship is also explored and tips are provided for teaching these skills in the classroom."

Good tutorial on how to use Handbrake to reduce video size and download time without sacrificing quality. Almost 11 minutes long - includes an explanation of when to use different settings.

"Bloom's Taxonomy Tools is a Google document created by NJ superintendent Scott Rocco and it features a list of 89 web tools and mobile apps that correspond with every thinking level of Bloom's taxonomy."

"ThingLink allows you to create interactive images by adding links, text, videos, and audio recordings to any static image that you own" This blog and description includes a quick video to get students started.

GAFE Tools for better learning

For those who haven't checked out Connected Educators Month...

A guide to personalizing the learning from almost 7 years ago!

Do you remember the summer when you first fell in love? The songs that were playing on the radio, butterflies in the stomach, the excitement of a stolen kiss? The tendency of our brains to especially hold onto memories from the teenage years is called the "reminiscence bump."

What's the best way to take control of your own life and push yourself against boundaries? According to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, it's all about your mindset. Successful people tend to focus on growth, solving problems and self-improvement, while unsuccessful people think of their abilities as fixed assets and avoid challenges.

Having essential questions drive curriculum and learning has become core to many educators' instructional practices. Grant Wiggins, in his work on Understanding By Design, describes an essential question as: A meaning of "essential" involves important questions that recur throughout one's life. Such questions are broad in scope and timeless by nature.