LearningConversations

This blog post includes a link to great video called "Positively Autistic" that talks about turnign around our thinking - instead of thinking of our "deficits" can we start looking at our "assets" instead? And how does that change our parenting or teaching?

Eight leaders and the lessons you can learn from their finest hours.

This easy-to-follow guide can help students and teachers ' even the most technology-resistant ' learn to solve problems from sources like Internet sites, news groups, chat rooms, e-mail, and other Internet resources. Topics include: Creating your own lesson plans using sample lesson planners Applying frameworks for grade-level objectives and skills Dealing with information-technology overload Solving any information challenge with six critical steps Helping students harness the web with simple tips An important resource for today's classroom, Net Savvy can help educators become leaders rather than followers in the new high-tech, high-speed, digital era.

I'm still thinking about that UCLA research saying "technology in the classroom damages literacy and critical thinking." I'm still thinking it's behind the times, in its framing of technology as "video games and TV," and its complete omission of the Web and the social media/Web 2.0 explosion over the last five years or so.

Technology has resulted in a number of significant changes in the ways people communicate, learn and create. This slideshow highlights a number of trends that should lead to significant changes in classrooms around the world.

Innovative ways of using Twitter in the classroom

Now if success in life were achieved with the help of others and some good luck, as Gladwell argues convincingly, would it not also make sense that failure follows a similar pattern? Can we really believe in the self-made failure when we can no longer believe in the simplistic explanation of the self-made success?

"We still see teachers engage in really short one- and two-day workshops rather than ongoing, sustained support that we now have evidence changes practices and increases student achievement."

We shouldn't assume that all students understand Internet safety and the importance of protecting personal information (like your phone number) online. While the act of sharing a full name and phone number online may be innocuous, it also may be a cry from someone to connect and communicate.

Dear students: I'm about to say something a college professor shouldn't say to his students, but I care about you a lot so I'm prepared to break the code and say what needs to be said: Your college experience is likely to set back your education, your career, and your creative potential. Ironically, this will be done in the name of education. You deserve to know about this! You have what it takes to reclaim, reform, and remix your education. Don't let college unplug your future!

A great video exploring diversity and acceptance.