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In this post, I'm going to do a quick run through of some ways you can start to use PowerPoint to build engaging learning experiences.

"Throughout October 2014, a collaborative calendar will connect thousands of educators across the globe to engaging and diverse professional learning events, communities and resources."

"Schools are a network of human beings who feel, think, behave, and function within a human system that is alive and never static. Inside living systems, we need to feel safe and felt. This system is wired to thrive, even through difficult times. We're here for deep learning, which is profoundly relational, and connection to one another is a prerequisite for our collective emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive growth and development. In creating an environment that feels safe and relational, behavior management develops into behavior engagement"

"Science4Us is a standards-based digital science curriculum that teaches science using the 5E inquiry-based instructional model. In addition to over 350 digital games and online activities, there are tons of offline experiments and hands-on projects to keep students engaged and excited about science.  It's a great choice for teachers looking to include cross-curricular activities that connect science instruction to math and language arts. Students will also learn the importance of notetaking and observing, with their very own digital notebook."

The study reports an analysis of 85 lesson logs in which teachers recorded their use of space, digital technology, and student outcomes in relation to student engagement and learning.

An online learning activity that will engage you in a number of different picture books and, more importantly, the realm of visual literacy.

Ning for engaging American students in learning about the reform during the 1800s through a facebook style network with key characters from this era.

Instructional uses of social networking software can provide opportunities for learning, connecting, and engagement.

Ken Shelton presents a workshop on ways to use Google Earth in your curriculum. Ken teaches middle school in Los Angeles Unified School District. This video covers amazing techniques and inspiration for using the Google Earth application to enhance your curriculum and engage students in learning for almost any topic.

"Formative assessment is vital to teachers in any classroom environment. Teachers have been formatively assessing students for years, because they need to know what students know in order to help them understand what they do not know. Many classrooms are moving to 21st century with technology initiatives. Suggested here are three tech tools will help teachers engage students while simultaneously gauging their understanding of concepts: Kahoot!, Formative and Padlet"

Traditional methods of teaching maths have more in common with how we programme a computer that what we might do if we wanted to engage our students in mathematical thinking. We shouldn't be overly surprised then when our students consider mathematics to be all about learning a set of rules that they need to apply in the right order so as to output the correct response. But is there a better way?

Few would argue that life-long learning is a worthy goal with real benefits for our long term mental health and happiness. Engaging with new ideas, concepts and ways of doing things is the ideal strategy for a healthy mind and a disposition towards better understanding the world and challenging our entrenched beliefs.

This paper addresses the competences needed in 21st century life especially in relation to civic participation, and the educational requirements to foster them in young people. New technologies are widely used by young people for informal social interaction, video game-playing and giving voice to their views. Incorporation of these practices into the classroom has been fairly slow, despite their manifest potential for promoting agency and civic engagement. The paper argues that this is in part due to the need for a cultural shift in education to accommodate them. Currently, many competences young people will need for the future world of interactive technology and 'bottom-up' information, communication and democracy are mainly being developed through informal practices. These competences, which include adaptability, managing ambiguity, and agency are discussed in relation to civic participation. 

Designing Effective Projects : Project-Based Units to Engage Students

This post is an excerpt from the Challenge section in the book, Tuned Out: Engaging the 21st Century Learner.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) came into being on 1 January 2010. The Commonwealth Minister for Education has outlined MCEECDYA's priorities for the Institute in a Letter of Expectation. AITSL provides national leadership for the Commonwealth, state and territory governments in promoting excellence in the profession of teaching and school leadership.  

"AITSL provides national leadership for the Commonwealth, state and territory governments in promoting excellence in the profession of teaching and school leadership. AITSL has responsibility for: * rigorous national professional standards * fostering and driving high quality professional development for teachers and school leaders * working collaboratively across jurisdictions and engaging with key professional bodies. "

Australian group with teaching and leadership focus.

One of the great joys and best strategies for expanding your understanding is to engage with a great book. Fortunately the options available today are immense and electronic options and audio books make access easy and possible wherever you may be. Here is a short list of what I have been reading lately with some brief reflections.