Group items tagged

What impact is digital interactive technology having on education? And what will the classroom of the future look like? These are just some of the questions that were raised at the 2010 Australian Council for Computer Education conference.

Fortunately there are a number of free tools that do these things and they are available for use on any technology platform as they require nothing more than access to the internet. Recently Eric Sheninger used a set of these tools to give his audience at the Hawker Brownlow Conference on Thinking and Learning in Melbourne a voice.

"While some education conferences are genuinely inspiring, others serve mostly to demonstrate how even intelligent educators can be remarkably credulous, nodding agreeably at descriptions of programs that ought to elicit fury or laughter, avidly copying down hollow phrases from a consultant's PowerPoint presentation, awed by anything that's borrowed from the business world or involves digital technology. Many companies and consultants thrive on this credulity, and also on teachers' isolation, fatalism, and fear (of demands by clueless officials to raise test scores at any cost). With a good dose of critical thinking and courage, a willingness to say "This is bad for kids and we won't have any part of it," we could drive these outfits out of business -- and begin to take back our schools."

"While attending this particular workshop I was, at first, contemplating how I could utilize this tool as an administrator. As those thoughts wandered, the instructor repeatedly said the words "expand the walls of the classroom". That caught my attention and then I had no problem envisioning how the teachers I worked with could utilize a wiki to do just that."

Making the most of Maker Spaces and STEAM will require professional development and a new mindset for all learners. 

In technology circles the importance of the 'platform' is important and well understood. The companies that have had the most success in recent times are those that have become the platforms upon which great ideas are built. But what would it look like if a school imagined itself as a 'platform' in this model?

An online library of free videos for learners everywhere - find resources to help you learn

Quick post on the similarities between game-based learning and PBL. Features brilliant Commoncraft video on PBL.

Recently many of our Year Six students have been involved in projects that require them to utilise the brain of a maker. Facing challenges involving the exploration of how everyday objects are manufactured and while responding to their 'Genius Hour' ambitions they are facing a new set of problems and discovering the joy that comes from solving these with their hands as much as their brains.

A common question is how do we facilitate the development of independent, self-regulating learners. With an increased focus on the development of dispositional models for learning where the skills and mindset of the learner are crucial, how do we ensure that our learners move from requiring external regulation to a model of internal regulation?  

A post from a public school principal who is doing just that. On May 19th New Milford High School Principal Eric Sheninger will explain how to move from banning to embracing technology and social media.

Recently I have been diving into the world of Assessment, seeking to better understand how we might design effective processes around this essential phase of the learning cycle. In doing so I have found a wealth of resources and quality reads that offer insights and strategies to be applied into our classrooms. Here then is a sampling of what I have been reading. 

From another Diigo site. This blog is great. Has links to other specific learning styles also.

Tourism is a people industry worth $6billion annually to Australia's economy. Rather than ask distance education students to write essays and forum posts, Robyn Alderton and her team at NSW TAFE WIT decided to create real opportunities for students to role play in a virtual resort. Here is her video report on her Australian Flexible Learning Framework Project.