Group items tagged

From iPad Apps for School: "Marble Math is a fun mathematics game for kids to play on their iPads. The game has students practice basic multiplication problems through a maze layout. Students are given multiplication problems to solve by rolling their marbles through mazes that contain the correct answers. Students have to avoid the incorrect answers while moving their marbles toward the correct answers. Some of the mazes contain additional obstacles to avoid while searching for the correct answer. Students earn points for each maze they solve. When they reach 2,000 points (ten-fifteen correctly solved mazes) students earn a new marble."

iPad Apps for School review & additional info: http://ipadapps4school.com/2013/01/07/marble-math-offers-a-fun-way-to-practice-math-on-ipads/

Abstract: "Driver distraction is a significant source of motor-vehicle accidents. This chapter begins by presenting a framework for conceptualizing the different sources of driver distraction associated with multitasking. Thereafter, the primary focus is on cognitive sources of distraction stemming from the use of a cell phone while driving. We present converging evidence establishing that concurrent cell phone use significantly increases the risk of a motor-vehicle accident. Next, we show that using a cell phone induces a form of inattention blindness, where drivers fail to notice information directly in their line of sight. Whereas cell-phone use increases the crash risk, we show that passenger conversations do not. We also show that real-world cell-phone interference cannot be practiced away and conclude by considering individual differences in multitasking ability. Although the vast majority of individuals cannot perform this dual-task combination without impairment, a small group of "supertaskers" can, and we discuss the neural regions that support this ability."

Study found that most people multitask poorly, while a few people might be "supertaskers." Abstract: "Driver distraction is a significant source of motor-vehicle accidents.... concurrent cell phone use significantly increases the risk of a motor-vehicle accident.... using a cell phone induces a form of inattention blindness, where drivers fail to notice information directly in their line of sight.... real-world cell-phone interference cannot be practiced away.... a small group of "supertaskers" can [multitask]."

"By working together on problem sets in math and sharing their perspectives in roundtable discussions in English, students at The College Preparatory School are making collaboration the driving force in their learning." Some great examples of collaboration -- both in practice and theory.

From the site: "We must first focus on creating the engagement and then look at structures, like the flipped classroom, that can support. So educators, here are some things to think about and consider if you are thinking about or already using the flipped classroom model."

From the site: "Adobe Youth Voices Essentials provides free curricula and tools for educators to inspire young people to create digital media on issues they care about. Based on the best practices of educators from around the world, our curricula promotes youth expression, creativity, and engagement, helping young people build critical 21st century technology and life skills."

From MathFlix's homepage: "1000 FREE instructional math movies covering a wide range of math concepts including Number & Operations, Algebra, Measurement, Geometry, Data Analysis & Probability, Connections and Technology. In addition to MathFLIX's valuable video resources, the site also features 400 downloadable worksheets that reinforce concepts and provide valuable practice." Videos are created by Loyola University Chicago School of Education and "NCTM (National Council for Teachers of Mathematics) Standards."

An excellent article by former teacher and neurologist Judy Willis about how our brains learn that also includes several practice strategies teachers can implement into their instruction to promote engagement and "deeper learning." From the article: "You don't mean to bore students. In fact, sometimes you're downright interesting-the students are engaged, the buzz in the room is palpable, and even the hesitant students are asking questions. But the fact of the matter is, even the most charismatic and experienced teachers bore students sometimes. But the good news is, it may not be your fault. Judy Willis explains the neuroscience behind it all, and offers some simply tricks to help mitigate the reality that you and your content are instinctively low on a student's neuro totem pole. "

Click the link below for additional resources and to learn more about Judy Willis: http://www.radteach.com/

Short, informative, and easy read about how to promote successful online discussions in the classroom. Also has good ideas about how to get students to practice writing/reflecting in an informal way.

Un-peer-reviewed / un-published research, but potentially interesting as support of the U Utah study. Summary: "What we found is on average most people perform better when focusing on one single task," said Ms. Ulmer. "But this one group of people-the high media multitaskers-performed best when they are in a multitasking environment. The high media multitaskers actually excelled in the multitasking room."

A great explanation of the power of blended learning, whether or not you think Khan's Academy is the pinnacle of the practice. "Educational technology pioneer Salman Khan maps how online learning tools can help physical classrooms evolve to become hubs for creativity and hands-on experiences, and how Khan Academy and the Discovery Lab summer camp fit into that big picture."

Very quick and easy read about iPad "best practices" for learning. Talks about how to successfully use the iPad for learning and elaborates on a variety of effective apps. Useful for all subject/content areas.

From Ubersense: "Ubersense is the best mobile app for iPad, iPhone, and iTouch that helps athletes and coaches raise their game, using video and collaboration." Brian Carver's CuTE Documentation (including sample video from swim team practice!): https://docs.google.com/a/riverdale.edu/document/d/1jtjSyJ7WLdeNRHfxqo1ViqahngtEZfVUhSVpX_fwWFU/edit

Video summary of the 2009 study.

APA's 2006 summary of numerous research papers finds (1) humans are not able to multitask and (2) multitasking reduces efficiency. Their conclusion: avoid multitasking on complex tasks. Excerpt "Although switch costs may be relatively small, sometimes just a few tenths of a second per switch, they can add up to large amounts when people switch repeatedly back and forth between tasks. Thus, multitasking may seem efficient on the surface but may actually take more time in the end and involve more error. Meyer has said that even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone's productive time."

Excerpt: "They found that heavy multitaskers-those who multitask a lot and feel that it boosts their performance-were actually worse at multitasking than those who like to do a single thing at a time. The frequent multitaskers performed worse because they had more trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information, and they were slower at switching from one task to another."

Stanford's summary of their 2009 study. Excerpt: "Again, the heavy multitaskers underperformed the light multitaskers. "They couldn't help thinking about the task they weren't doing," Ophir said. "The high multitaskers are always drawing from all the information in front of them. They can't keep things separate in their minds." The researchers are still studying whether chronic media multitaskers are born with an inability to concentrate or are damaging their cognitive control by willingly taking in so much at once. But they're convinced the minds of multitaskers are not working as well as they could."

Excerpt: "A recent happiness study from Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert found that the more our minds wander, the less happy we are.... In short, being mentally "present" and focused on the task at hand really does matter - quite a lot, in fact."