Skip to main content

Home/ technology in education PK-20/ Group items tagged textbook

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Filter: All | Bookmarks | Topics Simple Middle
cinthia_sierra

4 Tips for Getting to Know the Blended Instructional Model | Edutopia - 10 views

www.edutopia.org/...-blended-learning-victor-small

blendedlearning blended edtech technology classroom

shared by cinthia_sierra on 14 Jun 14 - No Cached
  • this same technology is banned from our schools to prevent students from using it inappropriately
    • Cynthia Rios
      Cynthia Rios on 14 Jun 14
       
      There are still many schools and districts with a strict no electronics policy.  What can you do in order for your students to be able to use their electronics in your classroom?
    • cinthia_sierra
      cinthia_sierra on 15 Jun 14
       
      Recently, our Dean of Instruction mentioned she wanted to post posters emphasizing the use of cellphones for the purpose of learning. I think this is a great idea since they are easily accessible and allow students to gather information much quicker than having to wait till they get home or making a trip to the library. I can be a responsible moderator and observer who ensures the proper use of these electronics in order to enhance learning rather than hinder it.
    • Sean Getchell
      Sean Getchell on 15 Jun 14
       
      I can't imagine that in this day and age they would still try and have a "no electronics" policy. I think most progressive schools would understand that electronics will be there whether they like it or not, so they might as well try to focus students on using them to accentuate their learning experience. If I were a student in a classroom, I would try a modified bring your own device (BYOD) to class. Whether it was a cell phone, tablet, or laptop (okay, maybe not a laptop, but definitely some of the smaller devices), and show them how it could be used to improve their learning (and collaborative) experience. I know it would take some time and understanding to get the students to use the devices responsibly, but nothing worth it is ever easy in my experience.
    • natalie_cepeda
      natalie_cepeda on 16 Jun 14
       
      In the campus I am in, the librarian hosts a training session for the BYOD program. It is highly encouraged for students to bring their devices. This year since it was my first year, I did not want to take too much on, but this coming year I am definitely taking on the BYOD Program to help students use their electronics in my classroom for Web 2.0 tools like Discussion Boards.
    • noramedrano
      noramedrano on 16 Jun 14
       
      At the campus I currently work there is no electronics allowed. I would like for students to be allowed to bring their electronic or given an electronic such as an iPad for learning purposes. Students can do many things with electronics, such as reviewing a specific area that needs improvement on a web 2.0 tool.
    • hillaryparrish
      hillaryparrish on 16 Jun 14
       
      At my campus (a PK-12 campus), electronics my be used before the first bell rings. During class, they may be used at teacher discretion. However, this has been abused because I have had parents say to me that their child was posting to Facebook during a specific class period daily. Of course, the child could be going to the restroom or somewhere else on campus to do this, but sometimes the privilege does get abused. I like the idea of BYOD for learning purposes.
    • Cynthia Rios
      Cynthia Rios on 16 Jun 14
       
      It is surprising that schools still have a "no electronics" policy which is the case of my school. Now like Sean and Cinthia added, electronics are in our schools whether they are allowed or not, and we should have our students use these electronics to enhance their learning. I've caught my students taking selfies and or sending Snapchats, but I wonder if we truly engage them and use technology to its fullest potential in our classrooms will students continue to abuse BYOD?
    • crystallee530
      crystallee530 on 23 Jun 14
       
      Our school district implemented bring your own technology (BYOT) at the beginning of the 2012-2013 2nd semester. Since it began in the middle of the school year, most students and teachers were still hesitant to use personal technology in the classroom because it was unfamiliar ground. The past year I used more BYOT in the classroom with strict supervision and high expectations for following the district technology rules and restrictions.
    • Maria Ing
      Maria Ing on 03 Aug 14
       
      Our campus still has a no electronics policy. We were supposed to get bring your own device (BYOD) implemented this past year but it never happened. I think they were not happy that they couldn't secure the network to where only students and teachers would be on the network. I'm not sure what they are going to do. But I see so much potential for students being able to use their devices in the classroom. I think next year, regardless if they have the policy implemented or not, I will try to start having students using their phones in class for activities if I can't get the iPads checked out, if it's for quick electronic surveys. Most have phones now and they are on them anyway for social media and texting (under desk, in bathrooms, when my back is turned), so I may as well make them use them for educational purposes.
  • Tip #1: Kids Aren't as Tech Savvy as You Think
    • Cynthia Rios
      Cynthia Rios on 14 Jun 14
       
      This very true, although many of our students seem to be Tech Savvy, their skills when it comes to technology are mainly for entertainment and social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  I recently gave a digital literacy survey to a student partner for another course and her results were very low.  This is the link to the survey:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/21cTechPart2 How do you think your students would perform on this survey?
    • cinthia_sierra
      cinthia_sierra on 15 Jun 14
       
      I think it would be a 50/50 depending on the population. I find that most of my GT, highly involved (gaming) students, and tech junkies can figure out almost anything. But for the most part, others' abilities rely heavily on the social networking tools used to communicate but little experience is shown for Web 2.0 tools or other technological uses.
    • Sean Getchell
      Sean Getchell on 15 Jun 14
       
      I saw this firsthand last week when I was doing a presentation for a high school summer school technology course. You have most students that are able to use social media technology effortlessly; however, if you get to Web 2.0, or some of the more complex tools, and they are clueless. Now some of the more tech-savvy students can figure anything out, but I was a little disappointed by the 30/70 difference in students understanding / students overwhelmed by new technology. I definitely thought it would be the reverse...especially with all of the gamers in attendance (though to be honest, I think they were the majority of the ones that were able to keep up with some of the more complex tech).
    • Cynthia Rios
      Cynthia Rios on 16 Jun 14
       
      Cinthia, I think you are correct in adding that it depends on the population. Do you think that students' socioeconomic status has a correlation to their digital literacy?
    • rcepeda610
      rcepeda610 on 06 Jul 14
       
      Yes, I agree with Cynthia, most of the student population is pretty good with social networking and entertainment. They spend countless hours sharing, uploading, blogging, exploring that they become quite the experts. But if presented with a different task they are hesitant and have difficulties completing the task.
  • Tip #2: Be Wary of Online Textbooks and Online Classes
    • Cynthia Rios
      Cynthia Rios on 14 Jun 14
       
      If you are to pick and choose from online textbooks based on the need, what other tools can be used in a blended classroom and how can you implement them?
    • cinthia_sierra
      cinthia_sierra on 15 Jun 14
       
      Apps and websites such as Whyville, playground, etc, can improve students' learning in order to deviate from the traditional textbook teaching method.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Tip #4: Get Your Students to Communicate with Each Other
    • Cynthia Rios
      Cynthia Rios on 14 Jun 14
       
      We recently read about discussion boards.  How would you use a discussion board in your classroom or what other collaboration tools are you interested in using and how?
  • Tip #3: PowerPoint is for Planning Lessons, Not Delivering Lectures
    • Cynthia Rios
      Cynthia Rios on 14 Jun 14
       
      How does this tip go in hand with what we have read in our textbook regarding PowerPoint presentations?
    • cinthia_sierra
      cinthia_sierra on 15 Jun 14
       
      Basically, powerpoints are to be kept as a simplistic method that engages yet guides the reader without overpowering the art of your presentation.
  • 4 Tips for Getting to Know the Blended Instructional Model
  • cinthia_sierra on 15 Jun 14
     
    Tips for an effective blended classroom
  • kdauphiney on 22 Jun 14
     
    This is the issue that some tax payers have with instructional learning and online classes. They think that the student will be placed in a room in front of a computer and expected to teach themselves. They really need to get know what blended instruction looks like and what it can do to enhance learning. There perhaps need to be more model schools that allow for public study, so that they can showcase how efficient and effective this new phenomenon is and just how much more can be offered to the students with the same tax money.
myraguz

Advantages of Using Technology in the Classroom - 8 views

www.boundless.com/...logy-in-the-classroom-77-13007

shared by myraguz on 19 Jul 15 - No Cached
Gladys Suarez liked it
  • There are many benefits of technology in the classroom, especially as students are becoming increasingly digitally literate.
    • myraguz
      myraguz on 19 Jul 15
       
      Do you really think students are becoming increasingly digital literate? Or do you think this article is exaggerating with that comment? 
  • today's workforce have pushed the United States government to create guidelines, such as the Core Curriculum Content Standards, for educators to ensure that students are prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • There are many benefits of technology in the classroom, especially as students are becoming increasingly digitally literate.
  • Interactive whiteboardThe interactive whiteboard is an example of computers replacing traditional classroom technology
    • myraguz
      myraguz on 19 Jul 15
       
      Do you think educators should focus their need to teach with web 2.0 tools due to high demand of the use of technology out in the workforce field?
    • myraguz
      myraguz on 19 Jul 15
       
      Flexibility and adaptability is a great benefit when using an interactive whiteboard! What type of learners do you think will benefit from this?
    • myraguz
      myraguz on 20 Jul 15
       
      It seems that a lot of schools are using web 2.0 tools to maintain communication outside of school. Do you see this as an advantage or disadvantage?  Which Web 2.0 tool do you use for instruction or plan to use for instruction?
  • Currently, teachers utilize various Web 2.0 tools to enhance their instruction. Such tools are also being used to extend classroom communication outside of campus.
  • myraguz on 20 Jul 15
     
    https://diigo.com/07taik This article responds to the question of why students nowadays are increasingly digital literate. Students do not become digitally literate because they want to if not because they have to,the world is pushing our children to. The use of web 2.0 tools in the classroom makes it easier for the students of this generation to become digital literate. My concern is the frustration while learning the use of this tools.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • asuarez1 on 20 Jul 15
     
    I don't think that the comment is exaggerated. Students come to our classrooms with a knack for digital literacy. I think they are called digital natives for a reason. I agree that there is some level of frustration as we all learn to learn and incorporate these new tools into our curriculum. However, there is always a level of uneasiness as we venture into something new. If we are going to think and work outside of the box, then we have to expect some failures as we climb to the top!
  • myraguz on 20 Jul 15
     
    Ana, thank you for your response. I had never heard the term digital natives. I guess in technology we always have to be ready for the unexpected.
  • Joanna Villarreal on 21 Jul 15
     
    Mayra, Gladys shared an article called "What Digital Literacy Look Like in a Classroom" on the 16th. There they mention three terms: -Digital Native -Digital Immigrant -Digital Literate In regards to your question. I do not think exaggeration is the case here. I do think students are becoming increasingly digital literate because technology is being utilize more and more each day. Students are exposed to new ways of teaching using technology.
Brenda Wohlfeil

Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Nicholas Carr - The Atlantic - 8 views

www.theatlantic.com/...306868

google technology reading

shared by Brenda Wohlfeil on 17 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      The first question this article raises in my mind is...are other people feeling like this? that books and long articles are becoming too difficult to read?
    • Jose Escobedo
      Jose Escobedo on 18 Mar 14
       
      When I am sent off to training and I know I will have limited connectivity, my laptop stays in my bag. I use this time to read articles which I print out or just simply read a book. If I have connectivity, my concentration to simply read articles or a textbook would be lost because I want to get to other class assignments or simply surf the net. To me its just a mind over matter.
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 22 Mar 14
       
      After reading/working on the computer for long periods of time, I noticed I get jittery.  I was concerned about it, so I searched the internet for answers.  I came across Linda Stone's video and website.  She has studied attention, health and technology.  In the video she talks about continuous partial attention, which is a form of multi-tasking.  Ms. Stone's research has shown that we have become hyper alert to scan for every possible input and opportunity.  In another words, we don't want to miss anything.  And this puts us in an artificial state of constant crisis.  Amongst many physical changes from this artificial state, including jitteriness, our minds find it hard to focus. (Linda Stone-May I Have Your Attention Please?, http://internoobs.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/linda-stone-may-have-your-attention-please-0128197/) So I have to wonder, is it that we just don't have the patience for reading long books, or are we in an artificial state of constant crisis that makes it impossible for us to focus?
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 24 Mar 14
       
      I actually have a student this year who cannot use the computer at all because it causes seizures for her! Scary!
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      This particular quote reminds me of an Aristotle quote: "We are what we constantly do, excellence isn't an act then, but a habit." It seems that Mr Carr is mistaking habits for permanent brain changes.
  • And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      I really like this analogy of finding information online. I often feel like this and in my library, I see students seraching so rapidly that I wonder if their research is effective.
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 17 Mar 14
       
      I know that I am guilty of telling my children to "Google It" when I don't know something right away. It is quick way of getting answers to what we are not sure about. But how else would students get their information. Unless they have a set of encyclopedias, it would prove difficult to search. Long articles are more tedious to read than difficult I think. Its a matter of time that doesn't allow for reading so they are just being glanced at rather than being fully understood.
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 18 Mar 14
       
      The analogy provides an excellent mental picture of what searching online looks like in the 21st century. This analogy also reminds me of times in my library, while locating a book for a student, by the time I have tracked down the book a student can't absolutely live without they have already changed their minds on what they are interested in. Amazes me on how fast students can "switch gears," which is what (among other things) the Internet searching is creating in our student population.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Mar 14
       
      I've got mixed feelings on this. It seems counterintuitive that we should take advantage of the resources we have at hand, be it Google or some mobile device, and that we should teach our kids to do the same. How many technologies and advances in the past have changed the way we find, process, and share information? Each was met with resistance and criticism and also a bit of excitement, but eventually, they came to be seen as valuable tools for learning. While I think the same can be said of modern technologies, I do have some reservations about the concentration and scale of control companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook and the like have over society's day to day interactions. "Big data" and the way it's being used should give everyone pause, as they really boil down to refining the manipulation process. If we spent as much time teaching digital literacy and critical thinking (helping young to old be more aware of forms of manipulation, propaganda, and logical fallacies), I would be more likely to say (with some checks and balances and oversight), it's ok for these companies to provide us with goods and services specific to our needs and wants. The problem is we are witnessing both the growth of big data and the growth of technology dependence at the same time. Is technology becoming the modern day "opiate of the masses?" It just may be... More and more parents are using technology to babysit their children, enough so that pediatricians are pointing out the writing on the wall: this overuse of technology is excacerbating ADD, ADHD, childhood obeisity, and more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cris-rowan/10-reasons-why-handheld-devices-should-be-banned_b_4899218.html Personally, I have my kids complete a technology challenge every day before they're able to get on technology for gaming and entertainment (which we are now limiting to 1 hour). Most of these technology challenges involve them using technology as a creation tool, and I've got to say, it's working!
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
       
      The Net does chip away at your capacity for concentration, contemplation, and criticial thinking because we let it. The information on the Net is only that; you still have to decide if what you are reading can how water. I think it is important to approach search engines, like Google, by learning to structure a query followed by what storehouses of data we know to have veracity.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 25 Mar 14
       
      It may well be that the problems we are seeing as being created by the internet and the accessibility of information are actually caused by us as instructors and not by the medium itself. As instructors it is our job to find appropriate resources and appropriate uses for the information that is so readily available today. Through the use of Web 2.0 Technologies we need to find ways to create depth of information by inspiring our students to dig deeper and helping them in the development of their critical thinking skills.
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      While I love Mr. Carr's use of metaphor (scuba vs jet ski) this kind of argument via analogy is fallacious at best. You know what else challenges concentration and contemplation? Sports. They are just the same kind of rapid-fire informational experiences as "surfing the net" can be. No one would challenge the value of sports to a child's mind (or an adults for that matter) because it brings it's own skills and rewards. I think we confuse the situation when we try to compare un-like things.
  • It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense.
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
       
      I wonder if reading habits are changing and if this is good or bad...how will it affect students and educators?
    • Araceli Gracia
      Araceli Gracia on 17 Mar 14
       
      In the article, it mentions how texting has made it more important about being efficient and immediate which then weakens our capacity for reading. This stood out to me because this past weekend I went to help my mother send a text message. My mother does not text, she believes in the old fashion ways of speaking with people. So my 10 year old said he would help her create the text. Of course my mother wants to put capital letters, punctuation, and proper grammar. He was telling her, you don't have to do that, just put in "u" for "you". She was so shocked that he was telling her that, she was like no I have to have my name with a capital letter.
    • Merrill Redfern
      Merrill Redfern on 18 Mar 14
       
      In my experience, many students are obtaining just enough information to get by and not digging deeper into a subject where it could be meaningful. The internet provides the perfect forum for this. The "grab and go" mentality. Some would argue the amount of time placed on educators is a determining factor for teachers to "power browse" information. I believe there is some truth to that but above all, the internet has significantly changed the way we search, think, communicate, teach, plan and recall information.
    • Eric Folks
      Eric Folks on 18 Mar 14
       
      I see power browsing and recreational reading as two different activities...when I want to relax, I read (digital or print makes no difference as long as the device is light and I can adjust the brightness). When I want to stay on the cutting edge of my chosen profession, I power browse and experiement.
    • Don Martin
      Don Martin on 21 Mar 14
       
      It seems to me that the real problem may be related to something deeper. We have been told for so long by so many that we need to be good "multitaskers" that we have spent a great deal of time and energy on trying to do just that. Recent studies show that humans don't really multitask on any effective level and that when we do try to multitask our work and thought processes suffer for it. Here is a good article from Time Magazine about multitasking and its negative effects: http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174696-1,00.html
    • eeverett3
      eeverett3 on 21 Mar 14
       
      That is a great article,Don! I am glad to see that what I am yelling at my teens all the time is backed up by research! "When people try to perform two or more related tasks either at the same time or alternating rapidly between them, errors go way up, and it takes far longer--often double the time or more--to get the jobs done than if they were done sequentially, says David E. Meyer, director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan: "The toll in terms of slowdown is extremely large--amazingly so." I worry about the multitasking all the time...has anyone seen the tv show "Brain Games"? I think that really illustrates the hazards of multitasking....
    • Stephen Simon
      Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
       
      I now have better understanding of the long view of cognition and how technology impacts it. Socrates opposition to the printed word was no different than a parent restricting internet access for their children; the capacity to properly learn the learning tool, left to its own device, is largely lost.
    • Brenda Wohlfeil
      Brenda Wohlfeil on 22 Mar 14
       
      I find myself mostly power browsing on the Internet, but I find it is difficult to do much more because of the back lighting.  The back lighting easily tires my eyes. For long articles that I need to digest, I prefer printing them out to read.   Here is an article on computer vision syndrome: http://www.webmd.com/eye-health/computer-vision-syndrome Possibly future screen technology might alleviate eye fatigue. Eizo is a company that is already working on creating screens to help with eye fatigue.  Here is their latest product: http://www.eizo.com/global/library/basics/eyestrain/
    • Olivia Basham
      Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
       
      Brenda, thank you for sharing this! Eye strain and visual fatigue are really big problems for me and other persons with dyslexia.
  • eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
     
    Here is an article that discusses the use of current technology and how it may affect the brain.
  • ...5 more comments...
  • eeverett3 on 17 Mar 14
     
    I hope that everyone had a great Spring Break! Here is the article that I would like to discuss in Diigo that week. :) EE
  • lbanuelos on 17 Mar 14
     
    The article makes several points. Technology has changed how we think and measure our abilities. For example, as a computer technician, I always tell clients that I can solve their issues even if I haven't the slightest idea how to do. I just hope that someone else around the world has posted the solution on the internet. Thank you Google. So if the internet wasn't available I don't think I would feel as confident doing my job everyday.
  • Araceli Gracia on 20 Mar 14
     
    Luis, I have used You Tube so many times when trying to learn how to do something. I have even used it for this course when I need that extra tutorial. For example, if Stephen had not been kind enough to post a video on how to install Java on Screenr, I would have struggled so much more. Technology comes with the good and the bad. My older son learned to play the piano from the internet while my other son just wants to watch videos. So like everything in my life, there has to be a happy medium.
  • Don Martin on 21 Mar 14
     
    I'm inclined to believe that the problem is not with the technology but with how we adapt to it. In the past the rate of technology development has given us time to assimilate it, analyze it, and employ it. The problem with computers, the internet and all the associated electronic technology is that by the time we figure out what it is and what it is good for it's already changed. Given time we will figure out how to deal with the speed of change but in the meantime it means some struggle on our part as humans and as instructors in determining what is of value and what is not, what that value is, and how do I use it to my benefit and the benefit of my students?
  • Stephen Simon on 21 Mar 14
     
    Here is an article that discusses the use of current technology and how it may affect the brain.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Mar 14
     
    Araceli, I too use YouTube for learning how to do stuff. Just last week, I needed how to embed videos into a webpage for another project. Sure enough there was a video posted on how to do that. I believe that technology affects both the learner and the teacher. Instructors expect that students use these tools and have the ability to learn how to implement.
  • lbanuelos on 24 Mar 14
     
    Google puts tremendous amounts of data at our fingertips. This data needs to be interpreted. This is a important skill that must me taught to students. Not everything posted on the net is correct. I think this teaches students to be more critical of they read.
Fred Kaplan

What is FHSST? | FHSST: FREE HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEXTS - 0 views

www.fhsst.org

school classroom free education textbook math science

shared by Fred Kaplan on 08 Sep 10 - Cached
  • Fred Kaplan on 08 Sep 10
     
    Free (download-able) math and science PDFs originally created for schools in South Africa. I browsed the Grade 10 math chapter, and it was well-organized and concise.
Merrill Redfern

Tomorrow's Classroom (2014) - YouTube - 6 views

www.youtube.com/watch

shared by Merrill Redfern on 26 Mar 14 - No Cached
  • Merrill Redfern on 26 Mar 14
     
    This video is a great example of how technology can influence a classroom for the greater good.
  • ...12 more comments...
  • Araceli Gracia on 26 Mar 14
     
    What a powerful experience. Those students will always remember, their sharing and learning with others around the world. It makes me feel so guilty focusing so much on standardized testing, especially as it the time gets closer to test. Obviously there is so much more to a student's learning than just testing. http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/effects-standardized-tests-teachers-students-10379.html
  • lbanuelos on 27 Mar 14
     
    That must have been an amazing experience for all those involved. Collaboration on a global scale offers so many opportunities for students and educators. Teachers collaborating with students as peers. Voices and opinions are shared across continents. Instructors learning from each other through sharing ideas on what it takes to become better partners in education. That sounds like exciting stuff. Araceli, I also agree that there needs to more to education that a high score on a standardized test.
  • Merrill Redfern on 28 Mar 14
     
    I couldn't agree more about standardized testing. I saw a quote one time that stated, "teachers are required to differentiate instruction to students who need to pass a standardized test." Makes one think. Our campus is currently preparing for the Writing STAAR next week. Our 4th grade teachers are doing an awesome job at trying to keep it fun. For instance, they are calling this week Writing Boot Camp and keeping all things military. Wearing camo all week, moving up a rank each time they complete a mission (homework) and then holding a boot camp graduation (party) at the end of the week are just a few of the fun activities planned. My favorite is when they march up and down the halls chanting..... momma, momma can't you see, what 4th grade has done for me.....
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 28 Mar 14
     
    Last year, I discovered epals.com. Epals.com is a safe pen pal program via the internet for classrooms around the world. Students can email and/or Skype. The best part is that classes around the world can actually work on projects together like the one in the video. http://www.epals.com/#!/main
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 28 Mar 14
     
    Merrill, the Writing Boot Camp sounds fun. I would like to find fun ways to review math. We are at the end of our review week for the ITBS exams, and I can tell my students are burning out.
  • Merrill Redfern on 29 Mar 14
     
    Brenda - I like the idea of students connecting with other students around the world. That in it self, is an education. I hope learning about other cultures, traditions as well as completing projects together will one day be more common for students as more technology advancements fill up our schools. There are always obstacles though like the lack of money, etc. On another note, we will be preparing for our STAAR Math in a few weeks. I've been tutoring Math and have found Pinterest.com a handy site for math games. http://www.pinterest.com/tlsafran/math-review-games/
  • Jose Escobedo on 30 Mar 14
     
    Talk about thinking outside the box for this teacher. I can imagine the enthusiasm those students felt everyday they interacted with each other.
  • eeverett3 on 30 Mar 14
     
    I enjoyed the video and particularly the teacher' purpose...connecting lessons to real world applications!
  • Brenda Wohlfeil on 30 Mar 14
     
    Merrill, thank you for the link.
  • Araceli Gracia on 30 Mar 14
     
    Merrill, I love that idea of Writing Boot Camp. This gives the students a nice break from the same routine of passing the STAAR and only focusing on the test. I will definitely share this idea with my grade level and with 4th grade so maybe they can incorporate something fun like this for next year. Your students are very lucky that they have teachers who care enough to keep them motivated. Thanks for sharing.
  • lbanuelos on 31 Mar 14
     
    This project will definitely keep the students interested and involved. Experiences like this enhance the learning process by expanding the classroom across continents. Students learn to solve real world problems by working together. Instructors can also share teaching strategies.
  • Eric Folks on 31 Mar 14
     
    We too use Writing Boot Camps...we've noticed a huge correlation bt student's ability to write and their performance on other subject-area assessments, not to mention general weaknesses in writing TEKS. Each summer we do a Writing Boot Camp to help address those, and it seems to be paying off. Our scores have shown improvement!
  • Olivia Basham on 31 Mar 14
     
    Eric, we have also instituted a writing boot camp this year. We will see this weeks what the results are!
  • Jeff Blackman on 04 Apr 14
     
    Really inspiring! It's amazing to think how much more those kids are learning about world cultures from this kind of experience vs. reading about it in a textbook or listening to their teacher lecture. I love this type of learning because it hits so many different modes - doing, hearing, listening, conversing... Wish I'd had a teacher like that!
1 - 5 of 5
Showing 20▼ items per page