Group items tagged

"The first big idea is learning by doing. We all learn better when learning is part of doing something we find really interesting. We learn best of all when we use what we learn to make something we really want. The second big idea is technology as building material. If you can use technology to make things you can make a lot more interesting things. And you can learn a lot more by making them. This is especially true of digital technology: computers of all sorts including the computer-controlled Lego in our Lab. The third big idea is hard fun. We learn best and we work best if we enjoy what we are doing. But fun and enjoying doesn't mean "easy." The best fun is hard fun. Our sports heroes work very hard at getting better at their sports. The most successful carpenter enjoys doing carpentry. The successful businessman enjoys working hard at making deals. The fourth big idea is learning to learn. Many students get the idea that "the only way to learn is by being taught." This is what makes them fail in school and in life. Nobody can teach you everything you need to know. You have to take charge of your own learning. The fifth big idea is taking time - the proper time for the job. Many students at school get used to being told every five minutes or every hour: do this, then do that, now do the next thing. If someone isn't telling them what to do they get bored. Life is not like that. To do anything important you have to learn to manage time for yourself. This is the hardest lesson for many of our students. The sixth big idea is the biggest of all: you can't get it right without getting it wrong. Nothing important works the first time. The only way to get it right is to look carefully at what happened when it went wrong. To succeed you need the freedom to goof on the way. The seventh big idea is do unto ourselves what we do unto our students. We are learning all the time. We have a lot of experience of other similar projects but each one is differ

Great  tech ideas - I would add fractal art and the Fractal Foundation

"Learn how to harness students' natural curiosity to develop self-directed learners. Discover how technology allows students to take ownership of their learning, create and share learning tools, and participate in work that is meaningful to them and others. Real-life examples illustrate how every student can become a teacher and a global publisher. The embedded QR codes link to supporting websites."

"Jennifer Symington, the Leader of Pedagogy at at the All Saints Catholic Girls College in Liverpool (Sydney), Australia. Teaching 12-16 year old students geography, English, math, history, and science, Jennifer has used Schoology for two years in her integrated studies course where she blends all the aforementioned subjects. Her video is a shining example of the incredible power of technology to foster global learning."

As a visual learner this helps me "see" the link between Bloom's taxonomy and technology. May be overwhelming to some

"All I Really Need to Know (About Creative Thinking) I Learned (By Studying How Children Learn) in Kindergarten * Mitchel Resnick MIT Media Lab Cambridge, MA 02139 USA +1 617 253 9783 mres@media.mit.edu ABSTRACT This paper argues that the "kindergarten approach to learning" - characterized by a spiraling cycle of Imagine, Create, Play, Share, Reflect, and back to Imagine - is ideally suited to the needs of the 21 st century, helping learners develop the creative-thinking skills that are critical to success and satisfaction in today's society. The paper discusses strategies for designing new technologies that encourage and support kindergarten-style learning, building on the success of traditional kindergarten materials and activities, but extending to learners of all ages, helping them continue to develop as creative thinkers. "

"The new building blocks for learning in a complex world This important resource introduces a framework for 21st Century learning that maps out the skills needed to survive and thrive in a complex and connected world. 21st Century content includes the basic core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic-but also emphasizes global awareness, financial/economic literacy, and health issues. The skills fall into three categories: learning and innovations skills; digital literacy skills; and life and career skills. This book is filled with vignettes, international examples, and classroom samples that help illustrate the framework and provide an exciting view of twenty-first century teaching and learning. Explores the three main categories of 21st Century Skills: learning and innovations skills; digital literacy skills; and life and career skills Addresses timely issues such as the rapid advance of technology and increased economic competition Based on a framework developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) The book contains a DVD with video clips of classroom teaching. For more information on the book visit www.21stcenturyskillsbook.com."

Resources for SAMR

"The most important idea she covers is probably layers, which give users the ability to move images and ideas around independently, while also creating a certain depth of field "order" or sequence."

US Dept of Ed - draft report

in case you don't already know!

"e should be teaching kids not to install malware, rather than locking down machines so that it's physically impossible. We should be teaching kids to stay safe on-line rather than filtering their internet. Google and Facebook give kids money if they manage to find and exploit security vulnerabilities in their systems. In schools we exclude kids for attempting to hack our systems. Is that right?"

"Welcome to a series of posts devoted to the use of Project Based Learning. I know you will find new information… whether you are an experienced PBL user, or brand new. In this post I address the concept of "Driving Questions" I know it is a read you will enjoy and share. I have even included some amazing links including some to the BUCK Institute (BIE). They are the international leader in promoting PBL. "

Great resource for using TED Talks in the classroom. See other video flips, or create your own.

My favorite online dictionary. Wordnik pulls in a lot of examples, including live Twitter feeds.

I think there's a lot of value in the way the article approaches "why tech doesn't work as pedagogy." What I worry about is that there's a real danger of an either/or approach. Sometimes people need training, and we know that not all people can figure things out alone. Some need step-by-step instruction for technology that seems easy if you have certain aptitudes. It's all well and good to focus on the learning, but if you can't work the gizmo, you're not going to be facilitating much learning. This is aggravated when the tool is a communication channel, and you can't send the messages that need to be sent (e.g. Haiku and assignments, attendance, notes on grades, etc.)