Group items tagged

This blog discusses the importance of PLNs and counters the PD argument that so often arises when teachers are asked to learn a new skill. It also provides concrete examples of how to use Twitter.

Social media can be a wonderful way to generate student engagement in learning, but still must be introduced in a way that will excite students to participate.

apps for special needs/ classroom use sorted by type. A great resource!

Discussing how the videos used by The Khan Academy have allowed teachers to "flip" their classroom, providing more time for teacher/student interaction and allowing students to learn concepts at their own pace.

1. Digital Delivery 2. Interest Driven 3. 21st Century Skills Thin article, but good conversation starter. Ideal for use in a text-based protocol.

This article explores the idea that it is more important to teach the thinking behind technology than it is to simply use expensive technology in the classroom. The article supports the idea that technology can be used to get kids communicating in creative ways, and it can help to get them actively engaged in lessons.

This teacher makes a really strong argument that you should not feel that you have nothing important to say. This is the way to make some strong networked relationships. I like her quote "This has led to many great conversations with other educators about teaching issues." Blogging has connected her to peers throughout the world. I find that being an online educator is lonely so this may be the way to go to share resources and to discuss with others that share our online world.

I really enjoyed reading this article because I'm feeling the same excitement as the author did when she first began blogging. While I'm just learning how to "officially" blog, I have been using Edmodo with my students as a way to connect with my students outside my classroom. It allows us to communicate and ask questions to one another outside of normal school hours, yet in a more structured classroom like forum, unlike Facebook. But because it works similar to Facebook, the students love it and don't mind logging on and doing their assignments. One day when I was out sick, I was able to log on an have real time discussions with my students. If they had questions about the assignment they were able to ask. They can also turn in their assignments via Edmodo instead of waiting for the next day/week. My feelings are if the students are into it, then it's something we need to be doing as well to keep up with them. Teachers who use Web 2.0 tools such as blogging have an advantage over those that don't because these are the social networks that students know and are familiar with. Also, the author of this article points out the fact that teachers have a new way of connecting to each other and share ideas. From what I remember when I was younger, the traditional teacher's only way of communicating and sharing ideas or concerns with other teachers were via phone or before/after school meetings. I don't know how often that actually happened, but now with blogging you can share your information any time with any body.

Before giving students internet access, there must be safety training for teachers and students.

Taking the necessity of a syllabus and applying it with even more detail for an online class.

Canadian site. Tons of info here on media literacy, e.g. "Media Literacy: What is it? Why teach it?", lots of instructional and resource ideas.

I like how this site has options for many age ranges.

This post reviews a digital resources that could be used to assess students prior to or during a lesson.  

The pedagogical value and the challenges of integrating student blogging into your teaching is a recurring topic on ProfHacker. Some of our earliest posts dealt with student blogging, and we have revisited the issue frequently. Most recently, Jeff and Julie wrote about that age-old question-How are you going to grade this?-when it comes to evaluating classroom blogs.

Exactly as the title suggests- A rubric for evaluating Student bolgs

Blogger Raleigh Werberger, a high school history and humanities teacher, describes a PBL unit that flipped a class from 'just good enough' to creating a working business model and seeking funds to launch a startup. The creative approach to teaching students on multiple levels, including how to market a start-up, and how to make sure students have genuine vested interest in success shows a great way for students to be engaged in their own learning. As the article points out, "[Students'] social media use took on more significance and had a more authentic stake for them, as students began communicating with web journals and community organizations to expand their online presence and gain 'endorsements' for their products." This is a great way to bring students together for a project that demonstrates real life lessons.

Good article on teaching students how to be decent digital citizens. Emphasis on parental involvement too. I found this interesting as we struggle with the admin's decision to ban mobile devices in the middle school. This article gives helpful advice on communicating with students on how to monitor and use the devices appropriately and safely.

Collaboration is key to establishing an effective learning environment. The teacher and the students share the responsibility of creating an environment where optimal learning can take place. Students are often unaware how their behaviors do or don't contribute to learning. Teachers may not be aware how they need to modify their own behavior to meet their students' needs. Teachers and students need to work together in identifying the characteristics of an effective learning environment and then in making their shared vision of the classroom a reality.