Web 2.0: Enhancing Education Through Technology

This article showcases a virtual cultural exchange program between a school in New York and China. The students use web 2.0 tools to collabaroate and learn from each other in what could be a new wave of cultural exchange programs.

Our school was part of the NetGeneration of Youth program and we had a cultural exchange with two sister schools, one in LA and the other in Uganda. The students communicated over Ning and Skype and they collaborated during two celebrations "parties with a purpose" which allowed for a sharing of menus, music, and stories. The culminating project was a student/teacher exchange for three weeks in each country.

This article is an intersting take on how two teachers at Burlington High School in MA are on a mission to integrate technology into the curriculum. It's not directly related to creativity, however, I feel that these two teachers are taking a very creative approach in how they want their students to learn.

This is but the first few paragraphs of an article describing the use of collaborative methods and technologies in the classroom. It compares what goes on in a collaborative classroom to that in a creative business. To bad one has to either buy the article or subscribe to read it all.

The original link, found in the vhs newsstand, is essentially a bookmark. I post the destination URL here. This site teaches the skill of observation and that of reading for comprehension. I would use it for small group collaborative work at problem solving.

Developing these skills requires students to debate, write and master structured argument, the very activities that middle and high school teachers say they must abandon to respond to the demands of minimum-standards, test-driven curriculums. But such demands are smothering education.

Merlot is a CA university site with open source materials. I found it interesting since the topic was the subject matter that I teach.

Start your own school internet radio station.

This is so cool and something that never crossed my mind as being available. Just goes to show we have no idea what is around the corner. I was on the radio station at school and had to drive to Boston to take a test with the FCC to get a broadcasting license, which I almost lost a couple of times for not following FCC rules to the letter. I wonder how that all works now?

I would use this tool to collaborate with students on a topic.

In order to give and receive information, it is essential to be aware of your openness to communication. Understanding the others in your "conversation" is the first step towards choosing media that will keep them engaged. A true-false quiz is linked to the post.

In this study of collaborative learning, the researchers distinguish between the effects of group study on two categories of questions. On the test administered after the study period, the scores on the "critical-thinking" questions showed a significant difference between students learning individually and students learning collaboratively. The scores on "drill-and practice" items (factual information) did not.

Studying together pays!

Project-based learning can increase test scores, however if it is not implemented properly they can drop by half as much. This type of learning helps students reach higher order of thinking as well as critical thinking and cognitive skills through application

Schools are giving students access to technology, such as Study Island, via their home internet connections. Students are able to keep up on skills, review, and continue working with education resources even when school is not in session.

The Amazing Mathematical Object Factory gives verbal and visual examples to help explain discrete mathematics and combinatorial objects (whatever *they* are). It offers creative scenarios and exercises to help abstract concepts become more accessible to younger learners. Includes links to various, creative, math sites.

A teacher explains how she uses creative inspiration and blogging technology to help students achieve better writing results.

Video solutions of math problems from Basic Mathematics, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus. Most problems have four different video solutions, each done by a different person (most of them also have one in spanish).

This is a collection of movie clips in which Mathematics appears

Facebook in the classroom

This article describes the use of social media for communication following the east Japan earthquake. In a social studies classroom this could prompt a number of discussions about the usefulness of social media in terms of news or communication during emergencies. After all, many students learn about news from social media rather than traditional news reports or newspapers. It could also prompt some interesting comparisons between communication in earlier times and in our own...and the impact instant news or communication has on society.

Economics podcasts for daily life. Hosted by Russ Roberts.

exciting exploration of Tolkien's stories