Quite interesting.
Some of my favorites --
#3 computers - or more likely "What our concept of a computer is." It might be a phone, a notebook, a TV, DVR, and mp3 player all rolled into one small handheld device.
#5 The Role of Standardized Tests in College Admissions.
The AP Exam is on its last legs. The SAT isn’t far behind. Over the next ten years, we will see Digital Portfolios replace test scores as the #1 factor in college admissions.
# 6 Differentiated Instruction as a Sign of Distinguished Teaching
I hope this will become the norm. Technology will only help this.
#7 Fear of Wikipedia
This article says it all -
Wikipedia is the greatest democratizing force in the world right now. If you are afraid of letting your students peruse it, it’s time you get over yourself.
#13 Education Organized by Grades
I like this idea too. Have kids? If you do, then you know very well they learn and grow at different ages. One size does not fit all. Why we lump kids together via age and grade mystifies me. We don't do it in athletics or music or theater. And we sure don't do it in the workplace.
So why in school?
#15 Paid/Outsourced Professional Development
Amen to this --
No one knows your school as well as you. With the power of a PLN (professional learing networks) in their back pockets, teachers will rise up to replace peripatetic professional development gurus as the source of schoolwide professional development programs. This is already happening.
Now this list will miss on as many things as it hits, but it's interesting to thing about.
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Now with a title like this, Why Your Kids Hate Math, how could you not want to read this article?
It ties in well with #13 in the article above. This column is an op-ed piece written by a remedial summer-school teacher who has to reteach a lot of basic math. His argument is that because of high-stakes testing we push math onto kids who aren't ready for that level of math yet, but according to their grade level, they should be.
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Lectures For Content Delivery Are Dead
The author makes a good point -
When content is free, open, and accessible to all then we need to rethink what lectures should be used for and delivering content or knowledge is not a good use. Let kids go find the content....what we need to use the lecture for is to inspire them to go learn the content, create understanding, and apply that new knowledge to other areas.
I like this point that the author brings up - he tells his audience that if they get bored and are off track, he gives them a list of appropriate or supplementary sites where they can go and be off task appropriately.
Off task appropriately? Now that sounds interesting.
I'm going to implement this and design a list to put up on my board.
Just imagine how much fun this could be if we eventually go to a 1:1 system!
The author makes this excellent point about why he gives his audience a list of appropriate ways to be off task: If I can't hold their attention that's my fault as a teacher not their fault as a learner.
Is that right? We are quick to blame students for not paying attention but to be fair if I'm in a boring lecture I don't care how old I am I'm not paying attention. Is that my fault as a student or the teacher's fault? I believe that's my fault as a teacher. You might disagree but I'll own it that if my class is boring that's on me.
Here are some tips on how to keep your audience interested
1. Inspire them
2. Tell them personal stores
3. Push an idea to challenge or engage them
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I love this quote
And it's so true for teaching too.
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This would be awesome! A Calvin and Hobbes documentary. Too goo to be true.
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Here is a great site to find out the latest from John Merrow's most excellent Learning Matters team.
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And, finally, 10 Life Skills You Can Learn From Youtube.
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