The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 18, 2012
'President Obama believes “The quality of math and science teachers is the most important single factor influencing whether students will succeed or fail in science, technology, engineering and math.” The problem is that our “quality” teachers and their administrators are not given the freedom to support children in ways that will produce the scientists and innovators our country needs.
STEMx
JULY 17, 2012
Ever wanted to take a spin in Google’s self-driving car? Your chance to realize that dream has never been better, thanks to the Udacity High School Challenge Brought to you by Battelle. From now until August 26th, hundreds of teams led by high school students are competing to complete as many Udacity courses as possible. Team leaders from the top five teams will win a trip to Silicon Valley and get to drive the self-driving car!
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CTE Learning
NOVEMBER 1, 2012
Retirement Announcements November 2012 – Desktop Versions of ISL Courses are proud to announce their retirement date. ISL Courses listed below are due to retire as of November 2012. In 2011 ISL began releasing the new 4.x online versions of their courses. These new award winning versions are not only more engaging and interactive than the earlier 1.0 – 3.x version, but easier for the educator to deploy.
Technology Tidbits
JUNE 11, 2012
Keyboarding or Typing is one the first and most vital skills for students to learn for technology literacy. This skill is the building block for using a computer and one that starts as early KDG if not sooner. Also, this is a nice skill/unit to teach in using "centers or blocks", free time, or even summer school. *This list is in alphabetical order 10 Sites for Keyboarding/Typing ABCya - A fun site/app for kids trying to learn how to type in games such as: Alpha Munchies, Cup Stack Typing, and J
Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape
The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 7, 2012
'" I hate school, but I love learning. " That is what high school student and author of the book One Size Does Not Fit All , Nikhil Goyal, recently posted on his Facebook timeline. What followed were 99 comments. Many from peers deeply invested in and trained by the system to believe you need school to get an education. They represent those who have accepted and/or know nothing else but this new and narrow system that our corporate reformers and politicians have created for us.
STEM Education Central brings together the best content for STEM education professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Innovative Educator
OCTOBER 29, 2012
'We often hear complaints about what students say and do online, but we often neglect to look into educators helping them manage their online reputation. This infographic is geared toward adults, but it can serve as a great starting point for conversations and activities that educators can engage in with students to help them to establish an active digital footprint that represents who they want to be perceived as online.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 8, 2012
'Music lessons offer children many benefits including aiding mental, physical, emotional and social development. Does your child’s school support this? If not, you may want to share the following benefits of learning to play music. Boosting Brain Power - Taking lessons to learn to play an instrument significantly improves brain power. Research from the University of Kansas suggests that learning at a young age will have an impact on a child’s cognitive skills as they grow older.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 18, 2012
'I have the good fortune to be able to call Deven Black a colleague and friend who has never disappointed when it comes to stretching my thinking. Deven helps me become smarter and look at things in new ways. Every time Deven and I communicate, I''m always surprised by some other amazing accomplishment of his that he mentions in passing. As I was writing my Teens Guide to Opting Out of School for Success , Deven mentioned he was one such teen and he agreed to contribute to my guide.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 24, 2012
'Guest post by Ed J. Komperda, III | Originally posted and shared with hundreds on Facebook "What did you do in school today?" "Nothing." Ah….the generic response of children when confronted upon their parents arrival home from work. No need to press the issue. As a 15-year veteran public school teacher, I'll share the 411 from an insider's perspective -- with a well-deserved angle of candidness and transparency for parents and tax payers.
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Mathematics, a subject steeped in abstract concepts, often poses challenges to students, especially those in grades 5-10. But imagine a bridge that transformed this intricate maze into an interactive adventure.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 16, 2012
'Guest pos t by Alexandria Potter Is college easy? I have heard that it is not and I can believe that. So you may be interested to know why I refer to going to college as “the easy way out." Let's start with a Q&A. Question : How many people do we know that go to college and don’t know What they want to major in What they want to do in life What other options are available Answer : I want more ».
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 11, 2012
'I don’t like the Flipped Classroom approach because its foundation is in flipping lectures from classwork to homework. There are two problems with that. Lecture Lecture is not the most effective method for learning and, Homework Not only should families not be forced to bring school into the home, but there is a growing body of research shared by education thought-leaders like Alfie Kohn , Peter Dewitt , Ira Socal , and Joe Bower that says there’s little to no benefit in doing so.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 1, 2012
'Guest post from diana laufenberg | Cross posted at Living the Dream Editor's note: Group work can suck because teachers sometimes do a poor job of giving credit where credit is due. Innovative educator Diana Laufenberg has some thoughts on how to make group work better. I will be working with a group of roughly 65 professors at West Chester University.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 15, 2012
'Imagine if students were as motivated to do their schoolwork as they are to beat Halo 4. “Gamification” is a fancy word to describe how to achieve exactly that - bringing game-like engagement to non-game settings - and it’s beginning to pervade all aspects of life, including education. For example, Sam Webster, a 4th grade teacher, gamified her class using a teacher-created project called SuperFunner.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 29, 2012
'You might be surprised that when Anthony Salcito , VP of education for Microsoft speaks with educators around the world and asks them who’s doing a 1:1 laptop program or 1:1 tablet program or 1:1 interactive whiteboard program, he tells those with their hands up : “Stop doing that.” He explains that he’s seen whole initiatives centered around various devices to the point that many other useful tools and pedagogy are thrown out the window so the device-driven initiative can be supported.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 27, 2012
'Guest post by David Bernstein I’m relatively new to the battle for wholesale educational change, but have fast learned that fighting for a different school model while parenting kids who go to fairly traditional schools requires a tortuous mental balancing act. On the one hand, I’m agitating for change to a badly broken education system, and on the other, I’ve got to make sure that my own alternative-learning-style kids come out of the school system in one piece.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 8, 2012
'According to a recent article in Reuters , my former boss John White is disrupting traditional schooling with a model that I like because it puts students first and gives them MANY more choices and flexibility beyond the traditional walls of the school or classroom where so many students are currently trapped today. The model is being implemented in a handful of states and allows students to build a custom curriculum by selecting from hundreds (now, maybe thousands later) of classes offered b
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 2, 2012
'Learning is increasingly online and mobile, anytime and anywhere. It happens by watching a video or reading an article, then sharing it, then discussing it with peers; it happens by searching, and sorting through the results to discern truth from fiction and then form your own beliefs; it happens when you pull out your mobile device to read the news while you’re waiting for your lunch.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 4, 2012
'Elementary school teachers Pauline Roberts and Rick Joseph know that the best place to make a real-world difference is, well, in the world. So when their students set out to do just that, they let them. Their students wanted to tackle the issue of sustainability and their strategy was to educate and encourage businesses in the community to be a part of the solution.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 30, 2012
'When it comes to education, it seems no matter where in the world you are from, the same innovative practices bring us together. This week at Microsoft’s Partners in Learning Global Forum hundreds of educators from more than 80 countries came together to showcase, learn, discuss and think about innovative teaching, learning, and leading practices. Take a look below to see what was hot around the globe and think about how you might tackle one or some of these where you work in the New Year.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 1, 2012
'When the second grade students in Courtney Woods class were studying places tourists like to visit, they wondered how they could get more people to visit their small Canadian town of Bathurst. Their teacher knew this was a great idea and discussed with the class the importance of sustainable tourism. The class decided they wanted to help Bathurst become more of a tourist attraction and do so in part by connecting to the larger world so more people would know to come to their great home.
The Innovative Educator
OCTOBER 30, 2012
'Students interact with music, video, apps, social media and other digital content each day, but do they understand the rules that govern this content? To help teachers with this increasingly relevant topic, Microsoft has released a free curriculum that addresses digital citizenship, intellectual property rights, and creative content rights. The Digital Citizenship and Creative Content program is aimed at secondary students and offers cross-curricular classroom activities that align with the Am
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 9, 2012
'I play volleyball with a public school teacher who is the kind of teacher any parent would want for their children. She is a wonderful role model. She is passionate, dedicated, devoted, and always trying to come up with creative ways for her students to learn. For example she recently invited her students take the Myers Briggs test as an interesting way to think about the career they want for their future and she started a Facebook group to connect her alumnae students with current students to
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 30, 2012
'Here are my predictions for the five most popular technology solutions we’ll begin seeing more of in 2013. 1) Lifting the ban Policymakers will stop banning and start embracing the use of cell phones and other student-owned digital devices in school. This will help provide equity and access to students using the tools they use in life and need for success in the world. 2) Customizing learning with digital lectures and learning resources Innovative educators will realize that instruction can be
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 23, 2012
'Editor’s note: I believe technology can be used as a tool of engagement, empowerment, and creation but there are also educators who believe that technology can get in the way of learning. In this post, guest blogger Rod Baird shares some cautions to consider when using technology. Take a look and if you are so inspired, comment with your thoughts. Guest Post by Rod Baird At New Canaan High School students are not banned from using tech or blocked from sites.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 20, 2012
'High school math teacher Crystal Kirch used her blog to ask for help with her biggest struggle this year: "My students don't know how to learn. They don't know how to succeed. And, it doesn't seem like they care to change any of that. " After reading about her struggle, some innovative educators and parents disagreed with her view toward students and took the time to respectfully disagree with Ms.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 25, 2012
'By Lisa Nielsen and Willyn Webb | Cross posted at the Teaching Generation Text blog Talk about progress. Just a year ago Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning , hit the market during a time when most schools still viewed cell phones as the enemy. For many they were simply a device that caused discipline issues and were viewed as a distraction and a cheating tool.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 11, 2012
'While some educators see cell phones and digital devices as distractions and sources of attention deficit, others say these are wonderful, undervalued teaching tools. Do we need to suppress the use of cell phones in classrooms or bring today''s teachers up to speed on how to teach with this new tool? Listen as Rae Pica hosts a conversation on BAM Radio’s Educator’s Channel where " Cell Phones in the Classroom " author Liz Kolb and I take on Greg Graham author of Cell Phones in Classrooms?
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 13, 2012
'When it comes to innovative educators it’s not unusual to spend a lot of time on social media—reading, watching, sharing, learning, connecting, and creating. The articles you read, comments you make, and ideas you share on social platforms like Twitter tell a compelling story of your knowledge and interests. However, right now all of that work is undocumented.
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 7, 2012
'Created to ignite interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), The Verizon Innovative App Challenge opens student''s eyes to exciting new possibilities for their futures, opening doors they may never have known were there. The Challenge is a collaborative competition that offers $10,000 grants and Samsung Galaxy Tabs for winning secondary schools and students.
The Innovative Educator
DECEMBER 12, 2012
'Do you think you need consent to use a student's photo? Innovative educators use digital resources such as social media and other online spaces with students, so it’s important that they know when it is necessary to notify students and families when their information is shared and when consent is needed. “Many parents, teachers, and school personnel are convinced that the release of names, addresses, or phone numbers is “against the law,” a firmly held belief which has circulated so widel
The Innovative Educator
NOVEMBER 5, 2012
'Innovative educators who experienced Hurricane Sandy this past week turned to Twitter to communicate, connect, and share information. Here are some ways Twitter was used as a resource. Teacher Account - A teacher can have an account to stay in touch with students. If the teacher has a webpage or blog she can embed her Tweets there. “ ?@franasaur : Power is back on at the iSchool!
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