Posts by Guest Author
3 Lessons on Faculty Development from an Education Innovator
Oregon State University went from not offering formal tech support to its faculty to having the director of its faculty tech training program named one of this year’s top 50 innovators in education. What can we learn from the success of OSU’s program?
7 Steps to Flipped Professional Development
Arriving home from San Diego and having just attended the ISTE (International Society of Technology in Education) conference I was scheduled to facilitate an all-day professional development for our district. I was excited to share as much of the conference as possible in a day without overwhelming everyone.
10 Exam Studying Tips For the 21st Century Learner
Studying for an exam is not exactly the most exciting time in a student’s life, but it is a great excuse for gadget-loving 21st century teenagers to combine work and play. There is no “right” way to study and it is important that you study in a manner that suits your individual needs. Take advantage of the incredible technology available to today’s society and pass your exam with flying colors with this step-by-step guide.
8 Educational Apps for Homeschooling
Homeschooling your children can sometimes be difficult, but as with everything, there is an app for that. There are a ton of educational smartphone apps that are on the market these days. The subjects of these apps can range anywhere from history to math or even to physics. If you are looking to change up your children's lesson plan or even need something extra help to make learning fun, try using an app to help get the information across.
When Blended Learning Becomes Calvinball
So, it took me a while to write this because I was waiting for the right words to come to me. I’ve had the topic for a while – it was just the vocabulary that was not coming. This past weekend, the authors of this blog were featured on the State of Tech podcast (you can download it from iTunes or online at thestateoftech.org) and it was listening to my colleagues that finally brought the words to me for this post. So with that, I begin with the end in mind.
Chicago Appoints Jack Elsey Chief Innovations Officer
Jack J. Elsey Jr. joined Chicago Public Schools as Chief of Innovation and Incubation. Formerly Elsey was Chief Schools Officer for Detroit Rising College Preparatory Schools and Assistant Superintendent in the Detroit Public Schools.
7 Innovative Tips to Speed Up Language Acquisition
Many of the students I encounter who are trying to learn a second language cite the same frustration: the slow, glacial pace of their language acquisition. I always tell them that the pace of their learning is in some sense tied to the energy and time they put into it – the more you work, the faster it goes. I have some more practical tips on how to speed up learning a new language.
Online Learning: A Manifesto
Online learning is not the whipping boy of higher education. As a classroom teacher first and foremost, I have no interest in proselytizing for online learning, but to roundly condemn it is absurd. Online learning is too big and variable a target. It would be like roundly condemning the internet or all objects made from paper.
25 Tablet Ideas to Enhance Learning Experiences
How cool would it have been to be able to draw, write, and learn directly onto my own computer? As the years went on, people theorized that laptops would take over the classroom, but the price of these devices was too high for a 1 to 1 ratio. It never quite caught on in lower grade schools.
The Virtues of Daydreaming & 30 Other Surprising (& Controversial) Research Findings About How Students Learn
Have you checked your assumptions about student learning at the door? People in general, hold onto beliefs that are shaped by early experiences, the media, and faulty influences. The following list is a compilation of research that may surprise you. Video games, e-books, playtime, and music are all a part of an educator’s repertoire. Read on, and be prepared to put your traditional beliefs aside as science points to innovative methods that indicate future success.