Click for podcast / audio file. Supplemental, personalized online tutoring is critical to student success in e-learning, and many institutions offer synchronous tutoring support, with programs such as Smarthinking. However, it’s not necessary to invest in an expensive package. Instead, individual instructors and tutors can easily set up online tutoring and work directly with their students.  In

Two months ago today, I embarked on an what has turned out to be an experience of a lifetime.  I traveled to Washington DC to cover the  2011 Partners in Learning Global Forum live on Twitter. (You can check out that Twitter stream here.) To get a sense of the essence and energy of the week, take a moment look at this short video and browse through the event photostream which beautifully portrays the fascinating projects, engaged collaboration, and transformative learning that happened when 700+ teachers, school leaders, education and government officials from more than 70 countries come together to share their vision of what’s possible in education. I was not only inspired by the hundreds of amazing projects presented by teachers from across the globe; I was reminded of why I became a teacher in the first place. Somewhere between the discussions of the skills and strategies we must teach and the standards we must hold ourselves accountable for, we forget the essence of our work; to change lives and change the world. My friend, Johnny Kissko , 2011 award recipient, said it beautifully in his reflective post here: "I am most in awe of the sincerely passionate people at this event and their vision on how to develop lifelong learners and relationships of significance, both in the classroom and beyond." These feelings were validated and resonated loud and clear when Anthony Salcito, Vice President for Microsoft Education, addressed the crowd: At Microsoft, we believe that education can change the world. We recognize that teachers play a direct role in education and influencing the lives of students. Each year, millions of teachers contribute to the learning and development of students across the U.S. They instill life lessons that live on well after education is complete.  Teachers have the ability to build communities. I know…I’ve seen it happen. Here were my first tweets of the opening keynote address:                   It was both impressive and exciting to see hard working educators get the recognition they deserved, not only during the Awards Ceremony, but throughout the week. No detail was left to chance and no teacher was left behind thinking: Does the work I do matter?  I am thrilled that I had a chance to sit down with Anthony during the event (and yes give him that hug!) and he shared with me his vision for continuing to ensure that this message of  YOU MATTER reached teachers everywhere. Through his new blog, Daily Edventures will be sharing the  stories of "everyday heroes" in education worldwide. Each day he will include an interview and information on how these brave leaders are making meaningful changes in their community to ensure a brighter future for the next generation through education.     Microsoft’s commitment to supporting, recognizing and inspiring educations around the world, left excited and energized about the future. If you are not a member of the Partners in Learning Community already, sign up today! Just this week, Microsoft launched the revamped Partners in Learning Network, a worldwide collaborative network and resource designed to encourage the communication and sharing between the world’s brightest and forward-thinking educators. You will be amazed at the resources you will find. You can read more about the updates to the New Network and recent developments in 21st Century Skills research here and at EMEA Press Centre. Thank you Microsoft for a wonderful and invigorating expereince, and thank you to my college and "tweet crew" Alfred Thomason, Doug Peterson, Lee Kolbert, Olie Bray, and Johnny Kissko for making the week even more special. Related articles Reflections from Microsoft Pil Global Forum 1 of 5 - Anthony Salcito Keynote [#pilgf #msftpil] (olliebray.typepad.com) Microsoft Partners in Learning Aims to Inspire Teachers (wired.com) Reflections from Microsoft Pil Global Forum 5 of 5 - Building Networks [#pilgf #msftpil] (olliebray.typepad.com) My Takeaways from the Partners in Learning Global Summit (dougpete.wordpress.com) Microsoft donates $1 million to train teachers in Africa (bizjournals.com)

Online training providers are increasingly under pressure to provide quick-to-market, easy-to-implement solutions that avoid cumbersome learning management systems. At the same time, the proliferation of devices and apps has created an environment where solutions have to be simple and elegant enough to work on many devices in situations where bandwidth can be a challenge. This case study examines

Educational transformation requires a significant investment, and not just from a single source. The most effective educational growth often occurs when companies, communities, educators, and committed volunteers join forces and determine the best and most strategic way to invest. With that in mind, Intel Corporation has initiated a new program, Intel Teach, which awards Intel Schools of

As a part of their Leading Innovation-Driving Change Conversation, Mass CUE is hosting a special webinar series prior to their spring conference annual event. I am thrilled to be kicking off the passion driven conversation, and I am inviting you to join me! We know that education and work driven by passion awakens us to new learning and a world bigger than ourselves. Passion makes us curious, compels us to dig deeper, and sustains us as we persevere  towards answers to questions that matter most. Explore with us how the principles and practices of a passion-driven work: disciplined study, fostered imagination, active participation and community contribution, can and will transform the teaching, learning, and lives. The amazing, Justin Reich and Tom Daccord,  Co-Directors of EdTechTeacher will be our moderator. Please check out their work below: Project Manager, Distributed Collaborative Learning Communities Project Doctoral Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet and Society Blogs: EdTechResearcher.org  and http://edtechteacher.org Twitter: @bjfr and @thomasdaccord Save the date:  Thursday January 26, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM EST on EdTechTeacher Blackboard Virtual Classroom Registration is now open: Information and details here. Related articles Guest Post: Educating Students Toward Their Passions (angelamaiers.com) Honoring Genius Now! (angelamaiers.com) Chase Down Your Passion Like it’s the Last Bus of the Night! (learningisgrowing.wordpress.com) London: "Let’s Start an Education Revolution!" (eduventurist.org) Assisting the Learner to Think Like a Professional (usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com) Top 10 Requirements of Good Teaching (catechesisinthethirdmillennium.wordpress.com) Student Voice in Educational Reform (usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com)

How do you like to consume your mobile learning content? Let's ask another question, seemingly unrelated - how do you like your peanut butter, vegetable stew, or dog food?  Chunky? I know that’s how I like it. Sure, it’s a texture, but it also connotes other attributes:  easy to eat, tasty, and sometimes composed of little bits that are "chunked" together to it bigger and more substantial. For

"Passion is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without passion." Ralph Waldo Emerson I had the distinguished honor of giving the keynote address this week at the mid winter conference for the Utah Association of  Middle and High School Principals. What a pleasure it was to be in the presence of such passionate and dedicated leaders. It was the perfect place to debut a new framework for leadership and systems improvement I have been working on called: The Five C’s of Passion Driven Leadership View more presentations from Angela Maiers I believe passion to be  the single most important asset we have as educators, education leaders, and educational organizations. Passion differentiates us consistently over time, and  it needs to be nurtured, evolved, and invigorated by the people entrusted to keep it true and alive. Here’s a peek at the presentation and the talking points for what turned out to be a fantastic and  "passion driven conversation" Clear Direction: The future may be made up of many uncertain factors but the passionate will not only survive ; they will thrive. Let’s make sure we paint a vivid picture of that future immersed in choice, leveraged with opportunity, and  fueled by passion. Clarity Focus: Ambiguity is the enemy of change. The resistance we feel in moving people forward dissipates when we articulate the steps and behaviors need for the entire community to move towards achieving its vision, mission, and goals. Capacity: Everyone has the capacity to learn therefore everyone has the capacity to change.  It is important not to ensure the work ahead is "easy" but to make the hard work they will be doing easier by promising the conditions that build confidence and competence are present in every experience and interaction. Credibility: We live in an information abundant but trust-scarce world. People want to know they can trust the individuals who define and design their future. To garner that trust, leaders must "go first" so that we are able to grant those who follow us the things they desire most - empathy, familiarity, insight, and compassion. Show them do not tell them what the future holds- Go there  first! Courage: In times of big, complex change; it seems logical that we need big complicated solutions. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Less is more. The courageous leader is not the one who says yes to every new program, initiative, and invention. The courageous leader says no letting go of all that does not matter. These 5C’s taken together are what set apart a good school from a great school. Any leader who decides to adopt this level of intensity and conviction will be valued and admired. I closed the speech with the following call to A.C.T. which stands for: A.- Action C - Change T- Time. As you consider each of these passion driven principles,on any of these principles and practices which ones: A - take immediate action on C- consider letting go of, changing direction or course T- devote the most time, talent, and resources to Passion is not a nicety it is a necessity. It’s important that we recognize them, nurture them, and let them know that they matter. To all the passion driven leaders I have the honor and privilege of working with and learning from, I have two final words for you:YOU MATTER! RESOURCES: To support the passion driven leaders willing to commit to this work, the following resources were shared: The Connected Principals Leadership Chat LeadFromWithin Chat Books Referenced in the Talk: Daniel Pink- Drive Carol Dweck- Mindset The Passion Driven Classroom Heath Brothers - Switch Seth Godin- LinchPin Simon Sinneck-  Start with Why  Passion Articles: Education is for the Passionate - Isn’t it? Passionization Passion….A 21st Century Skill? Passion: A Difference Maker Passion Driven Learning in Action Passion Alive and Well in the Education World

Determining the best way to develop "snack" learning content involves more than simply clustering content and making it available on a variety of mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, and next iterations of technology). There is definitely a need to develop effective design. After all, much content delivered in bite-sized bits, but not all of it is engaging.  Just think of the average banner ad

If you have been following the Presidential candidates' campaigns, you're probably familiar with their goals to bolster the economic recovery and to bolster programs, both public and private, to help create jobs and develop a robust position in the world. But, how do their views translate to careers?  Which sectors of the economy will benefit once their policies are implemented? It's a

For the past year, my Tuesday nights have been filled with insights and  inspiration from the worlds top leaders who faithfully gather on Twitter for one of the most powerful and productive chat streams on Twitter:  #leadershipchat The chat is co-hosted by author and CEO of C-Level Strategies, Inc, Lisa Petrilli (@LisaPetrilli) and The Connection Agent,  Steve Woodruff (@swoodruff) , and each week  they challenge and guide us through the questions that challenge us to be the best leaders in our fields and industry. I have learned a lot from this super smart crew, and I am very very proud to be part of this community.  It is what makes this Tuesday night even more special to me.  I have the distinguished honor of being a featured  #leadershipchat  guest and cohost. We have an exciting show planned for Tuesday Feb 7, 8pm EST entitled :  YOU MATTER: Two Words Changing Leadership and the World I am equally thrilled to be joined by the authors of the newly-released bestselling book, Have a Nice Conflict. Authors Tim Scudder, Michael Patterson and Kent Mitchell, who have written a brilliant road map for better understanding and navigating conflict, and for using this knowledge to be a more effective and successful leader who matters!! I highly recommend it! Buy it today! (Not an affiliate link). Lisa gets us thinking about the role these two words have in our lives and in the lives of those we lead and serve: I believe the concerted and consistent use of the words, "You matter," by leaders in an organization, and actions that reinforce this message, can change a company. After all, according to a Gallup survey of more than 1 million employed US workers, the Number One reason people quit their jobs is a bad boss. Imagine if people began to be told by their boss on a regular basis that they matter… Knowing that in an organization people are your biggest asset, this change of mindset would make a tremendously powerful and positive impact. Do you agree? I hope that you are able to share your thoughts live with us. Whether you lead a team of one or a force of thousands, we are all leaders in some way,  #LeadershipChat is  It is THE place to be this Tuesday evening: Topic: YOU MATTER- Two Words Changing Leadership and the World When: February 7th at 8:00 pm Eastern Time Hosts: Lisa Petrilli and Steve Woodruff Where: Twitter To Read More About the YOU MATTER Movement, check out the following resources: YOU MATTER TED Talk YOU MATTER Manifesto  2 Words Changing the World How I am Using Social Media to Change the World To Read More About #LeadershipChat check out this post  and awesome video produced by my friend and #LeadershipChat mate,  Judy Martin of Work/Life Nation    See you Tuesday night!! Related articles Twitter Chats and Cocktail Parties (brandimpact.wordpress.com) My Business Vision (brandimpact.wordpress.com) Are You Getting Ahead? (brandimpact.wordpress.com) "Follow Your Lead? What’s In It For Me??" (brandimpact.wordpress.com) Lisa Petrilli: 3 Critical Career Advancement Strategies for Introverts in Business (huffingtonpost.com) Leadership in an Era of Digital Darwinism (briansolis.com) Are you too busy to grow? (leaderchat.org)

Mobile learning has occupied a space within e-learning; at its inception it was largely a stopgap effort to provide digital distance education even when there was no connectivity, in places such as submarines and forward bases. The mobile content consisted of downloadable text files, videos, and audio which could be played on a laptop or loaded onto various mobile devices, ranging from audio

A great new post from Lucia Smith on the ways that online education in the form of e- learning can benefit career enthusiasts. She has shared here a few benefits of pursuing an e-learning program. Enjoy, and try these great tips in your own institution! __________________________________________________________________________________________ E-learning - A New Learning Style to Im prove your Career Standards Don’t you prefer something different and unique in comparison to taking traditional classroom trainings? Don’t you think that flexibility is very important when it comes to pursuing education? In today’s world, each and every human being is conscious of one’s monetary limits crossing which can never permit him to achieve one’s goal whether it’s related to building career or enjoying retirement. In respect to education, we always dream to get enrolled in a reputed college or university in order to get fruitful results in return. However, if our pockets don’t afford, we are bound to keep our pens down. Have you come across the term ‘e-learning’? E-learning or electronic learning is a brilliant innovation that has cast a sensational impact on the entire globe thereby alluring countless career aspirants from far and near. Unlike those typical classroom programs, e-learning is completely different and impactful. For years, people have been dependent on pens and books. On the contrary, distance learning or e-learning will only include a laptop and a web browser. Is it not an amazing option as well as a huge break from the typical classroom programs? Imagine the days when you were compelled to wake up early morning and take a big fat bag on your shoulder to head to your school campus. In case of e-learning, you not only get rid of these compulsions of attending classes regularly but also allowed to study completely at your own pace. Visit here at http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/E-learning to know more about e-learning. Now, let’s take a quick look at some of the benefits of e-learning: 1. Cost Effective - There are special authorized training softwares through which students are provided classes online. Although a certain fee will be charged for the synchronous distance learning programs, the expenses will be extremely low than the conventional courses. 2. Better progress level - As far as the e-learning courses are concerned, the progress level here is 50% faster than a fulltime course. If you wish, you can skip here certain portions of your study material which you have already known earlier. E-learning programs therefore save a good lot of time. 3. Flexibility - In case of classroom learning, you have to attend a particular college or a university. Distance learning does not compel you to join classes. Rather, you can study from any corner of the globe whether it’s from your home or your work place. 4. Easy updates - In case of an e-learning session, the materials are updated on a random basis. The lessons are all updated on a specific server from where students can take down and study. So, if you are willing to pursue a career oriented program, e-learning can surely help you show the paths of success. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ For more information, visit Distance Learning. Distance learning stood witness to a massive progression over the years, as millions of students took to the learning mode outwitting the traditional learning approach. Students and professionals in Zambia also took to the advantage of obtaining skills via online learning, given to the wide support of RDI UK in the learning endeavor.

Game-based learning that immerses students in a "deep" simulation, and brings a virtual world that tackles real-world problems and allows active role-play can result in accelerated learning, high confidence, and superior performance on real-world related tasks. Lake Forest Graduate School of Management has developed an Immersion MBA (iMBA) program that incorporates virtual worlds and virtual

Whether you are a teacher, parent, relative, boss, or fellow community member, each of us has a chance to make a positive and impactful difference in a child’s life. But in order to do this, we must carefully consider this question: What do you think matters most to our children? For 20 years I have been posing this question to my students. At the beginning of every school year, I would ask my students to give me advice on how to be their best teacher. I asked them to think about the times they felt most successful and to consider what the adults in their lives did to make this success possible. The classroom would become immediately silent as the students wrote intensely for longer than they had ever written before. Smiles would appear on their faces as they reflected on the happy experiences they were remembering. After reading their responses I would add to my list all the ideas they mentioned. Surprisingly, many of the responses were the same. Year after year, in every grade level, content area and classroom I was in, regardless of demographics or background, students were saying the same things and had the same message: It’s the small things you do that mean the most.  That is what they remembered. That is what mattered. Here is a list of the 12 Most Important things that came out of these amazing conversations: 1. Greet me each day Wish me good morning, and send me off with a "see ya tomorrow." 2. Smile When you look at me, let me see happiness in your eyes. 3. Give me your attention Sit and talk with me privately; even if only for a second. 4. Imagine with me Help me dream of things I might be able to do; not just the things I need to do now. 5. Give me challenging content and assignments Show me how to handle it. Teach me what to do. 6. Ask about me Inquire about my weekend, the game a played, the places I go. It shows you care about my life. 7. Let me have time Time to let things sink in. Time to think. Time to reflect, process, and play. 8. Demand of me Hold me accountable to high standards. Don’t let me get away with what you know I am capable of doing better. 9. Notice Me Leave special messages in my desk or locker. Just a quick not that says you notice something right. 10. Let me ask the questions Even if they are off topic. It will show that I am thinking about new perspectives, curious, and willing to learn more. Let me have the chance to show what I am wondering about, not just what I know. 11. Engage me I came to you in love with learning, keep me excited, keep me wanting more. 12. Trust me Believe that I can do it. Allow me the chance. I promise to show you I can. These words did not fall on deaf ears. I collected them, honored them, and then promised I would do everything within my power to be the teacher they needed. What matters to the children in your life? It’s worth a conversation, I promise! Cross Posted on 12 Most Related articles   You Matter, 2 Words Changing the World Honoring Genius Now Please, son, be anything else. Anything. (educationontheplate.wordpress.com) Week 7 Reflection-Evolving Role of the Teacher (techmommaster.wordpress.com) Experts Explain How to Choose a School by the Numbers (wired.com) How I Saved My Teaching Career: Step 2: Take Time Off (siobhancurious.com) Do Involved Parents Help Teens Learn Better? (huffingtonpost.com)

Mobile learning and second (or third, fourth, or fifth) language acquisition has lent itself to mobile learning in a comfortable integrative way, thanks to the ideas and innovations of early pioneers such as Paul Pimsleur. It is useful to see how companies such as Pimsleur approach the rapid pace of communications innovation, and how they incorporate their core teaching and learning philosophies

Youth media art is the ultimate challenge to the status quo in the education system. District and education industry leaders seem unable to guide us into a truly 21st Century 24/7 individualized and customized learning system. The digital toolbox is limitless. It is revolutionizing all our lives! It is imagination and competence, visionary leadership, school redesign courage that are desperately needed by our children who seek connection, wisdom and inspiration, by instinct, in their lives. Our youths best movies, from across North America, show, over and over, for the 15 years we have produced these showcase events, their hunger for value, vitality, problem solving, wonder, antidotes to fear and dangers to body and soul they seriously struggle with. Their movies tell the whole story and do so with absolute creative wonder and originality. Visual media jobs and career growth rates dominate the economy but are officially uncounted. The choice we face is not whether digital technology works or whether it will totally revamp education as we know it. The question is what is the supreme role that parents, teachers and policy leaders must deliver to instill meaning, social engagement, wisdom and great skills in all our children? Denying where the ultimate responsibility rests drives our soaring school drop outs rates … and ultimately sacrifices America. "This sucks! School sucks! I’LL NEVER USE THIS STUFF ANYWAY. Why does it even matter?"[i] ~voiced by a "model" 15 year old sophomore student. So accustomed to a fast-paced and ever changing landscape of digital experiences, today’s generation of K-12 learners are struggling to find relevance in their school work. It’s not just that their places of learning ban Generation Z’s preferred social and mobile communication tools — or that crowd-sourced wikis like Wikipedia are treated as "unverified reference" sources by many educators — the heart-breaking reality is that youth under the age of 18 (an ENTIRE GENERATION OF PEOPLE) are not getting the message that they matter. And we all know, without "mattering" there is no learning. Students who are given critical thinking and problem-solving opportunities are more likely to prove themselves as entrepreneurs and innovators over students who are asked to memorize and regurgitate. Just a few months back, a study published in the research journal, Child Development, found that discussions with peers and parents -not teachers -fueled political engagement among low-income youth.[ii] To me, that is significant. With one third of the world’s population online, and 45% of internet users below the age of twenty-five,[iii] the unconscionable divide that exists is perhaps, less about point of access, and more about giving everyone an equal opportunity to matter. Each and every age should have an equal opportunity to matter. A good part of the world today (aside from the most remote regions), enjoys mobile or internet connectivity. It is significant then, to recognize that ALL of today’s learners (elementary, middle and high school students) are born with the digital native mind-set. Despite their religious, national and socio-economic differences, the advance of social and mobile technologies have united this entire generation as global citizens. Ten years ago, educator Sugata Mitra and his colleagues, installed networked PCs in the most desperately poor areas of the world without instruction of how or what to do. Without exception, these digital natives were able to organize, collaborate and learn complex data. This ground-breaking study serves to remind us why technology has been credited with being an evolutionary marker for mankind. Experiments like these show that youth in Self Organized Learning Environments (SOLEs) - are capable of answering questions many years ahead of the material they’re learning in school. As a point of illustration take these 2 examples: 17 year old Angela Zhang, is a typical American teen who used the internet to discover a new way of treating cancer.[iv] When Angela was just a high school freshman, she began reading doctorate level papers on bio-engineering. Some scientists are calling her design revolutionary as it delivers a drug directly to tumor cells and doesn’t affect healthy cells around it. Since 2009, Angela has spent more than 1,000 hours on the project. 17 year old Luis Fernando Cruz, is from the impoverished nation of Honduras. He created an advanced eyeball tracking computer device that could dramatically change the lives of thousands of disabled people in developing countries.[v] Studies have shown that the brains of GenZ kids (born 1996 through 2010) are structurally different because of a constant exposure to tech. Technology is literally training us to be nimble thinkers, capable of processing new ideas quickly. Specifically, digital fluency opens us up to new ideas, so that we communicate more freely and frequently.[vi] Moreover, youth are fueling the compassion boom[vii] by connecting with like-minded people worldwide. Research proves that youth brains favor emotionally-stimulating information[viii], which is perhaps why more and more kids gravitating towards, and actually solving some of the world’s most complex problems. The simple truth is, youth will learn to do, what they want to learn to do.[ix] My call to action with this blog is to ask each of you to support Angela Maier’s movement in noticing youth — or anyone for that matter — who are making a difference. It can no longer go unnoticed that young people across the country and around the world are setting world records, performing selfless acts and making major innovations in science and technology. Imagine the opportunities we will provide worldwide, by giving youth the opportunity to matter! [i] The Passion-Driven Classroom, (2011: Angelea Maiers & Amy Sandvold p.4) [ii] Study "Changes Our Understanding" Of Youth Voting Behavior (2011: Sep 23) [iii] The World in 2011 (2011: ICT Facts & Figures) [iv] Video: Meet the 17-year-old High School Who May Have Found The Cure For Cancer (2012) [v] Video: Eye-Ball Tracking Computer Device Developed By Honduran Teen (2011: Dec 12) [vi] How Technology Wires the Learning Brain (2011) [vii] America’s Compassion Boom (2010 CBS News Video) [viii] Hooked On Gadgets, Kids Ditch Reality For Make-Believe (2012: Feb 1) [ix] Professor Sugata Mitra (2010: TED)

podcast: http://www.beyondutopia.net/podcasts/adaptive.mp3 If you’ve ever had private instruction, a tutor, or coach, you’ve been involved in adaptive learning. When you hit the ball late, or are using the wrong grip, your coach notices the problem, lets you know what you’re doing wrong, shows you how to correct it, and then, works with you until you have it right. Similarly, if you’re

A tweet this morning from my friend, @iain2008 lead me to the following post: Creating a Better Future for Children by John D. Walker, M.D.  It has been said that " the only way to predict the future is to create it."We can make it happen. But there is great wisdom in the well known lyrics, "If you don’t have a dream, How can you make your dream come true?" So let us dream? Let’s dream of teaching children not just how to count but also what counts. Let’s dream of education that means learning how to be a good mother, father, husband, and wife. Let’s dream of school children that, long before they are even biologically capable of conceiving a child, are already experts in the art and science of nurturing children. Let’s dream of class rooms where nurturing skills are practiced like ABCs; where students can articulate their feelings as well as they can their facts. Let’s dream of  books and channels so filled with stories of virtue that by the time a child finished elementary school he has already seen 100,000 examples of unselfishness, courage, truth, justice, integrity and honor in sports and in life. Let’s dream of a world wide web of distance learning and virtual training  in the important practical aspects of family life. Let’s dream of families that know that " a hundred years from now it won’t matter what their bank account was, the kind of house they lived in, or the kind of car they drove, but the world may be different because they were important in the life of a child." Let’s dream.  And now let’s all work hard to make that dream come true." Dream with me, what do you wish the future to be for your children?

Writing for Human Relations, a writing guide with assignments, flowcharts, exercises, and readings, is now available as a free e-book, and can be downloaded or shared with your friends and colleagues. Here is the free download.  One of the keys to effective human relations is the ability to see different points of view and to develop empathy and understanding of others' perspectives. Free

As parents we are raised to have a dream for our kids—we want them  to be happy, adjusted, successful. We want them to live meaningful lives, to contribute in positive ways, and to find and live a life that matters. And the ticket for making that dream come true? A good education. We have told our kids that if you get good grades, follow the rules and comply to standards and requirements, you will "get into a good college", find a "good job", and be set for a happy life ahead. And now we are discovering individually and collectively that this there’s a different dream available, one that’s actually closer to who we are as humans, that’s more exciting and significantly more likely to affect the world in a positive way. Now for the million dollar question….Do schools today offer a good education; one that allows for and enables dreams to be fulfilled? In true Seth Godin fashion, my friend and Domino Team leader tackles this question in his newly released manifesto,  Stop Stealing Dreams. Here’s a peek: Instead of amplifying dreams, school destroys them.  Every day, beginning the first day and continuing until the last day, our teachers and our administrators and yes, most parents, seeking to do the right thing, end up doing the wrong one. We mean well.  We let our kids down easy.We tell ourselves that we are realistic.  We demand that students have a trade to fall back on, an assembly-line job available just in case the silly dreams don’t come true. And then, fearing heartbreak, we push them to bury the dream and focus on just the job.  The job with a boss and an office and air conditioning and a map of what to do next. A job with security and co-workers and instructions and deniability.  And when the job doesn’t come? When all the dues are paid and for nothing? Ouch. The manifesto is a series of provocations, ones that might make you go "Ouch" and ones that I hope will resonate and  provoke global conversations. His intention: To create a new set of questions and demands that parents, taxpayers, and kids can bring to the people they’ve chosen, the institution we’ve built and invested our time and money into. Questions that we have been asking and pondering ourselves; questions like: What if we could amplify each kid’s natural inclination to dream, ignite their passions, and  give them the tools to learn more, and faster, in a way that’s never been seen before? What if play mattered? What if we gave kids and their teachers permission to play, and encouraged it as part of their education and not free time? What if it was possible to teach habits, attitudes, and mindsets most desired for this new and ever-changing environment? What if our  curriculum taught things like bravery, risk taking, and other attributes that would make our schools and our society stronger?  What if we were committed to and actively working on honoring and  fueling kid’s dreams? What if we honored passion over obedience; nurtured genius over mastery? What if we didn’t just ask students to participate; we expected and supported it? What if we asked these questions: Do you want to learn this? Will you decide to become good at this? Who will you help because of it? How will you lead and serve with? Like Seth’s previous projects; This is an experiment in firestarting.—I’m hoping that great lenghts he has gone to make these ideas available to a pruposely wide audience will get the fire blazing across every medium, mode, and channel! If you’re interested in the topic (and I hope you are), please tweet or like the project page, download the files, post mirror copies on your own blog and if you can, email them to every teacher, parent and citizen who should be part of the discussion about what we do with our kids all day (and why).  If just a fraction of this blog’s readers shared it with their address book, we’d reach a lot of people. The details of the Manifesto can be found here, and the document itself is embedded below.  Seth has also gone to great lengths to make these ideas available to a purposefully wide audience. The entire manifesto free and available in multiple formats and forms. Just pick your favorite: The On Screen version Use this one to read it on a computer or similar device. Feel free to email to the teachers, parents and administrators in your life. The Printable edition This is the same document, but formatted for your laser printer or the local copy shop. You are welcome to make copies, but please don’t charge for it or edit it. Here’s the Kindle edition You’ll need to download it and then plug in your Kindle via a USB cable. Drag the file to the Documents folder on your Kindle and boom, you’re done. The ePub edition This should work with other types of ebook readers, but I haven’t tested it. Your mileage may vary, and if it doesn’t work, the PDF should. The manifesto in HTML on the web Useful for PDFs ; easier to read. I highly encouraging all my readers to read it and share the manifesto with anyone and everyone they know who are passionate about a new dream of education for our children. Related articles The YOU MATTER Manifesto (angelamaiers.com) RIGHTSIZING YOUR PASSION by Seth Godin (robertfinkelstein.wordpress.com) Stop Stealing Dreams (swodeck.wordpress.com)

Adaptive learning is expanding and being incorporated in a constantly increasing number of higher education applications. Welcome to an interview with Brad Parkins, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, where McGraw-Hill LearnSmart s a new offering designed for a personal experience.  What is your name and relation to elearning? I’m Brad Parkins, director of digital product marketing at McGraw-Hill

Anne Goiran-Bevelhimer has been a pioneer in the online teaching industry and a role model to students everywhere. Please enjoy her wonderful post on writing ability, and I hope you get some good ideas for your own teaching strategies! __________________________________________________________________________________________ Hi Angela, Thanks for inviting me to do a guest blog about one of my favorite topics- boys and writing! I write and develop graduate level classes for teachers to renew their license or earn credits to move up the salary scale. Over the years I have published over 20 courses and try to pick topics that are not only meaningful to teachers, but will help them in their busy lives better serve their students. Several years ago there were headlines about the disparity between boys’ and girls’ scores from state assessment tests from across the nation showing boys lagging behind girls in reading and writing. I decided to delve into the research and see what I could find. And what I discovered was mind-blowing, particularly in the differences in brain development between boys and girls. Here are a few things that help me to understand boys: Boys are about are about 1½ years behind girls in development. The right side of the male brain develops first. This means that a boy is wired for visual and spatial thinking, map making, math and abstract thinking. The left hemisphere, responsible for language tasks (i.e. reading and writing) develops later for boys. Boys do catch up, but not until puberty. Testosterone, the male hormone, effects boy’s behavior. Boys need to move. They need to do. They need to talk. They like ACTION. And they like to be active and social when they read and write. Boys like competition as a way of fulfilling their need to be competent. This often gets linked to boys and violence. Boys like gross humor. It is often a genre only appreciated by other boys. Boys seek approval from other boys. They are motivated by status. Boys are motivated by their interests. Boys like choice. It helps them feel empowered, competent and in charge. The more I interviewed boys and men, the more I learned that I needed to look at literacy and writing from a boy’s point of view. Learning about boys and how their physical and neurological development is different than girls, led me to look at what kind of methods would work better in a classroom. So, here are a few pointers to help teachers with boys and writing and a story from a teacher who is currently taking my course, Writing Strategies for Boys as a testimony that boys do write, write well and actually like to write when the topic interests them. In writing: •Boys prefer to write stories about protagonists that act alone. Usually the protagonist is really them in superman proportions. •Boys prefer to write about subjects outside of themselves, i.e. without feelings but with a lot of action. •Boys prefer to write efficiently and often literally. If you ask them a question, you may get a simple answer. On a state writing test, the topic stated: "Describe your favorite outfit." A boy responded, "I don’t have one." •Boys prefer to use a lot of action in their writing and little character development. However, give them the skill, a mentor text, and a reason that they can buy into, and they will dazzle you with detail. •Boys will write a lot on something they are interested in. •Boys will become an expert and know many specific details about an area of interest. •Boys love to use gross humor in their writing. This becomes a form of status among their peers. •Boys explore violence in their writing as a way of learning about who they are as a "man" and about power and control. Putting this all together, teachers have developed some strategies that they have used successfully with boys (good for girls, too!) Inspire writing through read- aloud. Using mentor texts to show how authors craft with detail. Daily writing practice. Writing is social. Talk about it. Write about it. Share it. Revise as play. Publish. Writing for boys is messy and noisy and active. Focus the writing lesson on a specific skill. Where have you seen this kind of writing in the world? Create authenticity and purpose. Model writing skill. Be a writer with them. Allow time for incubation-think, talk, draw, sketch, storyboard, list. From an 8th teacher, working with boys in social studies comes this picture and story: "We are studying the Civil War. As we end the study of each war, we gather around the campfire and write a letter to our relatives explaining the current situation. The fire is fake. I bought the light/ fan unit from Amazon and then added the wood. Each student chose the side (North or South) and writes from that perspective. I have both Union and Confederate hats to wear. In the picture you can see the students writing their final draft on antique looking paper (I made it by soaking it in tea and heating it up in the oven). I try to make my classroom as engaging as possible. Having so much activity also invites problems as students are constantly moving around. But it’s worth it. "   And one more from a home school mother who shows what she did to encourage the writer in her preschool son, Charlie . "We were reviewing the four seasons and learning about Spring. I wanted him to express what he liked about Spring and what he valued about Spring and what he valued in general at that exact moment in life. It was sweet to hear what came out of his little heart when he wrote from the "top of his heart." "I like Spring! I like to play in my backyard and play soccer. I like to go to the beach. I like to read inside my house. I also like to lie down and sleep. I really like to catch butterflies in a butterfly catching net. I love to snuggle with mommy. Spring is 159 fun and exciting!" He also illustrated his writing by drawing a picture of himself playing soccer - very cute. The other thing Charlie has just recently started doing is assigning a number to his emotion. For example, he gave Spring a high number of 159! He often tells me "Mommy, I love you one hundred, five, nine, eight, one, seven hundred, million…" He rattles off the numbers as fast and as passionately as he possibly can - it so sweet." No kidding! I just got a note from his mother when I asked permission to post his writing on you blog. She gladly gave permission and told me,"Charlie is a big first grader now!!! His favorite hobbies are reading, writing stories, and playing sports. You will be happy to hear that over the long Presidents’ Day Weekend he spent most of it writing and illustrating a book… all of which was his idea and he even got up at 5 am on Saturday to work on it some more. (He had started it Friday evening.) He always seems to have a book and a notebook with him wherever we go ’ Way to go, Charlie! It is transformative to watch teachers learn about boys, tweak their writing curriculum to meet a boy’s perspective and see what happens. If you would like more information, please contact me, Anne Goiran annegoiran@collegecoursesonline.com or visit me on my web site www.collegecoursesonline.com Thanks, Angela, for encouraging me to share this on your blog. What you do for teachers and kids makes a difference!   ___________________________________________________________________________________________ For more information and to check out Anne’s brilliant work, check out her website!  Related articles Reading and Writing (andrewbwatt.wordpress.com) Common Core Literacy Standards: Reading and Writing Intersections (dconrad3.wordpress.com) + Read and Write Side by Side With Your Child (dyslexia.wordpress.com) "One Size Doesn’t Fit ALL" (soulfulmomma.wordpress.com)

Strategies for sharing instructional materials succeed when they work with the behaviors that people already embrace. This can seem like a moving target with social media, but there are ways to stay up to date. Welcome to an interview with the leadership, Eric Bockmuller and Dan Klammer, of Tackk, an innovative provider of ways for educators to share information and instructional materials. 1

This is a guest post written by Jodi Okun (@JodiOkun), College Advisor and host of the #CollegeCash Twitter Chat. I am excited to be this week’s special guest. As Jodi and I talked about a topic that would be of interest to parents, college students, and educators preparing students for the college; we wanted to explore how we could work to help students entering school knowing they matter. We hope you join us for the conversation. Here’s a sneak peek: Mattering a universal human need, and it’s one you have the opportunity to satisfy.  So how do you let your child know that he/she matters?  Angela will answer this question with the 12 most important ways to let someone know they matter.  It’s not just about what you say; it’s also about the way you listen and the questions to ask.  You’ve got to be present and encourage and reassure confidence in your child. But before we can convince anyone else that we matter, we must first convince ourselves.  This is not a desperate attempt to justify our existence nor glorify our importance. Knowing we matter is key to our existence - as important to our survival as air, food, and water.  To aid you in this process, Angela will also share her "YOU MATTER Manifesto", designed to empower you and help you realize the importance of contributing to the world by living your genius. Work on that talent and know you are responsible to put to use the gifts that have been entrusted to you. Life and work is hard enough and it is easy to get into situations that tear us down. People want and need to be inspired. When people are inspired, they are lifted above these kinds of circumstances and allowed to see the upside of what they can achieve or become. If you can be the one who inspires them, by encouragement or modeling, you’ve helped them and you matter! Mattering is a process not an event.  Take your dreams and your talents seriously and inspire your child to do the same. More on CollegeCashChat  #CollegeCash Host: @JodiOkun; College $$ Advisor Time: 10 PM EST Day of week: Thursday Topics: The college cash chat covers the financial aid process and has guest hosts who cover specific topics. If this is your first chat, check out these Twitter Chat Tools and Twitter Chat Tips Related articles 3 Must-Download Free Smartphone Apps for College Students Five Twitter Chats that Help Your College Student #YouMatter Rocked #DadChat Minding The College Gap 12 Most Nerve-Wracking Things for Parents of High School Seniors Preparing For College By Jodi Okun 12 Things Kids Want from Their Teachers The YOU MATTER Manifesto