Want To Know How Students Feel When They Read Complex Texts? by Grant Wiggins, Authentic Education Ed note: As a follow-up to Grant’s post on reading comprehension, he developed the following quiz for teachers to monitor their own reading behavior.  What, in fact, do you do when you read challenging text? What do you do when you do not understand on first pass? Try a little test, below: "read" the following paragraphs, then post a comment about what you were doing as you were "reading." Do not tell us what you think the passage means; tell us metacognitively, as best you can, what you believe you were doing with your eyes and thinking with your mind to try to determine the meaning of the text. Monitor Your Understanding: A Revealing Exercise For Teachers Unlike the famous ambiguous passage about "piles of things" developed by Bransford and Johnson for use in cognitive research (which we analyzed in Understanding by Design), this is a real text: the very first pages of the Introduction to Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. What is Kant saying here? "There can be no doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience. For how should our faculty of knowledge be awakened into action did not objects affecting our senses partly of themselves produce representations, partly arouse the activity of our understanding to compare these representations, and, by combining or separating them, work up the raw material of the sensible impressions into that knowledge of objects which is entitled experience? In the order of time, therefore, we have no knowledge antecedent to experience, and with experience all our knowledge begins. But though all our knowledge begins with experience, it does not follow that it all arises out of experience. For it may well be that even our empirical knowledge is made up of what we receive through impressions and of what our own faculty of knowledge (sensible impressions serving merely as the occasion) supplies from itself. If our faculty of knowledge makes any such addition, it may be that we are not in a position to distinguish it from the raw material, until with long practice of attention we have become skilled in separating it. This, then, is a question which at least calls for closer examination, and does not allow of any off-hand answer: whether there is any knowledge that is thus independent of experience and even of all impressions of the senses. Such knowledge is entitled a priori, and distinguished from the empirical which has its sources a posteriori, that is, in experience. The expression ‘a priori‘ does not, however, indicate with sufficient precision the full meaning of our question. For it has been customary to say, even of much knowledge that is derived from empirical sources, that we have it or are capable of having it a priori, meaning thereby that we do not derive it immediately from experience, but from a universal rule — a rule which is itself, however, borrowed by us from experience. Thus we would say of a man who undermined the foundations of his house, that he might have known a priori that it would fall, that is, that he need not have waited for the experience of its actual falling. But still he could not know this completely a priori. For he had first to learn through experience that bodies are heavy, and therefore fall when their supports are withdrawn. In what follows, therefore, we shall understand by a priori knowledge, not knowledge independent of this or that experience, but knowledge absolutely independent of all experience. Opposed to it is empirical knowledge, which is knowledge possible only a posteriori, that is, through experience. A priori modes of knowledge are entitled pure when there is no admixture of anything empirical. Thus, for instance, the proposition, ‘every alteration has its cause’, while an a priori proposition, is not a pure proposition, because alteration is a concept which can be derived only from experience." After reading the passage, consider the following questions: Using arrows and labels, what was the visual "itinerary" of your reading. Where did your eyes go to, when, and why, as you read? What questions, if any, did you ask yourself as you read? Mark the places on the text. Where did you get stuck, if any place? (Mark the text) What, then, did you do, if you got stuck? If you could not "unstuck" yourself at each moment of being stuck, what did you do next - and why? Which "reading strategies" did you use when (without my having prompted you to use any)? If not, why not, do you think? If so, which ones did you consciously choose and why? Where /when did you start feeling dumb/frustrated if at all. What did you do/feel about it if you did? If you quit, say where and why. On a scale of 1-4, how confident are you of your understanding of Kant’s opening setup of his inquiry? After this self-monitoring, take this formative quiz: Circle the 1-2 key sentences in this selection, and be ready to explain why you are confident that they are key even if you are not sure what they mean. Title this reading and be ready to explain why you gave it that title In a sentence, state what Kant intends to explore. And speculate as to why he might want to explore such a question. Ed note: Share your thoughts in the comments below, at Grant’s blog, etc. Would love to hear it. This article first appeared on Grant’s personal blog; Grant can be found on twitter here; Want To Know How Students Feel When They Read Complex Texts? image attribution flickr user .brioso. The post Want To Know How Students Feel When They Read Complex Texts? appeared first on TeachThought.

Free Explain Everything Lesson Ideas For Your Classroom by TeachThought Staff If you use Explain Everything-or you don’t but perhaps should give it a look-there’s a free iBook of lesson ideas that you might appreciate. First things first: Explain Everything is a whiteboard and screencasting app that is a wonderful flipped classroom companion, allowing teachers and students to access content asynchronously. Push content and let them access it. And there’s a discount for educators if you meet Apple’s criteria (which makes sense). In the developer’s words, Explain Everything "is an easy-to-use design, screencasting, and interactive whiteboard tool that lets you annotate, animate, narrate, import, and export almost anything to and from almost anywhere. Create slides, draw in any color, add shapes, add text, and use a laser pointer. Rotate, move, scale, copy, paste, clone, and lock any object added to the stage." And now they’ve released an iBook with lesson ideas to use the software, because caring is sharing. The Free iBooks With The Free Lesson Ideas Part So the iBook then? In their words, "the Apps in the Classroom series was created by Apple to provide teachers with a few ideas on how to integrate apps into daily classroom instruction. Inspired by Apple Distinguished Educators, this book is a collection of activities that let students ages 5 to 14+ use Explain Everything to demonstrate their learning across a range of subjects." You can get the Explain Everything app, and the free iBook here. Free Explain Everything Lesson Ideas For Your Classroom The post Free Explain Everything Lesson Ideas For Your Classroom appeared first on TeachThought.

Twitter Digest: Fostering A Growth Mindset With Students by TeachThought Staff Below is a summary of the #reflectiveteacher twitter chat on February 10, 2015. The topic: Fostering A Growth Mindset With Our Students. You can find more information on the chat here. [View the story "#reflectiveteacher Twitter Chat Feb 10, 2015″ on Storify] Twitter Digest: Fostering A Growth Mindset With Students The post Twitter Digest: Fostering A Growth Mindset With Students appeared first on TeachThought.

Hip-Hop University: War Is My Love by Kendrick Lamar Hip-Hop University is a new series where we share hip-hop you can teach with. We’ll give you the song and lyrics-the rest is up to you. We’ll warn you if there is strong language or themes, but as with anything, make sure you watch it on your own before showing. We’ll also add in other genres of music as well (ignoring the then ironic title), but our focus will be hip-hop because-well, so much of it is powerful, brilliant, and widely misunderstood. Summary: an extended metaphor, powerful imagery, interesting juxtaposition of tone and mood. War Is My Love by Kendrick Lamar Look inside my eyes and tell me you see a warrior I never felt the feeling of euphoria Pain forever or prolong the pros and cons of prosperity is strong Wake up in the morning and I gotta win Not taking the victory, that’s my only sin And so I send a message to your messenger A warning shot to let em know I’m serious I’m ready for a war, when I roar it can break a glass window The only thing for sure: the perfect way to bend you On your back even if I gotta slither through the cracks I can crack every code you deliver, I attack Every hole where the bomb squad sit it on the tripod Even if you try hard, he can still die hard Run but you can’t hide: white flags You can pull em out fast and tell me your last goodbye [Hook] I will, I will climb the highest mountain Before the flood comes And all my fight is drowning in blood What I got to lose? What I got to prove? I guess war is my love [Kendrick Lamar] Make sure your next move is slick, your best move is nothing You know I take risk: dark clouds, I love it Cause I can hide in the mist, hop out And crush every soldier you’re with, so I’m 6 for 6 I’m sick with determination: I’ll terminate ya quick I lead the pack, I follow no rules I see the traps, I know you’re close to Falling on your face, unload, reload Hand me another case, explode, explode The fire of my eyes is waiting on your demise I know you hope your help is close by Lyrics via lyricsmania; Hip-Hop University: War Is My Love by Kendrick Lamar The post Hip-Hop University: War Is My Love by Kendrick Lamar appeared first on TeachThought.

The Pedagogy Of John Dewey: A Summary by Steve Wheeler, Associate Professor, Plymouth Institute of Education This is number 7 in my blog series on major learning theories. My plan is to work through the alphabet of psychologists and provide a brief overview of their theories, and how each can be applied in education. In the last post we examined the work of Mihály Csíkszentmihályi on Flow Theory. In this post, we explore the work of John Dewey on experiential and interactive learning. This is a simplified interpretation of the theory, so if you wish to learn more, please refer to the original work of the theorist. John Dewey is one of the giants in the history of educational theory, and it’s difficult to isolate one of his specific theories to discuss here. He was influential in so many areas of educational reform, that to choose one theme would do him a disservice, so I will highlight several of the areas in which he was ahead of his time. The theory and how it can be applied to education Even before the constructivist theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were widely known, Dewey was talking about how children learn best when they interacted with their environments and were actively involved with the school curriculum. He rejected much of the prevalent theory of the time - behaviourism - as too simplistic and inadequate to explain complex learning processes. He argued that rather than the child being a passive recipient of knowledge, as was presumed by many educators of the time, children were better served if they took an active part in the process of their own learning. He also placed greater emphasis on the social context of learning. At the turn of the 20th Century, these were radical ideas. Dewey further argued that for education to be at its most effective, children should be given learning opportunities that enabled them to link present content to previous experiences and knowledge. Again, this was a ground breaking idea for the period. Yet another feature in Dewey’s theories was the need for learners to engage directly with their environment, in what came to be known as experiential learning, where ‘knowledge comes from the impressions made upon us by natural objects.’ This approach led later to a number of other similar approaches such as problem-based learning and inquiry based learning. Notwithstanding, Dewey was wary of placing too much emphasis on the child’s abilities, but preferred to place his trust in a more balanced approach to education where teacher, students and content were given equal importance in the learning equation. Ultimately, his belief was that teachers should not be in the classroom to act simply as instructors, but should adopt the role of facilitator and guide, giving students the opportunities to discover for themselves and to develop as active and independent learners. In some schools, a return to these values is long overdue. Reference Dewey, J. (2011) Democracy and Education. Milton Keynes: Simon and Brown. Previous posts in this series: Anderson ACT-R Cognitive Architecture Argyris Double Loop Learning Bandura Social Learning Theory Bruner Scaffolding Theory Craik and Lockhart Levels of Processing Csíkszentmihályi Flow Theory This post first appeared on Steve’s personal blog; The Pedagogy Of John Dewey: A Summary; image attribution flickr user listeup The post The Pedagogy Of John Dewey: A Summary appeared first on TeachThought.

The Opportunities For Empathy In The Classroom by Terry Heick So much talk about empathy in education recently. Why? What’s the big idea? In "The Role of Empathy in Learning," I wrote: "The role of empathy in learning has to do with the flow of both information and creativity. A dialogic interaction with the world around us requires us to understand ourselves by understanding the needs and condition of those around us. It also encourages us to take collective measurements rather than those singular, forcing us into an intellectual interdependence that catalyzes other subtle but powerful tools of learning." But where does it come from? What causes it? What are the authentic sources of empathy in a classroom? Empathy Source: Analysis of "Other" Whether by close academic examination, more personal "evaluation," or some kind of analysis that’s in-between, "other" lays the groundwork for empathy. The act of an infant reaching out for your face as you hold, or making eye contact with someone during a conference, or even reading literate all are framed by empathy-or suffer tremendously without it. There is a moment when one "thing" recognizes another, followed by some momentary burst of analysis. Who is this person? Are they a threat, an opportunity, or neither? What do I need from them, and them from me? What social contracts or etiquette are at work here that I need to be aware of and honor? Literary study is probably the most iconic case for empathy in traditional learning environment. A novel requires the reader see the world through one (or more) of the character’s eyes-to understand their motives, and draw close to their worldview so that can have a fictional-but-still-parallel experience. Empathy Source: Your interactions with them This is a powerful opportunity to model empathy. Reinforcement of desired behaviors. Socratic discussion. Grading writing. Evaluating projects. Missing homework. Behavior problems. All of the dozens of interactions you have with students on a daily basis are opportunities for them to see what empathy looks like.  This doesn’t mean they necessarily will, in turn, use it with others, but there’s no chance at all for that to happen if they don’t even know what they’re looking for. Your empathy with them may be the only empathy they’ve ever seen. Empathy Source: Their interactions with one another Another opportunity to see empathy in action is in working with one another—quick elbow-partner activities, group projects, peer response, group discussions and more. Sharing sentence stems that promote empathetic dialogue can be helpful to students—like training whees so they know where to start. "I can tell you’ve…that must have…" as in, "I can tell you’ve worked hard on this writing. That must’ve taken self-determination, and even some courage." Empathy Source: How content is framed How content is framed is another opportunity for empathy. For example, using essential questions that require, reward, and promote empathy can turn a unit into a study on what other people think, why they think it, and what they feel? Grant Wiggins has held up "What’s wrong with Holden Caufield?" from The Catcher In The Rye as a powerful essential question, one that requires students to examine another person in an alien context, make deep inferences based on schema that is (obviously) personal, and then—hopefully—empathize with a fictional character not as a quick writing prompt or "higher-level question," but a 6-week study. Studying fiction—or studying fiction well is an exercise in empathy as well. Studying history without empathy is like turning our shared human legacy, full of wonderful nuance and narrative and scandal and hope—into a dry, chronologically-based FAQ. Which sucks. Empathy Source: Where learning goals come from The relationship between learning goals and empathy may not be clear, but what we choose to study and why we choose to study it are—ideally—primarily human pursuits. When these are handled outside of the classroom, e.g., in the form of a curriculum standards, scopes-and-sequences, maps, units, power standards and the lessons that promote their study, this places the institution immediately at odds with the student, and sterilizes the learning experience. When students are able to look to other schools, other classrooms, their own lives, or even non-academic "fields" to see how experts and passionate creatives identify, value, and improve their own knowledge and skills, it can help to tilt the learning experience to something emotionally immediate and relevant and authentic—fertile ground for empathy. Empathy Source: Transfer of knowledge What do we do with what we know? What happens when I try to take what I learned here, and use it there? What are my thinking habits? What are the chances I’ll make this transfer unprompted, now and in the future? These questions surrounding students’ transfer of knowledge can all benefit from empathy, and promote its growth. Understanding is a problematic word, but let’s consider for a moment two kinds of understanding—that which is demonstrated within the context of a lesson or unit, and that which is able to leave this fragile academic bubble and can survive on its own outside of it. This kind of movement isn’t simple, or necessarily natural when they learning content and goals are all academic. In The Courage To Think Critically, I was theorized as much: "To think critically about something is to claim to first circle its meaning entirely—to walk all the way around it so that you understand it in a way that’s uniquely you. That’s not academic vomit but fully human. After circling the meaning of whatever you’re thinking critically about—a navigation necessarily done with bravado and purpose—you then analyze the thing. See its parts, its form, its function, and its context. After this kind of survey and analysis you can come to evaluate it-bring to bear your own distinctive cognition on the thing so that you can point out flaws, underscore bias, emphasize merit—to get inside the mind of the author, designer, creator, or clockmaker and critique his work." Empathy Source: Movement Within & Across Learning Taxonomies Another example? Understanding by Design’s "6 Facets of Understanding." Note the progression: 6 Facets of Understanding-Peaking With Empathy & Self-Knowledge "Facet 1: Explain Provide thorough and justifiable accounts of phenomena, facts, and data. Facet 2: Interpret Examples: Tell meaningful stories, offer apt translations, provide a revealing historical or personal dimension to ideas and events; make subjects personal or accessible through images, anecdotes, analogies, and models. Facet 2: Apply Examples: Effectively use and adapt what they know in diverse contexts. Facet 4: Have perspective Examples: See and hear points of view through critical eyes and ears; see the big picture. Facet 5: Empathize Examples: Find value in what others might find odd, alien, or implausible; perceive sensitively on the basis of prior indirect experience. Facet 6: Have self-knowledge Examples: Perceive the personal style, prejudices, projections, and habits of mind that both shape and impede our own understanding; they are aware of what they do not understand and why understanding is so hard." The movement in the 6 Facets here is from outward patterns to inward patterns. Explaining, interpretation, and application are, in large part, outward. The facets then tend inward—perspective, empathize, and self-knowledge. The lesson here-or one lesson of many-is that understanding is a deeply personal process. It is a matter of knowledge, but also identity, perspective, and empathy. Our TeachThought Learning Taxonomy includes domains of "Self," "Interdependence," "Function," and "Abstraction," implying the human, emotional, and connected nature of learning. Learning is about experimenting through, playing with, and otherwise coming to internalize new information and perspective. Knowledge-holding is only one part of "knowing." Empathy provides not only provides a common ground between people-and a human tone-but also an authentic need to know what we know, and use that knowledge to improve the interactions we value the most. Adapted image attribution flickr user flickeringbrad; The Opportunities For Empathy In The Classroom The post The Opportunities For Empathy In The Classroom appeared first on TeachThought.

31 Sources Of Royalty-Free Images by TeachThought Staff In a digital world, images are everything-and that goes for the classroom, too. Whether students are putting together a graphic design project, you’re starting a classroom blog, or your school needs access to high quality images for any number of teaching and learning needs, Creative Commons provides a useful common language for discussing what to use, when, and how, but it’s not an image library. (You can see a guide to Creative Commons licensing here.) So where can you get the images themselves? Images that you can use to design, produce, create, and publish for the authentic project-based learning happening in your classroom? The collection below represents a very nice starting point to find the royalty-free image you’re looking for. Add wikimediacommons and flickr to the list, and you’ve got 31 sources of royalty-free images worth bookmarking. Or saving to Pocket. Or whatever your workflow is. (We don’t judge.) Royalty Free Image Resources 1  KABOOMPICS BROWSABILITY: Search box, categories & tags LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Textures & Backgrounds, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Architecture 7 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 2  UNSPLASH BROWSABILITY: Not searchableLICENSE: CC0BEST FOR: Nature, Music, People, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Travel & Adventure, Architecture 4 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 3  NEW OLD STOCK BROWSABILITY: Not Searchable LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Vintage, Nature, Technology, People, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure, Architecture 1 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 4  MORGUEFILE BROWSABILITY: Search Box LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Music, Textures & Backgrounds, People, Animals, Seasonal, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Travel & Adventure, Architecture, Automotive 1 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 5  JAY MANTRI BROWSABILITY: Not Searchable LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Cityscapes, Landscapes 1 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 6  GRATISOGRAPHY BROWSABILITY: Not searchable LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, People, Cityscapes, Landscapes 1 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 7  LITTLE VISUALS BROWSABILITY: Not Searchable LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Music, Textures & Backgrounds, Landscapes 1 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 8  SUPERFAMOUS BROWSABILITY: Category Links LICENSING: CC3 BEST FOR: Nature, Textures & Backgrounds, Landscapes 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 9  STOCKVAULT BROWSABILITY: Search Box & Categories LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Music, Textures & Backgrounds, People, Animals, Seasonal, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Architecture, Automotive 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 10  UNSPLASH SEARCH BROWSABILITY: Tags/Categories LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Music, People, Cityscapes, Food, Travel & Adventure, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 11  UNRESTRICTED STOCK BROWSABILITY: Search Box + Categories LICENSE: See website terms BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Music, Textures & Backgrounds, Animals, Seasonal, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 12  SPLITSHIRE BROWSABILITY: Category Filters LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Music, People, Landscapes, Food, Architecture, Automotive 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 13  STOCKMEDIA BROWSABILITY: Categories LICENSE: CC3 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Textures & Backgrounds, Animals, Seasonal, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Travel & Adventure, Architecture, Automotive 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 14  SNAPWIRE SNAPS BROWSABILITY: Search Box LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, People, Animals, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 15  SNAPOGRAPHIC BROWSABILITY: Category Filters LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Textures & Backgrounds, Animals, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 16  PUBLIC DOMAIN ARCHIVE BROWSABILITY: Broad Categories (not very searchable) LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Music, Textures & Backgrounds, People, Animals, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Travel & Adventure, Vintage, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 17  PICOGRAPHY BROWSABILITY: Not searchable LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 18  PICJUMBO BROWSABILITY: Search Box, Categories & Tag Filters LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, People, Animals, Seasonal, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Travel & Adventure, Architecture, 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 19  PIXABAY BROWSABILITY: Search Box + Category Filters LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Music, Textures & Backgrounds, People, Animals, Seasonal, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Travel & Adventure, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 20  MAGDELEINE BROWSABILITY: Search Box + Category / Tag Filters LICENSE: Varies (CC0 & Attribution Required) BEST FOR: Nature, Textures & Backgrounds, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure, 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 21  LIFE OF PIX BROWSABILITY: Not Searchable LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Textures & Backgrounds, People, Animals, Seasonal, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure, Architecture, Automotive 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 22  PHOTO EVERYWHERE BROWSABILITY: Search Box + Map & Tag Filters LICENSE: CC3 BEST FOR: Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 23  LOCK & STOCK PHOTOS BROWSABILITY: Not searchable LICENSE: CC4 BEST FOR: Nature, Animals, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Food, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 24  IM FREE BROWSABILITY: Search Box + Collections LICENSE: CC0 BEST FOR: Nature, Technology, Music, People, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Travel & Adventure, Architecture 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share 25  GET REFE BROWSABILITY: Not Searchable LICENSE: CC0 *BEST FOR: * Nature, People, Cityscapes, Landscapes (NOTE: all images taken by mobile phones) 0 likes I use this 0 Comments Relist Share View more lists from Mesh Marketing 31 Sources Of Royalty-Free Images The post 31 Sources Of Royalty-Free Images appeared first on TeachThought.

A Comprehensive Framework For Student Motivation by Terry Heick When researching student motivation and gamification late last year, I came across the most comprehensive gamification framework I’ve ever seen. Developed by gamification expert Yu-kai Chou, it was an ambitious effort that distinguished black hat gamification (which is "bad"-think Farmville and Candy Crush) from white hat gamification (which is "good"-think Minecraft or even an ACT score). (It’s also copyrighted, but they graciously allowed us to use it.) While it is designed not as an educational framework, but rather as a way to demonstrate gamification and its many strands, gamification is about human encouragement and motivation. For educators, student motivation is one of the pillars of a academic performance. While the terms are sometimes misunderstood-and risk becoming cliche as we continue to talk about them topically rather than specifically-student motivation and student engagement are prime movers in the learning process. Without either, teaching is an uphill battle. So what began as a post about gamification became more a matter of student motivation-what motivates students in the classroom and why. If we can nail down those factors-those characteristics that drive student motivation-we can, at worst, be more attentive to them as we design assessments, lessons, units, and even learning models. 8 Core Drives Of Student Motivation 1) Epic Meaning & Calling Yu-kai Chou explains, "Epic Meaning & Calling is the Core Drive where a player believes that he is doing something greater than himself or he was "chosen" to do something. A symptom of this is a player that devotes a lot of his time to maintaining a forum or helping to create things for the entire community (think Wikipedia or Open Source projects)." Educator takeaways? This is easy to reduce to "get good grades to get into college to "become" whatever you want to "be," but while they wait to "become" something (i.e., a "professional" of some kind), they need meaning from their work that is a matter of  self, knowledge, and personal development (see Development & Accomplishment below). What if…we continued to build on the ideas of problem-based learning, place-based education, and scenario-based learning, where students have the ability to interact with authentic-and hopefully local-problems, designing solutions to problems they see on a daily basis. 2) Development & Accomplishment Yu-kai Chou explains: "Development & Accomplishment is the internal drive of making progress, developing skills, and eventually overcoming challenges. The word "challenge" here is very important, as a badge or trophy without a challenge is not meaningful at all." Educator takeaways? Right now, letter grades, certificates, and in cases, digital portfolios are tasked with communicating a learner’s measure of performance, progress, and accomplishment. The visibility of this development and accomplishment is also limited and completely academic. What if…the development of a "learner identity" was a matter of choice and authentically-sourced, rather than universal and academically-derived? 3) Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback Yu-kai Chou explains: "Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback is when users are engaged a creative process where they have to repeatedly figure things out and try different combinations. People not only need ways to express their creativity, but they need to be able to see the results of their creativity, receive feedback, and respond in turn." Educator takeaways? Learning feedback is different than grades, and grades are different than assessment, and assessment is different than learning results-offering feedback that promotes learning while encouraging creativity (part of the root of the word encourage is courage)? How can we give learners the space and emotional support to experiment with complex ideas and data sources without letting them flounder, or "play and experiment badly"? What if…play was at the core of learning while married to an authentic feedback loop, and lessons and units and projects ground to a halt without creativity? 4) Ownership & Possession Yu-kai Chou explains, "This is the drive where users are motivated because they feel like they own something. When a player feels ownership, she innately wants to make what she owns better and own even more." Educator Takeaways? Space, place, voice, and choice are among the principles of student-centered learning. A sense of agency can be both empowering and overwhelming for students. What if…Students "owned" their learning experiences in connection with mentors outside the school? 5) Social Influence & Relatedness Yu-kai Chou explains, "This drive incorporates all the social elements that drive people, including: mentorship, acceptance, social responses, companionship, as well as competition and envy…Also, it includes the drive we have to draw closer to people, places, or events that we can relate to. If you see a product that reminds you of your childhood, the sense of nostalgia would likely increase the odds of you buying the product." Educator takeaways? How can we design learning so that students need to connect to clarify a need for knowledge, to create knowledge, or to share knowledge? Pushed further, how does social influence change the knowledge and competencies we choose to value? For example, how has social media-twitter for example-altered social currencies? In a physical environment, charisma can be a matter of aesthetics, height, voice tone, or verbal linguistics. In a digital realm, the ability to communicate concisely, to use hashtags effectively, and to time your messages properly all give the appearance of charisma. The lesson? Unique spaces create unique conditions for influence and value. What if…we created a classroom where the social influence was both a cause and an effect for curiosity and an authentic need to know? 6) Scarcity & Impatience Yu-kai Chou explains, "This is the drive of wanting something because you can’t have it…." Educator Takeaways? Choosing what to make scarce, and how to build want in students is a matter of design with a few simple bullet points. Traditional academia has scarcity built in already-extra-credit, choice, opportunities for self-selected grouping, personal technology use (BYOD), course selection (in K-12) and more are all "scarce," and thus have value. Education also withholds permanent markers of performance (i.e., final letter grades) until the end of a semester to both motivate students as well as provide the image of authority and control. Using "Scarcity & Impatience" becomes a matter of being selective in what is made scarce, and how that scarcity and requisite need-for-patience impacts student learning. Put another way, what are we withholding, and to what end? That which is scarce-but still integral to a larger process-has embedded value. How can we use that? What if…what we wanted students to value was a matter of personalized learning-this value for this student in this community based on this circumstance? 7) Unpredictability & Curiosity Yu-kai Chou explains, "Generally, this is a harmless drive of wanting to find out what will happen next….The very controversial Skinner Box experiments, where an animal irrationally presses a lever frequently because of unpredictable results, are exclusively referring to the core drive of Unpredictability & Curiosity, although many have misunderstood it as the driver behind points, badges, and leaderboard mechanics in general." Educator Takeaways? Learning without curiosity is like a fire without heat. Unpredictability is one source of curiosity, but there are many sources of curiosity. So much of a classroom is a matter of process and routine, which places a premium on predictability and procedural knowledge. What if…instead, our classrooms were learning spaces that were charged with possibility, connections, creativity, and student-sourced emotion? And what if, by some matter of design, created intellectual chaos rather than worried about behavioral chaos? How would we need to design access to content, feedback loops, learning models, and outward visibility to make this work? 8) Loss & Avoidance Yu-kai Chou explains, "This core drive is based upon the avoidance of something negative happening. On a small scale, it could be to avoid losing previous work. On a larger scale, it could be to avoid admitting that everything you did up to this point was useless because you are now quitting." Educator Takeaways? As a profession, we tend to design learning experiences that discourage risk-taking and punish mistakes. "Loss" has been at the core of academia since its inception. If you don’t do this work by this date you lose this desirable alphanumeric symbol (letter grade) and may even fail the course outright (i.e. lose "progress" and credit and be forced to repeat). This driver of student motivation has not been effective historically in K-12 education for many students because it requires students to value the loss, which requires them to see the long-term consequences of that loss. Unlike adults, students live in the now. What if….we could somehow design a unit, for example, that "forced" the student to "start over" if they made certain mistakes, but through other principles of student motivation outlined above, they were somehow motivated to do so? A Comprehensive Framework For Student Motivation; image copyright Octalysis and Yu-kai Chou The post A Comprehensive Framework For Student Motivation appeared first on TeachThought.

How I Learned Differentiation by Jessica Hocket As middle and high school student, I had few choices in learning and few opportunities for work I would have called "fun" or even worthwhile. As a teacher, I pledged to make better use of adolescents’ time and let them choose from meaningful tasks whenever possible. Looking back through old computer files of things I actually did, I see that I was somewhat "successful" in designing activities that were more engaging than what I had experienced myself.  But many of these efforts—which I thought of as "differentiated"—also fell far short of what Carol Ann Tomlinson calls "respectful" differentiation. One instance from my second year of teaching stands out in particular. I was scouring the Internet for activities related to an upcoming novel when I found a ready-made learning menu of tasks related to that very book. It used grades as motivational organizer for differentiation. Students could "choose" their own grade by doing a certain number of activities. If they wanted a C, they would do one list of tasks. If they wanted a B, they had to do the C tasks, plus the B tasks, and so on. Within each group of activities, there were also some choices and a range of product options. I gave them several weeks to complete the tasks, allowing them to work on it in-class periodically. At the time, this approach seemed to satisfy my goals for giving students autonomy and chances to be creative. My students seemed to appreciate the ownership that the menu gave, and for the most part completed the work on time and according to the directions. I didn’t use it again (mostly because I thought it created too much work for me to grade!). Time, experience, and the work and wisdom of others helped me see the real problems in my approach to differentiation. In hindsight, there are three guidelines that I would give to my novice self. "Different" isn’t the same as "differentiated." The menu I adapted and used offered students an array of tasks loosely bound together by their connection to the same story. If my goal was for students to simply read the book and do some activities around it, then I achieved it. But my learning goals should have been more focused, specific, and measureable. Without common goals, tasks like those I offered are simply different from one another, but not truly differentiated. Some of the options were related to character motive, others to settings, others to themes, and others to making comparisons with other literature. Still others weren’t connected to any discernible goals—they were just fun. I didn’t have all students working toward the same goals via varied routes; I had different routes to destinations that were miles apart. I later realized that I didn’t need to offer a laundry list of choices. A few (or even two) carefully designed, authentic tasks tightly aligned to the same learning goals are what it takes to differentiate well. Qualitative differentiation is more effective than quantitative differentiation. I now know that my "Do these if you want this grade…" set-up represented a "quantitative" approach to differentiation. I figured that the higher-readiness (and/or more motivated) students would "self-differentiate" by doing more and better work. I also hoped that the connection to grades would spur some students to do more and better work than they usually did. My predictions came true, but only for some students. In practice, students who were not motivated by grades or the prospect of simply doing more did the bare minimum. I neglected to focus on the quality of the work in favor of the quantity of it and (worse) valued whether students had completed a task rather than what they had learned. Differentiation means sometimes students choose and sometimes the teacher chooses. In my zeal to incorporate choice, I came to equate choice with differentiation. I believed that anytime I offered students choices, I was practicing differentiation and, conversely, that I couldn’t truly differentiate without giving students a choice. The quality or nature of the choices mattered less to me than not telling students what they had to do or that there was only one way to do something. This was certainly the case with my menu. I later came to understand that differentiation does not require student choice in all things. When I differentiated tasks for student interest and student learning preferences, I was most likely looking to motivate students and make learning more efficient. So, students choosing made sense. But when I differentiated tasks for student readiness—in effect creating parallel tasks based on evidence of differences in students academic skills—then it would’ve made sense to strongly guide the choice or assign tasks to students to ensure a proper "match." The bottom line: Students can have choices about how to grow, but should not have the choice of whether to grow. In retrospect, this example of my early attempts to differentiate by giving students interesting choices wasn’t a botched experiment but an invaluable starting point. I know more about differentiation now than I did then and less than I will tomorrow. About The Author On the journey toward differentiating their classrooms, teachers are bound to take missteps along the way. In this post, Jessica Hockett, co-author of the forthcoming book Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies that Engage All Learners (ASCD, 2015), shares lessons she learned through a specific situation in her teaching career. To hear more on this topic, listen to this recent podcast episode featuring Hockett, her co-author Kristina Doubet, and Carol Ann Tomlinson. Jessica Hockett is an education consultant in differentiation, curriculum design, and lesson study, and a member of the ASCD Professional Learning Services faculty. Hockett and Kristina Doubet are co-authors of the forthcoming book Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies that Engage All Learners (ASCD, due spring 2015); adapted image attribution flickr user woodleywonderworks; How I Learned Differentiation The post How I Learned Differentiation appeared first on TeachThought.

Why Social Interaction Is Essential To Learning Math by Robert Sun Not long ago, while visiting Israel, I had the opportunity to sit in on a fourth grade class at a progressive school in that country’s North District. The young teacher that day was leading her group of 19 students as they learned English. Over the 40 minute session, as the students were introduced to 20 new English vocabulary words, speaking them aloud and using them in sentences, I suddenly realized how important active, verbal and reciprocal exchange is to learning any new language. And math, most definitely, is a language. I know first-hand how difficult the task of learning a new language can be because, like those Israeli students, I had to learn English as a fourth-grade immigrant from Shanghai. Speaking English day after day, my new home in Philadelphia slowly became a much more inviting place—for me, a city of promise. Fluency in English requires the mastery of 4,000 to 5,000 new and unfamiliar words. That’s a long process. By contrast, learning math should be much easier. After all, with math you don’t have to know what a "9" means; you only need to understand how a 9 can relate to a 3 or a 27, because math focuses on relationships and how numbers connect. One reason I believe math is challenging for so many young people, is because it is so rarely spoken. In school, math instruction focuses on the written component: the constant litany of textbooks, board work and worksheets. At best, students listen to the teacher talk about math—but rarely do they speak it at length themselves. Each of us, from the moment we hear our parents speak our name for the first time, gained our fluency for language through verbal interaction. The constant give-and-take, as we sharpened our pronunciations and built our vocabulary, became essential in our transformation from inarticulate toddler to fully functioning adult. The process of learning math would benefit from just such a dynamic. But it’s something we’re sorely missing. All too often we forget that language acquisition demands a verbal component. You can focus on all the writing you want, from grammar to composition to reading—but without receiving the constant interaction, feedback and encouragement from people through conversation, your progress in mastering any new language will be limited. Developing a working vocabulary is an exercise that can take many years. Until we build a foundation of competency, we are reluctant to speak because speaking is public—and in that public act we reveal ourselves. Our education system seeks fluency in the language of math, yet it does not encourage students to use it in a social way, producing many who are anxious about math. If they don’t have to speak math, few people really know the extent of their math proficiency. It becomes easy to keep the "secret" of how weak they may be. Like all secrets, anxiety builds the longer the secret is maintained. Over the last several decades, in fact, being "bad at math" has become socially acceptable. Admitting you are not proficient enables you to divert the subject and protect your deficiency. Unfortunately, so many people publically make this admission that it has become a culturally accepted way to avoid getting good at math. We need to change this dynamic. I believe that as educators and as a society, we need to develop the idea of "social math": the use of spoken math to inspire the human interactions that provide the feedback and motivation to master fluency. We can start to develop social math by encouraging our children, from a very early age, to speak as well as write the language of mathematics. Just as the students in that Israeli classroom learned English by speaking words out loud, we can do the same when teaching math. Teachers can encourage their students to express themselves verbally using mathematical terms; even in the early grades, children can be asked to explain what they want or mean using numbers, or relationships between numbers. Anything that encourages them to talk about math and mathematical concepts is beneficial. 5 Math Teaching Strategies That Work Today we understand how to remove the traditional stumbling blocks that prevent many from acquiring math proficiency: Provide immediate feedback; i.e., social engagement. Offer engaging and comprehensive content at hundreds of entry points, ensuring that no matter the skill level of a child, he or she can find an entry point to experience success and move progressively to advance their skills. Give children a sense of control and ownership over the learning process. Allow students the freedom to make mistakes, so they will push their skills right to the edge. That’s where the real active learning occurs. Encourage our children to speak and write about math so they will be truly "math fluent." Technology has enabled us to develop tools that are designed to incorporate these features. Schools using these innovative tools discover that their students are eager to speak and practice mathematics. Whenever children in a school are struggling to learn English, we invest considerably more resources into building their competence in that subject than we do when a comparable deficiency exists with math literacy. If our children are not expected to speak the language of math, they do not reveal their weakness and it becomes easier to ignore. On the other hand, when we speak the common language of math with vibrancy and passion, we inspire our children to explore and pursue the rich opportunities offered in this essential and universal form of communication. This will benefit our next generation of thinkers immensely, providing them with the foundation to support careers in the STEM professions and every part of life. ROBERT SUN is the CEO of Suntex International and inventor of First In Math, an online program designed for deep practice in mathematics; Why Social Interaction Is Essential To Learning Math The post Why Social Interaction Is Essential To Learning Math appeared first on TeachThought.

YouTube Is Releasing An App For Kids by TeachThought Staff Both USA Today and The Verge are reporting that YouTube will be releasing a first-party app for kids at the Kidscreen Summit event on February 23. And at least at the beginning, it’s spurning rival-iOS and going Android-only. It’s not surprising that Google-owned YouTube is releasing an app designed for engagement by those still developing their decision-making skills and capacity for self-restraint. Among the features are removal of comments, safer search, a way to control viewing time, and even original content for children. We’ve long held that YouTube is one of the best-kept secrets in teaching and learning-in lieu of its ample underbelly. There is so much stunning content on YouTube-channels like Tested, Periodic Videos, Veritasium. Numberphile, Minute Physics times a billion. If we loved Smarter Every Day, we’d explode. In fact, there’s so much great content that it’s easy to miss, especially if you already have your mind made up about the "garbage" on YouTube. (Or more likely, your district blocks it.) Which is what made us so excited about Brainfeed, which we included in our 50 Apps That Clarify New Ways To Learn, and our Best Educational Apps For 2014. Brainfeed curates some of the better, edu-centered content into channels by content area or topic so you don’t have to bother, which makes it a perfect fit for self-directed learning, problem-based learning, and grab-and-go mini-lessons for your classroom. The continued evolution of YouTube as an API (versus simple a website) is great to see, but about two years late. There is so much buzz around apps like Zaption and Seesaw that support flipped classrooms and allow teachers to create their own content, all the while neglecting the extraordinary (and often expert-sourced) content already there. YouTube hasn’t limited itself to an easy way to upload videos or embed video content on blogs. Perhaps this is a sign that Google is finally realizing the extraordinary potential YouTube has above and beyond how it’s been used for the last decade. We’d guess iOS users can expect a version later this summer. YouTube Is Releasing An App For Kids; screenshot attribution theverge The post YouTube Is Releasing An App For Kids appeared first on TeachThought.

If We Treated Teachers Like Football Stars by TeachThought Staff What if we treated star teachers the way we treated star athletes? This is, of course, a cultural question; our idols reflect our priorities, and in the United States we tend to celebrate spectacle: athletic performance, musicians, actors, and even "non-celebrity" celebrities. (See reality television.) If you ever pause live television during a close or particularly charged athletic event and study the faces of the fans, you might lose faith in our collective humanity. Prophets nor peace makers nor civil rights heroes or military veterans nor community leaders combined receive the adoration of athletes. Whether this is a matter of human instinct (to over-value things we’re incapable of ourselves-the way we celebrate all hackers as geniuses, for example), or a product of the potency of marketing by Nike, The NFL, ESPN, and more, the end result is awkward to say the least. So this video from Buzzfeed-yes, Buzzfeed-might make you smile. It answers the question, "What if we treated star teachers like we treated star athletes?" It covers press conferences, financial endorsements, big contracts, forgiving failure, and more. It’s already received 3 million+ views, so you may have already seen it. If not, it’s worth two minutes. See? Buzzfeed isn’t all bad. If We Treated Star Teachers Like Star Athletes; What if we treated teachers like football stars? The post If We Treated Star Teachers Like Star Athletes appeared first on TeachThought.

Where Does A Freed Mind Go? by Terry Heick I. Education is a system, but teaching and learning are not systems. This presents a challenge. II. First, education. As a system, it is made up of parts, and these parts can be conceived in any number of ways. That is to say, they are subjective because we, as individuals are subjective. III. We only become objective under strained scrutiny from others, and even then that objectivity is temporary. Once we move from an object of study to something familiar-from a being to a person-the objectivity is lost. (To the biologist, the species becomes a primate becomes a monkey becomes a friend.) IV. It is through this loss that human connectivity is gained; it is through human connectivity that we then discover our own interdependence. That is, by how we connect with the people and spaces and ideas around us, we begin to make sense of ourselves. One changes the other. V. Education, as a system, doesn’t have a way of responding to or planning for this nuanced and entirely human process. This leaves a key actuator of education-teachers-to "handle" that part. And when this doesn’t happen, the marrow of learning is gone. It is a shell. (This is when academics move from a worthy body of knowledge worthy of study to a mechanical and thoughtless process that belies its own wisdom.) VI. Systems don’t plan for people. The language of systems is binary and mechanical; the language of people is musical and irrational. Education can’t communicate with teachers; teachers can’t communicate with curriculum; curriculum can’t speak to communities; communities can’t speak to families or students. Of these parts, only the teachers and families and students are real-capable of speaking and being spoken to. Of responding and creating and resisting and laughing and running amok. VII. How we see ourselves changes how we view "reality," and how what we believe about "reality" affects how we see ourselves. We construct and co-construct a reality that provides an always-on feedback loop where we constantly calibrate our sense of self, and based on what we "see," either adapt that view of reality, or iterate our sense of self. (Consider how you think of yourself as an adult versus how you viewed yourself as a teenager; then think not only of that difference, but the events that caused that change-what we call "maturity" or "growing up.") VIII. This is a ceaseless process that education, by design, seeks to interrupt because it never bothers to learn the language of the individual student-this child with this story sitting in this chair. Teachers are the great translators of learning-mediators that speak in binary code for the system, and in human tongue for the children. This both emphasizes and overburdens teachers. IX. Secondarily, this reduces knowledge and wisdom to matters of performance, which is further reduced to letter grades and certificates. This sequence represents the complete dehumanization of the learning process, done so not out of malice, but by an entirely predictable pattern: systems-level thinking rather than personal-level affection. We continuously seek to make that which is subjective, objective. X. In response, education technology has recently been turned to in hopes of easing this burden, but without clear and human and careful communication between teachers and curriculum and communities and families and students, "edtech" merely energizes the system itself, illuminating all of its parts in jagged and purple and thrumming arcs. And here, the best we can hope for is disruption. XI. If we can accept knowledge, wisdom, literacy, and critical thinking as goals of education (if that continues to be our choice of, for lack of a better term, educating), we might study the characteristics of someone that excels in these four areas to see what it looks like. We might think backwards not from standards, but from people in their native and chosen places. XII. Put another way, we could do worse than to begin with a question: If knowledge emancipates the mind, once freed, where does it go? Where Does A Freed Mind Go?; image attribution flickr user thericks The post Where Does A Freed Mind Go? appeared first on TeachThought.

The Daily Routine Of Creativity by TeachThought Staff What sort of habits lead to creativity? Well, we first have to imagine these kinds of habits as causal-that is, the habits cause the creativity, rather than the reverse. If we can do that, there may be some useful takeaways for teachers. Podio recently put together an interesting graphic that has some relevance for educators (if we can see teaching as a creative process). One general takeaway? The most creative go to bed early, and do their most creative work earlier in the day. In general, the routine for creativity-at least in its most general terms-is simple: 1. Get plenty of rest 2. Create whatever it is that you create 3. Exercise 4. Go to bed. You can see the full results-and where the data came from-below. "The brain functions differently at various times of day. Studies show that early risers tend to be good at making plans, while those that work into the night enjoy more divergent thinking. Resting the mind helps generate novel ideas. At least 12 hours away from work is recommended, preferably involving some sleep. Naps can also boost the mind’s ability to solve creative problems. Disclaimer: The above info doesn’t characterize the entire life of each person but a specific period of time as recorded in diaries, letters and other documentation. Sources: Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey, Daily Routines blog and other academic studies." The Daily Routine Of Creativity Want to develop a better work routine? Discover how some of the world’s greatest minds organized their days; click image to see the interactive version (via Podio); The Daily Routine Of Creativity The post The Daily Routine Of Creativity appeared first on TeachThought.

50 Free Online Courses For Teachers: Spring 2015 by Class Central Below is a list of 50 free online courses for teachers for Spring 2015, aggregated by Class Central. Education & Teaching (50) Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects University of California, San Diego via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 2nd Jan, 2015   Foundations of Teaching for Learning 3: Learners and Learning Commonwealth Education Trust via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 5th Jan, 2015   1368.3x: Saving Schools: History, Politics, and Policy in U.S. Education, Mini-Course III: Accountability and National Standards Harvard University via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 5th Jan, 2015   Shaping the Way We Teach English, 1: The Landscape of English Language Teaching University of Oregon via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 5th Jan, 2015   Becoming a Confident Trainer TAFE SA via Open2Study Go To Class | Next Session : 5th Jan, 2015   Early Childhood Education Gowrie Victoria via Open2Study Go To Class | Next Session : 5th Jan, 2015   Education in a Changing World via Open2Study Go To Class | Next Session : 5th Jan, 2015   Teaching Adult Learners Central Institute of Technology via Open2Study Go To Class | Next Session : 5th Jan, 2015   Teaching with Moodle: An introduction Moodle via Independent Go To Class | Next Session : 11th Jan, 2015   Foundations of Virtual Instruction University of California, Irvine via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 12th Jan, 2015   Administration of adult and higher education The University of Oklahoma via Janux Go To Class | Next Session : 12th Jan, 2015   Introduction to Learning Technologies University of Saskatchewan via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 12th Jan, 2015   30 Days of TED Canyons School District via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 12th Jan, 2015   Teaching Flipped University of Utah via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 12th Jan, 2015   Discover Your Value Bellevue University via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 12th Jan, 2015   Helping History Teachers Become Writing Teachers Canvas Network via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 12th Jan, 2015   COL101x: The Road to Selective College Admissions St. Margaret’s Episcopal School via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 13th Jan, 2015   K-12 Blended & Online Learning University System of Georgia via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 13th Jan, 2015   Seven Essential Practices for Developing Academic Oral Language and Literacy in Every Subject Stanford University via NovoED Go To Class | Next Session : 14th Jan, 2015   What is Character? Virtue Ethics in Education University of Birmingham via FutureLearn Go To Class | Next Session : 19th Jan, 2015   A beginners’ guide to writing in English for university study University of Reading via FutureLearn Go To Class | Next Session : 19th Jan, 2015   e-Learning Ecologies University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 19th Jan, 2015   Digital Literacies II San Diego County Office of Education via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 26th Jan, 2015   Minecraft for Educators University of Hull via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 26th Jan, 2015   Teaching Library Research Strategies via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 26th Jan, 2015   Foundations of Teaching for Learning 6: Introduction to Student Assessment Commonwealth Education Trust via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 26th Jan, 2015   Reading for Understanding: Literacy for Learning in the 21st Century WestEd via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 26th Jan, 2015   Supporting eLearners London South Bank University via Canvas.net Go To Class | Next Session : 26th Jan, 2015   American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice University of Pennsylvania via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 26th Jan, 2015   IndEdu200x: Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education The University of British Columbia via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 27th Jan, 2015   How to Succeed in College University of Kentucky via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 27th Jan, 2015   GE001x: The Art of Teaching GEMS Education via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 30th Jan, 2015   Academic Integrity: Values, Skills, Action University Of Auckland via FutureLearn Go To Class | Next Session : 2nd Feb, 2015   Instructional Methods in Health Professions Education University of Michigan via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 2nd Feb, 2015   LA101x: Library Advocacy Unshushed University of Toronto via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 2nd Feb, 2015   Genetics and Society: A Course for Educators American Museum of Natural History via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 2nd Feb, 2015   English for teaching purposes Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Autonomous University of Barcelona) via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 2nd Feb, 2015   1368.4x: Saving Schools: History, Politics, and Policy in U.S. Education, Mini-Course IV: School Choice Harvard University via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 9th Feb, 2015   الإشراف التربوي via Rwaq (رواق) Go To Class | Next Session : 15th Feb, 2015   ASLCx: Advanced Spanish Language and Culture St. Margaret’s Episcopal School via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 19th Feb, 2015   Foundations of Teaching for Learning 4: Curriculum Commonwealth Education Trust via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 23rd Feb, 2015   Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Virtual K-12 Classroom University of California, Irvine via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 23rd Feb, 2015   Ed179x: Critical Issues in Urban Education The University of Chicago via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 23rd Feb, 2015   HGA.1x: Educación para una sociedad del conocimiento Universidad Carlos iii de Madrid via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 24th Feb, 2015   Foundations of Teaching for Learning 7: Being a Professional Commonwealth Education Trust via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 16th Mar, 2015   Common Core in Action: Math Classroom Challenges- Using Formative Assessment to Guide Instruction New Teacher Center via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 30th Mar, 2015   Common Core in Action II: Exploring Literacy Design Collaborative Tools New Teacher Center via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 30th Mar, 2015   Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom University of California, Irvine via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 13th Apr, 2015   Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills University of Melbourne via Coursera Go To Class | Next Session : 20th Apr, 2015   TE201x: Tecnologías para la educación Universitat Politècnica de València via edX Go To Class | Next Session : 28th Apr, 2015 50 Free Online Courses For Teachers: Spring 2015 The post 50 Free Online Courses For Educators: Spring 2015 appeared first on TeachThought.

What You Should Know About the ‘New-School’ Edsby Learning Management System by edsby.com Ed note: This is a sponsored post from Edsby Ask five educators what an LMS is, and you’ll likely get five different answers. Viewed by some as an effective tool for teaching and learning and by others as a necessary evil, the LMS is ingrained in K-12 education. But the LMS, as we’ve come to know it, is changing. Modern systems, such as Edsby, are improving user-interfaces with social features that mimic platforms teachers and students are familiar with outside the school environment, such as Facebook. This merges the functionality and capabilities of traditional systems with the collaborative, engaging elements students and educators need to succeed, fundamentally changing how school districts operate on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at how a "new-school" LMS works. What exactly is Edsby? Put simply, Edsby uses modern technologies to connect learning communities. It’s a cloud-based software application that blends social networking with class and student management. Edsby’s intention is to increase engagement between K-12 students, teachers, parents and administrators. It features tightly integrated capabilities like social learning, school news, group collaboration, assessment management, timetables and calendars, course planning, report cards, and attendance. Sounds good enough, but how does it work? Many LMSes were originally developed for higher education and later adapted for K-12, but Edsby is designed specifically for the unique needs of a K-12 school district, integrating with legacy systems like the district’s SIS and leveraging existing data and security policies. By plugging into previously installed systems, Edsby uses single-sign-on functionality to simplify access. Additionally, the platform allows for deep customization based on a district’s needs. How does it help teachers? Too often, teachers are left to make their own technology decisions and fend for themselves without support from their school or district. Edsby has been designed to be deployed district-wide to every teacher and student and quickly streamline many tedious administrative tasks, like attendance and grading, while allowing for classroom collaboration and resource sharing. The net effect is making teachers’ lives easier, so they can spend less time finding and maintaining ad-hoc applications like Edmodo and Moodle, and more time engaging with students. Most importantly, teachers have increased ability to connect with students and parents by facilitating online conversations, sharing class information and asking questions. Think of it as a Facebook timeline for every class. What about for administrators? With Edsby, the administrator becomes the eyes and ears of the school and is given a 360-degree view of what teachers, students and parents are doing. Based on the analytics Edsby provides, administrators can be confident in answering parents’ specific questions about their children’s progress, view student achievement or workloads, and follow up with teachers based on their observations. This sort of academic dashboard is a real strength of Edsby’s. Real-time insights like these are only available when you deploy a system this sophisticated district-wide. What’s in it for students? Edsby helps students organize every aspect of their day at school. Students manage their activities in and out of the classroom, collaborate with peers and communicate with their teachers. It’s a central location for teachers to upload important class documents and serves as a main meeting point for students to get what they need, whenever they need it. School districts often see an increase in student participation as teachers leverage the LMS’s social learning features. Students are taking advantage of Edsby’s accessibility on multiple devices and constantly login from their phones, iPods, tablets and laptops as districts embrace BYOD policies. At one of Edsby’s largest districts, student posts in Edsby classrooms and groups are up 186 percent this year over the previous year, according to the company. Parents in the LMS Parents get their own Edsby logins to view student progress, important news from the school or district, and an easy to way communicate with teachers and administrators without having to pick up a phone or send a note. Even better, when a whole district uses Edsby, parents only have to learn and use one application, instead of the bewildering array parents are faced with when teachers pick their own technology class to class, teacher to teacher. The problem multiplies for parents with multiple kids in different classes. Restoring Faith By connecting disparate education tools into one platform, Edsby brings administrators, teachers, students and parents together to create a productive and well-informed educational community. While traditional systems have raised skepticism about the usefulness of the LMS, Edsby and its modern approach restore the promise of connected teaching and learning. Learn more at www.edsby.com. The post What You Should Know About the ‘New-School’ Edsby Learning Management System appeared first on TeachThought.

A Learning Typology: 7 Ways We Come To Understand by Stewart Hase, Heutagogy of Community Practice This typology is an attempt to redefine how we think of learning in the 21st century context. Current definitions of learning focus on performance rather than holistic growth, and on what the learner can do after a learning experience. Gagne is perhaps the most notable exception. General dictionary definitions of learning refer to learning as the acquisition of knowledge. (Also, see TeachThought’s 21st Century Learning Dictionary.) The prevailing psychological definition is that learning is a change in behavior resulting from experience. Both these definitions seem inadequate given recent advances in neuroscience that shows us how complex a process is learning. We are much more able now to examine directly how people learn rather than indirectly by studying what techniques work, which tends to be anecdotal and qualitative. It seems now to make more sense to design learning experiences around how learning takes place and blends with learner interest rather than to produce a particular outcome. The typology described below concerns what is happening in the mind of the learner during the experience of learning. Using this as a base we are able to then jump into outcomes and the educational or learning experience itself. Each type of learning implies that different learning experiences can be designed to either help people learn or are aimed at people already operating at that level. The worthiness test is not meant to be applied. This is a typology not a taxonomy. For example, conditioned behaviors, habits and competencies are critical to survival and to the efficient use of resources. They don’t need to be seen as less vital or subservient to say adaptive learning, although they could perhaps be said to be more primitive. A Learning Typology: 7 Ways We Come To Understand 1. Autopoietic and Adaptive This involves what one could call deep learning. Complex connections are made between previous learning in the face of the need to adapt. Bifurcation enables shifts in perspective, the confident ability to attempt something new, to experiment. Autopoiesis involves self-organization and adaptive behavior in highly complex and perhaps chaotic environment. Learning is applied in novel ways, reflexivity, double loop learning and triple loop learning are used as normal practice to evaluate behavior and outcomes that then facilitate more change in a continuous, adaptive, feedback loop. Knowledge becomes wisdom. All learning involves pathways being established in the brain that are then retrieved in the form of memory. In adaptive learning, however, we see connections being made between different pathways that create new insights, new ways of seeing the world, new hypotheses to be tested. This is the world of creativity and innovation, and, ultimately, survival in the face of the need to adapt. You can imagine this sort of learning occurring in the face of very complex problems or when survival is threatened. We are forced to look at the world in a different way, to challenge existing dogmas that clearly are not working. Thus, motivation is high either by design or by rising stress. In the case of the former, one thinks of Edison’s laboratory in Menlo Park or perhaps Google and Apple, hot houses of innovation and creativity. The latter may involve a more spontaneous rethinking of a theory, a new way of interpreting our experience (data or events), a new insight into a phenomenon, perhaps a reinventing of self. 2. Shifts in Cognitive Schema Cognitive schema are our values, attitudes and beliefs, that are transcribed into thoughts and actions. In normal day-to-day life they are relatively resistant to change. They are learned early in life and drive much of our behavior. With strong links to the emotional parts of our brains cognitive schema will often override even very convincing evidence to the contrary. So, a shift in our cognitive schema is a very high order learning experience. It often takes a very emotionally charged event, a powerful experience to change them. This was something that constructivism and one of its sequela, experiential learning, understood very well, as does much of psychotherapy. As in adaptive learning, a new complex web of pathways is developed, and the old are broken down. So powerful is this shift from old to new that we may later never even recall having held a particular belief or attitude. With a shift in cognitive schema comes a new set of behaviors. I may, for example, be involved in a cleverly designed experiential learning activity in a workshop that causes me to become aware that I have some very controlling behaviours as a leader. The insight is so powerful that I decide to combat this strong personality trait, delegate more and to trust others rather than micro-manage them. 3. Capability Development Capable people (Cairns, Stephenson) are able to apply learning in novel situations as well as the familiar. They also have a high level of self-efficacy, collaborate well with others and have the capacity to learn.   Here context is the key to new learning. Changing context provides an opportunity to experiment with our competencies and perhaps find novel and authentic ways of problem finding and solving. To develop capability I am required to apply my competencies in a range of novel situations, to stay calm in the face of complexity, to think analytically about how to use my skills, to learn new skills, and to seek out a mentor or learn vicariously. I am aware of the importance of relational learning, and of the potential of the learning commons. As I become more adept my self-efficacy increases and becomes more generalized. 4. Tacit Learning High-level competencies are internalized so effectively that highly skilled tasks can be undertaken without observable/overt thought. Thoughts may be actualized through external questioning. Tacit learning is mostly seen in expert practitioners and occurs quite unconsciously. I am placed in situations where my competencies are refined in the face of increasingly complex tasks. 5. Competence Competencies consist of knowledge and skills. We acquire these through direct experience or vicariously, informally and in formal education. Most formal education is concerned with competence attainment and its reproduction. In today’s networked world obtaining competencies is easier than ever before. We acquire competence through formal education experiences or, more likely, through informal process, when and if we require them. 6. Operant Conditioning Unconscious, conditioned responses to stimuli in the environment, is also known as operant conditioning. This is a very common form of learning in formal and informal settings and is responsible for us learning many physical and social life skills essential for survival. We perform a behavior and we are rewarded for it by some form of recognition, reward or positive outcome. The reward conditions the response and we are more likely to reproduce the behaviour in the future. The conditioning of more complex behaviors become habits and are unconsciously repeated. This sort of learning (conditioning) can also be vicarious as we watch others experience positive outcomes when they do something. 7. Signal Learning The simplest form of learning also known as classical conditioning. Again, this is a very common form of learning and is unconscious. When I was a child my mother once gave me honey on bread when I was very sick with Scarlet Fever. It made me feel nauseous. Since then I have had a mild aversion to honey and never eat it. This was an unintended response (nausea) to the stimulus (honey). Advertisers use classical conditioning techniques to make us buy things. An attractive person driving a particular car or using an appliance is used as a stimulus to elicit a response. A close friend who you always have a great time with when you go out wears a particular perfume. The smell of the perfume on other people makes you feel really good-without you being aware of it. A Learning Typology: 7 Ways We Come To Understand; image attribution stewarthase and nasagoddard The post A Learning Typology: 7 Ways We Come To Understand appeared first on TeachThought.

Failing Forward: 21 Ideas To Help Students Keep Their Momentum by Terry Heick "Failing Forward" is a relatively recent entry into our cultural lexicon-at least as far has headlines go anyway-that has utility for students and teachers. Popularized from the book of the same name, the idea behind failing forward is to see failing as a part of success rather than its opposite. Provided we keep moving and pushing and trying and reflecting, failure should, assuming we’re thinking clearly, lead to progress, So rather than failing and falling back, we fail forward. Tidy little metaphor. So what might this look like in your classroom? Failing Forward In The Classroom: 21 Ideas To Help Students Keep Their Momentum 1. Design iterative work (i.e., work that deserves and is conducive to revision and iteration) How does this promote failing forward? If there’s no stopping point, then mistakes are simply opportunities. Say: "Your design work on the app blueprint is coming along nicely. Awesome job using the feedback from the subreddit you got the idea from." 2. Use project-based learning How does this promote failing forward? Not only does PBL encourage iteration, but it also reduces the snapshot effect of academic assessment, where stakes are high, errors are costly, and there is almost always a right and wrong answer. Say: "Your first two drafts didn’t work so well, huh? What can you take from each of them-what’s salvageable and what’s not?" 3. Help students publish their thinking How does this promote failing forward? This helps mistakes become a matter of transaction between the student and their audience, i.e., the writer and the reader. Say: "How did your audience respond to your ideas? Based on that, as data, how might you respond?" 4. Connect students with communities How does this promote failing forward? In the classroom, students are motivated by performance and image; in a community-assuming it’s one the student cares about-they are motivated by the effect of the work and an identity that’s crafted over time. Or they should be anyway, depending on the nature of the connection with the community. 5. Develop a grading system that suggests it How does this promote failing forward? Good old-fashioned extrinsic motivation. So give them points for correcting mistakes instead of not making them to begin with. Say: "This essay was well-conceived; loved the clear purpose here, so you got full points for your initial execution. For the remaining points, you’ll now need to go back and revise this and edit that and that." 6. Recognize it with badges, feedback, and celebration How does this promote failing forward? As with #5, you don’t just claim to embrace mistakes, you provide instant feedback for it as a good thing with some kind of gamification, or merely a genuine one-on-one conversation with the student. Say: "I was especially proud of the way you revisited this problem and found a better solution; you’ve now unlocked this achievement." 7. Consider a no-zero policy (i.e., don’t "allow" zeroes as a team, grade level, or department) How does this promote failing forward? When you insist that every assignment has to be completed by every student regardless of circumstance, you send a powerful message that all work is important. So A) Make sure the work they do is, in fact, worth their time, but B) Let them know through a well thought-out no-zero policy that failing to turn in an assignment isn’t the end of anything, nor will it simply become a mathematical effect on their grade. 8. Use Habits of Mind How does this promote failing forward? Habits of Mind promote non-academic priorities that are hugely personal, and, once internalized by the student, valuable in and out of the classroom. 9. Help students practice metacognition How does this promote failing forward? The more than can monitor their own thinking and performance, the more flexible they have a chance to be in real-time while doing the work to begin with, especially when you’re not around. Say: "When you got to this point in the design process, what was your main focus?" 10. Model failure How does this promote failing forward? You, as a professional, are modeling the humility and perseverance it takes to fail forward. Say: "I created this test to help me understand what you understand, but I messed up; it doesn’t do that very well. In fact, it’s confused both you and me, and now I have to figure out how to respond." 11. Study failure (often by those with "street cred" for students) How does this promote failing forward? See #10, only this time it’s someone outside the classroom, so it has a chance for a different kind of credibility. Say: "In 1895 when Nikola Tesla’s lab burned and he lost many of his notes and much of his equipment, he could’ve rested on his reputation and gotten a cushy job working for someone else. Instead…" 12. Require students to revise all incomplete work (and it’s "Incomplete" if it’s not proficient) How does this promote failing forward? This is a similar to a no-zero policy-all work needs to demonstrate a certain level of quality, or it needs to be improved. Say: "This is so close to representing what you’re able to do. How can we take this and use it to push further?" 13. Grade for 2 or 3 prioritized ideas, not 10 How does this promote failing forward? Oftentimes, those students in need of the most help have the most to improve upon/recover from after feedback and grading. Keep it simply. Grade in stages, or better yet, personalize the grading for that student. 14. Help them be their own best critic (not worst) How does this promote failing forward? If you can help them, in fact, become their own best critic, they’ll hold themselves to a higher standard than you ever could. but from a position of possibility, not judgment. 15. Have a crystal-clear grading policy that is knowledge and experimentation-friendly, rather than closed and risk-averse How does this promote failing forward? By studying your grading system, you can be more certain what it "encourages." By sharing it with others, you can get their feedback, revise it until it encourages what you’d like it to, and then make sure students understand how they’re being graded and why. 16. Have a short memory as a teacher if it benefits learners How does this promote failing forward? Mistakes should be temporary; students can’t have a growth mindset if their learning leader holds grudges. 17. Help students create and use checklists How does this promote failing forward? This one more protects the student from that initial failure than helps them respond after they do. Say: "This checklist should help you as you begin planning your project. If it doesn’t, let’s revise it until it does." 18. This one isn’t simple, but differentiate or personalize learning How does this promote failing forward?  The more just enough, just in time, just for me it is, the more it can suggest true ownership by students-and ownership can lead to pride, pride to grit and affection and improvement. 19. Gamify your classroom by highlighting the process and nuance of student performance How does this promote failing forward? The more visible the process of failure and recovery are, the more "failure literature" students can be, and the better they’ll be able to duplicate the failure-recovery process on their own. 20. Emphasizing iteration and progress over finishing and completion How does this promote failing forward? Like #1, this focuses on learning as a process; unlike #1, this has less to do with how you design the work, and more with how students see the work you’ve already planned and how they approach it. (#19 can come in handy here as well.) 21. Every student has their own goals, sensitivities, and insecurities. As much as you can, honor that How does this promote failing forward? Say: "You’re one of the most creative students I’ve ever met with extraordinary potential. With that in mind, I’ve developed a unique grading system for you this 9 weeks to see if we can’t use all that talent." Failing Forward: 21 Ideas To Help Students Keep Their Momentum The post Failing Forward: 21 Ideas To Help Students Keep Their Momentum appeared first on TeachThought.

A Very, Very Powerful Motivational Video For Teens by TeachThought Staff Motivation is one of the great mysteries of humankind. Why do we want what we want? We even study it in literature-character motivation. What does this character want, and what do they have to overcome to get it? The answer is never simple. Even a reductionist take says that there are primary and secondary motivations-and thus often primary and secondary conflicts in any story. Student motivation goes into even deeper waters: What motivates this student to "succeed" in school? Is it intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation? Does it ebb and flow? Is it perishable altogether? And does success mean different things for different students? Good grades? Reaching a new personal best? Reconfiguring their self-identity as a learner and as a student? Simply showing up every day for a week? The video above distills the idea of motivation into something elemental. If you’re motivated by things or events or glory, you’re not motivated at all because that’s not motivation. You’re not really motivated to achieve something until you want it as bad as you want your next breath. And every decision you make directly impacts that achievement-whatever that achievement is for that student. When you say you want something, and then act in a way that indicates otherwise, that’s revealing. That’s not even "bad" necessarily. It clarifies things for you, because it’s clear you don’t really want it. You just want to say you want it. You just like to talk about goals. You like the way it feels to feign ambition. If you can’t make progress, you find things to blame. But the truth is something simpler: Until you can’t be deterred, you don’t really want it. Note, there is a whole bunch of shirtless-dude in this video, so consider your audience accordingly. It uses a football player training as a backdrop for the message, so it probably wouldn’t appeal much to younger children, or maybe even to you as a teacher. But for teens-especially males-it may just get their attention. A Very, Very Powerful Motivational Video For Teens The post A Very, Very Powerful Motivational Video For Teens appeared first on TeachThought.

Outernet: One Device, Free Data From Space Forever by Thane Richard While the title may sound like science fiction, it is actually a momentous step towards truly universal education that is already happening. Currently, Outernet is broadcasting news, ebooks, Wikipedia, and academic articles on four continents. But we can do more. One of the most significant steps we can make in education is by giving people the tools they need to become their own teachers. That is our mantra at Outernet. First, it is important to understand what Outernet is and how it works. Outernet is like FM radio, but instead of music we broadcast information. Instead of radio towers, we use satellites so we can cover more area. Outernet uses radio waves like FM radio, just at a different frequency. These waves are picked up by a receiver - the equivalent of a radio in this analogy - and are turned into files that the receiver stores on its drive. Then, instead of playing music for your ears, the receiver emits a Wi-Fi signal that is heard by a phone, tablet, computer, or any other Wi-Fi capable device. Imagine a FM radio that saves all the songs it receives, but instead of songs it saves news, all of Wikipedia, educational material, disaster alerts, books, and more. To connect to Outernet, you need a receiver. We publish plans on our website to let anyone build a receiver, which requires a satellite dish to receive our broadcast. However, for the next three days, our first dish-less receiver called "Lantern" has been funded. Lantern has built-in solar panels so that it can work off the grid and it can be used to charge your phone or other device. We raised our goal of $200,000 in just five days and now, and reached our goal of  $500,000 January 11th, 2015. This let us increase our broadcast bandwidth from 2 MB/day to 10 MB/day. Right now these receivers are external, but we have the capability to eventually install an antenna the size of a computer chip into a phone or tablet, giving it built-in free data. When it comes to education, the application is immediate and powerful. One of the categories of content we have included in our broadcast is teacher training material, currently from Teachers Without Borders (though we welcome other suggestions). For existing teachers, an enormous burden for physical resources is lifted. The cost of a smartphone has dropped dramatically (as low as $25), which can now be a passport to an endless library of humanity’s best content. For example, we broadcast an offline version of Khan Academy, turning any device into a classroom. But the possibilities of Outernet are truly limitless because a large part of our library is built on user-requests; if there is something you want that is not currently being broadcast by Outernet, reach out to us and we will broadcast it. To go back to the FM analogy, we are democratic DJ’s taking song requests for content. The value of having a library as part of a school is intuitive. Now, that library has been made digital and universally available. How Outernet Works But Outernet goes beyond a purely educational application. Right now, 4.3 billion people on Earth cannot access the Internet. Said another way, two thirds of humanity cannot enter the largest library ever constructed. Think of everything we have accomplished while operating at ⅓ our capacity (or less for most of history). Now think about how much more we could accomplish if every human being on Earth were able to contribute to the global marketplace of ideas. What would we discover? What advances would we make as a species? Fundamentally, this is the role of teachers. Teachers are the guardians of humanity’s future because it is the teacher’s job to cultivate our most valuable asset: the human mind. One of my favorite examples of Outernet’s potential is Jack Andraka. Andraka used Wikipedia and academic journal articles to develop a brand new early detection method for pancreatic cancer. He was only 17 when he did this. He received nearly 200 rejection emails before a Johns Hopkins researcher responded. Our conventions for how we access information and how that information manifests itself in advancements needs to be radically altered. If he had not had access to those materials, he would have never made such a discovery. History is replete with stories like this. The sad question we are left to ask is: how many Jack Andrakas have come and gone without ever making their discovery? Fortunately, we can stop this waste of talent forever. Outernet is a quantum leap for education and, thus, a quantum leap for humanity. I hope you will consider supporting our work and spreading word of Outernet to your colleagues and friends. Help us build this great library in the sky. Outernet: One Device, Free Data From Space Forever The post Outernet: One Device, Free Data From Space Forever appeared first on TeachThought.

Launching A New Idea In Your School? Some Thoughts For Your Success by Grant Wiggins, Authentic Education Ed note: This is a slightly-edited excerpt from a post by Grant on differentiation and the implementation of policy. Looking for a process to avoid bad implementation of what very well might be a good idea? A new literacy program, curriculum framework, technology, or schedule? A solution seems straightforward, based on our sad history in making this mistake. Below are 13 thoughts-a kind of sequence-to consider. intense study of local needs - identification of gaps between Mission and reality intense study of possible initiatives, given a need/problem statement a process and set of criteria for weighing the pros and cons of possible initiatives/approaches/programs a Purpose statement for the new initiative decided on - the idea and ideal to be safeguarded throughout the work, why the idea suits our needs at this moment in time, and why this is the most promising initiative intense study of past initiatives locally: which succeeded, which failed, and why? policies and criteria for vetting whether a proposed initiative is Mission-appropriate, and whether or not a strategic plan exists that is likely to make the initiative succeed incentives for pioneers to try it out and report back incentives and opportunities for rank-and-file teachers to try out some manageable aspects of the initiative - thus, some choice for teachers models of exactly what teachers are supposed to do, in their grade/subjects, of the initiative a strategic plan that anticipates and adjusts based on the most likely misunderstandings, concerns, rough spots, and logistical impediments to success. ("This initiative will fail unless we deal with such likely roadblocks as…" a system for ensuring lots of feedback to teachers and sharing by teachers in all scheduled staff meetings, as they try things out a steering committee charged with gathering constant and timely feedback about the initiative and acting on it in a timely way the steering committee recommending key structural changes needed to optimize the long-term success of the initiative, so that all the work is not on the back of individual isolated teachers The first three points deserve special attention in light of common criticisms of DI - namely, that it is difficult to manage as an individual teacher (True). DI is one possible solution to excessive i.e. unmanageable heterogeneity in the typical classroom. So, if the problem statement is: too many learners of great difference in ability in certain classes, limiting engagement and achievement for all, then there are additional reforms, beyond DI, that should be considered, too. Maybe we need to reconsider birth-year related grade levels; maybe we need to group more homogeneously (as we happily do in Spanish and upper-level math classes) throughout the period or day. Yes, tracking is bad; that doesn’t mean that intelligent and flexible grouping in classes - especially in a standards-based world where we are accountable for the achievement of all learners - is a bad idea. Then, any proposed solutions might tackle both DI and structural solutions - and be really "owned" by staff since the initiative was a logical response to need rather than a mysterious mandate. In short, we tend to mandate "solutions" before the problem statement is fully explored, established, and used to consider alternative solutions. This article was excerpted from a post that first appeared on Grant’s personal blog; Grant can be found on twitter here; Itemizing Sustainable School Improvement: A Sequence; Launching A New Idea In Your School? Some Thoughts For Your Success The post Launching A New Idea In Your School? Some Thoughts For Your Success appeared first on TeachThought.

Punk Rock Preschool: Our Classroom’s Venture into Entrepreneurship by Jarred Geller, Punk Rock Preschool In our Pre K class, the only standard we try to meet is developing a love of learning, and once we feel this way about knowledge, everything else falls into place. So how do you get Pre K kids loving learning? Well it doesn’t involve teaching them that pigs go oink and cows go moo. And neither does it involve singing The Wheels on the Bus and The Itsy Bitsy Spider every morning. Pre K kids love learning the same way adults love learning.  Respect them. Challenge them. Make it relevant. Make it fun.What do you envision when you think of a Pre K curriculum? Is the day littered with finger painting, nursery rhymes, and clarifying questions regarding what sounds various farm animals make? Some people truly believe that this is Pre K and this is what Pre K should be and must be, but in our class, we don’t subscribe to such fallacies. And respecting them doesn’t just mean I respect their capacity to learn. I respect their capacity to rock. I don’t know where it was stated that little kids like boring, hardly educational music that drags along and puts you to sleep but its not true. We say that educational music shouldn’t have to be for squares. It should be for trapezoids and parallelograms and whatever other shapes you wish to be.  We take the rhymes out of the nursery. The music started last year when I wrote a song about shapes to help the kids learn more obscure forms like trapezoids and parallelograms. That song has since evolved into an entire catalog of catchy, pop punk music that teaches concepts from world geography to elements of a story to stopping pollution. And because the music rocks, the kids love the process and love the learning. Everything else comes easy. Already this year we have learned about geography, geology, zoology, pollution, environmentalism, and now we’re diving into our economics and entrepreneurship unit. With the previous units, the class loved seeing how all living things are connected and as such, they were inspired to save the environment. After all, the kids want to live on a clean planet where none of their favorite animals go extinct. Now that we’re jumping into a more business-focused unit, I knew we had to do something innovative for the kids to find the same meaning and relevance in business as they so easily saw when learning about the environment. Salaries, bonuses, and incentives started replacing stickers as the currency for doing an excellent job. We printed out monopoly dollars and created our own economy in which learning means earning (helping others , working hard and doing your best always earn you money too!) We’re learning how trade works and how it only happens when both parties are better off. And if we expect little kids to know how to share, we should definitely expect them to understand the idea of trade, considering they will be trading every day once they have some money. We’re also learning that we can vote with our money and help entrepreneurs that are meeting our demands while leaving the bad entrepreneurs to change their practices or lose their business. And now we are learning about entrepreneurship, and we’ve learned that entrepreneurs solve problems. So we’re solving a problem no one is talking about: Educational music is boring. Our music started as a vehicle to learn difficult material and now we are taking that concept and expanding on it. Big time. We are using our music as a vehicle to become entrepreneurs. And that is how Punk Rock Preschool was born. Since then, we’ve discussed that if we are going to be entrepreneurs, we are going to be socially conscious. When we outlined our goals, we focused on investing in our community, our world, and ourselves. To that end, the class came up with these five ambitious and admirable goals. 5 Goals Of Punk Rock Preschool We Want to Help a lot of People Learn Plant a Garden in our Community Recycle at our School Save the Endangered Species Go to California and be Rock Stars From there we created a YouTube video explaining what Punk Rock Preschool is all about, we launched our website (www.punkrockpreschool.com), and we’ve gone over the ideas of networking, branding, and marketing as a class and now we are putting it all to the test. I guess the only thing left to do is be entrepreneurs. So today is the big day! We are happy to launch our KickStarter where you can see our first music video all about learning shapes and see the full scale of our class’ entrepreneurial venture. Our music will always be free, but we hope people will pay what they feel it is worth to them. In this regard, we will use KickStarter to help us learn how value is derived and how effective we are at making educational music rock a little harder. When it comes down to it, it is all about the learning in Punk Rock Preschool and we feel we are on the cusp of making a big difference in not only the lives of the students in our class but in the lives of all Pre K students around the country. Punk Rock Preschool is a testament to the amazing capacity of young children. We hope that it will be an inspiration that Pre K is capable of learning and doing so much if we just believe in them. When we make learning relevant, rigorous, and fun that’s how passions are developed. That’s how lives are changed. Punk Rock Preschool: Our Classroom’s Venture into Entrepreneurship The post Punk Rock Preschool: Our Classroom’s Venture into Entrepreneurship appeared first on TeachThought.

  Teacher Reader Responses, Vol. 1: On Literacy by TeachThought Staff In an effort to increase the visibility of increasingly insightful, detailed, emotional, or otherwise compelling reader comments, we’re going to give a shot sharing these thoughts in a semi-regular post of some intermittent pattern. A few of some of the better recent comments appear below, in a "Volume 1″ form. We’ll be expanding this "teacher voices" effort in other ways soon. First, for our top comment of the week. In "When Students Read But Don’t Understand," Annette Ong left a fantastic summary of Grant’s post on literacy while offering counter-research that supported another view. "Wiggins’ argues that educators can improve reading comprehension by understanding the strategies that unsuccessful readers employ and by generating personalized strategies based on that information. According to Willingham and Lovette (2014), text comprehension is all about connecting sentences and content. Reading comprehension strategies (RCS) are simply a "bag of tricks" that although are useful to teach because they are quick and easy to learn, do not provide specific guidelines on how to connect sentences. As a result, Wiggins’ proposed solution of using RCS does not directly result in improved understanding of text. Wiggins also suggests that teachers should administer more ungraded self-reporting and comprehension assessments in order to provide the students with more useful and applicable feedback. A prominent weakness in Wiggins’ suggestion is that student introspection, especially in the lower grades, can be highly inaccurate, and many students experience difficulty in articulating the challenges of reading. Younger students also have limited metacognition and often incorrectly assess their understanding. While Wiggins’ suggestions on reading comprehension improvements are tenuous and unlikely to result in much progress, researchers Verhoeven and Leeuwe (2008) have generated more concrete techniques that can be employed in the classroom. In the Verhoeven and Leeuwe (2008) study, the researchers investigated the validity of two possible hypotheses regarding reading comprehension. The lexical quality hypothesis states that vocabulary knowledge and word decoding largely determine reading comprehension, while the simple reading view states that word decoding and listening comprehension are the determinants of understanding text. Word decoding is the retrieval of the phonological code, while listening comprehension is defined as the linguistic processes that allow individuals to form connections between sentences. Vocabulary decoding is the knowledge of word meanings, and studies have reliably demonstrated that there is a positive correlation between vocabulary skill and reading comprehension. In the experiment, the researchers tested 2384 elementary school children on word decoding, listening comprehension, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Verhoeven and Leeuwe (2008) found that the results supported both the lexical quality hypothesis and the simple reading view. The former hypothesis was supported by the data because limited knowledge on word meanings restricted the student’s ability to understand the text. The researchers also found that there was a two-way relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension because increased reading results in improved word meaning deduction, and greater vocabulary knowledge improves understanding of text. Moreover, while listening comprehension predicted reading comprehension in the lower grades, in higher grades, the two factors were reciprocal, such that the improvement in one leads to the progress of the other. Due to the reciprocal relationships between vocabulary knowledge/listening comprehension and reading comprehension, respectively, Verhoeven and Leeuwe (2008) suggest that teachers should be aware that some children do not share equal knowledge about the content of the text, and should account for this disparity by enhancing the students’ understanding of the topic-specific vocabulary. Educators should use pre-reading activities to provide background information and discuss the topic of study. Additionally, educators and administrators should begin vocabulary training early in education. The researchers also advise teachers to select texts that are well organized to facilitate the students’ understanding of the reading. Rather than employing self-assessments and comprehension tests to generate strategies for reading comprehension, educators should not only engage the students in generative word exercises to enhance vocabulary knowledge, but teachers should also employ activities that allows students to make inferences by integrating information from different sentences." Sources: Verhoeven, Ludo, and Jan Van Leeuwe. "Prediction of the Development of Reading Comprehension: A Longitudinal Study." Applied Cognitive Psychology 22.3 (2008): 407-23. Web. Willingham, Daniel T., and Gail Lovette. "Can Reading Comprehension Be Taught?" Teachers College Record, 26 Sept. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2015. Juliana Meehan commented on the same post: "Thank you…these points you make about struggling readers and questions you ask are the ones I struggle with daily. I absolutely agree that taking away the stress of grades by giving formative assessments helps students get on board. I’ve explained what "formative" is to my sixth graders, and I try to get them involved in the process… Generally, anecdotally, they see the logic of it (as far as that goes with sixth graders!). We also need to ask questions and really listen. Last week, I assigned an article on different species of penguins to my sixth graders, and their assignment was to write a response comparing/contrasting Antarctic penguins with penguins that live in temperate regions. I pre-taught the vocabulary; I gave them a "tophat" graphic organizer and showed them how to use it; and then I set them loose to read, take notes, and write a response. On day 2 (they ran out of time on day 1), we reviewed what we were doing in order to continue, and I elicited questions. One student raised her hand and said, "I can’t find anything on ‘Antarctic’ penguins, only on ‘penguins who live in the Antarctic.'" I took a deep breath and kept my expression under control and asked whether anyone else had the same problem. Four out of fifteen hands went up… I had not the remotest idea that that would be a stumbling block to them. How many more misconceptions are swirling around in kids’ brains and we have no idea? Without a climate of trust, freedom from fear of grades, and inquiry on the part of teachers, we won’t get at the problems, I fear. Incidentally, this particular class is pass/fail, so on day 1 I tell them, "You all pass. Now, let’s get down to work." I like to think that makes a difference. The first question I asked when I started my reading masters degree was, "How to people learn to read?" I have never gotten an answer…and as your post shows, we still all do not know. I am grateful for the work you-and all reading teachers-are doing. Hopefully, we will learn how to help our struggling readers. In Homeschool 2.0, Leah Stewart lamented the lack of autonomy for many teachers, but sees light at the end of the tunnel. "I went through the normal schooling and the whole time thought; this can’t be the best thing for us, don’t they understand? The saddest part was when I realized that many teachers do understand, but they’re tied to the syllabus and their job contract so can’t really do much for us. They can’t risk their jobs by being too ‘real’ because they have a mortgage to pay and a family to support. So they must register us at 8.45am, they must check our uniforms, they must set a certain level of homework, they must prepare us for exams in the subject they teach, and on and on. So much is wasted within normal schooling because teachers and students aren’t trusted by the system. I’m excited for the future because I’m certain this situation can’t hold forever." Learning Models, Theories, and Technology: A Dictionary For 21st Century Teachers, Amy Burns applauds the idea of a "common language" to improve our craft. "If we can all speak the same 21st Century language, we would have to increase understanding." The post Teacher Reader Responses, Vol. 1: On Literacy appeared first on TeachThought.

50 Of The Best Google Chrome Extensions For Teachers by TeachThought Staff Google Chrome is, increasingly, where it’s at. As of April 2014, Google Chrome become the de facto internet browser, passing Internet Explorer for the first time after a five-year free-fall from Microsoft’s out-of-favor software. Fast forward to today, and StatCounter paints an even bleaker picture for Google Chrome competition, with Safari, Firefox, and IE combined still below Chrome’s nearly-50% market share. While the real story is more complicated, with Microsoft bundling IE with windows giving it a huge built-in user-base, the rise of Google Chromebooks, Apple’s elegant-but-iOS-only Safari, and overall a subtle shift in mobile away from browsers to apps muddling the picture even further, what’s truly "the best" or "most popular" browser isn’t cut-and-dry. But for the here and now, as far as browsers are concerned, Google Chrome is king, and part of what makes it great are Google Chrome Extensions. What Are Google Chrome Extensions? As explained by Google themselves, Google Chrome Extensions are "applications that run inside the Chrome browser and provide additional functionality, integration with third party websites or services, and customized browsing experiences." While there is some grey area between Google apps, extensions, and simply shortcuts to websites, the right extensions can turn your browser into a Swiss-army knife of utility and efficiency. What Is The Benefit Of An Extension For Teachers? They can make things simple, more accessible, more visible, more compelling, more convenient-there are dozens of potential benefits to you in your classroom. Clip a web page to Evernote with a single button push. Look up a reference. Model for students how to add a citation. Send a link to colleagues without opening another tab. Find a useful resource for a lesson? Scoop it. Tweet it. Pin It. Find a post you want to read? Don’t email it to yourself-use Pocket. The criteria we used to choose each extension? The extension had to increase your efficiency, provide a benefit to content/curriculum, allow you to connect with other teachers/parents/students, or enhance your workflow as an educator. If it has the potential to meet one of these four criteria, it was included. Too Many Extensions? Before skimming through these and installing 25 of your favorites, note that too many extensions can slow your browser down, and speed is one of Chrome’s other talents. Don’t rob Peter to pay Paul. There is no standard for how many extensions you should use-your mileage may vary here. The speed of your PC, your available memory, your WiFi speed, how many tabs you keep open, and more can all impact your browser’s apparent speed, so add and remove extensions (it’s as simple as a few clicks-see the video above) to optimize your setup so that Chrome remains snappy and useful to you as a teacher. 50 Of The Best Google Chrome Extensions For Teachers ︾ 5.06k views 50 items 50 Of The Best Google Chrome Extensions For Teachers Listly by Terry Heick 50 Of The Best Google Chrome Extensions For Teachers   Follow List   Embed List   1  Google Translate for Google+ Translate your Google+ stream using integrated, inline, Google Translate support. 3 likes Comments Relist Share 2  Google Calendar Checker Tells me when my next meeting is without having have to look to far or click anything. 2 likes Comments Relist Share 3  Clip to Evernote Use the Evernote extension to save things you see on the web into your Evernote account. It even lets you search through your notes. 2 likes Comments Relist Share 4  Lastpass This was the extension I was waiting for before completely switching away from Firefox! 2 likes Comments Relist Share 5  Pocket (formerly Read It Later) Pocket Extension for Google Chrome - The best way to save articles, videos and more 2 likes Comments Relist Share 6  Feedly The easiest way to launch cloud.feedly.com 2 likes Comments Relist Share 7  Evernote Web Clipper Use the Evernote extension to save things you see on the web into your Evernote account. 2 likes Comments Relist Share 8  Save to Google Drive Save web content or screen capture directly to Google Drive. 2 likes Comments Relist Share 9  Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer (by Google) Automatically previews pdfs, powerpoint presentations, and other documents in Google Docs Viewer. 1 likes Comments Relist Share 10  Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer (by Google) Turns stuff into Google Docs 1 likes Comments Relist Share 11  Readability Readability is a simple tool that makes reading on the Web more enjoyable by removing the cluter around what you're reading 1 likes Comments Relist Share 12  Buffer - A Smarter Way to Share on Social Media Buffer makes it super easy to share any page you're reading. Keep your Buffer topped up and we automagically share them for you through the day. 1 likes Comments Relist Share 13  Quizlet Quizlet makes simple tools that let you study anything, for free 1 likes Comments Relist Share 14  Movenote for Education Present your documents with video. 1 likes Comments Relist Share 15  Ancient History Encyclopedia A non-profit community website that provides free peer-reviewed ancient history information. 1 likes Comments Relist Share 16  Website at VideoNot.es The easiest way to take notes from videos. Everything synchronized! 1 likes Comments Relist Share 17  Pushbullet Pushbullet saves you time by moving your notifications, links, and files wherever you go. 1 likes Comments Relist Share 18  Adblock for Youtube™ Popular Adblock for Youtube™ Extension: Removes the video ads from Youtube™. Thanks to all AdBlock supporters! 1 likes Comments Relist Share 19  TweetDeck by Twitter Your personal browser for staying in touch with what's happening now 1 likes Comments Relist Share 20  Google Similar Pages Shows four similar pages to the one you are on now. An absolutely essential app for bloggers or just those looking for more of the same! 0 likes Comments Relist Share View more lists from Terry Heick 50 Of The Best Google Chrome Extensions For Teachers The post 50 Of The Best Google Chrome Extensions For Teachers appeared first on TeachThought.