Sep
29
Learning then also shifts from being rigid and prescribed to more permeable and malleable as the learner embraces the uniqueness of who they are, what they are learning and why it is important the them in their particular situation of life
~Kroth, M., & Boverie, P. (2009).
Sep
24
Reblog: The Twelve Things You are Not Taught in School about Creative Thinking by Michael Michalko:
1. You are Creative
2. Creative Thinking is Hard Work
3. You must go through the motions of being creative.
4. Your brain is not a computer.
Rest the rest of Michael Michalko’s list and explanations by clicking here
Sep
21
Browsers are a lot like a wardrobe of coats. Just as you would never wear a windbreaker to a snowy, night football game, you also need the best browser for your mobile, iPad forays as well.
If you are using an iPad or Galaxy S, perhaps consider the comfort and ease of the Puffin Browser. http://www.puffinbrowser.com/
Puffin Browser helps webpages load more quickly on iPads than on traditional laptops and desktop machines. (Question: for those of us born born man walked on the moon, is the phrase “traditional laptop” an oxymoron?)
Ok, I digressed, now, back to the Puffin Browser.
Because the Puffin servers preprocess and compress web pages, speed is at a premium, even on slow mobile networks.
Puffin Browser gives you the full experience of a desktop version website, and the option to switch to mobile mode.
~From the Puffin Browser website
It is also an available app on iTunes
Think of browsers as a wardrobe of choices. Sometimes you need the anorak, sometimes only the bulky chainmail will do.
Think of the Puffin browser as a sleak, no-wrinkle option to life in the mobile fast lane.
Sep
20
A Festival to Celebrate Books!!!! The 12th Annual West Texas Book Festival~~
September 18-22, 2012. Listen to this Podcast to learn more!
Sep
18
I’ve been spending a little time doing some online course set-up and coding. Some changes in terminology caused me to smile. For instance, the group of developers used to measure and track the number of readers “visiting” an internet site. Today the word used as a measure of traffic is “eyeballs”. The word shift indicates a shift in intention eerily reminiscent of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg.
There are other shifts too, especially in the words and phrases used to describe and explain online courses and eLearning.
Here are the first ten words I would include on any eLearning Vocabulary List. See how many you already know:
1. Asynchronous Learning: When learners participate in an online learning course at different times, it is known as asynchronous learning. This might also be called eLearning or web-based training (WBT). Asynchronous learning allows learners to go through a course at their own pace and on their own schedule.
2. LMS: Learning Management Software – Online software platforms, such as Moodle and D2L that publish content, manage activity, track results, and create reports for online courses and training. An LMS is accessible 24/7, so learners can work on their courses online at any time.
3. Blended Learning: Blended learning is an instructional approach that includes a combination of online and in-person learning activities. For example, students can complete online self-paced assignments by a certain date and then meet on-site or online for additional learning activities.
4. Upload vs. Download – Not strictly confined to eLearning, often these terms are switched or not clearly understood. Uploading takes a document or image or link from your computer to the web or LMS. Downloading takes it from the web to your computer.
5. Chunking – Borrowed from Gifted Education pedagogy, this is the concept of grouping meaningful pieces of e-Learning content into concise, bite-size pieces that learners can easily digest and understand.
6. Roundtripping – The ability to use two separate e-Learning tools together to create and update an e-Learning course to cut down on development time.
7. Mobile Learning / mLearning – Mobile learning, or mLearning, is a major trend in the e‑Learning industry. With mLearning, learners use heldheld technology such as smartphones and tablets to complete training and courses.
8. Dropbox – An online virtual storage utility allowing user to make his/her files accessible from almost anywhere in the …
9. Storyboarding – A term originally applied to webpage design, Storyboards provide an outline to identify the text, visual and audio elements, branching and more for each step of the development process. Storyboards are created before the development process begins.
10. Wizards, icons and templates describe the tools you can use to build e‑Learning courses quickly
For a super comprehensive list, see the eLearning glossary at The eLearning Coach
Some content from this article: 11 Terms to Know for Rapid eLearning
Sep
17
September 17 is U.S. Constitution Day. Encourage students, parents, and colleagues to interact (and read) the Constitution. The U.S. Constitution is alive and relevant today. It is also a great example of a primary resource.
iTunes has a free app of the U.S. Constitution, compatible with iPhone, iPid touch, and iPad. Created by Clint Bagwell Consulting, find the app at http://www.bit.ly/cOSW2E
U.S. Constitution Day…There is an app for that!
Sep
15
“We all know we should eat right and we should exercise, but reading is treated as if it’s this wonderful adjunct…We’re still thinking in terms of enticing kids to read with a sports book or a book about war. We’re suggesting that they’re missing something if they don’t read but, actually, we’re condemning kids to a lesser life. If you had a sick patient, you would not try to entice them to take their medicine. You would tell them, ‘Take this or you’re going to die.’ We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.” ~Walter Dean Myers, novelist and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
~~~
Sep
12
Reblog: A new survey points to falling levels of reading every medium bar SMS in the last seven years. Campaigners are worried, but schoolchildren say they enjoy reading as much as ever. Click here to read entire post from PaidContent.org
Sep
10
Children who were just beginning elementary school on September 11 are just beginning their senior year in high school this year or their first year of college.
The majority of students must learn about the events of 9-11 from resources instead of experiential memory. Primary resources are extremely necessary when addressing and teaching about 9-11.
Here are a few ideas that may help:
Lesson Coordination across age groups may include:
Grades K-5: Lessons on:
heroes, especially Americans in emergency rescue careers.
remembering an event without celebrating it.
read stories to children of helping others, helping each other
Grades 6-8 Lessons On:
the importance of first-responders, characteristics of bravery, vocabulary words such as valor, public service, emergency response, pilots. Discuss the importance and history of the American flag, the significance of the act throughout history and today, read/showcase biographies of heroes of the day. Discuss the role of the hero and the characteristics of heroes. Take a virtual field trip to the 9-11 memorial and discuss the reasons why a new structure has not been built in the same area. Students can design and display their own commemorative symbol.
Grades 9-12 Lessons On:
Create a newspaper that includes news reports by students about the day and interviews or video clips with local officials and rescue workers. Discussions can include the children born post-9/11 who lost fathers in the attacks, mourning and grieving, patriotism and how it has changed since 9/11 and who were the terrorists. Relate the characteristics of heroes to events in students’ lives. Invite a firefighter, medic, EMT worker, police officer, relief worker to speak in your class. Discuss volunteers and volunteer organizations in your area. Invite students to volunteer for something in their community related to 9/11. Students can design and display their own commemorative symbol. Read letters from officials, victim’s families and service workers about the events of 9/11. Have each student list five ways to keep America safe from terrorism. Create a word cloud to represent 9-11. View the documentary “Footnotes to 9-11” by CNN
Source of this word cloud (available for download)
Read more:
Remembering 9-11 from PBS Newshour
Classroom Activities for Remembering 9/11 | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7611562_classroom-activities-remembering-911.html#ixzz264MFLbtz
Remember September 11 Activities and Resources from Education World
Remembering 9-11 from Scholastic (although written to commemorate the tenth year after the attacks, the ideas and activities are transferable for this year)
The Pentagon Memorial Fund, founded by relatives of 9/11 victims, has a lesson plan page.
The Smithsonian National History Museum has a resource page for teachers.
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