Once we begin the integration of technology, we need to be sure to avoid "over-doing it."
We need to keep it simple, but sometimes doing that is not a simple task. Consider this video:
Monday, January 26, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Free Community college?
My question is:
Why not restore funding to public high schools and offer those same skill-up courses so that when they graduate, they can enter the workforce sooner and begin contributing to social security and the overall economy? It seems to me that if the US Military can train 18 year-olds to use high sophisticated technology, and we can entrust them to protect our country, we should be able to count on that same demographic to do the same in the public work force. Imagine buying a house at 24 instead of 30? Wouldn't that also be a boom for our economy?
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Zeros are not an option.
What if teachers didn't give zeros?
I don't.
Zeros are not an option. I've had rosters as large as 112 students and as small as 48. If you don't know me, I teach English language arts in the US public school system.
I adopted this philosophy 10 years ago and haven't given up on it.
Here's the idea:
Students (children) learn early on that it is easier to give up and take the "goose egg" than persevere through the task. They rely on extra credit or the next assignment to take up the slack.
If we allow that, they never learn. If we let them avoid responsibility, they never learn the skill. If they never develop the writing skill, they will not be successful. So, if I assign it, they must do it. If they do the work, they get paid. If they don't do the work they get fired, i.e. repeat the class.
Writing is a process so if they do not process, they never learn to write. When they get a job in the real world, if they can't write, they get fired because they don't have the skill to meet the deadline.
So in an effort to make productive citizens, I make sure they leave my class with the skills they need, not the ones they already have.
It's a little more work for me, but it's worth it.
I don't.
Zeros are not an option. I've had rosters as large as 112 students and as small as 48. If you don't know me, I teach English language arts in the US public school system.
I adopted this philosophy 10 years ago and haven't given up on it.
Here's the idea:
Students (children) learn early on that it is easier to give up and take the "goose egg" than persevere through the task. They rely on extra credit or the next assignment to take up the slack.
If we allow that, they never learn. If we let them avoid responsibility, they never learn the skill. If they never develop the writing skill, they will not be successful. So, if I assign it, they must do it. If they do the work, they get paid. If they don't do the work they get fired, i.e. repeat the class.
Writing is a process so if they do not process, they never learn to write. When they get a job in the real world, if they can't write, they get fired because they don't have the skill to meet the deadline.
So in an effort to make productive citizens, I make sure they leave my class with the skills they need, not the ones they already have.
It's a little more work for me, but it's worth it.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Innovation: Significant Positive Change | Edutopia
Innovation: Significant Positive Change | Edutopia
The most important point is this one "How a student leverages the available tools to support his or her learning..." is innovation and education.
We teachers can use all kinds of bells and whistles for delivery, but in the end it's how our students create their own meaning and demostrste that meaning that matters.
The most important point is this one "How a student leverages the available tools to support his or her learning..." is innovation and education.
We teachers can use all kinds of bells and whistles for delivery, but in the end it's how our students create their own meaning and demostrste that meaning that matters.
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