"More and more of society at large, and consequently many students, are demanding an educational system that works for and with them," wrote high school math teacher Paul Bogdan in Edutopia (emphasis mine). "A student-centered learning environment encourages students to become independent learners and ultimately to be in charge of their own education." Student-centered learning just makes sense … [Read more...] about The benefits of agency, choice, and student-centered learning
education technology
The White House’s K-12 students’ film festival!
This month the White House will hold its first-ever film festival for students – how cool is that?! The contest asks students in grades K-12 to submit short videos (under 3 min.) about education technology. "Your film should address at least one of the following themes," says the White House's page about the festival: "How you currently use technology in your classroom or school or the role … [Read more...] about The White House’s K-12 students’ film festival!
Giving students ‘skin in the game’ – another anti-distraction tool [sidebar]
Chris Lehmann, founding principal at Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy, really sums it up: giving students "skin in the game," as he put it to Education Week. That means, as the educators I mention in the main article show, using education technology not as another platform or delivery tool for traditional tutorial-style teaching but for the kind of "inquiry-driven, project-based" learning … [Read more...] about Giving students ‘skin in the game’ – another anti-distraction tool [sidebar]
Dealing with distraction with the HELP of digital environments
Learning how to be present, attend to others, know what's important in a given moment and stay focused on it has always been a vital part of growing up. "The ability to focus is a secret element to success that often gets ignored," according to an article in Mind/Shift that cites the work of psychologist Daniel Goleman, an author of a book about this. Because this piece about distraction leads … [Read more...] about Dealing with distraction with the HELP of digital environments
Coding is cool (& crucial to businesses, economies)
You've heard about it, right? Code.org's "Hour of Code" that's going on right now (Dec. 9-13)? People may not have to know how to write it to create an app, but learning how to write code benefits economies as well as learners. Code.org, which is a nonprofit organization that aims to get computer science into more US schools, is sending that message in a big way this week, as, "all across the … [Read more...] about Coding is cool (& crucial to businesses, economies)