"Bullying" is a loaded term to say the very least, and not using it could not only defuse a lot of fear and harmful overreaction when it happens, it could save lives. I'll get to the life-saving part in a minute, but first the problem with using the word. Because of all the (certainly well-intended) awareness-raising and media attention lately, "bullying" has come to mean every imaginable mean … [Read more...] about Stop using the word ‘bullying’ in school, researchers say
School & Tech
A techie dad’s perspective on school
The subhead of this post might be: "Writing code as an extracurricular activity" or Venturebeat's headline, "Why your 8-year-old should be coding," or just "Let them learn code!" Another article about Harvard undergrads' extracurricular code-writing activity shows how that activity can enrich a whole lot of lives as well as open up careers for young code writers, but I'll get to that in a minute. … [Read more...] about A techie dad’s perspective on school
Challenging the idea that games can’t be fun AND meaningful
In "Reading, Writing & Videogames," parent and New York Times features editor Pamela Paul seems to be arguing that digital games are just that – games – they should just be fun. They don't need to be educational, and they don't really belong in classrooms. The first part of her argument makes perfect sense – hard not to agree that kids need to have fun and parents don't need to feel that every … [Read more...] about Challenging the idea that games can’t be fun AND meaningful
Designing students: Check out these contests (learning opps)!
These are projects that get young people and classrooms participating in the digital maker movement: Current or aspiring videogame designers and videographers have about a month to submit their creations to three different contests: The National STEM Videogame Challenge, Whyville's game design contest, and Trend Micro's What's Your Story video producing contest. Design a videogame Videogame … [Read more...] about Designing students: Check out these contests (learning opps)!
Teachers on tech in US classrooms: Study
A recent survey by the Pew Internet Project shows how pervasive technology has become in American classrooms. "Laptops and desktops are central, but … mobile technology use has also become commonplace in the learning process," the Pew researchers write, adding that the 2,462 teachers surveyed feel "digital technologies have helped them in teaching their middle school and high school students in … [Read more...] about Teachers on tech in US classrooms: Study