Guest post by Marianne Malmstrom At the Elisabeth Morrow School, we have been on a journey to help our students develop the essential skills of creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and citizenship. We turned to virtual worlds and MOGs because these are the same skills many young gamers practice through immersive play. Initially, we used these spaces largely for curriculum … [Read more...] about Mining Minecraft, Part 2: Brilliance when students drive the learning
students
Teachers’ views on how tech’s changing students: Studies
For a new report, the Pew Internet Project surveyed and held focus groups with more than 2,000 middle and high school teachers in the Advanced Placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) communities and found that 77% feel "the Internet and digital search tools have had a 'mostly positive' impact on their students’ research habits, but 87% say these technologies are creating an 'easily … [Read more...] about Teachers’ views on how tech’s changing students: Studies
One of the best back-to-school messages I’ve seen
Well, two great back-to-school messages, actually. I'll get to the one from two organizations in a minute. First, one from a parent: At a time when so many families are feeling swamped with stuff added to schedules and school supplies lists – and that's on top of run-of-the-mill, everyday parental pressures that probably include worries about what young peers are up to online, in games, and on … [Read more...] about One of the best back-to-school messages I’ve seen
Smart students’ countermeasures for social media safety
This is how safety, citizenship, and social change work best in social media. Count on students to lead the way. "After a bullying Twitter account at Linn-Mar High School [in Marion, Iowa] spurred copycats in Iowa City," students at West High School in the latter city adopted countermeasures, the Iowa City Press Citizen reports. Their strategy was simple and effective: Identify a student being … [Read more...] about Smart students’ countermeasures for social media safety
Learning from, working with at-risk youth
A lot of great work on social media and at-risk youth has been done in the UK by Internet-safety consultant Stephen Carrick-Davies, and here's an important takeaway from his latest work: Educators and other professionals who work with marginalized young people need to understand and use social media – the social and communications tools of their everyday lives. In the UK, some of that work … [Read more...] about Learning from, working with at-risk youth