Classroom At-Large

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119111417.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

Highlight:

Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to Penn State researchers.

There’s not much in the posting; it left me wanting more. The mention of how people are using search engines as guides for higher-order thinking and different learning styles use it in different ways made it leap out at me.

Most of these you’ve likely heard before, but it’s a good read all the same. I especially like that the article introduces an idea, then explains how to implement it.

I’m going to try out #3 (teach kids how to collaborate before expecting success), as it relates to my PLC.

http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-student-participation-tips

It’s not about the tools, it’s about the mindset.

http://www.converstations.com/2009/09/bored-with-21st-century-skills-get-over-it.html

It’s a good read (jump to the article here) with SEVERAL links to stories about research pointing to the benefits of new technologies for writers and how it’s helping students write.

I love the last paragraph:

This is really fascinating when you think about it. Historically, many people haven’t been that concerned about their writing, because it didn’t matter. But, the more it matters, the more seriously they take it. This certainly doesn’t mean that everyone has become a good writer — far from it (just view any open comment forum). But, when people really care about what they’re saying, they tend to get better at it, and the internet gives more people more reasons to care. As for all the bad writing out there? It’s not a sign of the destruction of written English. Those people probably wouldn’t be writing much at all without the internet. So it’s actually a step up, relatively, from what they would have been doing in an alternate internetless universe.

Here is an interesting article from David Warlick’s blog $0.02 Worth.

http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/?p=1686

The last paragraph stood out the most in my mind.

Enjoy

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Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project

This report is worth reading – at least the Introduction and Conclusions and Implications

Most youth use online networks to extend the friendships that they navigate in the familiar contexts of school, religious organizations, sports, and other local activities. They can be “always on,” in constant contact with their friends via texting, instant messaging, mobile phones, and Internet connections. This  continuous presence requires ongoing maintenance and negotiation, through private communications like instant messaging or mobile phones, as well as in public ways through social network sites such as MySpace and Facebook.  With these “friendship-driven” practices, youth are almost always associating with people they already know in their offline lives. The majority of youth use new media to “hang out” and extend existing friendships in these ways. (p. 1)

New media allow for a degree of freedom and autonomy for youth that is less apparent in a classroom setting. Youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults. Their efforts are also largely self-directed, and the outcome emerges through exploration, in contrast to classroom learning that is oriented toward set, predefined goals. (p. 2)

Youths’ participation in this networked world suggests new ways of thinking about the role of education. What would it mean to really exploit the potential of the learning opportunities available through online resources and networks? Rather than assuming that education is primarily about preparing for jobs and careers, what would it mean to think of it as a process guiding youths’ participation in public life more generally? Finally, what would it mean to enlist help in this endeavor from engaged and diverse publics that are broader than what we traditionally think of as educational and civic institutions? (p.3)

If you are looking to connect with some good people and their ideas, check out the winners (and even the nominees) for the 2008 Edublog awards!

http://edublogawards.com/and-the-2008-winners-are/

I found this entry on a blog and thought it was interesting and speaks to how I feel about teaching and learning.  This discusses the reflective learner.

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2008/12/we-have-to-write-rest-of-song.html

This is an excellent and very easy way to download YouTube videos.

http://lifehacker.com/5109597/