'How do we maintain our passion in teaching?' Strive to be open-minded, connect with others and be yourself @ibpyp. 11 Ways Finland’s Education System Shows Us that “Less is More”. | Filling My Map. When I left my 7th grade math classroom for my Fulbright research assignment in Finland I thought I would come back from this experience with more inspiring, engaging, innovative lessons. I expected to have great new ideas on how to teach my mathematics curriculum and I would revamp my lessons so that I could include more curriculum, more math and get students to think more, talk more and do more math. This drive to do more and More and MORE is a state of existence for most teachers in the US….it is engrained in us from day one.
There is a constant pressure to push our students to the next level to have them do bigger and better things. The lessons have to be more exciting, more engaging and cover more content. This phenomena is driven by data, or parents, or administrators or simply by our work-centric society where we gauge our success as a human being by how busy we are and how burnt out we feel at the end of the day.
So, what is the difference? Less IS more. They believe it. 1. 2. Makedo Shop. This Is What a Student-Designed School Looks Like. When Sam Levin was a junior at Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, Mass., he realized that two things were in short supply at his school: engagement and mastery. He also noticed that he and his peers were learning plenty of information, but not much about how to gather or create their own data.
And he noticed that students were unhappy. So he took it upon himself to design a school where students would feel fully engaged, have an opportunity to develop expertise in something, and learn how to learn. “He came up with a plan where the core areas could still be studied, but in a way where students were more of the driving force,” explains guidance counselor Mike Powell. The administration decided to take a chance on a semester-long pilot project, and The Independent Project debuted in the fall of 2010. The pilot involved eight students — sophomores, juniors and seniors — chosen on the basis of written applications and interviews. The program encountered some bumps. Improving critical thinking using fairytales | Teacher | ACER. Lifelong Achievement Group. Demonstrating leadership in the classroom. Technology and new societal hierarchies are changing the demands on teachers and thus the opportunities for and style in which teachers should demonstrate leadership.
Expectations on young people have also developed as the world evolves increasingly quickly. I wonder how many CEOs are now below the age of 25? It’s now less about displaying mastery over content and skills and more about demonstrating successful leadership by nurturing a creative and challenging classroom environment. Author: Richard Wells Teaches grade 6 to 12 – Head of Technology at NZ High School Top 40 in edublog awards 2013 Top 12 Blogger – The Global Search for Education Known for Educational Infographics (see Posters above)Presenter and also a father to 2 beautiful girls. Twitter : @iPadwells This post is written as part of The Huffington Post’s The Global Search for Education: Our Top 12 Global Teacher Blogs: A series of questions that Cathy Rubin is asking several education bloggers.
Like this: Like Loading... The engaged student vs. the compliant student. The engaged student knows exactly why they are doing what they are doing while the compliant student is unable to connect the learning to anything meaningful. The engaged student is asking questions while the compliant student is simply receiving instructions and direction from the teacher. The engaged student is focused on learning while the compliant student wants to know how many points the activity is worth. The engaged student is able to track, monitor, and self-evaluate their learning while the compliant student is reliant upon the teacher to know where he/she is with their learning. The engaged student is making connections to the material and information beyond the four walls of the classroom while the compliant student is unable to see beyond the actual task itself. The engaged student doesn't have time to misbehave or make poor choices while the compliant student is one turn of the back by the teacher away from making a poor decision.
How Classroom Design Impacts Learning and Engagement Infographic. School Infographics How Classroom Design Impacts Learning and Engagement Infographic How Classroom Design Impacts Learning and Engagement Infographic To complementary studies conducted by The University of Salford have shown that classroom design has a profound influence on learning and engagement. The How Classroom Design Impacts Learning and Engagement Infographic presents the key areas in which the built environment can influence student progress.
The studies, which were conducted at a number of schools across the UK, recorded the variations in student progress when exposed to different classroom designs and layouts. Interesting Findings Researchers found that 75% of the variation in pupil performance can be explained by the built environment – with lighting, air quality, colour and noise disruption cited as the primary factors effecting student engagement. Did you know that a classroom’s environment can affect student progress by as much as 25% throughout the academic year? The Bare Minimum Of Learning Technology. The Bare Minimum Of Learning Technology by TeachThought Staff What is the bare minimum of learning technology integration in a classroom?
Does it depend on nation, grade level, or content area? Socioeconomic status? Culture? Though many teachers remain against reckless #edtech integration, the conversation is clearly shifting from should technology play a central role in the learning process to how should technology be used to promote learning? But while the original title of the image (and the collection of ideas it illustrate) works well, looking at it more closely, it was dominated by technology use–less about planning and learning models and teaching strategies and grouping activities or unit planning templates, and more about technology. In that light, we felt like it represented another kind of idea–a bare minimum of technology integration in an average classroom. But in 2016, it’s becoming more and more difficult to (rationally) avoid its application. 100 Books Every Teacher Should Read. I am by habit a bibliophile.
I read at least 25 pages of a book per day which usually turns in to 40-60 books per year. I’ve written a few books myself, and plan to write more. But this list is not about me, it’s really about us as an education community. What are we reading? This list is a start. If you are wondering what book to read next, this may or may not help you decide! If you’d like to join my newsletter, sign up below and you’ll get my free guide, “21 Free eBooks for Teachers”, as well as a new book recommendation each month! Click Here to Get the FREE Guide Table of Contents: Each section is hyperlinked to a list below. I. II. III. IV. I. I plan on maintaining this list as much as possible throughout this year and the years to come. All of the hyperlinks are from the Amazon Associates program, and if you choose to buy the book through the links below I’ll get a small commission in most cases. II. III. The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires Paperback The Dot By Peter H.
IV. Who decided schools are broken? | An Australian Educator. As educators we focus on building on the strengths of our students, we start from the positives, the achievements and the understandings they already have. We use these to connect with our students, to build relationships, to build confidence and, most importantly, to design engaging, motivating and appropriate teaching and learning programs. I wonder why we seem (and by we I mean both educators and the wider community) unable to take this approach to our education system? Why are we so quick to say the system is broken, to condemn teaching methods as outdated, to decry those colleagues who won’t ‘move with the times’ and to seek to fix education? Why can’t we build on the strengths of our system? This picture has been doing the rounds for a while: It speaks to a concept about education, one where children sit in rows and teachers do their darnedest to squash any creativity or individuality out of them.
Recently I have noticed a bit of push back against the ‘system is broken’ mantra. Deskfree strategy turns classrooms into creative learning hubs that see student engagement soar. Gone are wooden desks and plastic chairs and in are cafe-style booths, soft lounges, bean bags, tents, inflatable little rooms, wave chairs and amphitheatres with tiered seating. Early adopters of the classroom redesign such as Quakers Hill Public in Sydney’s west report outstanding results with 60 per cent of its Year 6 students who sit for the selective schools exam gaining a place. This is redesigning education around children’s passion and engagement. We have looked at Professor Heppell’s research. It has been a huge focus. . - Busby West deputy principal Donna Beath Such has been the g success of the classroom redesign that teachers have begun lobbying Education Minister Adrian Piccoli for greater flexibility in the way they teach.
“Teachers tell me they want greater flexibility in delivering lessons and the way classrooms are designed has an impact on that,’’ Mr Piccoli said. “This is redesigning education around children’s passion and engagement. Focussed ... Curriculum Press - Professional Resources for Teachers. What does it mean to be literate? SmartBlogs. I often hear teachers talk about the value of literacy.
If students are not literate, they will not be able to be functional citizens. I can’t argue with those teachers on that point. I completely agree with them. However, I do disagree with what they think literacy means. To them, it means just being able to read and write. Reading and writing are still very valuable skills that every person needs to master, but there is more to being literate today than there was 20 years ago, and teachers need to keep this in mind.
The digital age requires a whole new set of skills for people to master if they want to be contributing members of the community. E-mail Every person should know how to create an e-mail account, send an e-mail and attach files to e-mail. Word processing Many people out there spend many hours learning to format their essays in class by doing many writing drills. Research Sometimes a person needs to go beyond a simple Google search for their information. COT_Resources_files/10 Apps for Parents to Make Thinking Visible.pdf. Think and be Happy — Tools and techniques for a happier life. Explore the amazing potential of your mind! | Mind & Its Potential 2013. EduTECH | Home. Why Empathy Is Your Most Important Skill (and How to Practice It) The Other 21st Century Skills: Why Teach Them. Many have attempted to identify the skills important for a learner today in this era of the 21st century (I know it is an overused phrase).
I have an affinity towards the skills identified by Tony Wagner: Critical thinking and problem-solvingCollaboration across networks and leading by influenceAgility and adaptabilityInitiative and entrepreneurshipEffective oral and written communicationAccessing and analyzing informationCuriosity and imagination This presentation sparked my thinking about what other skills and attributes would serve the learners (of all ages) in this era of learning. Some other ones that I believe important based on what I hear at conferences, read via blogs and other social networks include: GritResilienceHope and OptimismVisionSelf-RegulationEmpathy and Global Stewardship Why Teach 21st Century Skills According to a recent (2013) Gallup Poll, Americans Say U.S.
What Is Typically Taught Like this: Like Loading... Curriculum Leadership Journal | Grammar knowledge and students’ writing. There are many methods for teaching grammatical concepts to middle and upper primary school students. However, the rationale for doing so should always be based on assisting students to best achieve text purpose when using written communication. In learning about grammar, children develop an understanding of how language works and they are subsequently able to use language more effectively; they are more readily able to construct understandable texts. Children come to school having learnt about communication through the cultural and social contexts in which they have been using language. They have a variety of resources for using oral language to communicate in these settings. However, not all children will communicate using Standard Australian English. Children’s language will vary according to the language of their family and community contexts and they may therefore speak a language other than English or a social or regional dialect variation.
Writing is . Clauses Types of clauses Tense. Make your move – Sit less – Be active for life! Make your move – Sit less – Be active for life! Regardless of how young or old you are, there are physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines available for you. Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines are supported by a rigorous evidence review process that considered: the relationship between physical activity (including the amount, frequency, intensity and type of physical activity) and health outcome indicators, including the risk of chronic disease and obesity; and the relationship between sedentary behaviour/sitting time and health outcome indicators, including the risk of chronic disease and obesity. The Evidence Review Reports provide a summary of the scientific evidence that supports Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. National Physical Activity Recommendations for Children 0-5 years Being physically active every day is important for the healthy growth and development of infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Professional_Practices_Symposium. Sending Mixed Message: Do Parents Value Kids’ Achievement Over Empathy? Culture There’s a gap between what adults say they value in their kids and what they show they value through their actions. And kids are picking up on it. A recent Harvard Study found that when asked what is more important to them, “achieving at a high level, happiness or caring for others,” 80 percent of the middle and high school applicants put themselves first. Jessica Lahey explains the rhetoric gap in an Atlantic article. “While 96 percent of parents say they want to raise ethical, caring children, and cite the development of moral character as ‘very important, if not essential,’ 80 percent of the youths surveyed reported that their parents ‘are more concerned about achievement or happiness than caring for others.’ Related Explore: empathy, parenting, social emotional learning. The Future Classroom Project | Beige Walls.
As part of our future classroom project we have been looking at the walls. They are typical boring creamy/beige walls you find in most classrooms. Inspiring? We don’t think so. We have been having discussions as a class and wish a focus group as to how we could make our classroom walls more inspirational and welcoming. We will be painting every wall in out class. So how about quotes? The students loved the thought of this so one afternoon we researched quotes. The students discovered many great quotes. “The future has a way of arriving unannounced” - George Will - YOU WERE GIVEN A LIFE BECUASE YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO LIVE - John Brown - Be yourself everone is already taken - Oscar Wilde - “Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you” - Maori Proverb - Don’t cry because it’s over smile because it happened -Dr Suess - Also see our pinterest board for many many more examples!
14 books Educators should read: Part 2. How children learn best - All In The Mind. School holidays – the perfect time to learn from other schools. In2Teaching - Blog. Know Their Learning, Know Them. How ditching the desks turned my classroom into a 21st century learning space. Learn about blooms taxonomy on instaGrok. SCU - Centre for Children and Young People. OZ Projects. NSW Teachers Federation. NSW Institute of Teachers. 7 Ways Teaching Is Like Being. Creating a Culture of "Can" Five Practices for Building Positive Relationships With Students. Classroom Management / Alternatives to hand raising. These are great for all grades, comfort levels, and abilities. I wish my teachers had done this. Deeper Learning: A Collaborative Classroom Is Key.
TeachersPayTeachers.com - An Open Marketplace for Original Lesson Plans and Other Teaching Resources. JISC Inform / Issue 35, Winter 2012 | #jiscinform. Michael Wesch on Knowledgable vs Knowledge-able. TES Connect - Teaching Jobs, Teaching Resources & Community. 10 ways to create a learning culture. 5 Excellent Strategies to Teach Students how to Learn. Igiveagonski.com.au :: Home. Home | Better Schools. The 6 Characteristics of A Successful Educator. Personally Significant Learning - Erica McWilliam -
Home. Thinkging Differently About Learning: Next Steps Checklist How to Get Kids to Work as a Team If the Adults Around Them Can't - Finding Common Ground. Great Teaching, Inspired Learning. Why Accountability Is Key To Building Rapport. The 21 Signs you are A 21st Century Teacher. Getting to Know You. Don't say "Think"! The Role of Questions in Teaching, Thinking and Le.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Re-imagine & Digital Blooms: different ways to approach learning. The 3 Most Common Modeling Mistakes Teachers Make.