Mental Models | How do you think the most rational people in the world operate their minds? How do they make better decisions? They do it by mentally filing away a massive, but finite amount of fundamental, unchanging knowledge that can be used in evaluating the infinite number of unique scenarios which show up in the real world. That is how consistently rational and effective thinking is done, and if we want to learn how to think properly ourselves, we need to figure out how it's done. Fortunately, there is a way, and it works. Before we dig deeper, let's start by watching this short video on a concept called mental models. It's not that complicated, right? The idea for building a “latticework” of mental models comes from Charlie Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and one of the finest thinkers in the world. Munger's system is akin to “cross-training for the mind.” In a famous speech in the 1990s, Munger explained his novel approach to gaining practical wisdom: Building the Latticework 1. 2. 3. 4.
aea8 - EduVision Using eCurriculum to Change Instruction PSA PL Jennifer Sigrist, Director of Teaching & Learning at Van Meter (IA) Schools, talks about Iowa's innovative approach to developing high quality, conceptual-based digital teaching modules through the collective efforts of the Iowa Communities of Practice and Innovation (IACoPi) project." 31551 IA_FortDodge_aea8_aea8_359/psa_815166ea4c6440b1999f6b81cfe79c37_converted_flvconverted.mp4 PLAEA Board Meeting April 21, 2014 PL This is the monthly meeting of the Prairie Lakes AEA Board of Directors, held April 21, 2014 in Pocahontas, Iowa. 88629 IA_FortDodge_aea8_aea8_359/april_2014_board_meeting_25316c1e3bc547ab974429746ecfc6a8_flvconverted.mp4 Using Video Slimmer on the iPad PL Trying to upload a video shot with an iPad can be frustrating. Because an iPad shoots video in high definition, the file size is enormous. Preparing for Download... Video file is missing. Please contact your site administrator. Using eCurriculum to Change Instruction PSA
Collaboration | Aspire Public Schools Collaboration brings about stronger relationships, better ideas, and smoother execution. Adult collaboration in schools not only makes everyone’s work smarter and smoother, but also models for students the critical skill of teamwork in the 21st century. We live and breathe collaboration – not just during specific team-meeting times. Collaboration is more than teachers working together. Close the Loop The “Home Office” doesn’t make big decisions and hand them down to the schools. We ask members of the Aspire community for their opinions – because they matter.We take the time – but not too much time – considering different ideas and options in order to determine what is truly best for students. We “close the loop” by circling back to people. External Collaboration Aspire is dedicated to collaborating with school districts and educational organizations whenever possible.
Interesting Chart Outlining the Differences between Pedagogy, Andragogy, and Heutagogy Preparing our kids and students for a global knowledge economy necessitates a new teaching approach; one that will equip them with the skills and competencies needed to thrive in such an economy. It is widely believed that pedagogy as an educational method per see is no longer enough; teachers and educators need to embrace new methodologies that are more relevant to the exigencies of today's learning. Andragogy and Heutagogy are probably the answer. Andragogy Andragogy is a teaching strategy developed for adult learners. 1. Check out this page to learn more about Andragogy: Related : Pedagogy Vs Andragogy Heutagogy Heutagogy is the study of self-directed learning and self- determined learning. There are some key differences between the three approaches : pedagogy, andragogy, and heutagogy. the chart below compiled by Lindy Mckeown captures some of these nuances, check it out and share with us what you think of them.
Methodology | The A.K. Rice Institute The methodology and approach of group relations study supported by the A.K. Rice Institute is primarily based in the work of British psychoanalyst Wilfred R. Bion and subsequent developments in the late 20th century. Convinced of the importance of considering not only the individual but also the group of which the individual is a member, in the late 1940s Bion conducted a series of small study groups at London’s Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. He reported his experiences in a series of articles for the journal Human Relations and later, as the book Experiences in Groups (Bion, 1961). Gradually, Bion’s novel approach of viewing a group as a collective entity evolved into a method. In 1965, Rice led a conference in the United States, and the Tavistock method began to be developed here by Margaret Rioch and others. Groups, like dreams, have a manifest, overt aspect and a latent, covert aspect. The group relations method can be applied in many different group situations.
Learning Theories Every Teacher should Know about Have you ever asked yourself what learning theories you know about and which ones you feel more connected to and apply in your teaching ? Generally speaking, theories inform and guide practice in any content area and a learning theory is a set of concepts on how people learn. It is more or less an investigation of the strategies and the underlying cognitive processes involved in learning. The educational field abounds in learning theories to the extent that it becomes hard to draw clear boundaries between some of them. The graphic I have for you below provides a clear categorization of the learning theories you need to know as a teacher and educator. Check it out and as always share with us your feedback. courtesy of edudemic
The PLP model: Research-based professional learning A vast body of literature underlies the connected learning communities model — our three-pronged approach at Powerful Learning Practice. Here we cite the studies and literature most relevant to connected learning in the digital age and offer supporting points to help readers understand the rationale behind the PLP learning model here. We’ve grouped the findings under three headings — the three components of connected learning communities: professional learning communities (PLCs), personal learning networks (PLNs), and communities of practice (CoPs). Professional Learning Communities The literature proposes the characteristics of professional learning communities in which educators are connected and engage in face-to-face collaboration: collaborative learning with a purposeful shared vision and practice and a focus on inquiry and improvement building (Hord, 1997, 2003). Theories Experience and Knowledge Effectiveness for Teacher Professional Development Anticipated Growth or Decline
Rethinking Mentorship, Learning Pathways in a Networked Age As founder of the Digital Youth Network, a digital literacy program for Chicago youth that incorporates both in-school and out-of-school settings and co-founder of YOUmedia, a 5,500-square-foot multimedia learning space for Chicago teens, Nichole Pinkard is well known in the digital media & learning community for work that encompasses both theory and practice. Pinkard is also the co-creator of Remix World, a social learning platform that connects youth’s learning opportunities in school, home, and in the community. She’s also serving as conference chair for the 2014 Digital Media and Learning Conference, which is themed “Connecting Practices” and will take place March 6-8, 2014, in Boston. We sat down for a few moments with Pinkard to learn more about the upcoming conference and to talk about how mentoring practices can best support today’s youth. How is the increase of online and mobile access changing the nature of the mentor-mentee relationship? Kansas City was a mentoring community.
About - Hive NYC Launched in 2009 with generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Hive NYC Learning Network was stewarded by the Social Science Research Council until 2011 and by Mozilla Foundation from 2011 to 2017. Hive NYC is now hosted through 2018 by Partnership for After School Education (PASE), a nonprofit, child-focused organization that promotes and supports quality afterschool programs, particularly those serving young people from underserved communities. Hive NYC Learning Network Hive NYC Learning Network (Hive NYC) is a city-wide learning laboratory for educators, technologists, and mentors to design innovative connected educational experiences for youth. Hive NYC’s membership includes over 60 non-profit organizations, such as museums, libraries, code clubs, advocacy groups, higher education institutions, and afterschool programs. For more information and a history of Hive NYC’s development and growth, please explore our timeline. Who we are Save
Why We Need to Redefine Intelligence - HBR IdeaCast An interview with Scott Barry Kaufman adjunct assistant professor of psychology at New York University and author of Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined. Download this podcast SARAH GREEN: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Sarah Green. SCOTT BARRY KAUFMAN: Thank you. SARAH GREEN: So I thought we would just start with why redefine intelligence? SCOTT BARRY KAUFMAN: Yeah, it’s a great question. But what I’ve done in trying to look at all different kinds of minds and ways that we can achieve success in the real world once we get out of school, and the importance of things such as inspiration, and motivation, and engagement in something that personally interests you– what I started to notice was a repeating pattern over and over again. It’s almost like there’s a lot of intellectual capacity hidden in a lot of people. SCOTT BARRY KAUFMAN: I absolutely will. So they may be adding another intelligence. What I argue for is the shift to the personal developmental level.
Jean Lave, Etienne Wenger and communities of practice contents: introduction · communities of practice · legitimate peripheral participation and situated learning · learning organizations and learning communities · conclusion · references · links · how to cite this article Many of the ways we have of talking about learning and education are based on the assumption that learning is something that individuals do. Furthermore, we often assume that learning ‘has a beginning and an end; that it is best separated from the rest of our activities; and that it is the result of teaching’ (Wenger 1998: 3). But how would things look if we took a different track? Supposing learning is social and comes largely from of our experience of participating in daily life? It was this thought that formed the basis of a significant rethinking of learning theory in the late 1980s and early 1990s by two researchers from very different disciplines – Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. Communities of practice The characteristics of such communities of practice vary.