My biggest mistake as an ICT Co-ordinator - ICT in Education - Educational Technology Act 1, Scene 1Setting: an interview room.Chair of Governors: So, Mr Freedman, do you have any questions you would like to ask US?Terry Freedman: Yes. What are YOUR criteria of a successful ICT Co-ordinator? Well, I got the job, and with the Headteacher's comment in mind I set about making sure the computer facilities were being used as intensively and extensively as possble. I did quite a few really good things, if I do say so myself, such as: * I found out why many teachers were reluctant to use the facilities. * I made it really easy to book the rooms. * I created a buzz about using ICT. * I talked to lots of teachers about the benefits and joys of using ICT. * I ran an ICT committee comprising representatives from every subject. I did a lot more besides. And it worked. To be fair to myself, I did so out of concern for the students those teachers taught. Think of it like this. Type 1: knows how to use ICT, and how it can be used in his/her subject
6 Technology Challenges Facing Education Ed Tech Trends | News 6 Technology Challenges Facing Education Despite increasingly widespread adoption of technologies in virtually every aspect of K-12 education, significant challenges are preventing widespread effective implementation. " The NMC Horizon Report: 2013 K-12 Edition ," put together by the New Media Consortium as part of the Horizon Project , identifies key emerging issues in education technology using primary and secondary research and input from an advisory board comprising "internationally recognized practitioners and experts" in ed tech. In past reports, those challenges have centered largely on reluctance on the part of administrators and teachers, lack of preparation, and lack of support or funding. Challenge 1: professional development . "All too often, when schools mandate the use of a specific technology, teachers are left without the tools (and often skills) to effectively integrate the new capabilities into their teaching methods," according to the report.
When Homework is a Waste of Time We often hear passionate arguments about how American students have too much homework, or too little. But I believe that we ought to be asking a different question altogether. What should matter to parents and educators is this: How effectively do children’s after-school assignments advance learning? The evidence suggests that as of now, homework isn’t making the grade. (MORE: School Has Become Too Hostile to Boys) Fortunately, research is available to help parents, teachers and school administrators make homework smarter, although these particular innovations have yet to be applied outside the classroom. “Spaced repetition” is one example of the kind of evidence-based technique that researchers have found has a positive impact on students’ learning. (MORE: The Problem with Prize Culture) A second learning technique, known as “retrieval practice,” employs a familiar tool—the test—in a new way: not to assess what students know, but to reinforce it.
iPad or Chromebook: 4 Questions To Ask Before Choosing Crude mashup for your enjoyment. For the past few days, I’ve been playing with a Chromebook. Though I have been an advocate of Google’s myriad web products since the beta-test Gmail account that I was invited to open over 10 years ago, I had not previously put my hands on one of these devices. I may be in love. This may come as a shock since I have spent the past two years completely immersed in iPads. With schools and districts across the country, there seems to be this preconception that a single relationship exists with regard to technology, and in particular, with regard to making a decision about mobile devices. However, my colleagues at EdTechTeacher and I think that rather than asking which device should my school use, the more poignant question may be ‘what do I want my students to do?’ Why? More often than not, the answer is access. For right now, let’s focus on iPads and Chrome Books as they seem to be the leading contenders in the device debate. What do I want my students to do?
Mr Allan Carrington Biography/ Background Allan is available on SKYPE and iChat/AIM and his username is:allansyd Allan is a Learning Designer with the Online Development Team, Division of the DVC & VP(A). He is a winner of a 2012 Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) Australian Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. The Citation Synopsis: For nearly a decade, Allan Carrington has provided teaching staff at the University of Adelaide with the tools, knowledge, motivation and confidence that they need to challenge themselves to enhance and develop their own teaching. In 2011 Allan was also awarded the University of Adelaide Award for Excellence in Support of the Student Experience. Allan has a background in printing, publishing, web development and educational multimedia. For three consecutive years commencing January 2008 Allan was awarded a scholarship from the Apple University Consortium (AUC) to attend the MacWorld Conference in San Francisco USA and again in January 2009 and 2010.
5 Solutions for Your Tablet Management Woes SmartBrief Exclusive Preview 5 Solutions for Your Tablet Management Woes IT leaders describe their top 5 pain points in managing iPads and other tablets--and how they are addressing the challenges. This article appears in the June 2013 issue of T.H.E. Journal. At the end of the 2010-2011 school year, the San Diego Unified School District (CA) had 10,000 iPads in use and was set to add 18,000 more the next semester. Like San Diego, school districts around the country are realizing that managing tablets brings a host of new--and time-consuming--headaches. But Sam Gliksman, the author of iPad in Education for Dummies, says this deficiency was apparent from the get-go. T.H.E. 1) Inventory and Asset Tracking The most basic need with tablet deployments is asset tracking. Encinitas is creating a system in Filemaker Pro that will inventory all the technology equipment in the district, but needs to customize it for the data required to track iPads.
The Chilean muralists who defied Pinochet Media playback is unsupported on your device Walk around the side of the GAM, the main cultural centre in the Chilean capital Santiago, and you come across a striking mural, 25m (80ft) wide and 3m high, covering an entire wall. In bold, bright colours, it shows a copper miner, a student, a fisherman and a member of Chile's largest indigenous community, the Mapuche. Wander down the road to the headquarters of the CUT, the country's main trade union federation, and you find another mural overlooking a courtyard. This one tells the history of the country's workers. Both walls are painted in the same distinctive style. The red, white and blue Chilean flag is used as a motif. Both murals, and many like them elsewhere in Chile, are the work of the Brigada Ramona Parra (BRP), one of Latin America's most remarkable and resilient artistic collectives. Inspired by the revolutionary spirit of the late 1960s, the members of the BRP headed out onto Santiago's streets to paint. 'R' for resistance
A Printable Guide To Creative Commons Something you probably see a lot of these days as you browse the internet is Creative Commons licensing. You’ll see many graphics that say something like ‘shared under a Creative Commons license’, or you’ll see a little rectangular graphic with some signs in them. Since we live in an age where most of our information comes from the internet in some way or another, its useful to know when and how it is ok to use something that you’ve found. We’ve already taken a look at some fair use guidelines (which comes along with a brief mention of Creative Commons licensing), but we thought that this handy infographic below gave a great, easy to read and understand version of the different types of CC licenses available. These licenses allow you to easily give others the opportunity to share your work.
Padagogy Wheel : Grey-matter Grids “The new version of the Padagogy Wheel tackles a major question that is lurking in the back of everyone’s mind. If it’s not … it should be. It’s about the problem of motivation in education. How do we motivate students, teachers, parents, and everyone else to get excited about learning? How do you stay motivated? Jeff Dunn: Editor Edudemic Blog Post:Updated Padagogy Wheel Tackles The Problem Of Motivation in Education In this third podcast episode with Ken Spero, a Senior Strategist with The Regis Company, in Philadelphia, USA we talk about how the pedagogy of Immersive Learning is ideal to tackle the problem of motivation and hits the bullseye at the core of The Padagogy Wheel. Ken introduces Engagement into the equation and how it drives motivation for learning. I asked Ken if he thought Immersive learning would help teachers work with mutually agreed graduate attributes and capabilities, helping the students embed them in their lives. Bullseye! Getting Started Podcast Episode:
10 steps technology directors can take to stay relevant SmartBlogs The role of the typical school district technology director has become obsolete. Speak with your average teacher in many school districts in the U.S., and you’ll find the technology department is better known for getting in the way than for serving the educational needs of both staff and students. Many technology departments, led by obsolete tech directors, are inadvertently inhibiting learning. The mantra of “lock it and block it” no longer works in a 21st century digital learning environment. Do how can technology directors avoid becoming obsolete? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Students and staff need technology directors that have not made themselves obsolete. Tom Murray serves as the director of technology and cybereducation for the Quakertown Community School District in Bucks County, Pa.