The story of this topic – in 50 objects! Overview Superb podcast series such as “50 things that made the modern economy” and “A History of the world in 100 objects” reflect the growing popularity of understanding topics through key objects: This approach could be adopted in a classroom setting by challenging students to decide upon the most iconic objects to symbolise a particular topic, theme or individual that they study. Case Study: An overview of the IB History course At the start of the IB course this September, the humanities faculty here at the International School of Toulouse presented the new IB cohorts in our three subjects with an overview of the syllabus in our respective subjects. Each student then produced an ‘exhibit’ as the basis of an engaging corridor exhibition. Here are some of the outcomes from historians in case you’re interested in trying something similar. Links Like this: Like Loading... Related "The Big Picture": convert a new topic into pictures, then the pictures into galleries 11th December 2017 Comments
Integrate iPads Into Bloom's Digital Taxonomy With This 'Padagogy Wheel' You’re going to want to turn on your printer and fire up a PDF viewer. This is just that good. It’s called the Padagogy Wheel and it offers a fantastically useful perspecitve on how to figure out which iPad apps work with Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. Created by Allan Carrington, this thing is a monster and deserves some focused attention. The Padagogy Wheel takes an expanded approach Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy and offers 62 iPad apps that fit into the organized chaos that is Bloom’s. See Also: 35 Digital Tools That Work With Bloom’s Taxonomy What do you think of some of the apps and where they’re placed on the wheel? The Padagogy Wheel by Allan Carrington is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Using “Speed Dating” to share facts and opinions in the classroom Overview The speed-dating format is designed to help students spot comparisons and contrasts between different ideas, answers or categories of information. By enabling students to consider or research one area in depth, and then exchange their knowledge against the clock with classmates, it is an efficient means of sharing ideas and knowledge. Method 1: Exchanging factual information It works particularly well for topics where there are lots of key personalities to learn about: for example, in History this could involve a comparison of Roman Emperors, or the attitude of different types of people towards Hitler in Nazi Germany in. However, the speed-dating technique can also be used to compare and contrast factors, objects, themes or events in any field (different types of rocks, chemical elements, revolutions, inventions…). Method 2: Exchanging ideas, interpretations, opinions Stage 1: decide on the criteria and conduct the research Stage 2: speed-dating Stage 3: reaching conclusions Links
Search Engines | TryEngineering Lesson Focus Lesson focuses on exploring how the development of search engines has revolutionized Internet. Students work in teams to understand the technology behind search engines and explore how they can retrieve useful information using search engines. Age Levels: Objectives Learn about basics of a search engineLearn how to query search enginesLearn how to find relevant material using advanced search optionsLearn about teamwork and problem solving Anticipated Learner Outcomes As a result of this activity, students should develop an understanding of: teamworkimpact of search engines on world wide web (www)techniques to build efficient search queries Lesson Activities Students build search queries. Resources/Materials Teacher Resource DocumentsStudent WorksheetsStudent Resource SheetsComputers with Internet access Alignment to Curriculum Frameworks Curriculum alignment sheet is included in PDF.
Collate “Historical Photobombs” into a short story to consolidate the ‘Big Picture’ Overview Students are presented with, or choose for themselves, a range of images relating to the current study topic or period. In addition, they are also agree upon a list of key words relating to the topic. They are then challenged to produce a short story (within a strict word limit, and including all the key words), about a fictional character who lived through and was somehow involved in all the events and situations depicted. By so doing, they draw together the essential aspects of the topic in a creative manner. For inspiration, direct students to the superb novels “Any Human Heart” by William Boyd, and “The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared” by Jonas Jonasson are based around the conceit of a protagonist who, by a mixture of accident and design, end up meeting some of the greatest individuals and getting involved in some of the most momentous events of the twentieth century. Case Study The Images Like this: Like Loading... Related "Takeaway Homework"
The 5 Steps of Effective Technology Integration - Getting Smart by Dave Guymon - edchat, EdTech, education In schools, districts, and departments of education alike, a trend toward integrating technology into the education process is on the rise. One could argue that it always has been. But with the proliferation of Internet access in school buildings and the ubiquity of mobile computing devices, educators are taking note and beginning to consider new ways they can include these tools into their classroom instruction. The formalized field of educational technology is still in its infancy. As a result, professional development and training practices are still being refined. As they are teachers in many school districts are choosing to lead their own technology integration through experimental applications with their students and curriculum. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. That a shift toward technology in education is on the rise isn’t what excites many educators in the profession.
Design educational “escape rooms” for your students! An escape room is, according to Wikipedia, “a physical adventure game in which players solve a series of puzzles using clues, hints and strategy to complete the objectives at hand. Players are given a set time limit to unveil the secret plot which is hidden within the rooms”. They are increasingly popular as team-building exercises as well as a fun leisure activity. In the classroom, the “Escape Room” format should involve students working together, against the clock, to solve a series of puzzles using existing and fresh knowledge from their studies and from clues and sources which have been left around the room. However, although they have great potential for creating memorable learning experiences in the classroom, they can easily become a time-consuming gimmick where plenty of fun is had but very little genuine learning is taking place. In this way I have focused on two key objectives: Case Studies and Supporting Resources BLETCHLEY 1945: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK! Link Like this: Related
Beyond Minecraft: Games That Inspire Building and Exploration By Tanner Higgin, Graphite The success and popularity of Minecraft in and out of classrooms is no surprise. It’s one of the best examples of the potential of learning with games because it embraces exploration, discovery, creation, collaboration, and problem-solving while allowing teachers to shepherd play toward any subject area. But Minecraft is not the only game of this kind. Take a look at some of these. 1. Garry’s Mod (GMod) is a sandbox game like Minecraft but instead of building and exploring, students use a fun physics engine that simulates things like gravity and mass. 2. Kerbal Space Program has a robust physics engine too, but it’s more focused than Garry’s Mod. 3. Sound Shapes is a visually stunning platform puzzle game set to a rich musical soundscape. For creative kids who want to get their hands dirty, check out DIY, a site where students can find things to build, instructions for how to build them, and ways to share their creations with others. Related
Educational Escape Rooms: Case Study 1 – Larger groups / younger students For an introduction to the Escape Room format and how it can be used in the classroom, please consult this earlier blogpost. This post is designed to be read alongside its partner post: “Educational Escape Rooms: Case Study 2 – smaller groups / older students“ Escape Room case study 1: larger groups / younger students In the following case study, to successfully “escape”, students have to complete two main stages: Stage 1. Teacher setup instructions The following “Escape Room” scenario, which can be easily adapted, is designed as a stand-alone, 60-minute lesson. Pre-class preparation Prepare some hint questions: prepare a list of simple factual questions which can be answered through reference to the sources in the room. Prepare the mission slips: Designing the missions requires two steps – (a) Deciding where to hide it and (b) Deciding what the mission should entail. Sample missions (note: sources were drawn from some WW2 memorabilia packs I bought from Amazon) Conducting the activity E. A.
Inventive Games That Teach Kids About Empathy and Social Skills By Tanner Higgin, Graphite Play is nothing if not social. Games organize play, allowing us to wrangle and experiment with the world. When we play games, more often than not, it’s us under the microscope. Video games, however, have been a bit of an aberration in the history of play and games. 1. This app features a series of appealing animated episodes that model real world social situations. 2. Billed as an “indie minimalist platformer,” Thomas Was Alone’s characters are just colorful shapes, yet they all have distinct personalities. Thomas Was Alone 3. The most experimental and perhaps most irresistibly interesting game on this list, Way makes collaboration and communication crucial to success. Way 4. Social Adventures All of the games above are designed – both explicitly and implicitly – to be pro-social, but what about games that aren’t? Click here for more reviews of games and apps. Related
“Which One Doesn’t Belong?”: a starter activity to highlight connections, contrasts and comparisons Overview Students are presented with four simple images (or statements) and challenged to give a reasoned answer to the question “Which one doesn’t belong?”. There isn’t any single “correct” answer. As such, any student or group of students can gain points for any valid reason given. From obvious surface differences, students should be encouraged to draw out their existing knowledge to keep on spotting increasingly sophisticated connections, contrasts and comparisons. Case Study 1: Maths This approach is already very popular with Mathematics teachers (check out #WODB and @WODB on Twitter) and was brought to my attention by two of my friends here at the International School of Toulouse – Jim Noble (@teachmaths) and Simon Gregg (@Simon_Gregg). Case Study 2: History Although originating in the mathematics classroom, #WODB can clearly be used in any curriculum subject. At the end of the exercise, various points should have been identified that could then be shared with the class: Links Related
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