A Place for Learning: The Physical Environment of Classrooms I was supervising a teacher who was enrolled in our program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that focused on developing student self-knowledge, ego strength, trust and community in classrooms. We had created a manual with over 50 classroom lessons. She was teaching at a high school in an economically depressed district in northern Appalachia. She called me in a state of frustration. "I've used dozens of the exercises you guys developed, and they're not the least bit interested. There's no sense of community, and the trust level is non-existent. Students Take Ownership So I visited the class. I suggested that she ditch the exercises and work with the class to totally change the physical environment. They spent six weeks doing little else. There are at least two lessons from this story. The physical structure of a classroom is a critical variable in affecting student morale and learning. The Custodian’s Favorite Arrangement Here's a related story. More Ideas, More Resources
Europeiska centralbanken börjar köpa obligationer Programmet börjar i mars och kommer att pågå till september 2016. Banken väntas köpa obligationer för 60 miljarder euro per månad. Tidigare i dag kom beskedet att banken lämnar styrräntan oförändrad på rekordlåga 0,05 procent. ”Vi har inte varit här tidigare” Pengarna som används för att betala lånen är ”nytryckta” digitala pengar. – Nu hoppas Mario Draghi att det här ska sätta fart på tillväxten i ekonomin och att vi snart kommer att få se att inflationen stiger upp till den här målsättningen på 2 procent, men vi måste komma ihåg att det bara är gissningar. Oklart hur programmet ska utformas Tyskland har tidigare ställt sig motvilligt till pengakanonen, dels av rädsla för inflation, dels för att en av konsekvenserna skulle kunna vara att de värst krisdrabbade länderna låter bli att genomföra ekonomiska reformer. Metoden har tidigare använts i bland annat USA och Storbritannien, med goda resultat för ekonomin, men stimulanserna har också lett till ökad ojämlikhet.
untitled 8 Technologies That Will Shape Future Classrooms What does the future of learning hold? What will classrooms of the future be like? Emerging technologies such as cloud computing, augmented reality (AR) and 3D printing are paving the way for the future of education in ways we may have yet to see. However, just as the original intentions for new technology often give way to innovative and unpredictable usage, we can never be sure if a twist is waiting for these rising stars. Recommended Reading: Major Tech In Education Trends In 2013 [Infographic] 1. We’re still waiting for Augmented Reality to take the world by storm by way of Google Glass, gaming and awesome apps for astronomy. It’s expected to wow audiences with its AR capabilities, which allow users to see additional information layered over what they see through the lens. Read Also: 5 Top Augmented Reality Apps For Education Read Also: How Augmented Reality Is The Next Big Social Experience A New Way To Teach Virtual field trips are also possible with AR. 2. 3D Printing 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
4 Star Hotel Central London | Westminster Central London Luxury Hotel | St. Ermin's Hotel Books and Music Dealing with ALL the Feelings! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you will know that I am a huge fan of books which deal with big issues and the really BIG feelings for young people such as grief, dementia, disability in a parent, childhood cancer, adoption, diversity in family life, family breakdown, the endless nature of love and the crushing emotional pain of bullying – hyperlinks take you to specific books. Young people need to see their lives reflected in literature and in music – to know they are not alone and to know they are understood. Books and music which deal with issues and feelings give children the vocabulary to help them articulate their feelings and the strategies to deal with tough situations. I recently had a friend staying with me who shall remain nameless, though she’ll probably out herself and we did a fair bit of driving around places. The Youtube clip below gives you an overview of most of the songs or you can download the album here. You can download the album here.
20 Classroom Setups That Promote Thinking 20 Classroom Setups That Promote Thinking by TeachThought Staff This is part 1 in our #iteachthought campaign. This is our equivalent to “back to school,” and is intended to help you focus in the 2015-2016 school year on taking a thoughtful approach to your craft as a teacher. Among these shifts we’ll talk about is turning our focus from content and teaching to thinkers and thinking. This is a student-centered approach to pedagogy (and heautagogy), and will consist of three parts: Part 1: Classroom Setups That Promote Thinking Part 2: Learning Profiles: What Great Teachers Know About Their Students Part 3: 50 Questions To Ask Your Students On The First Day Of School Learning Is An Ecology Can how you setup your classroom impact how students think? Desks are a staple of the ‘modern’ classroom as we know it. So what can we do? So, the bit about “classroom setups impacting thinking.” Note, we’ve placed an asterisk* beside those approaches that are more strongly suited to “thought” than others.
I have iPads in the Classroom. Now What? Transforming the school library for innovative learning The joy of reading is something that stays with someone for life and for many, this joy has its roots in the school library. Reading for pleasure is also inextricably linked with higher achievement and social mobility, making the school library a place of great importance in a child’s life. While the end goal is the same, the layout of today’s library has changed considerably from even a few years ago to accommodate high demand for technology and the shift from a quiet space to a learning hub for both groups and individuals. It is imperative, therefore, that the design and resourcing of the school library is meticulously planned by those with expert knowledge. School News spoke to industry insiders for advice on refitting the school library. Consider your space Start by looking at your space, advises Scott Reed from Resource Furniture, suppliers to hundreds of school libraries across Australia. Case study: Albany Senior High School, Auckland Questions to consider Space Signage Collection
2015 K-12 Edition What is on the five-year horizon for K-12 schools worldwide? Which trends and technologies will drive educational change? What are the challenges that we consider as solvable or difficult to overcome, and how can we strategize effective solutions? These questions and similar inquiries regarding technology adoption and transforming teaching and learning steered the collaborative research and discussions of a body of 56 experts to produce the NMC Horizon Report > 2015 K-12 Edition, in partnership with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). > Download the NMC Horizon Report > 2015 K-12 Edition (PDF)> Download the Chinese Translation PDF (courtesy of Beijing Open University)> Download the Korean Translation PDF (courtesy of Korea Education & Research Information Service – KERIS)> Download the Portuguese Translation PDF (courtesy of Colégio Bandeirantes) > Download the report preview (PDF)> Download the interim results (PDF)
The School Librarian as Learning Alchemist The landscape of learning is changing. Children and young adults learn not only in school but fluidly across home, school, peer culture, and community. This transformation in learning and the school environment has prompted educators to ask challenging questions about how to develop learning spaces to meet these needs within the sometimes competing economic, social, and political realities. At the same time, school librarians continue to serve their communities by linking children, young adults, and teachers with both the information they need and the skills to use it. We’ve identified three trends that we see as most affecting the role of the school librarian in the near future. Information on demand In the near future, there will be a significant reduction in physical library space and collections. Even as some schools move to virtual collections, the opportunities for school librarians to influence learning will actually increase. Connected learning The school librarian of the future
About KinectEDucation Why was this site started? KinectEDucation is an educator-driven community resource for developers, teachers, students, enthusiasts, and any other education stakeholder to promote the use of Kinect applications in classrooms. Our goal is to transform classrooms to a 21st-century model of learning with accessible technology – to integrate a “connected education” – and we want you to be a part of this! Join the movement! With KinectEDucation, you can freely: Download and upload Kinect resources for classroom use Read the latest about using Kinect in education Share and learn from others about using Kinect in education Discuss anything else about Kinect relevant to education Why haven’t most classrooms evolved to reflect the changes that have occurred in all other areas of industry over the past 200 years? On the outside looking in, it seems so easy. KinectEDucation is a new community; please offer your ideas for improvement. KinectEDucation is not affiliated with Microsoft.
Ultimate Teen Space The Mix at the San Francisco Public Library is a teenager’s idea of paradise, with places to chill with friends, be creative and explore technology, as well as room to study and read. The Mix is based on the learning theory of HOMAGO, providing teens with spaces to hang out, mess around and geek out and allowing them to explore information and technology and design and create. The popularity of SFPL’s teen space can be attributed to the fact that teens were involved in the planning every step of the way. Entrance Area and Interactive Wall The Mix entrance has comfortable seating surrounded by glass walls. When teens learn that the touchscreen only works from inside the space, they’re excited to know that only they have access to this impressive technology. The touchscreen is a powerful communication tool.