Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 8/14/2012
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The greatest teacher incentive: The freedom to teach - The Washington Post
I wrote this piece last year in the Washington Post for an education round table and as I hear people talk about "what are we going to do in education" I wish some people would GET the fact that so much unharnessed potential lies withing teachers who are chafing at the increasing restraints put upon their creativity and freedom. Teachers should be held accountable but should have the freedom to teach.
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Why Asking for Help Is A Necessary Lesson | Impatient Optimists
Not all students know to ask for help. Whether they ask for help may be determined by their socioeconomic background. Be aware of this and help students reach out and be empowered so that you can help them learn. "But recent research by University of Pennsylvania sociologist Jessica McCrory Calarco shows that a student’s socioeconomic background affects his or her strategies for seeking help in the classroom. Middle-class students tend to learn from their parents that asking for help is one way to problem-solve when completing assignments, whereas students from lower-income backgrounds tend to learn these skills from their teacher."
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Jeremy Harris Lipschultz: Forget Digital Natives, Think Mobile Natives
" It is no longer a question of whether or not students are digital natives, as the mobile revolution pushes tablets and smart phones to our finger tips. I agree with those calling our students "mobile natives" -- they expect instant access from anywhere to current information and entertainment." The term tossed around now is "mobile natives." This is a great article and fascinating discussion. The only thing that concerns me about calling anyone a "native" is it implies that person really understands what they are doing. I've found that students are comfortable with technology in their hands but often don't know how to use it with their heads. They are sadly deficient on many literacies and others can't afford cell phones. Some are born on the wrong side of town to be mobile natives. Not sure if I'm comfortable with this term yet. This also links to the overview of #140edu talking about the concept. via Huffington Post
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Social media and college admissions [infographic] - Holy Kaw!
Social media is a part of college admissions. Colleges use it to promote their universities but also to screen applicants. This infographic is worth sharing to every student everywhere to help them understand how social media has a real impact on their future.
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Futurity.org – What the world can learn from China’s water crisis
"Two-thirds of China’s cities have water shortages, more than 40 percent of its rivers are severely polluted, 80 percent of its lakes suffer from eutrophication—an overabundance of nutrients—and about 300 million rural residents lack access to safe drinking water." Water shortages are a real threat on the horizon. Who is talking about this? What are schools doing to promote the conservation of water? Read this article about what China is doing and what we can learn from it.
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Free online games for children aged 4-10 year olds. There are games you can download, free ebooks, and other activities here. Some fascinating things you can use with elementary aged children.
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iPads in the Classroom - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything
Kathy Schrock has another compelling guide to ipads in the classroom.
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50 resources for iPad use in the classroom | ZDNet
An excellent collection of articles, apps, and tutorials about ipads in the classroom.
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Adobe Education Exchange: The 2012 Educators' Choice Awards
The educators choice awards are open until October 5. If you do anything with adobe products, please submit. If you're submitting, build your network because educators will be doing the voting after the initial vetting from Adobe.
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Welcome Vicki Davis “Cool Cat Teacher” – Joining The Ignite Show as a Thought Leader in Residence!
Excited to be a thought leader on the Ignite Show at Georgia Public Broadcasting. I'll be heading to Atlanta to tape a show on Tuesday and have to admit that the thought makes me nervous and wishing for my 20 year old body and face back. ;-) Am excited to be talking about some incredible link ups with direct to discovery - a service that links researchers around the state to schools.
