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Apple Offers Another Education Innovation

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 23:58:12 +0000

Apple has added another innovation to its list with the introduction of Challenge Based Learning. Challenge Based Learning uses the concept of solving a problem or creating a unique solution to a real world situation through the use of technology and multi-media outlets. This is an excellent way for schools to explore project based learning with the guidance, structure and resources they may otherwise not have. http://ali.apple.com/cbl/index.html

Linda Darling-Hammond on Choice

admin — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 01:29:15 +0000

In her new book The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future (Multicultural Education) Linda Darling-Hammond share her views on how schools can be improved for all students from all backgrounds. She poignantly describes what the United States needs to do in order to build a stronger, more equitable educational system. Recently she appeared via audio cast on Elluminate talking about both The Flat World and Education, as well as, The Right to Learn. http://audio.edtechlive.com/foe/lindadarlinghammond.mp3

Project Based Learning un-Conference

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:43:05 +0000

In July Project Foundry hosted the 2nd annual Project Based Learning un-Conference. The keynote speaker was Peter Pappas. He shared many great examples of how Project Based Learning is transforming schools and helping students explore their worlds, rather than subjecting them to the repetitive lower order thinking tasks characterized by most traditional schools. I would encourage people to visit his blog at http://peterpappas.blogs.com/ While you are there be sure to read the post “Back to school: Will It Be Test Prep or Project Based Learning.

Lake Superior as Your Classroom

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:28:56 +0000

For the next 5 months Lake Superior will become a living classroom for two lifetime educators and the school groups that follow them, either physically or via the world wide web. Mike Link and Kate Crowley are currently walking the entire shoreline of Lake Superior in an effort to bring attention to the environmental and cultural changes occuring on the greatest of all our lakes. You can follow their progress via their website that includes daily blog updates and youtube videos. This is fantastic way for students to be a part of real time education and another way of using emerging technology in the classroom. Follow the progress at http://www.fullcirclesuperior.org

Ethics and Excellence in High School

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:11:08 +0000

A report recently released outlines eight strengths of character that can helpboth students and schools achieve ethical and productive futures.

http://www.cortland.edu/character/highschool/chapters/SnGReport.pdf

High School Graduation in Four Years – Why Not Two Years or Even Six?

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:57:15 +0000

High Schoolers have many more options today then they did even a decade ago. There are Alternative, Charter, Private and On-Line options, and now there are options in many states to graduate early or if necessaryto stay one, two or even three additional years. Recently both the New York Times and U.S. Today had articles reflecting these new options.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-02-25-senioryear25foronline_st_N.htm

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/a-diploma-in-10th-grade/

Green the New Alternative in Education by Peter Wieczorek

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:01:13 +0000

Schools have been involved in environmental education and the “Green Movement” for nearly 40 years now, but now with advances in technology and connections with the internet schools and students are able to connect, create and learn in ways that were not possible in the past. Several sites of interest are available that either directly or indirectly deal with “Green” and environmental topics in education:
http://www.greencharterschools.org
http://www.janegoodall.org/
http://www.inhabitat.com/
http://www.next.cc/

Graduation For All

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:11:47 +0000

Here are a couple of very interesting and extensive articles on graduation rates and the need to promote graduation for all students. The first article talks mostly about the graduation gap between the upper 2/3 of high school students and the lower 1/3, made up mostly of urban, low-income African American and Latino students. The other article is from the Governor’s Guide to Dropout Prevention and Recovery.

http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0910ACHIEVINGGRADUATION.PDF

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=450020&subsecID=900201&contentID=254746

Cell Phones in the Classroom?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:57:54 +0000

In a recent article in Principal Leadership, October 2009, the principal of a large high school discussed the use of cell phones at school. She was using cell phones to text with her students as another way to increase communication. She stated that texting helped student report things like fights and other personal issues that students didn’t necessarily want to talk about in person. Recently there have been other publications including Curtis J. Bonk’s The World is Open, and an article from the New York Times “Industry Makes Pitch That Smartphones Belong In Classroom.” B0th Bonk’s book and the article suggest that cellphones are no longer simply instruments for talking or even texting, they are similar in speed and power to many classroom computers. Plus many schools have extremely limited computer to student ratios. The book and the article argue that it is time for administrators and teachers to join the 21st century and welcome cellphones, especially the new generation smartphones, into the classroom and let students use them for the learning tools that they have the potential to be.

I would like to know what others have to say about the use of personal technologies such as smartphones in the classroom.

Education Without Walls

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:46:09 +0000

The technology revolution has entered into every part of our lives, and now it seems that the implications for education are about to bring major changes to the way students and indeed all of us learn and gain information. There are a multitude of options for students of all ages to gather and disseminate information on multiple platforms. Many people have already discovered the multitude of useful websites providing information regarding distance learning. The Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning http://mediasite.ics.uwex.edu/mediasite5/Viewer/?peid=a863be1f5bc348bbb1c875366dafe581# has a great presentation with many thought provoking ideas for educators. Another intriguing site is ted.com TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED’s world class presenters on video stretch users with valuable information on a wide variety of topics.

Building a Better Test?

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:41:25 +0000

After school budgets, testing remains one of the most controversial and talked about subjects among administrators, teachers, parents and students. Edutopia has an interesting article along with several links regarding the future of standardized testing. The article Reinventing the BIG test http://www.edutopia.org/reinventing-big-test-the-challenge-of-authentic-assessment gives examples of several promising alternative assessments to the standardized multiple choice tests that are so prevalent across the country.

Some say tests can’t assess important characteristics such as responsibility, autonomy, engagement, affiliation, hope and other aspects of major school outcomes. For a huge sample of tests see Compendium of Assessment and Research Tools and the newly developed Hope Survey (see products).

Technology’s Impact on Students

admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:13:28 +0000

Several recent articles outline the uses of technology in the classroom and give readers lots to think about.

The first article deals with the effects of technology on students throughout their education. Lenovo to Research Tech’s Effect on Learning: Global Education Research project will study how technology affects education in and after school, from kindergarten through higher education.

Another article Google Wave has Great Potential for Education, a new online collaborative tool combines eMail, instant messaging, and file sharing in a dynamic environment and outlines how Google is moving further into communicating and collaborating on the web.

A recent US Dept. of Education report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning finds that students learn more with online learning and even more with blended programs (both classroom and online) in elementary, secondary and higher education. The differences are not great but consistent and promising.

Cell phones appear to have considerable potential for learning. Early adopters combine the power of cell phones, social networks, websites and software. Student engagement and motivation increased. This early in the movement approach is generating excitment over the possiblities. Lift the Cell Phone Ban describes dealing with both the distraction factor and the interest.

Welcome to New Website Editor

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:17:25 +0000

Peter Wieczorek will be editing the website. He is a life science teacher, advisor and board chair at Northwest Passage High School in Coon Rapids, MN. Peter has spent the majority of his career working with youth in non-traditional/alternative settings. In addition to working at NWPHS he lives in Clear Lake, WI with his wife, Renee and two sons, Isaac (12) and Noah (9). He is excited to be joining IALA.

Homeschooling Sharp Increase

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:14:58 +0000

The percentage of the school-age population that was home-schooled showed a significant increase from 2.2% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007 according to a U.S. Department of Education report. The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 36% since 2003. The report identified seven reasons parents give as their motivation for home-schooling their children.

Choice of Education Is Advancing

admin — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:53:58 +0000

Peter Groff, chair of the Colorado Senate wants to see 100 new schools for students to choose from. The Initiative called Get Smart Schools will be launched shortly. Already two new schools will open next fall: Envision and Atlas. Chicago and New York are cited as having opened new schools (55 and 88 respectively) in the last few years. Florida has just passed a sweeping requirement that all districts must offer full time online learning programs for their K-12 students.

New schools have a better chance of reform or making changes. It’s been long noted how difficult it is to change existing schools in any substantive way. New schools offer an institutional bypass.