You don’t need to be a Dickens scholar to understand that for many teachers it is both the best of times and the worst of times.
Let’s start with the good stuff. Digital innovation is inspiring imagination. Educators from all over the world are learning how to responsibly blend technology into their teaching, while sharing resource suggestions and best practices with colleagues and their growing professional learning networks.
The freedom to choose an assortment of apps, videos and open educational resources that can augment – if not replace – traditional curriculum for any given unit or lesson plan is empowering. Learning how other teachers put these tools into their own practice via Twitter Chats, EdCamps and other collaborative environments is exhilarating.
I was recently at a conference about the social and emotional needs of children today. While much of what I heard reinforced what we were already seeing as a campus, it was fascinating – the idea many children today are unaware of how to communicate effectively, show and understand empathy, understand their feelings regarding shame,…
“Sharenting” – where parents share personal information about their children on social media – is the “weakest link” in risking online fraud and identity theft, warns Barclays. The bank says parents are compromising their children’s future financial security with so much online sharing. Source: ‘Sharenting’ puts young at risk of online fraud – BBC News…
Today’s digest revisits the idea of inquiry methods. Why? Because a quick Google search resulted in the very clear impression that many instructors still believe (or at least blog about) the idea that students learn more when they discover new knowledge on their own, without being explicitly taught. Given this apparent pervasive belief, we share here a…
Caffeine increases the ability to focus and problem solve, but a new study by a University of Arkansas researcher indicates it doesn’t stimulate creativity. Source: Caffeine Boosts Problem-Solving Ability but Not Creativity, Study Indicates | University of Arkansas The stereotypical image of the author writing in the local coffeeshop fueled by coffee and scones may…
During this year’s series of Love Island, contestant Chris Hughes revealed that he often wears his boxers three days in a row because he didn’t know how to use a washing machine. Most Brits take for granted the fact that they know how to work the washer, and may be horrified to hear that the 24 year-old…
