Simplifying teacher expertise is no big deal– heck, textbooks are an old tech version of that, saving us all from the trouble of coming up with our own materials. I actually have spent some time thinking about this, resulting in my decision a few years ago to stop using the grammar textbooks my school bought for our classes. I dumped them because they kept my teaching tied to their pace, their ideas, their examples, and their limited practice materials; I decided I would rather take my cue from my students and what they needed and how they could best be helped to understand. Could i have done this when I first started out? Probably not enough hours in the day– and the fact that I can type materials up on a computer and have them printed out on a machine on the other side of the building certainly helps, so I guess I both object to and agree with Arnett’s point.
Or maybe my point is that if you aren’t very careful, labor-saving (or labor-transferring) technology will tell you how to do your job instead of helping you do it.
I do believe that technology will be coming for almost all jobs, including teachers. How soon? It could be 30 years off. Or, it could be 10. Alexa and Siri still can only answers half the time, but they are improving.
At its most basic level, a startup is a learning machine—one that helps its founders understand and serve the real world in a manner that enables itself to continuously gather information and grow. If it doesn’t learn and adjust, a startup ends. Successful students, like startups, are those who are resilient, constantly absorbing new information…
When the scores were revealed, the classroom of middle school literacy teachers was everything but hopeful. “Did they even try?” one teacher wondered about her students. The team was disappointed and defeated. After a year of following the curriculum to fidelity, according to the mock-state test data, our efforts meant nothing. Source: Intrinsic Motivation vs….
My team at the Reboot Foundation recently asked a simple question: Is the use of technology in schools associated with increased student outcomes? Based on a study of national and international databases, we uncovered a surprising answer, and our work suggests that there’s actually a pretty weak link between technology and student achievement. Source: Does…
UKEdChat magazine: The best classroom management techniques are subtle, pleasant, and pervasive. Rules and routines, as well as guidelines and guidance, are crucial, so teachers should always maintain a calm and confidence that inspires trust and earns mutual respect. Because every child requires growth in social, emotional, soulful, andacademic learning, teacher firmness is no more or less…
Strategies for doing more with less include adequate PD around new technology, embracing mobile solutions, low-cost high tech, and expanding the ownership of school policy making. Source: Doing More With Less: PD, Resources, and Ownership When talking about PD, I think one piece that seems to be missing way too often is helping teachers learn…
Mattel Is Making a $300 3D Printing Toy Studio For Kids The ThingMaker 3D is an aggressively priced ($300) 3D printer that pairs with an app to allow kids to create a wide range of toys than span both jewelry and figurines. The companion app that operates the printer is actually a very sophisticated 3D…
