New research by scientists at Michigan State University suggests that laptops do not enhance classroom learning, and in fact students would be better off leaving their laptops in the dorm during class. Although computer use during class may create the illusion of enhanced engagement with course content, it more often reflects engagement with social media, YouTube videos,…
What Bode was saying was this: “Knowledge and productivity are like compound interest.” Given two people of approximately the same ability and one person who works ten percent more than the other, the latter will more than twice outproduce the former. The more you know, the more you learn; the more you learn, the more…
Making learning easy may not get the results you desire. In the period of 1920–40 American food manufacturers wanted to reduce the time and effort required to make a cake. They simplified so much the process that the cooks needed to add only water and bake the cake. Unfortunately, the sales of the cake mix…
I know we have all been there before. Have you ever been in that moment when you are overwhelmed? Have you ever felt in need of alone time to well, gather your thoughts? During those moments some reflect, but if you are like others, many take the time to just talk to themselves. Is it…
How is it even possible that Elon Musk could build four multibillion companies by his mid-40s — in four separate fields (software, energy, transportation, and aerospace)? To explain Musk’s success, others have pointed to his heroic work ethic (he regularly works 85-hour weeks), his ability to set reality-distorting visions for the future, and his incredible resilience. But all of…
Can we get real? There are a lot of well-intentioned assignments and projects that frankly have very little LEARNING that goes with them. Create a poster of the solar system. The kid spends a lot of time (and money on supplies) with the outcome that they can (hopefully) identify the 7 planets. This is a DOK…
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,…
“This is so new for teachers, whereas librarians have been doing this for ten years,” said Paige Jaeger, a school librarian turned administrator and co-author of Think Tank Library: Brain-Based Learning Plans for New Standards. According to Jaeger, librarians were some of the first educators to realize that the Internet made finding information (their bread and…
I’m excited. Like, really, really, really, excited. Technology has gone from a toy, to an event, to a commodity, to a way of life. And learning has been attached along the way. Maybe we don’t always see learning and technology hand-in-hand, but the two are deeply connected and fuel each other every day. Part of…
Deep learning often happens when learners encounter experiences that challenge them to figure something out, explore new information, and create a product. Source: Designing Learning That Matters Student centered, inquiry based, what a great way to learn! Too many students, especially high achieving students at the high school level have lost this spark, and have…