by Margaret Haviland | Dec 22, 2011 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, Passion Based Learning, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices
The first Westtown School World History Film Festival has come and gone. Two weeks before Thanksgiving my students were channeling Ken Burns — and serving as witting accomplices in my continuing shift toward student ownership of learning. This year I decided to continue the individualized learning approach I used last year in our unit on the Mongols, but I chose the communication medium beforehand: documentary film. Greedily, I wanted a broader audience for my students’ work, and I wanted an excuse to learn to make this sort of film. Here’s what we learned!
by Lyn Hilt | Dec 20, 2011 | Connected Leadership, Making The Shift, Voices, What We're Reading
While the author provided insights and practical ways to get started in each of the key components of this text, I found it, on the whole, to be quite lacking in encouraging school leaders to use technology to enhance teaching and learning in their organizations. It caused me to consider “instead of that/try this” ideas, which I’ve summarized here.
by John Norton | Dec 16, 2011 | Connected Leadership, Less Teacher, More Student, Passion Based Learning, Student Life, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices
In the discussion over learning styles and measuring achievements, it’s important to take into account what educators see first-hand in class. To get a sense of their perspective on the subjects, MindShift editor Tina Barseghian asked educators who are part of our Powerful Learning Practice “Voices from the Learning Revolution” group blog to weigh in on what they’ve observed in their classrooms. Here’s what they say.
by Kathy Cassidy | Dec 15, 2011 | Creating Global Classrooms, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices, Web Tools That Deepen Learning
All of my first graders’ eyes are glued to the Smartboard in our classroom whenever we take the time to read our blog comments. Their eyes shine as they read or hear a comment that has been written just for them. The fact that someone they care about or someone we will never meet took the time to type a message to their class or to their personal blog has a big impact on them.
by Marsha Ratzel | Dec 13, 2011 | Less Teacher, More Student, Making The Shift, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices
They first learned to own the learning, and now I see a second big change in the way my students perceive learning and school. They are willing to experiment with how to organize themselves and to evaluate if it worked or not. Owning the learning AND owning the learning environment are two separate things. I believe having both perceptions in play is essential for students to maximize the learning potential.
by Patti Grayson | Dec 8, 2011 | Passion Based Learning, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices
A creative, kaleidoscope mind is one that innovates – invents – inspires. It takes what it knows and turns it upside-down, inside-out, and backwards to see what new possibilities and patterns emerge. It will be able to view a problem from many perspectives, and find a solution/design more rigid minds could not. I have coached an Odyssey of the Mind team for five years now, and I’ve seen evidence that creativity is definitely a skill that can (and should) be taught.
