The Flip: Why I Love It – How I Use It

by | Jul 25, 2011 | Making The Shift, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Uncategorized, Voices

I love the flip. I do. And I realize by saying this I’m making a controversial statement. I believe if used judiciously, in the right context, the flip can free up valuable class time and provide the background knowledge that is fundamental for students to then go forward and wrestle with higher order thinking. Bottom line: it’s not always the right instructional choice, it’s only one tool in our educational repertoire. But it can be a powerful one.

21st Century High: The Shift Begins

by | Jul 21, 2011 | Making The Shift, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices

Our netbooks pilot has set us on a path toward a 1 to 1 networked environment in our high school. In our next step, we’re expanding the group to include a Theology teacher and a Spanish teacher. Our first trial runs are teaching us something both about the challenges of 1-to-1 implementation and the powerful learning that can occur when classrooms become connected. (Includes video with student comments)

Turning Tweets into Narrative Tales

by | Jul 19, 2011 | Personal Learning Networks, Teacher Leadership 2.0, The How of 21st Century Teaching, Voices, Web Tools That Deepen Learning

Ever wish Twitter provided a more coherent narrative? This tale of science adventure is being told both to underscore the value of Personal Learning Networks and to demo the power of Storify. Storify helps you assemble disparate tweets, pictures, retweets, responses to tweets and direct messages into one place — and one storyline. Add narration and extra information to the Twitter content, and you now have a chance to tell a tale and help others understand what happened.

Blended Learning Helps Us Mind the Gaps

by | Jul 13, 2011 | Less Teacher, More Student, Voices, Web Tools That Deepen Learning

Let me state for the record, I like Khan Academy. Specifically, I like the principle behind it: students can move at their own pace and practice until they understand the concept. In other words, students can own their learning. They need to know how to learn and how to manage their learning. In possessing this valuable skill, our students will hold the keys to the kingdom. How many academic stars do we lose now because they don’t progress at the rate considered necessary by unit and test calendars?