April 2013 Blog Posts (38)

I have so many things about technology and global collaboration through this course.  I have learned what RSS readers are and how to set up one.  I set up the Flipboard app on my iPad.  I also learned how to set up and use blogs and wikis.  I created my first Prezi, which was probably the easiest thing I did in this course, and I really liked it so much better than PowerPoint.  I also set up an Edmodo account for my classroom and used it several times with my students.  They really enjoyed…

The Flat Classroom 15 Challenges were an eye opening experience for me.  I have learned how global collaboration can take students far beyond the four walls of a classroom.  I have used technology that I didn't know was available.

My favorite challenges were the last two that several classmates worked together on.  It was a great experience to work with people I have never seen or talked to face to face.  We worked well together.  Everyone had input and completed the projects on…

Even though the challenges were somewhat challenging, this was a great learning experience. I do look forward to helping my students achieve success in the future by exposing them to some of things that I have learned this semester.

In my personal learning pathway for global collaboration I have access to twitter, personal learning network, two blog spots, skype, voice thread, wikis, RSS feed, and social media. Through this study, which could be sometimes difficult at times, I have…

Today’s students are tomorrow’s world leaders. They will soon be the ones fighting issues like poverty, climate change, resources shortages and failing education systems. We must prepare them to tackle these shared global problems that their generation will inherit. Today’s youth must not only have the knowledge and skills to able to understand and act on issues of global significance but also the motivation to improve the world and the belief that their voice and their action can make a…

This is a great website that provides educators with resources on how to revamp their lesson plans to better integrate 21st century skills.

The site provides teachers with templates they can use to better organize their lesson plans to ensure that they are incorporating 21st century skills and literacies and creating roles to empower learners in the classroom. Some of the 21st century skills the site believes in incorporating in the classroom are: collaborating, communicating,…

E-Learning – course delivery and online conferences

Online course delivery is a practical, convenient, and affordable way to deliver Professional Development (PD) opportunities. This PD method also offers flexible time to finish course and no classroom attendance.  Teacher can start anywhere, at anytime, and from anyplace.  They may also learn independently and at their own pace. Some courses offer expert authors and world renowned authorities on teaching and learning.  Collaboration…

Challenge-Based Professional Development:  Challenge 14

Arecent story on The Onion, the Internet’s beloved satire site renowned for its ability to pinpoint painful truths in its “fake news” stories, last week underscored one of the saddest dynamics of modern education. In “Inspirational English Teacher Cancelled out by Every Other Teacher at School,” the problem of teacher burnout is…

For any (future) teacher or professional, setting up a Personal Learning Network (PLN) is important. Amazing what a good PLN can do for you as a lifelong learner ...

Here, I've shared some usefull articles about Twitter as Personal/Passionate Learning Network

http://brambruggeman.blogspot.be/2012/08/start-building-your-personal-learning.html

original post: http://dailylifeasateacher.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/what-makes-it-all-worth-it/

It's not that I haven't wanted to express my opinions about the field of education lately -- a ton has happened since I last posted that deserved to be written about -- but, quite honestly, I've been lazy -- or biting my tongue, you take your choice.

One of the best parts of being a…

Original posting: http://dailylifeasateacher.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/just-a-little-about-teach-for-america-tfa/

As a public school teacher, I've always been a little weary of what Teach for America does. Don't get me wrong, on the surface, it's a noble experiment -- take their own words, for instance: "We recruit a…

Original posting: http://dailylifeasateacher.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/when-you-think-the-words-are-written-just-for-you/

I just finished working on Markus Zusak's The Book Thief  with my group in English. It's always a great unit -- very few students haven't loved it -- and I mean that sincerely, I can probably count them on one hand. We were wrapping things up…

Original posting: http://dailylifeasateacher.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/thanks-mr-murphy/

I started my teaching career at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, PA. I had three up and down years and learned a ton about what it means to be a teacher -- I learned from strong mentors and made some great friends who are very dedicated to what they do. After three years, however, I had the opportunity…

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/opinion/brooks-the-limits-of-empathy.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/opinion/brooks-the-limits-of-empathy.html?_r=0

“Social entrepreneurs don’t just pursue a social end, they pursue that end in a fundamentally communal way.” –Sally Osberg, Skoll Foundation

In a not-so-distant past, college degrees were the safety nets that led to job security. Now those nets are riddled with holes, sagged down by the weight of so many recipients. And unless young professionals have something new to offer, awarding them some leverage back into…

I was recently contacted by Barbara Madden, a Missouri educator with a Mississippi dialect, who is conducting a survey of educators, who use Twitter for Professional Development asking for some feedback. Barbara had been in contact with a college professor who wanted to know the effect of Twitter as PD and it’s effect on student outcomes. That really got me thinking about PD and Twitter. I have heard many, many educators claiming that Twitter is the best PD…

In my last post I reflected on a simple yet profound idea:  innovation hates silos.  Why?  Innovation wants to break out of the mold and disrupt, to do something new, and make what was once old relevant again.  There is a great deal to be learned from the past and the present for education's benefit.

We can look all we want at current education practices in the U.S. and determine something has to change.…