A Vision of Future Learning Management Systems from Education Stormfront by crudbasher
Sharing from Andrew Barrass
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Can We Not Individulalize Students' Education?
I am following Kelly Tenkely on twitter. She is a technology teacher from the Denver area with a passion for kids and learning! Her writings and postings will cause you to take a second look at what is happening in education today - her chosen passionate profession.
From her new blog Dreams of Education March 24, 2010 A Vanilla Education
The focus of schools today really isn’t learning. The focus is standardizing the student population. What we are left with is an educational system that is vanilla. Don’t get me wrong, vanilla has its place in the world. Vanilla makes an excellent base, you can add almost anything to it and it is only enhanced. But we aren’t really enhancing it with anything are we? We are stopping at vanilla. We are standardizing learning until each of our students is popped out the other end looking exactly the same. This isn’t really what this global, connected society calls for, is it? What it calls for is innovation and creativity, anything but vanilla. Yet in our schools, we strip it all away and pass students through making sure that they reach certain standards and pass certain tests. Where is the individualization, the flavor?
It seems to me, that in this world where everything else can be individualized, education should be individualized as well......... Standardizing is not the answer in education. We don’t need a group of people who can do exactly the same thing, the same way. We need a society that has many talents. I am afraid that right now we are losing the great talent to standards. Students don’t feel that they measure up, so they give up and drop out. It isn’t that they aren’t brilliant and don’t measure up somewhere, they just don’t fit in the standardized school box. These kids are still getting “Left Behind”.
With the tools we have available to us today, how could we begin to offer customized learning?
Thank you Kelly for this thought provoking post.
From her new blog Dreams of Education March 24, 2010 A Vanilla Education
The focus of schools today really isn’t learning. The focus is standardizing the student population. What we are left with is an educational system that is vanilla. Don’t get me wrong, vanilla has its place in the world. Vanilla makes an excellent base, you can add almost anything to it and it is only enhanced. But we aren’t really enhancing it with anything are we? We are stopping at vanilla. We are standardizing learning until each of our students is popped out the other end looking exactly the same. This isn’t really what this global, connected society calls for, is it? What it calls for is innovation and creativity, anything but vanilla. Yet in our schools, we strip it all away and pass students through making sure that they reach certain standards and pass certain tests. Where is the individualization, the flavor?
It seems to me, that in this world where everything else can be individualized, education should be individualized as well......... Standardizing is not the answer in education. We don’t need a group of people who can do exactly the same thing, the same way. We need a society that has many talents. I am afraid that right now we are losing the great talent to standards. Students don’t feel that they measure up, so they give up and drop out. It isn’t that they aren’t brilliant and don’t measure up somewhere, they just don’t fit in the standardized school box. These kids are still getting “Left Behind”.
With the tools we have available to us today, how could we begin to offer customized learning?
Thank you Kelly for this thought provoking post.
Earth Hour 2010
From Miss McMillan's Blog by McTeach
This Saturday, March 27th, the entire world will come together to fight climate change one darkened light bulb at a time. What started in Sydney in 2007 as one city making a statement against global warming has become a world-wide phenomenon. Last year more than 4,000 cities around the world, including San Francisco, turned out their lights for one hour demonstrating the idea that anyone and everyone can make a difference. Will you join us this Saturday?
To learn more, visit EarthHour.org.
This Saturday, March 27th, the entire world will come together to fight climate change one darkened light bulb at a time. What started in Sydney in 2007 as one city making a statement against global warming has become a world-wide phenomenon. Last year more than 4,000 cities around the world, including San Francisco, turned out their lights for one hour demonstrating the idea that anyone and everyone can make a difference. Will you join us this Saturday?
To learn more, visit EarthHour.org.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Video Learning to Change, Changing to Learn
They just keep coming. Here is another video about CHANGE in SCHOOLS. Learning to Change, Changing to Learn posted on Education Stormfront by crudbasher:
Monday, March 15, 2010
Inspire Teachers
From the Imagine it Project - Inspire Teachers
"The great hope for the future rests with the quality of our teachers."
Bill Clark, "Our idea of education should sit soundly upon the foundation of asking questions - not answering them."
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=881
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=901
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=879
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=270
"The great hope for the future rests with the quality of our teachers."
Bill Clark, "Our idea of education should sit soundly upon the foundation of asking questions - not answering them."
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=881
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=901
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=879
http://www.imagineitproject.com/?p=270
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Teachers: Let's Look @ Kinder
After kindergarten, labels get hung on learners like an albatross and too many of them give up and become negative self-fulfilling prophecies: “I didn’t think I could do it, either.” How sad!
What can we do? Bring some of the fun back to learning. Break some of the rules….especially the ones you think you can get away with: more collaborative group work, answer fewer questions but ask more, let them teach you, give them the tools to show what they know.
Say, “Look!” more often., “Hey, everyone, look at this!”
When the lights start going back on in their eyes, you’ll know it’s working.
The above writing taken from "Teacher Rebot Camp" by Shelly Terrell.
http://bit.ly/aIOVXS
What can we do? Bring some of the fun back to learning. Break some of the rules….especially the ones you think you can get away with: more collaborative group work, answer fewer questions but ask more, let them teach you, give them the tools to show what they know.
Say, “Look!” more often., “Hey, everyone, look at this!”
When the lights start going back on in their eyes, you’ll know it’s working.
The above writing taken from "Teacher Rebot Camp" by Shelly Terrell.
http://bit.ly/aIOVXS
Friday, March 12, 2010
Spring Break
Educators: A time to focus on family and self - A time to recharge your battery - Prepare yourself so that you can give your students the best your have to offer as you finish out the school year.
Have fun kids. See you in a week.
Have fun kids. See you in a week.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Annoucement for Riley's Lost Tooth
There is big time excitement around the Cantrell house these days. Diane's second children's picture book Riley's Lost Tooth will have a launch and book sign on March 27. If you live in the San Antonio Texas area, we would love to see you at the launch. The book is now available on Amazon.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Why Do We Connect?
This was posted on Teacher Reboot Camp by Shelly Terrell presently in Germany teaching online technology and English.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
YikeBike
Move over Segway ... Here comes the Yike Bike!
http://www.yikebike.com/site/gallery/video/yikebike-discovery-channel
Check out this bike. The coolest bike around. Will it become an urban wonderful?
Gotta Keep Reading
Posted by Larry Ferlazzo's on his Website of the Day. Educators: following Larry is a must. I know you will enjoy this video on reading. Sit back relax and enjoy.
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