Posts on “ global learning ”

Kate Ryder, a 5th year elementary school teacher, is one of five winners in the Mobile Learning Experience Contest. Join us in congratulating Kate as she shares her vision for mobile learning, “My own love of learning, A-Ha moments, and FUN are promoted by my favorite mobile devices. I, myself, have experienced a positive impact professionally and personally when incorporating mobile learning into my daily life and as a result strive to provide my students with the same opportunity.” Mobile Learning Facilitates A-HAs and FUN There are two things any teacher, from pre-service to old-school veteran, will tell you are required for high student achievement (academically and socially). No, it is not based on years of research…just good old fashioned common sense! Students learn and retain more information when: 1.  The students’ light bulbs illuminate and they have “A-Ha” experiences. and 2. Students are engaged, on task, and learning when they are…dare I say it…having FUN! Even though this is not justification for the “powers that be,” it is understood by educators that are in the trenches everyday. (However, when decision makers are asked about their favorite teacher…inevitably, that teacher cared to make learning memorable and FUN!) Mobile learning facilitates these two elements in… Read the Rest»

Karen Bosch teaches K – 8 technology and K – 5 art at Southfield Christian School in Southfield, Michigan.  She is one of five winners in the Mobile Learning Experience Contest and a 2007 Apple Distinguished Educator. Join us in giving Karen kudos, as she shares her vision of  how mobile devices positively impact student learning! Fostering Creative APP-titutes in Children using Mobile Devices Last week 6 new iPod touch devices “joined” our school community and I couldn’t be more delighted! Our students will use them to explore topics using search, map, reference, and video apps (such as BrainPop) and will enjoy practicing math and grammar skills using learning games.  But my primary vision of how students will use the iPods is to take the information and skills they are learning and use the devices to design products that creatively share their knowledge with others. The National Educational Technology Standards state that 21st century learners need to be able to use technology to demonstrate creative and innovative thinking that applies existing knowledge to generate creative ideas or products. I believe the drawing tools, video and still cameras, and voice recorders that are included in mobile devices like the iPod touch and iPad will shift the… Read the Rest»

Tisha Poncio was one of five winners in the Mobile Learning Experience Contest.  Join us in congratulating Tisha, as she shares her vision of  how mobile devices positively impact student learning, “After teaching high school for 8 years, then becoming an instructional technologist, I found that no matter what the subject, if kids of any age were given the opportunity to hold something in their hand, interact with the device, the teacher, and their peers, their world opened up, their eyes lit up with excitement, and for many it was their first time to see learning as FUN instead of a struggle or a chore!” i have a dream that one day our schools will rise up and live out the true meaning of its mission: “. . . seeks to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” (US Department of Education 2010) i have a dream that one day, every day, every student will have the ability to own or use a mobile device and work together to create music, books, movies, websites, and presentations that will change how the world thinks, evolves and engages as a people. i have a dream… Read the Rest»

Terri Eichholz  was one of five winners in the Mobile Learning Experience Contest. She has been teaching for twenty years and currently works at Fox Run Elementary in San Antonio, TX as a Gifted and Talented teacher.  The enthusiasm of her students and the support of her administration inspires her to eagerly embrace mobile technologies.  Join us in congratulating Terri, as she shares her vision of  how mobile devices positively impact student learning! The most exciting new form of communication that appeared when I was young was the Erasermate pen.  I still remember the whispers at our strict Catholic school about the students who were using them, and the confusion the nuns seemed to have about the legality of their usage in class.  To be able to erase your pen marks, which were as permanent as the engravings in stone tablets, seemed like an open door to temptation to some, and absolutely freeing to others. Mobile computing has the same effect, though to a much larger degree, on the teachers of today.  The structures of our schools are literally and figuratively being ripped out to accommodate this new technology, and some teachers are mourning the loss of the control they could wield over their… Read the Rest»

George Haines is the Director of Technology at Sts. Philip and James School. He gives presentations and workshops about technology integration to educators in the tri-state area. You can check out his related lesson plan on Global Wikis here. This year my 2nd graders built a wiki with students in the Bronx and Australia. The wiki is a central location to post pictures about the different environments where we live: urban, suburban and rural. My students used BrainPOP Jr. movies to learn the vocabulary, took quizzes and drew pictures on BrainPOP Jr. to assess their understanding, used digital cameras and created their own pages on the wiki. It was an exciting lesson, the students were engaged, learned a lot, and had fun. When I describe this project to people the first question they usually ask is something like, “How do you even start something like that?” The answer is social media. Connecting with people is a fundamentally important skill for educators heading into the second decade of the 21st century. Connecting not only helps you learn what is happening in other classrooms, but it helps you build relationships with other educators that bear real pedagogical fruit. This past summer, I… Read the Rest»

What do BrainPOP and netTrekker have in common? 1). They both celebrated their 10th birthdays this summer. 2). They’re powerful 21st century teaching tools. 3). They have partnered together so you can find BrainPOP content seamlessly through netTrekker searches! To celebrate 21st century learning and our partnership with netTrekker, I was the keynote speaker at the recent netTrekker Fest event. My keynote, 21st Century Learning – What’s in Your Back-to-School Bag of Tricks?, was all about re-thinking education. We explored how to become 21st century learners, how to teach 21sts century kids, and even discussed examples of 21st century teaching ideas. I encouraged participants to become 21st century learners by challenging them to connect online with other educators and resources at BrainPOP Educators, netTrekker Village, and Twitter. I praised Calcasieu Parish for providing the opportunity to witness 21st century learning at this spring’s NSBA Site Visit, and encouraged participants to create their own mini-site visits with leaders in their districts. I shared global learning experiences and video footage from my experiences in classrooms in China. I also showcased the BrainPOP Internet Safety Flipchart and the Global Connections: Natural Disasters wiki and lesson that I’d shared at NECC. I energized the… Read the Rest»