TPE Blog

Wiki Tools for Collaboration

Interdisciplinary Learning

The Effects of Budget Tightening on PD

"For me it is a no brainer. Equip teachers to do their own PD through the building of PLNs and leverage the potential of Web 2.0 tools to bring experts in at relatively low cost. Teaching teachers to create their own free PD represents a lifetime savings for the school or district."

For more information, go to:

http://21stcenturylearning.typepad.com/

Still at Risk?

Reccommendations for Obama

• Coordinate the policies and actions of federal agencies in promoting and creating an aligned, 21st century public education and workforce development system, including the reauthorization of ESEA and other federal legislation.
  
• Establish a senior advisor for 21st century skills and workforce development at the White House.
  
• Form an Office of 21st Century Skills within the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education.
  
• Create an Office of 21st Century Skills within the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Labor at the U.S. Department of Labor.
• Support states and communities with investments to build a strong infrastructure and capacity for preparing students, workers and citizens with 21st century skills.
  
• Create a significant Global Competitiveness Research and Development Fund for U.S. education, and target a quarter of the funding to innovation in 21st century skills.
  
• Make the assessment of 21st century skills a priority.
  
• Support states’ ability to meet accountability requirements and foster 21st century skills.
  
• Ensure that schools are equipped with a 21st century technology infrastructure and 21st century technology tools.

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning is a way for teachers to focus on an overarching question that is relevant to the students, on identifying related key concepts and skills, on identifying the products and related criteria for exemplary performance, and on developing lessons that tie vertical skill development to content provide a strong framework for making it happen. the following article specifies how to do this:

http://www.catholicteacher.com/archive/articles_view.php?article_id=1112

Sloan Survey of Online Learning

The 2008 Sloan Survey of Online Learning reveals that enrollment rose by more than twelve percent from a year earlier. The survey of more than 2,500 colleges and universities nationwide finds approximately 3.94 million students were enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2007. The sixth annual survey, a collaborative effort between the Babson Survey Research Group, the College Board and the Sloan Consortium, is the leading barometer of online learning in the United States.

Teacher Tube

On TeacherTube, educators share material, such as instructional math videos, with classrooms around the world. Another site, SchoolTube, mainly hosts videos produced by students in class with the help of their teachers. Teachers who use the sites say they value the opportunity to see what other educators are doing in their classrooms, and students say they enjoy having an outlet to showcase their work.

Live Event Learning

Educators Need to Become Better Communicators

CARET

What Works and Technology

Cutting Edge Technology Meets Traditional Classrooms

Metaphors to Motivate Student Learning

Math Wars

Technology That Makes a Difference in Student Learning

Brain-Compatible Teaching

Microsoft Education Newsletter

Future School: Reshaping Learning from the Ground Up

Author of Future Shock, Alvin Toffler is best known for his work discussing the ramifications of the digital revolution, he also speakd about the education system and the most pressing needs in public education. He discusses how the public school system is designed to produce a workforce for an economy that will not be there and describes how new technologies make possible customization in a way that the old system does not offer. You can read more about Toffler's views at http://www.edutopia.org/future-school.

Engaged Learner

Lodestar Learning Web Journal

Wiki World

Use open editing software to engage students in exciting collaborative learning experiences. Promote reading, writing, and high level thinking across content areas and grade levels. Wikis are a quick and easy way to energize reluctant learners, promote classroom synergy, and encourage authentic learning.

Change is Not for Everyone

Creating sustainable change is not for everyone.
This website and what it represents is not for all educators - in fact it's not for most educators. But we know that a small number of people can make a large difference as long as it's the right people.
Ask Yourself These Questions:
Do you care passionately about bringing about real sustainable educational change, especially at your school(s)?
Do you feel like you are one of the only three or four people that see the big picture?
Do you find yourself wishing you could connect with others who "get it" like you do?
While attending exciting workshops and conferences do you find yourself getting excited about the possibilities only to return home to the same issues and problem; and then find yourself losing momentum and settling into old patterns?
Do you find yourself wondering how to break the log jam and how to get things moving more quickly at your school and in your career?
Do you believe that if you had the right tools and (need adjective here) support you would actually take the necessary steps to effect real change?
Do you believe that you could do this regardless of your position in your school or district?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then explore this site - it is for you! Or contact us for more information.

Online Learning Should Be Engaging

At Top Practices Education, we believe that online learning should be engaging for the learner. And that we should more aggressively use technology to differentiate instruction, to enable independent learning, to teach both basic skills and higher order skills, and to track student learning. The good news is that there are more and easier tools to enable these goals. However, you can also waste a ton of money on so called solutions provided by big companies that need to support their over stuffed sales force and marketing budgets. With the right inexpensive tools and right guidance, school leaders can make real and sustainable changes that impact student learning and achievement in meaningful ways.

21st Century Learners

Certain concepts are hard to grasp only through reading text and looking at one dimensional images. When instructors use technology tools like LodeStar to present concepts with animated slide shows, videos, interactive problem solving simulations, and even interactive games there are multiple educational advantages. 21^st Century Learners live in a world of media and interactivity. Their brains function better when they have this type of interaction. They will be more likely “play” with these concepts in an interactive form over and over again. Students may not re-read the textbook but may be more willing to click and click again if they find the content attractive and interactive. Many learners today are more visual learners or active learners. These types of interactions can mimic hands on learning activities. One of the keys is developing customized multimedia content for your learners. You need the right tools and training to access, create, and catalog content that addresses key concepts.

Everyone is talking about the need for today’s learners to become prepared for the 21^st Century. Even though NCLB seemed to emphasize basic skills over higher level thinking skills – it is not an either/or situation. Today’s learners need to not only learn how to read, write, and do math – they also need to be able solve problems, conduct research, collaborate, and communicate effectively. Educators will use terms like 21^st Century Skills, Technology literacy skills, inquiry skills, and project based learning skills. All refer to the students ability to generate questions, pursue answers, analyze data, draw conclusions, determine solutions, present a coherent thesis, and communicate results. Whatever these skills are called – the evidence is clear that these skills are needed in tomorrow’s workforce. We can use technology to structure learning experiences that scaffold and teach these skills – and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate results and show that they solved real problems. We, as educators, are way behind the kids in utilizing collaborative tools. We can use the same types of tools they use for setting up social gatherings (e.g. Facebook) for collaborating on solving the energy crisis in science class.