The principles of learning have been around for centuries while only in the last 20 to 30 years has the science of learning been studied. According to Paul W. Ownby, Senior Product Manager at Learning.com, during a recent edWebinar, the science of learning focuses on how we learn and how we can maximize the retention and storage of information in our brains. By engaging all three areas of the brain, thinking (pre-frontal), sensing (sensory), and feeling (limbic system), thinking, creativity and identity skills are activated and maximum learning occurs. Leveraging the science of learning, classroom educators can design content activities that are efficient, engaging, model persistence, and reinforce student identity.
For teachers that have always wanted to use augmented reality (AR)—tech that overlays content on top of the real world—but haven’t had the chance to explore it, Jaime Donally has heard you. In her presentation “Creating Classroom Content in Augmented Reality,” she gave attendees some inside help on which apps to use in the classroom. With programs ranging from beginner level to current AR practitioners, she offered 10 apps that can help educators get started with no coding skills needed.
The gifted group. The slow group. The behavioral issues group. Grouping in schools fell out of favor partially because educators—and parents—felt like kids were getting labeled and that groupings didn’t help students improve. While not calling for a return to those rigid structures, in the edWebinar “Flexible Grouping and Collaborative Learning: Making It Work,” Dina Brulles, Ph.D., and Karen L. Brown, M.Ed., both education consultants, advocated for using groups to assist student learning. They discussed how adjusting student combinations, adapting teaching methods, and preparing students for group learning can lead to successful outcomes.
iNACOL defines personalized learning as “tailoring learning for each student’s strength, needs, and interests—including enabling student’s voice and choice in what, how, when and where they learn—to provide flexibility and supports to ensure mastery of the highest standards possible.” Dr. Monica Burns, Curriculum and Educational Technology Consultant, and Founder of ClassTechTips.com, in a recent edWebinar, echoed this iNACOL concept. Before designing learning experiences that are personal to individual students, it is critical for classroom teachers and school leaders to identify student engagement, student interest, student choice, student voice, cross-curricular connections, and differentiated resources.
Homework, assessments, projects. Grades, lesson plans, conferences. Teachers can get caught up in the day-to-day parts of the classroom and forget to take time to consider whether or not they’re teaching effectively. In her edWebinar, “Make Learning Visible in Your Classroom,” Cari Wilson, Innovation and Technology Lead Teacher at West Vancouver School District, BC, explained how she continually evaluates her instruction to improve her impact on students’ learning.
Digital literacy is the ability to understand, use and interact with technology, media and digital resources in real-world situations. Jeff Meyer, Director of Education at Learning.com, during a recent edWebinar, underscored that while this generation of students is growing up using technology, they generally lack the digital literacy skills they need for success by the time they enter high school. The tech and core standards of organizations such as ISTE, CSTA, and Common Core State Initiative stipulate that students need foundational digital literacy skills to demonstrate writing, reading, and mathematical achievement. It is imperative that students are prepared to enter high school ready for the rigors of writing advanced essays, conducting internet research, engaging in data collection, presenting ideas and drawing conclusions.
In a recent edWebinar, Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair, and Donna Burns, Technology Integrator, both from New Canaan High School in Connecticut, showcased the transformation of the NCHS library from a collection of used reference and biography books into a living, breathing makerspace. Using mostly recyclable materials, equipment and furniture, these educators are providing learning opportunities for students and teachers that have changed the school climate and culture. “Making learning more real for students allows them to learn better in a much more energized school,” said Luhtala.
Tactical student data privacy questions like “What can I do right now?” should be asked by all CIO’s, teachers, administrators and policymakers in this changing landscape of data access, student privacy and interoperability. In a recent edWebinar, Dr. Larry Fruth, Executive Director and CEO of the Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community, and Jena Draper, Founder and General Manager at CatchOn, discussed head on the challenges school districts face with data access and student privacy. Dr. Fruth suggests that school districts hit the ground running by adding privacy components and security before it becomes a “what should I do right now?” situation. Draper adds to this suggestion by asserting that school districts need to look at data access from all angles, from the outer layer of the infrastructure to the rogue apps used in classrooms, to create a sound data access and student data privacy plans.
At this stage of the edtech revolution, most educators are focused on using tech to enhance lessons rather than on the tech itself. But many times tech is only integrated at specific points in the classroom or with a specific tool as determined by the teacher. At St. Albans City School (VT), SETDA’s 2018 Student Voices Award Winner, though, educators encourage the students to find places in their everyday work to incorporate digital resources, especially from their makerspace. In the edWebinar “Students Leverage Technology Tools and Makerspaces to Personalize Learning,” Grace Borst, Innovation Specialist at St. Albans City School, and several of her students explained how they’re using technology for assessment, service work, and more.
Step 1: Make a plan. That’s the first piece of advice for every superintendent and school leader who asks about creating 1:1 environments in their schools. During an edWebinar for the Empowered Superintendent series, “Leadership for Mobile Learning: Creating a Shared Vision,” the presenters said school leaders, though, often miss key parts of the planning process and end up with useless “hunks of plastic.” The speakers, led by Ann McMullan, Project Director for the CoSN Empowered Superintendents Program, shared their essential elements for a successful 1:1 plan as well as the steps they wish they could redo.