Author: R

teach

Video study-group — mmmm

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U:\Semiotics Journal\v2n1-2\Publication1\Publication1.vp.

I never thought of this before, but creating a support structure for faculty to review their practice in an informal “safe” and nurturing space is a great thing to think about. Usually schools are interested in output, professionalism and practice; the teacher is observed, accounted for by HR and evaluated against class scores and the like.

This practice would give the teacher to interpret their own performance and a group of peers to offer support and a space to celebrate what is good about their individual practice. Worth thinking about when creating an institutional PD program.

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Salman Khan: Lets use video to reinvent education | Video on TED.com

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Salman Khan: Lets use video to reinvent education | Video on TED.com.

Though this is an old recording (can’t believe 1yr is now considered to be dated), it says a lot about the power of video for education.

For some time now I’ve been teaching digital moviemaking to middle and high school kids. They love it because it is a language they are familiar with. I love it because I teach less and guide and encourage more, and I get great buy-in from usually “slow” learners. I get to interact more with learners who otherwise fall behind in a traditional classroom. I love it.

I am slowly finding more and more resources to bring more depth to my argument for utilizing video in the classroom. As I find more, I will share.

About Life, Play, Work

Are schools interfering with children’s education

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I just watched this video made by a recent university dropout that makes some very good points about the current reality in education; that it is sorely lagging behind the fast-paced changing world our digital natives are born into.

An Open Letter to Educators

Earlier today I also enjoyed a conversation with an outside consultant in which he confided to me that even though he is into selling high-tech stuff to schools, when it comes to finding a school for his 19-month old son he is looking at the values of the school before anything else. He feels too many schools now-a-days promote a big campus, tech-equipped classrooms, multimedia library centers, and ample playing fields before the offer the core values that drive their educational philosophy. I feel fortunate that I am currently at a school where technology, a shiny campus and large playing fields are not at the core of what we do. I strongly believe we have one of the best Elementary School leaders there is. These, after all, are the most important years for soon-to-be leaders of the world. Our Middle and High School students are teenagers who enjoy a rather free environment where there are in charge of their own time, and though there is discipline, they are allowed to make mistakes and given the opportunity to learn from them.