Tag: education

Education, K-12, Motivation, Videos

Teacher Movies

Terri Eichholz
photo credit: familymwr via photo pin cc

One of the most popular posts on this blog is the one I did in December about my favorite inspirational videos for teachers.  Recently, I saw a post on Edutopia that listed the author’s favorite scenes from “teacher movies” – but they aren’t all inspirational.  I added my favorites to my Pinterest Board, including the ones from Dangerous Minds, Stand and Deliver, Dead Poets’ Society, and Mr. Holland’s Opus.  The post, by Amy Erin Borovoy, also has some links to other collections of teacher movies, which includes The Top Ten Inspirational Teacher Movies, by Beth Accomando.

Watching some of the clips on the Edutopia post made me realize how far we have come, hopefully, in education.  Others worried me, because I think too many people might think that they set the standard for teaching.  In the fight scene from Blackboard Jungle, for example, the teacher, in my estimation, throws gasoline on the fire with his handling of one student’s misbehavior.  Although I certainly don’t condone the student’s actions, I could list at least 5 things that the teacher did to make things worse.

The clip from Mr. Holland’s Opus is a reminder of what this blog is all about – engaging our students and making things relevant to them so they can discover their own passion for learning.

3-6, Critical Thinking, Education, Games, Websites

Inference Riddle Game

whatimeant2say

Inference Riddle Game is a site created by Phil Tulga that has 15 inference riddles.  The user can decide which riddle to work on by typing in a number, and can slowly add clues until he or she guesses the answer, types it in, and checks it.  This would be fun to play with the class when there is a small wait time for something.  When I play games like this with my students, I always ask them to justify their guesses.  They are also discouraged from “wild guesses” by being told they will be out of the game if they guess incorrectly.  Another way to use this site would be as a springboard for students to create their own riddles – perhaps using Powerpoint or another presentation option – that are related to something that is being studied.

 

3-12, Education, Independent Study, Research, Student Products

Pecha Kucha

whatimeant2say
image credit: http://www.taft.co.nz/gardenfestnz/events/pechakucha.html

According the the above website, “PechaKucha is a presentation format for creative work originally devised in 2003 by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein-Dytham Architecture in Tokyo, Japan. The name derives from a Japanese term for the sound of conversation or chit-chat.”

I first heard about Pecha Kucha from some of my fellow G.T. teachers, and was fascinated by the concept – a presentation of 20 slides with 20 seconds for each slide.  At the time, I was already caught up with end-of-the-school-year projects, and did not have a spare moment to do more research.  This summer, I ran across this great blog post that gives 10 great suggestions for how to create an awesome Pecha Kucha.

I love the idea of giving this option to my students – particularly for their Genius Hour projects.  I also think this is a great way for teachers to introduce a new topic – or even review one.  Or, you can do what the professionals do, have a “Pecha Kucha Night” at which your student present their most inspirational slideshows.  If you can think of any other ideas for Pecha Kucha in the classroom, I would love to see your comments!

Careers, Education, K-5, Research, Universal Design for Learning, Websites

Paws in Jobland

whatimeant2say

One way to engage students in school is to make their learning relevant to them.  And, one way to do this is to let them start thinking about possible careers and how their learning can be useful in those careers.  Paws in Jobland is a great site for younger students to learn about many of the possibilities that await them once they finish school.  A simple animated dog guides them through the different choices (accompanied by text and the choice of sound, great UDL site!)- from a Job Finder to an Alphabetical Search.  The Job Finder asks brief questions about the student’s interests, and then suggests some possible fields for which he or she might be suited.  Within each field is a list of careers, and the student can click on each one to find out more.

I know that a lot of classrooms work on goal-setting, and this would be a fun activity that would expose the kids to many areas that might not have been considered by their young minds yet.  Paws in Jobland may not encompass every single career, but it is a great introduction to the “real world”.

Creative Thinking, Education, K-12

Pirate Ships and M.R.I.’s

whatimeant2say
Pirate Ship M.R.I. machine by designed by Doug Dietz
image credit:  excerpt from TED talk by David Kelley

In an article by David Kelley for CNN, the founder of IDEO is disdainful of the idea that only some people are born with creativity.  “You Are the Creative Type”details Kelley’s philosophy that creativity is in each and every one of us, and we just need the confidence to allow it to bloom.  He gives the example of Doug Dietz, who designed the above M.R.I. machine for kids.  With an accompanying story about trying to stay still so “the pirates won’t find you”, this machine has helped children to combat the fear elicited by the standard machines.

Kelley’s point is that our creativity can be used so many ways.  My point is, that as teachers, we are responsible for allowing ourselves to be creative – and for giving our students the confidence they need to think creatively, too.

3-12, Education, Independent Study, Research, Science, Social Studies, Student Products, Teaching Tools, Websites

Wonder Project

whatimeant2say
image taken from Mr. Mundorf’s Wonder Project Wiki

Last week, I featured the topic of Universal Design for Learning.  You can learn more about it here.  One of the proponents of UDL, and a man who practices what he preaches, is named Jon Mundorf.  When he spoke at the UDL Institute at Harvard a couple of weeks ago, he mentioned something he does with his students called “The Wonder Project”.  His “Wonder Project” reminds me a lot of the Genius Hour idea that has been discussed on my blog several times.  Mr. Mundorf allows his students to research something which they have always wondered about (in the areas of science or social studies) several times a year.  On his site, he gives guidelines for the project, resources, and examples.  This is an excellent way to engage students in the learning process by allowing them to find out more about something that is relevant to them.