9/11 in the Classroom…

September 8, 2011 in TeacherThink

How are your students reflecting on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11?  Mine will be watching and reflecting in the following order:

[1] Watch how normal this day started on the Today Show:

[2] Watch a montage of actual footage of the attacks:

[3] Listen to Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You?”

[4] Tweet: #WhereWereYou?

[5] Watch several animated 9/11 stories [all true] from StoryCorps:

What have you found?  Share your ideas here.

@MattDamon at “Save our Schools” [#SOS #Video]

August 7, 2011 in TeacherThink

I posted a video early last week of Matt Damon defending teachers while attending the “Save our Schools March” in Washington. It was very popular, probably because Matt is popular and he had some great things to say. I figured I better give it a little more context and share some more videos of his speech at the march. While I don’t agree with everything said at the march, public education does need a “shakedown” and one from actual educators. Check it out below:

The Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action is a grassroots movement dedicated to restoring educator, parent, student, and community influence over education policy and practice. We are a varied group of people with different perspectives, experiences, and views on education. But we agree that those who know the most about education, our schools, and our communities—the educators, students, families and communities in and around them—should be the ones to have the most influence over education policy and practice. Our goal is to put public school stakeholders back at the center of all education policy conversations, and to refocus national, state, and local efforts on providing the resources and support schools need in order to provide a high-quality education for each and every student.


Did You Know? [#Video #VersionIowa #Updated]

August 4, 2011 in TeacherThink, TechThink

Once again XPLANE | Dachis Group has teamed up with Dr. Scott McLeod of Iowa State University to create a thought-provoking video. The brand-new “Iowa, Did You Know?” kicked off the School Administrators of Iowa Conference on Wednesday, August 3, 2011. This DYK video contrasts the world’s exponential growth in technology and learning with Iowa’s struggles to best prepare K-12 students for this new future.

Intended as a forceful wake-up call for Iowa educators, the video stresses the importance of an educational approach that moves away from “low-level mental work” and towards stronger development in critical thinking and problem solving.

XPLANE previously worked with Dr. McLeod and Karl Fisch on the educational “Did You Know? 2.0″ video in 2007. We collaborated again in 2009, this time including The Economist, on “Did You Know? 4.0″ which focused on media convergence and technology. These videos have more than 7 million views on YouTube.

How does your state compare?

Check out all of the “Did You Know?” series below:

Matt Damon Defends Teachers [#Video]

August 2, 2011 in TeacherThink

Thanks Boing Boing for the lead!

Got a minute? [#Strategy #Video]

July 31, 2011 in MathThink, TeacherThink

 

Every spring and fall, SAS [School of Arts and Sciences @ the University of Pennsylvania] faculty take a minute out on Locust Walk to share their perspectives on topics ranging from human history and the knowable universe, to fractions and fly-fishing.

A couple of my favorite “60 Second Lectures” are: “Why is Mathematics Useful?“ and “A Constitutional Moment: Freedom of Religion in One Minute.”

Classroom Connection:  I love this idea for the classroom.  Students choose or are assigned topics and must give a 60 Second Lecture.  Obviously a rubric would have to be developed in order to evaluate it, but talk about a great way to teach efficiency in getting a point across.  I have also used  ”Elevator Pitches” in the classroom before.  This means: you only get my attention until I get to my destination, so it better be good.

 

Concentrating on Population [#Infographic]

July 27, 2011 in GoPoThink, TeacherThink, TechThink

One of my favorite blogs on my Google Reader Blogroll is FlowingData.  Nathan [who is FlowingData] found this great infographic [below] depicting global population [appx. 6.9 Billion people] if they were living in the same city.

Classroom Connection: I use National Geographic’s Series on population called “Population 7 Billion” in my class, which explains that we are not running out of space; rather, we are running out of resources.  This is where I can charge students to get creative. [See the video below]

While looking at population, another great, short video I use in class is the “Miniature Earth Project,” which breaks down the earth’s population into a proportion of 100 people. [Check out that video below]

NOTE: For those of you who want to keep a copy of the video at school but can’t see it over your firewall, check out my post “How to Download YouTube Videos.

What’s Google+ and Do I need it? [VIDEO]

July 25, 2011 in TeacherThink, TechThink


This does a great job explaining benefits of G+ and some problems with other social networks. Enjoy!

Beautiful Mathematic Music [#PiSoundsGreat]

July 8, 2011 in MathThink

Michael John Blake has been the subject of some YouTube copyright controversy, after he translated Pi into music. Other musicians claim copyright to his music. YouTube took his video down to investigate the issue. In the meantime, I thought I would share his “What Tau Sounds Like” [seen below]. NPR also did a pretty cool piece on him last Pi Day [here].

Classroom Connection: I sing “Pop Goes the Weasel” with my Algebra students to remember the Quadratic Formula, but this is really cool. I will play his Pi rendition next March 14!

Visions of Students Today by @mwesch [Videos FROM students]

July 7, 2011 in TeacherThink


Visions of Students

Dr. Michael Wesch of Kansas State University, dubbed “the explainer” by Wired Magazine, has been”rethinking education” while studying cultures and the effect of new media on them. His videos should be required viewing for all future and current educators.

Democracy in America [FREE Video Series]

July 7, 2011 in GoPoThink

Democracy In America

Democracy in America, a video course in civics, covers topics of civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions recommended by The Civics Framework for the National Assessment of Educational Progress developed by the U.S. Department of Education. The 15 half-hour video programs, hosted by national television correspondent Renée Poussaint, and related print and Web site materials provide inservice and preservice teachers with both cognitive and experiential learning in civics education.

Titles Include:

1. Citizenship: Making Government Work

2. The Constitution: Fixed or Flexible?

3. Federalism: U.S. v. the States

4. Civil Liberties: Safeguarding the Individual

5. Civil Rights: Demanding Equality

6. Legislatures: Laying Down the Law

7. The Modern Presidency: Tools of Power

8. Bureaucracy: A Controversial Necessity

9. The Courts: Our Rule of Law

10. Understanding Media: The Inside Story

11. Public Opinion: Voice of the People

12. Political Parties: Mobilizing Agents

13. Elections: The Maintenance of Democracy

14. Interest Groups: Organizing To Influence

15. Global Politics: USA and the World

Click here to check them out.

Support materials are found here.

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