Future Focus Learning in Australian School Libraries

"Audiobooks seem to greatly appeal to many people and alienate others, who consider them, somehow, a ‘cheat’ on the experience of reading.  For children, however, they are proven literacy tool that help kids by:

 

Introducing them to books above their reading level

Improving their vocabulary acquisition, fluency and comprehension

Teaching critical listening

 

I don’t really understand all the negative flap about them, though.

I think people get too hung up on the idea that somehow audiobooks replace reading – they don’t, and should not. They are simply a different experience that allows people/kids with different dominant learning modalities (auditory vs. visual, etc.) to enjoy the art of storytelling in a way most suited to their strengths, and are especially great to use with reluctant readers to lead the back into the reading process itself."

Via Heather Stapleton

Video editing could be very money consuming due to its requirement for large hard-disk storage, high computer performance and expensive video editing software. There’s tonnes of free tools that do the job fairly well. Here we bring you 30 free web services and tools for video editing. You don’t pay a penny while enjoying the fun of video clips editing.

Via Karen Bonanno

Learn about a new "superpower" that isn't being taught in 90% of US schools. Starring Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, will.i.am, Chris Bosh, Jack Dorsey, Tony H...

Via Kim Fox

Schools, the way they're currently constructed, are not needed anymore, says educational researcher Sugatra Mitra, founder of Hole in the Wall project in India

Via Pippa Davies @PippaDavies

I'm usually not one for new year's resolutions. If I decide to do something the calendar doesn't matter & I've blown too many good resolutions to believe an arbitrary day will make a diff. BUT...there are a few things that are easily done & feels great for a SUPER GEEKY SAFE....errm Aware! New Year. (There is no *safe* on the Interwebs, only Aware!)

Via Beth Dichter, Ann Vega, Rebecca Shiels

The world has changed - and continues to change - rapidly and radically when it comes to the ways in which we learn, and what knowledge, skills, dispositions, and forms of literacy our children wil...

Via Deborah Arnold, Jack Patterson

"Critical thinking is the engine of learning.

Within this complex process or so many other relevant themes that contribute to learning: creativity, analysis, evaluation, innovation, application, and scores of other verbs from various learning taxonomies.

So the following infographic from Mentoring Minds is immediately relevant to all educators, and students as well. It’s a bit of a mash of Habits of Mind, various 21st century learning frameworks, and the aforementioned learning taxonomies, promoting collaboration, problem-solving, and real-world connections (standard “critical thinking fare” with Habits of Mind-sounding phrases such as “Open-Mindedness.”"

Via John Evans, Tom Perran

The George Eastman House is the first museum of photography to join the Google Art Project, a digital collection for works of art.

Via Anne McLean

25 Of The Best Pinterest Boards In Education

Via R.Conrath, Ed.D.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a method used to cultivate learning and teach students 21st century skills. The idea is “built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation,” and “generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in everyday world outside the classroom”

Via Karen Bonanno, Anne McLean