Engagement Based Teaching and Learning

A study in 1985 “On the Brain of a Scientist: Albert Einstein” found that Einstein’s brain was actually not significantly different from others. As an Organization Development blogger put it:

                     ===> what made Einstein different was his mind. <===

His thinking and passion for learning were the basis of his genius. His brain was the same, but his intellect was markedly different. He was often humble about his intellect, and instead said that learning relied on working hard and imagining the impossible. So what made his learning so different? What can we learn from Einstein?

Read more, very interesting, a MUST:

http://newsroom.opencolleges.edu.au/features/how-to-ignite-passion-in-your-students-8-ways-educators-can-foster-passion-based-learning/

Critical thinking skills are what we want our students to develop. Without these skills we can not guarantee a sound and effective education that will enable our kids to seamlessly blend in tomorrow 's job market. Therefore, it is our responsibility as teachers and educators to fully understand the components of this set of skills in order to better focus on them in our instruction.

Read more:

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/07/a-quick-guide-to-21st-century-critical.html#

The author pushes the reader to consider how we teach students about the digital world:  moving from "be nice" to 'be ethical".  Five solid concepts are put forth for thought. 

Well done! 

Lots of creative potential here!  

Do you have what it takes to be a leader in the businesses of the future? Plenty of companies are worried that the pool might not be big enough to pick from in the future, so check out this infographic by NowSourcing to see if you’ve got the right stuff to succeed.

First off, I like that Andrew calls technology a skill as that is a mindset that needs to change. Most teachers don’t see teaching technology as a skill but rather a “program”. If we view technology as a skill, then we can look at the skill students are learning through the use of technology. Let’s take a look at Blooom’s Taxonomy of Higher Order Thinking Skills.

Read more, a MUST:

http://www.thethinkingstick.com/really-its-my-job-to-teach-technology

Teaching technology is much like teaching creativity and deep thinking- the content is only a vehicle.  Tech should be woven into everything we do because the kids weave it into everything THEY do.  

A prominent researcher writes “information overload is a problem of the times.” What’s causing that overload? “At present in the world there are about 55,000 scientific journals publishing about 1,200,000 articles a year.

A few brief, high-impact guidelines for using technology in the classroom.

The Network Information Security in Education, 2012 report by the European Network and Information Security Agency outlines the role educators can play in teaching positive and responsible online behaviour to students.

The report stresses the importance of not making assumptions about children’s knowledge on e-Safety issues due to the many misconceptions which exist about appropriate use of the Internet. Issues which educators are likely to be aware of, such as keeping passwords secure and not downloading copyright material, may be viewed quite differently by students. Many teenagers share passwords with each other as a sign of true friendship and many see internet content as public property and download music, videos and images without a thought of the legal issues of copyright.

The report sets out ways educators can help children use technology wisely and safely: