Eclectic Technology
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Eclectic Technology
Tech tools that assist all students to be independent learners & teachers to become better teachers
Curated by Beth Dichter
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We Were Wrong – A Lesson on Early Grade 21st Century Learning

We Were Wrong – A Lesson on Early Grade 21st Century Learning | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Driving Question: How early does equal access to 21st century learning start?

Prior to this project, we thought of academics and 21st century skills as separate things. Following a linear approach, first students needed to master important literacy skills, and then we could enhance the learning with integrated projects like "Stray, Stray, Go Away." We even worried that maybe 21st century skills would distract from the foundational skill like learning to read. It was thought that one was more important that the other, and guess what? We were wrong."

Beth Dichter's insight:

What happens when you take a kindergarten class and create a project-based learning opportunity on a local issue? In this case amazing success.

What is critical is to provide appropriate scaffolding so that all students (included English Language Learners) are comfortable and able to help with the presentation.

If you have concerns about implementing PBL in your classroom this article may help you realize that it can be done, even in kindergarten. Click through to the post to read this uplifting article.

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Scaffold Like an Ant- A simple scaffolding example

Scaffold Like an Ant- A simple scaffolding example | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
I am teaching a class where I allow the students a set amount of time to draw out what they know about a subject. Today, the students did their pre-class work, then came to class, and we began to d...
Beth Dichter's insight:

Check out this infographic which focuses on scaffolding for deeper understanding. Mia MacMeekin has provided a nine step process.

1. Ask a question.

2. Present a mystery for students to solve.

3. Ask students to draw what they know.

4. Give students ample time to research the mystery.

5. Ask students to draw the mystery and the solution again.

6. Ask students to share their drawings with other students.

7. Ask students to pull their ideas together in one drawing.

8. Teacher patiently asks what if questions.

9. If students needs more information, send them back to step #4, and start over again until the outcome or objective is reached.

MacMeekin notes that her students were engaged in the drawing/scaffolding phase of this and reached a deeper understanding than other classes had. It is also important to note that the ant is actually an analogy. To learn more click through to the post.

Spice Wang's curator insight, November 15, 2013 6:52 PM

How much time teachers would need this kind of problem-solving based scaffolding activity? When to use Thisbe kind of approach? 

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Scaffolding for Deep Understanding

Scaffolding for Deep Understanding | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
How do we help novice learners become more expert? Peter Skillen uses collaborative journal writing environments to move kids beyond social talk into deeper thinking.

Skillen begins this post by comparing novice learners and expert learners. He states (all quoted below):

* Novices typically don't plan, monitor, and reflect on their learning.

* Expert learners use 'multiple representations."

* Novices typically don't generate a number of potential solution strategies.

* Novices engage in 'knowledge telling' rather than 'knowledge transformation.'

* Expert learners make multiple passes at knowledge.

* Experts view 'mistakes' as opportunities.

There are two additional statements and each includes additonal information.

He then looks at scaffolded journal writing and provides a variety of sentence starters to help students move "along the continuum from novice to expert." You will find Planning Starters, Reflection Starters, Comment or Discussion Starters, and Elaboration Triggers.

The final portion of this post discusses challenges, and the need "to engage your students in developing their own sentence starters."

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Online Interactive Higher Order Thinking Strategies and Tools

Online Interactive Higher Order Thinking Strategies and Tools | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

This post shares a robust list of "Online Interactive Thinking Strategies and Tools...designed to provide a scaffold which enables students to think with more depth and structure."

Each tool (and over 35 are provided) has a brief description which explains how the student would use the tool, often referring to Habits of Mind or Multiple Intelligences. Links to all are provided.

Mohini Lata's curator insight, May 20, 2013 11:27 PM

The Online Interactive Thinking Strategies and Tools are designed to enable students to think with depth and structure. This article Thinking Tools builds inclusive learning by building students coping and problem solving capacities. This article links with my topic of Using Mathematical Higher Order Thinking in the digital Technologies to present their thoughts and findings using Multiple Intelligences. This program could be used to support the Digital Technologies processes and production skills strand of the proposed Technologies learning area of the Australian Curriculums sub-strand of Interactions and impacts.  The learning curve provides inclusive learning by building cohesive learning partnerships

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5 Tips For Making Your Class As Addictive As A Game - Edudemic

5 Tips For Making Your Class As Addictive As A Game - Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
Game designers have mastered certain tricks that make games so addictive that people can’t stop playing them. Here are the top five secrets that game designers know, and some tips on how you can use these same game dynamics to make learning in your classroom as addictive as gaming.
Beth Dichter's insight:

As teachers what can we do to make our classes more exciting for students? We know that many will sit in front of a computer or game console and play for hours, and when they do not succeed the first time, or the tenth time or the fiftieth time they keep trying. How do we get them to perservere in the classroom when they are not successful? This post explores this, providing five "secrets of game design" that might make a difference in your classroom. The five secrets are listed below but click through to the post to learn more about them.

* The Appointment Dynamic: Be Here At This Time, Get a Prize

* The Failure Dynamic: Fail Early, Fail Often

* The Flexibility Dynamic: Provide Multiple Paths to Success

* The Progression Dynamic: Scaffold and Recognize Progress

* The Construction Dynamic: Build Something That Matters

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10 ways to Ensure Significant Content is part of Project Based Learning

10 ways to Ensure Significant Content is part of Project Based Learning | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Welcome to a continuing series of posts based on the eight essential elements (BIE) that make up Project Based learning. In this post I would like to focus on "significant content. I have ten ideas..."

Beth Dichter's insight:

Gorman begins this post by providing a definition of Project Based Learning that looks at the final project as the "desert." He states "In true Project Based Learning the project uncovers and facilitates the learning of significant content. In PBL there is a balancing of learning that occurs through out the project duration."

He discussed PBL in relation to the four C's (Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity) noting that often PBL becomes too focused on the four C's. There is also the need to make sure that there is sufficient scaffolding for the learners. To assist in learning how to plan there is list of ten ideas that may be considered in the planning process and the first three are listed below (quoted from the post):

* The entry event should show a relationship to the Driving Question promoting a “need to know” of significant content.

* The Driving Question should allow students to uncover the curriculum in a student friendly and understandable manner.

* The PBL planning sheet for students should line up with significant content in the curricular area being studied and assessed.

Gorman has also provided a link to a  PBL Planning Reflection Sheet. 

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Facilitating Collaborative Learning: 20 Things You Need to Know From the Pros

Facilitating Collaborative Learning: 20 Things You Need to Know From the Pros | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

Why have your students work collaboratively? "Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher levels of thinking and preserve information for longer times that students working individually."

This post provides 20 suggestions to help collaborative groups work more effectively. A few are:

* Establish group goals.

* Keep groups mid-sized.

* Build trust and promote open communication.

* Consider the learning process asa part of the assessment.

The post includes links to a variety of resources and each point has an explantion with additional information.

Channylt's curator insight, April 7, 2014 10:56 AM

Great tips on how to facilitate collaborative learning. Learners that work collaborativley are engaged in their learning and have better learning outcomes. 

Marina Cousins's curator insight, April 10, 2014 8:06 PM

I liked this article, as it highlighted to me the importance of collaborative learning is much better than individual learning.  As I have mentioned several times, the learning and assessment that takes place within my workplace has a strong behaviourist foundation of learning and repeating key words and actions to pass an assessment (it is a very individual approach to learning).

 

Many of my colleagues view this experience of learning & assessment in a negative way.  What are some of the ways to overcome this negative view of learning?

 

After reading this article, I will seriously consider using a collaborative learning style within my workplace (if I get the opportunity).  The advantage of using real world problems or clinical incidents is that it offers the learner the opportunitity to improve their critical thinking skills and problem-solving ability.  

 

Therefore, by using collaborative learning you can apply the following learning theories of cognitivism, constructivism, objectivism.

Hazel Kuveya's curator insight, April 10, 2014 9:22 PM

Keeping the groups at moderate levels will ensure an effective exchange of ideas and participation in all involved, I can echo the same statement that two heads are better than one. It is also interesting to learn that collaborative teams attain higher level thinking and preserve information for longer periods as compared to  their individual counterparts., yes the use of technology makes collaborative learning manageable.

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How To Integrate Education Technology With Scaffolding

How To Integrate Education Technology With Scaffolding | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

As teachers we think about scaffolding for our students, but at times we neglect to consider scaffolding when asking students to use new technology in the classroom. This post shares experiences from two teachers and their use of technology. It includes a great table that begins with the "Helpful Hint: Never assume that your students know how to do anything when it comes to technology." 

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