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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21 Ways to Check for Student Understanding

21 Ways to Check for Student Understanding | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"The ultimate goal of teaching is to do just that – teach, not stand up in the front of the room and talk.

But sometimes it’s easier to talk than to teach, as we all know, especially when we need to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. We hope students will understand...

The problem is, we rely on these tests to measure understanding, and then we move on. Few of us take the time to address weaknesses and misunderstandings after the tests have been graded."

Beth Dichter's insight:

How do you go about checking for understanding? Exit slips may be too late to correct misunderstandings. This post provides 21 suggestions on ways to check for students' understanding. A few of them are listed below. Click through to the post for more information on them as well as additional suggestions.

* Avoid yes/no questions

* Ask students to summarize

* Misconception check

* Peer instruction

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Getting Your Students to Love Reading (Infographic)

Getting Your Students to Love Reading (Infographic) | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
Reading is a huge part of a child's development. In the early stages, it should be a shared experience between parent and child which can impact a love of books
Beth Dichter's insight:

Although this infographic was written with the parent in mind the ideas are applicable for teachers. Chances are you have at least a few students in your classroom whom may not be as engaged as you would like. Learn some of the tricks that you might try to help them become more engaged and consider sharing this with parents.

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Training Teachers to Teach Critical Thinking

Training Teachers to Teach Critical Thinking | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Thinking critically is one thing, but being able to teach it can be quite another."

Beth Dichter's insight:

How do we teach students to be critical thinkers? How do we train teachers to teach critical thinking? Edutopia has recently published a number of articles focused on 'Critical Thinking: A Path to College and Career.'

This link takes you directly to a page where a "Katie Kirkpatrick, dean of instruction at KIPP King Collegiate High School" shares her experience with a training she designed for teachers. From this page you may link to many other areas. Two that you may find helpful are:

* Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking

* Resources and Downloads for Teaching Critical Thinking

The Resources and Download area includes lesson plans and rubrics as well as Tools for Critical Thinking.

Jorge Leal's curator insight, November 11, 2013 1:25 PM

you have to read this ...!

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Why Mobile Learning Is Inevitable - Edudemic

Why Mobile Learning Is Inevitable - Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
Mobile learning is here to stay. In fact, it's going to be one of the only options for learning pretty soon. This new presentation tells you why.
Beth Dichter's insight:

If you were to change the title of this post to 'Is Mobile Learning Inevitable" the slideshow embedded in the post would most likely lead you to say yes. Check out the slideshow to see how the growth of mobile has shifted the playing field and projections for PCs vs Mobile in 2017. Learn about some of the fundamental changes taking place in the marketplace. Think about how this may impact future decisions in your school regarding mobile learning. 

Greenwich Connect's comment, June 7, 2013 3:34 AM
here is one side of the mobile learning debate. It is on our agenda over the next 12 months to ensure the university sees and participates in both sides of the debate and makes some informed choices
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20 Quick Actions To Set Your Classroom Up For Massive Success

20 Quick Actions To Set Your Classroom Up For Massive Success | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"When the school year begins, teachers spend a lot of time getting the classroom ready, planning lessons, and getting to know his/her students. The following list includes 20 ideas that you may not have thought of in terms of a successful classroom arrangement or organization.

Each item takes no longer than an hour and can make a big difference throughout the year."

Beth Dichter's insight:

This post comes out of Australia, and the school year begins in February...so for some of us this may be a bit late (or very early) but the 20 quick actions they suggest may still be of use this year. Several of the ideas are listed below. Each is explained in more detail in the post and in some cases links are provided for additional resources.

Action #1 Set up your classroom in an “active learning” format (15-30 minutes).

Action #5 Develop a plan for quieting the class (10 minutes a day for a few days)
Action #9 Create a list of “question words” that help you with effective questioning (10 minutes) (This one has a link to a resource on how to practice effective questioning.)

Action #20 Use a learning styles assessment (1 hour)
Check out the post for the 16 additional suggestions.

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The Top 13 Grants Every Teacher Wants — and How to Get Them

The Top 13 Grants Every Teacher Wants — and How to Get Them | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Here are some tips that can help you potentially secure grants that will make your fellow teachers green with envy. There are hundreds of programs out there that offer teachers the chance to win funds for their classrooms, tech development, or for pioneering educational programs. Despite the wealth of options for this kind of funding, many teachers don’t know where to look for the best grants and how to successfully apply. Here are some tips that can help you potentially secure grants that will make your fellow teachers green with envy."

Beth Dichter's insight:

Technology costs money and writing a grant take time and they are competitive, but many grants are awarded by a wide range of organizations. This post from Online Universities provides information about 13 programs that may be available to you (some are limited to specific states) as well as helpful information. Good luck!

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5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make With iPads (And How To Correct Them)

5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make With iPads (And How To Correct Them) | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
While we’ve witnessed many effective approaches to incorporating iPads successfully in the classroom, we’re struck by the common mistakes many schools are making with iPads, mistakes that are in some cases crippling the success of these initiatives.

The five critical mistakes (and more information is in the post):

* Focusing on content apps.

* Lack of teacher preparation in classroom  management of iPads.

* Treating the iPad as a computer and expecting it to serve as a laptop.

* Treating iPads like multi-user devices.

* Failure to communicate a compelling answer to "Why iPads?"

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The 25 Secrets To Design Every Teacher Should Know | Edudemic

The 25 Secrets To Design Every Teacher Should Know | Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

Good design - what is it and how does it impact our classroom? This post explores the principles of design, providing many ideas on how we might incorporate them into our classroom, stating "Well designed classrooms and educationa plans can have a positive impact on educational outcomes."

Twenty-five design principles are listed with an explantion and how you might incorporate it in your room. 

 

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What Happens When You Deploy Android Tablets In A Classroom | Edudemic

What Happens When You Deploy Android Tablets In A Classroom | Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

We hear of many reports on the deployment of iPads in classrooms and schools, but what about the deployment of Android tablets? This post is a review of what happened in a 5th grade classroom where all students were provided with an Android tablet. It highlights a "must-read report that details every aspect of how it went."

The full report provides a "high-level step-by-step guid to deploying Android tablets" (most likely applicable to any tablet deployment).

Key takeways are provided such as (quoting from the post):

* The  school district came up with new policies, processes, and instituted IT support for the project.

* The parents were involved in the project as well. (Additional info in post)

* The overall price came out to be $200 per student per year.

* There were multiple technical problems thoughout every week that required that tablets be rest to factory settings.

Much more may be found in the post, or you might want to check out the actual report, "Learning is Personal, Stories of Android Tablet Use in the 5th Grade" at http://www.learninguntethered.com.

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10 Surprising Ways to Spot a Great Video Game | Common Sense Media

10 Surprising Ways to Spot a Great Video Game | Common Sense Media | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"What your kids look for in a snack might be different than what you look for as a parent. While they focus on taste, you focus on nutrition. Same goes for games. Glitzy, big-name games can be enticing, just like junk food. Some are flashy and addictive but do little to feed kids' curiosity or help them develop.

But truly great video games can help your kids grow in ways you never thought possible -- just like delicious, healthful food. So how can you avoid the sugar-cereal equivalents in the game world? Read these 10 tips to find out."

The first tip, draw your kids in, is followed by a brief explanation and two video games that would tend to draw your kids in. In this case the games are for ages 10+ and 12+, but other tips have suggestions for younger and/or older kids.

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Metacognition: Learning about Learning

Metacognition: Learning about Learning | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

Paul Andersen is a science teacher and a technology specialist in Montana, and has this great video on Metacognition. In this video he provides ten tips on increasing comprehension.

 

He also has an amazing number of other resources available on his website http://www.bozemanscience.com/ including science videos, other educational videos, and a journal. He recently presented a TEDx talk about how to use game design to improve student learning. Great resources and food for thought.

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52 Great Google Docs Secrets for Students - Online Colleges

52 Great Google Docs Secrets for Students - Online Colleges | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
These Google Docs tips inspire awesome ideas and tricks for collaboration, sharing, and staying productive.

"Google Docs is such an incredible tool...but there are so many options, both hidden and obvious, that there’s a good chance you’re not using Google Docs to its fullest capability. We’ve discovered 52 great tips for getting the most out of Google Docs ..."

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Free Resources from the Marzano Research Laboratory

Free Resources from the Marzano Research Laboratory | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

About Dr. Marzano - Marzano Research Lab - Teaching Teachers how to Teach. We synthesize educational research into products and services that teachers and principals can put to use for immediate gains in student learning...a wide variety of free resources are available.

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25 Tricks to Stop Teacher Burnout - InformED

25 Tricks to Stop Teacher Burnout - InformED | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"There’s a reason why teachers receive a sad, knowing nod from others at a dinner party or when meeting new people. The profession kicks us around and often kicks hardest when we’re down."

Beth Dichter's insight:

What can we do to protect ourselves from burn-out? Check out 25 suggestions in this post. Five are below. Click through to the post to learn more about each of them as well as an additional 20 ideas...and consider sharing them with your school faculty.

* Mindfulness meditation

* Laugh - all the time and wildly

* Sink into teaching something new

* Take your own advice

* Create small sanctuaries

Rosemary Tyrrell, Ed.D.'s curator insight, March 18, 2014 12:52 PM

Some useful, if familiar, tips for avoiding burnout. 

Kathy Lynch's curator insight, March 18, 2014 7:37 PM

Thx Beth!

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How not to get tricked: Your favorite online safety tips

How not to get tricked: Your favorite online safety tips | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
Beth Dichter's insight:

What are some of the best ways to stay safe online? Google has been posting one suggestion per day and here they are an an infographic...thirty-one tips to help you stay safe. But that's not all. The post also includes a number of additioal resources. Click through and learn some new ways to protect yourself online.

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The Secrets Of Top Students - Edudemic

The Secrets Of Top Students - Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Top students aren’t made, they’re born. After effortlessly absorbing whatever the teacher throws at them, they spout it back on tests and watch the A’s come rolling in. They have exceptionally high IQs, making it next to impossible for the rest of the class to compete with them. They’re the ones who leave exams early and breeze through the most complex material in the syllabus. They are eggheads, nerds, geeks, and their success is the result of innate talent and ability."

 

Beth Dichter's insight:

Do you believe the attributes above are what is necessary for top students or do you think these are misconceptions? Stephanie Weisman, author of "The Secrets of Top Students", interviewed 45 other "outstanding students – including Rhodes scholars, Goldwater scholars, Fulbright recipients, a National Spelling Bee Champion, and students in top law and medical schools – on how they achieved academic success." (She was also a top student and she discusses the challenges she had in school in this post.)

The answers the students gave might surprise you. What is most important?

* Hard work

* Sacrifice
* Support at home

For more information on this please click through to the post.

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8 Steps To Great Digital Storytelling - Edudemic

8 Steps To Great Digital Storytelling - Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Stories bring us together, encourage us to understand and empathize, and help us to communicate. Long before paper and books were common and affordable, information passed from generation to generation through this oral tradition of storytelling. Consider Digital Storytelling as the 21st Century version of the age-old art of storytelling with a twist: digital tools now make it possible for anyone to create a story and share it with the world."

Beth Dichter's insight:

This post not only provides eight steps to help you create digital stories, it provides resources for every step along the way. 

After a brief look at why digital stories the post provides six ideas of what makes a great digital story. They "are personal, begin with a story/script, are concise, use readily available source materials, include universal story elements and involve collaboration at multiple levels."

It continues by providing a detailed look at each step which include ideas of ways to work with students in each step plus there links to many resources throughout the post.

Digital storytelling is a great tool to use with the Common Core standards, and this post will provide you with great ideas and resources!

silvermanmc's curator insight, May 30, 2013 7:12 PM

Storys are a key part of any instructional design, and in other areas of professional development as well.

Charmaine Thaner's curator insight, June 10, 2013 7:20 PM

My son who happens to have Down syndrome LOVES being a public speaker at education conferences.  I think the digital storytelling would be a great addition to his talks about inclusive education!

Susan Wegmann's curator insight, June 25, 2013 9:03 AM

Classic help for the process of digital storytelling

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The Student's Online Research Cheat Sheet - Edudemic

The Student's Online Research Cheat Sheet - Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it
There's a lot more to online research than Google. This handy flowchart we've lovingly dubbed 'The Students Online Research Cheat Sheet' should help.
Beth Dichter's insight:

Check out this infograhic that may help students learn some new ways to search online. It provides a series of paths based on what information you might be looking for and in all likelihood there may be some sites on this that are new to you.

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8 Tips for the Care & Feeding of the Reluctant Tech User | The Daring Librarian

8 Tips for the Care & Feeding of the Reluctant Tech User | The Daring Librarian | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

The Daring Librarian provides a great post on how to assist the "reluctant tech learner." A key point she makes is the need to have them learn "how to do something with a project about which they're personally passionate."

To gather this information she went out to her Personal Learning Network and asked for suggestions. The post includes 8 tips (which includes the one above) as well as:

* Show and Tell - providing a "digital petting zoo"

* Providing lots of praise 

* Small Steps (as in mini session)

It will probably come as no surprise that many of the techniques suggested also work in the classroom.

D. L. Held's curator insight, June 25, 2013 5:04 PM

Great article with great training topi for reluctant technology user

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Ten Secrets To Surviving As A Teacher

Ten Secrets To Surviving As A Teacher | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Surviving as a teacher isn’t easy. Between the sheer work load, diversity of tasks, brutal pace, and seemingly divergent initiatives pulling you in a thousand directions, education can break even the most noble spirits. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Below are ten tips to keep you ticking when things get tough."

The post also suggests that as teachers we need to find the balance between the needs of our learners and content. For some great suggestions check out this post!

Paul leslie large's curator insight, October 15, 2014 12:02 AM

...a couple more:

- know your students (passions/knowledge/relationships)

- be a part of the learning team; don't be afraid of "I don't know".

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The 10 Commandments of Internet Research

The 10 Commandments of Internet Research | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

Many students are not aware of how to "conduct proper academic research using the Internet." This post provides 10 tips on how to successfully complete reserarch beginning with "List relevant search terms" (followed by a description of what that means) and ending with "Catalog all the resources you use for citation purposes" (again with a description). To see all 10 click through to the article.

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30 Simple Ways You Should Be Using Google | Edudemic (Infographic)

30 Simple Ways You Should Be Using Google | Edudemic (Infographic) | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

Google has many services available, and this infographic from GCLearnFree "briefly describes the 3 top things you can do with popular Google services." Along with Google Docs learn more about Google+, Google Calendar, YouTube, Blogger, and more!

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100 Ways To Use Twitter In Education, By Degree Of Difficulty | Edudemic

100 Ways To Use Twitter In Education, By Degree Of Difficulty | Edudemic | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

"Twitter may have started off as a fun social media site for keeping up with friends and sharing updates about daily life, but it’s become much more than that for many users over the past few years as the site has evolved and grown...Whether you’re an academic or just interested in building your Twitter profile, keep reading to learn some tips and tricks that can help you take the first steps towards using Twitter for coursework, research, building a professional network, and beyond."

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What Our Phones Can Reveal About Us - Background Check

What Our Phones Can Reveal About Us - Background Check | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

Losing a phone can turn your day upside down - but if you're not careful, the impact can be far worse than that. Studies report that identity fraud has risen 13% since 2010, which is attributed partially to the growing popularity of smartphones.

Check out the infographic for precautionary tips and to find out what to do if you cell phone goes missing.

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103 Interesting Ways to use an iPad in the Classroom

103 Interesting Ways to use an iPad in the Classroom | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it

So...you have iPads in your classroom...now what do you do? Here are 103 ways to use the iPad in your classroom...and since this is a Google Presentation you may choose to add your own ideas for others to see.

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