Royal Reports » Entries tagged with "Teachers"
FluidMath: Game-like Digital Calculations
I recently had a conversation with a way too smart, young mathematician/entrepreneur, Don Carney, Ph.D., who gave me a one on one demonstration of something called FluidMath put out by Fluidity. I’d bravely taught 5th grade math, and even some at the 7th and 8th grade levels, so didn’t think what was left of my hair would hurt during his presentation. I told Carney that I wanted to be moved by his software, and wanted … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Higher Education, K12, Trends
Challenging Tech Needed: APPly Now!
A little over a year ago, I remember sitting with some very intelligent people, suggesting that education publishing needed to not only get into the app marketplace, but develop ways to use apps more deeply than click offs on a screen, or as placeholders for a bunch of mismatched resources. Beyond the silence—eyes rolled back and glossed over. They just didn’t get it. Many education companies believe that being able to say that you have … Read entire article »
Norm! Everyone Needs A Norm
Everyone can look to someone who was responsible for keeping dreams alive. That person, for me, was Norm McConnell, a director of instructional technology, and later a chemistry teacher. I first met Norm while doing a teaching with technology presentation in a district next to mine in 1996. Norm was the only person in the audience with a laptop, and using it during my talk. As I think back, it was the first time I’d seen … Read entire article »
Reverse The Presentation!
For the longest time we’ve been teaching with our backs to children. It may have started when the individual chalk slates were taken away from kids upon leaving the one-room schoolhouse for the larger normal schools. With only one writing board for sharing in the class, it became easier, out of necessity, to turn our backs on students. It also became easier to get comfortable doing it. So the transition to digital technology followed that … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Higher Education, K12, Trends
New iPad Changes Learning & Working
The New Apple iPad changes will transform the way our children learn and we work. Sorry to say, but Android tablets, even the most recent and slickest, for now, have been left in the IOS dust. I didn’t think that way until the New iPad announcement, but Apple is only a few more things away from making that tablet the only device anyone needs to carry. And unless Microsoft is cooking up something behind closed … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Flipped, Blended, Disrupted Nonsense!
Where do these simple banners for teaching in this digital learning age come from? Certainly, they haven’t been floated first by Teachers. I asked my PLN to give me a definition for “Flipped Classroom”, and what came back was “Experiencing learning whenever and wherever you are and then taking it back to the classroom for discussion.” Furthermore I heard this: “humanizing classroom interaction through offsite content interaction as a prerequisite.” What’s so flipped about that? … Read entire article »
Digital Age Citizenship
I think sometimes we forget, in our haste to make things happen quickly digitally, that the human side of tech needs to be taught, too. While it may be about quick gratification in TV commercials, the reality is that most of us see technology as a universal way to communicate—whether you’re leading the class, or just in the class. I’ve heard all the stories about kids working the computing devices and the software without formal … Read entire article »
Teachers: World Record Performers
The news that Phantom of the Opera reached a milestone in the number of Broadway performances got me thinking about all the teachers, who say, “I’m on all day!” It’s true; teachers make two-a-day theater performances seem weak in comparison. I don’t think you can find more iron-horse performers than teachers. Seriously, when you think about it, teaching requires more than one script each day, and possibly as many as 5-7—and most likely there are normally … Read entire article »
Closing Schools Is Unacceptable
Let me preface this by saying that it’s easier to look at things from the outside—in, without knowing all the decision circumstances, but closing schools as an education-correction option is ridiculous. You can’t handle education problems in the same way you would an old recipe, which requires lard—just toss it out. I may be old-fashioned enough to think that things can be fixed with creative thinking and a lot of hard work. Probably the reason … Read entire article »
All My Teachers Have Tech, But No One Uses It!
I absolutely hate hearing someone say, “We have technology equipment, but my teachers don’t use it!” It drives me down Crazy Street! There is absolutely no way that scenario should have been played in that way. Note that I didn’t say played to an ending like that. If teachers have tech and aren’t using it, the problem isn’t in the tech, and it’s not with the teachers, it’s with the engine that should be cheerleading … Read entire article »
Students Planning Success
Life isn’t something that comes out of a perfect box, so you can successfully put all the pieces together. If you’re a student trying to figure out your way, even in the best of situations it’s difficult. It can be near impossible for students who, every day, choose whether learning is worth the trouble, because getting there seems so unattainable. Recently, I had the privilege to witness students achieving in a high school environment that works. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Higher Education, K12
BioBuilder Brings Biology Engineering to Class
As a former life science teacher, as well as an elementary classroom guppy farmer, I’m always interested in creative ways to teach science, as well as looking for more unique and experiential ways to fill STEM classrooms with eager, young scientists. I was fortunate enough to find one, while talking with Natalie Kuldell, Ph.D. at MIT. Kuldell is an instructor with the Department of Biological Engineering. Now, don’t let that MIT role scare you, Kuldell … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Higher Education, K12
Shakespeare in Bits: Teaching The Bard
To be, or not to be” is the online question answered by Shakespeare in Bits, which is keeping the Bard of Avon’s words lively as well as digital. I was first introduced to MindConnex Learning’s online Shakespeare downloads with Macbeth. I thought it a brilliant idea. “If Birnam woods is coming to Dunsinane, I thought, then why not read it, hear it, and see it animated on a PC or Mac—or iPad. Well, now Hamlet … Read entire article »
Filed under: K12
TCEA
This is the first year I won’t be attending TCEA, the Texas Computer Education Association conference, in Austin, TX. It has been my favorite conference since beginning my coverage of education and education tech gatherings. Texas teachers are part of the reason I love TCEA. I discovered that teachers also come to Texas for the event from all over the U.S. One year, I flew in with about 20 or more educators from Maine, who … Read entire article »
Filed under: K12
Make Online Course Alternatives Mandatory
Today, there’s a lot of pressure placed on schools to teach more math sooner. The first Algebra course that most of us took was likely during freshman or sophomore year. Today, there is preparation for those courses from the earliest grades, with an Algebra I course at the 7th or 8th. Let’s face it, math isn’t easy for most kids, and beyond that, it really depends on how it’s taught in order for students to … Read entire article »
Local Education Is The True Epicenter
If you really want to know education, look to your local schools and districts. The epicenter of an earthquake isn’t always where the strongest shaking occurs, so it pays to investigate what’s really happening closer to the action. So, while we ponder and make education predictions, local education administrators and educators are dealing with making the right choices for today and the future of learners—always keeping mindful of what the communities needs are—and well-scrutinized budgetary … Read entire article »
Does Standardized Testing Show What Students Can Do?
Standardized tests like beautifully written resumes don’t always predict the best learners or employees. Does it show what students can really do? Today, it’s normal for learning to be put on hold for more than a few weeks out of the school year. Furthermore, an anxious teach-to-the-test culture change can go well beyond that—to filter into almost every day a student spends at school. We’re not talking just about the testing that happens during the … Read entire article »
Tech Literacy Teachers
Recently, I got my hand slapped, just a little, when in an online presentation chat room I noticed someone having difficulty. The person was trying to be part of the discussion, but most of that discussion was happening on Twitter, rather than in the chat. She evidently was lost. So, I gave a quick Twitter lesson—had her download TweetDeck, and in moments she was on Twitter participating in the discussion and adding followers. Oh, the … Read entire article »
Team Mentoring with Tech
When I first began in education, my mentor was a lead teacher, who received a few dollars to show me around the school. His mentoring amounted to, “Here’s the stockroom, if you take anything, write it down, or Betty will have your head! And on this shelf you’ll find all of our filmstrips. If you can’t find one on a topic you need, come see me, it’s probably in my room. Remember that filmstrips are … Read entire article »
Phil Mickelson Talks Education
Phil Mickelson was kind enough to tee it up for an education talk with me. Note: Phil is a professional golfer and science education fan, who is championing the ExxonMobil Teachers Academy that he and his wife, Amy began more than 6 years ago. The Mickelsons are a class act, with a passion for helping science and math teachers bring experiential lessons and techniques back to their classes, schools, and district. Ken Royal: Phil, I’ve followed the … Read entire article »
Filed under: K12
