Ideas for Transforming Teaching

Here's a document started a few years ago for teachers to share, add, and get ideas about how to transform teaching for the 21st Century (click here to access this document on your Google Drive and feel free to add to it):

Using the ideas in the above document, how can we transform schools into student-centric learning environments?

The 3 R's or the 3 C's?

Watch this video to hear from Tom Whitby why the 20th Century 3 R's need to give way for the 21st Century 3 C's:

Tom blogs here and tweets here. Connect with him!

An Eye Opening Experience

Third Graders Provide Eye Opening Experience

I had one kid in my class that was always talking to me about MineCraft.  He just seemed possessed about wanting me to know that he was doing "stuff" with it.  He was talking about 'mods' and 'events', and I just couldn't get a hold on it.  So, last night I started to check it out.  All of a sudden, I'm in a new role - finding out what and how my kids are learning and doing in technology.  I would never have thought to check it out if our Tech Comm had not had some video about how role-playing games provide new and very different (personalized) learning experiences for the 'learner'.

So, this morning, I learned a bunch!  First, I asked my 23 3rd graders what kinds of 'devices' they have access to - what a surprise!  15 of 23 kids have access to a laptop, tablet, iPod Touch-like device, or a smartphone!  These are 3rd graders!  Then we talked about 'apps' and games.  I asked about which were role-play and which were 'player' apps.  They wanted to tell me about which were multi-player and more platforms that they might use; PlayStation, Wii, Game Cube, X-Box.  They also wanted to tell me more about what goes on the inside the games - the various parts.  I let them go to make a list for me of what they could think of and talk to each other.  Kids were asking kids about various games and apps.  I then realized that my World Golf Tour is just one of those apps that I learn from; places, options, weather, ball flight dynamics, geometry, etc.  Wow!

Anyway, I thought, "How can I get just 10 more devices so that every kid in my class could have one in class to go in their way, and maybe contribute to a class effort?"  Got any ideas?  

By they way, do any of you have a Movie Star Planet account?

10 Ways to Transform Our Schools

What do you think? How can we start meeting the expectations of the 21st Century learners in our classrooms?

Anytime, Anywhere Learning

Here's rural school district taking full advantage of digital learning:

What can Chimacum take away from the above video? What can we do for our kids with digital learning?