I've been doing a lot of reading lately in preparation for the first upcoming Engage Me Academy. Here's one thing I learned . . .
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn academy. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn academy. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Thứ Ba, 22 tháng 4, 2014
Thứ Hai, 17 tháng 3, 2014
Engage Me Academy
Since my first year as a teacher in 1997 I've been deeply interested in how to get students interested in learning what I wanted and needed them to learn. Lately I learned what I was striving for had a name that has become quite the buzz word in education; I wanted students to become ENGAGED.
Eventually I developed a knack for understanding what choices left to my students would most likely lead to this state. Each educational book I read, and really each terrible staff development session I attended, helped me refine my understanding of exactly how to design engaging lessons and staff development events.
I want to help you learn to do the same, and to that end, I'm developing a new 3 1/2 day academy to help teachers learn how to get human nature working with them instead of against them.
If you want to know more or sign up to get information, please visit http://www.EngageMeAcademy.org
Feel free to download this image, print it out, and use it however you want. There will be more if you want them, so comment on this post and let me know if you'd like that!
Thứ Sáu, 21 tháng 2, 2014
Getting Ready for the Texas Google Summit
We began by laying out the schedule (about 20 concurrent sessions).
Below is Brenham ISD Tech Director Kim Strauss breaking rules by drawing on the table with a dry erase marker, which amazed us all . . .
We emailed with our keynote speaker Kyle Pace (so excited to have him visit us in TX), and more of our big stars including Shelly Terrell and Tim Chase. We also added a few of these guys who are kind of a big deal to our Lead Learners page, but there are so many amazing presenters sharing their knowledge it was hard to know where to stop.
One of the sessions I'm most excited about is going to be provided by teacher extraordinaire Linda Yollis and her 3rd grade students, literally world famous for their classroom blog.
Also, did you know that TCEA Teacher of the year and White House Champion of Change Tech Ninja Todd Nesloney is going to be presenting? That's right. You sure don't want to miss his and fellow Tech Ninja Stacey Huffine's sessions!
At the end of the day, we visited the beautiful Brenham High School. Check out the amazing auditorium . . .
We're so excited for you to be our guests at this event. We want you to have a great time, to learn a ton, and to feel welcome in the spaces we are working to create for you. We sure hope to see you there!
If you haven't yet heard our spokescow Cher sing, you better check out the video below before you go.
Thứ Bảy, 15 tháng 2, 2014
Who Owns Project Based Learning?
Someone asked me recently if [insert organization name here] owned Project Based Learning. Well, I'd like us to think about that together because I understand the root of the question. There are some organizations, sales people, companies, etc. who seem to own the idea of Project Based Learning. Do they?
In fact, the tenets of Project Based Learning are ideas good teachers have been using for many years, even if they didn't call it that. One teacher in her 60s recently told me, "Oh Amy, I know all about this! This is how we used to teach before all the testing. It was fun!" Yes, it WAS fun! My friend and mentor Jan Robin was one person who taught me about it. She used it in her elementary school classroom back in the 80s and 90s. She told me that at one time, there was even a state standardized test that attempted to have students create a floating vessel out of some popsicle sticks and foil.
My knowledge about PBL has come from many different places, but it began in my own classroom when at the end of my rope, I decided to run my classroom more like a business. You can read about that here. I didn't know it had a name, and I'd never studied Seymour Paypert and didn't really get the connection to Jean Piaget. But I don't think either of these educational gurus and philosophers would mind if I reference their work on Constructivism, do you?
If you want to know more about Project Based Learning, The Buck Institute for Education's free resources are a great place to start. However, the best learning you can do is to talk to peers and colleagues who are implementing Project Based Learning in their own classrooms. You do not have to attend an academy or pay a company in order to become knowledgeable about this teaching and learning methodology, you just have to give it a try.
On the other hand, attending a training (no matter how expensive it is) doesn't make you an expert at PBL and just because someone has been paid to offer it or received an endorsement doesn't make them an expert either. Think critically about what you hear. Use your own experience to inform what trainers tell you. Keep up to date with your PLN about the topic. There is no one know-it-all guru who can tell you everything you need to know about anything. When it comes to your students YOU are the expert.
However, if you don't have guru funding, you can get in contact with other districts who are implementing on their own and share the knowledge. OR read about it and just give it a try yourself. If you have a supportive school administration and you make sure to use your standards to design a project, go for it. I'd love to hear how it goes.
Most importantly, don't neglect to share what you learn. If you work in education, that's supposed to be what it's all about.
In fact, the tenets of Project Based Learning are ideas good teachers have been using for many years, even if they didn't call it that. One teacher in her 60s recently told me, "Oh Amy, I know all about this! This is how we used to teach before all the testing. It was fun!" Yes, it WAS fun! My friend and mentor Jan Robin was one person who taught me about it. She used it in her elementary school classroom back in the 80s and 90s. She told me that at one time, there was even a state standardized test that attempted to have students create a floating vessel out of some popsicle sticks and foil.
My knowledge about PBL has come from many different places, but it began in my own classroom when at the end of my rope, I decided to run my classroom more like a business. You can read about that here. I didn't know it had a name, and I'd never studied Seymour Paypert and didn't really get the connection to Jean Piaget. But I don't think either of these educational gurus and philosophers would mind if I reference their work on Constructivism, do you?
When people have something to share that is truly valuable, they are not threatened by others sharing the conversation, they are enlivened and encouraged by it.
If you want to know more about Project Based Learning, The Buck Institute for Education's free resources are a great place to start. However, the best learning you can do is to talk to peers and colleagues who are implementing Project Based Learning in their own classrooms. You do not have to attend an academy or pay a company in order to become knowledgeable about this teaching and learning methodology, you just have to give it a try.
On the other hand, attending a training (no matter how expensive it is) doesn't make you an expert at PBL and just because someone has been paid to offer it or received an endorsement doesn't make them an expert either. Think critically about what you hear. Use your own experience to inform what trainers tell you. Keep up to date with your PLN about the topic. There is no one know-it-all guru who can tell you everything you need to know about anything. When it comes to your students YOU are the expert.
However, if you don't have guru funding, you can get in contact with other districts who are implementing on their own and share the knowledge. OR read about it and just give it a try yourself. If you have a supportive school administration and you make sure to use your standards to design a project, go for it. I'd love to hear how it goes.
Think about the differences between Project Based Learning and Doing Projects.
Be introspective about your assignments. Do they really promote the benefits of student
choice? Check out the Student Choice Continuum. Do you agree with my placements? If not, give me some feedback. Here's the latest version.
Most importantly, don't neglect to share what you learn. If you work in education, that's supposed to be what it's all about.
Đăng ký:
Bài đăng (Atom)
%2B(1).png)