daily+100

just beyond your comfort zone * important and interesting * urgent and/or important * glx k-3 thoughts * technology support * technology integration * curate find use share * create make * solve * share * kindles * social bookmarks * learn more... * glx * role of teacher / facilitator * software / guide - audio video remote* create blog * curate social bookmark pocket * learning guide path * 3D printing

2017.12.19 * Gatekeepers and open learning * If you publish an open course on Coursera, why do you require mastery of other courses. If the subject sounds interesting, I might want to muddle through. You don't know why I am interested. It might not be of the reasons you think. I see this periodically in so-called MOOCs. These are still so "yesterday" - closed, linear, I-know-what-is best-for-you mentality. These online offerings could be a delightful exploration of the "possible", inspirational, challenging and a point of entry, an aha moment where is is clear that back-tracking is necessary to fully understand what is being addressed here. Instead you are baring the door. You are not welcome beyond this point. You aren't worthy. Really? I was hoping to get some ideas for including engineering in middle school. Yes, I know that is a stretch from college level material on the application of engineering. It is difficult enough to get kids to stay interested enough in STEM to have the high school course to be admitted to college engineering programs, without turning off the folks who are trying to help. It continues to amaze me that any kids ever enter college engineering programs. You make it so darn hard for anyone remotely interested to see the really interesting stuff until they have mastered at least 14 years of "hard" academic courses with well above average GPA scores. Yes, I know, nobody want a bridge to fall down. That's no reason to forbid us from looking abound inside and learning what we almost know. Lots of inquiring minds would love to know more.

2017.12.7 * Mine - Read a good article about a [|makerspace in a middle school]. Nice description of the rotations, student collaboration and how the space and supplies were available to other classes. This is such a refreshing change from the silos that I see elsewhere where there is active resentment and protection of fiefdoms within the STEAM "team". In the STEAM team there is duplication - two sets of circuits materials. The expensive purchased products have been rendered useless because a piece has gone missing. There is little or no communication so there is no continuity across "specials" so there are four separate classes once a week rather than daily opportunities to work on some aspect of a more comprehensive program or challenge. This is exactly what STEAM isn't - isolated letters with no relevance and certainly not the higher level learning experience that STEAM is intended to promote.

21017.12.7 * technology classes teaching and learning * What is going on here? Some of the projects are very structured - follow those steps in order. Kids have a "choice" - the color of their star or the shape they select. Otherwise, they are just doing what they are told. How could these be less structured and still be scaffolded? Is this what is appropriate for these classes? Could there be some better more appropriate engaging use made of this time and these resources. By comparison, other schools who have less are able to do amazing things with what little they have.

2017.11.13 [|Exploring OERs]


 * older...