Archive for August, 2012
See on Scoop.it – Education and Social Media
Compiled by Tom Barrett
A crowd-sourced collection of tips and ideas for how to use Google Forms in the classroom. This Google Docs Presentation will continue to grow with additional viewer contributions. -JL
See on docs.google.com
One of the biggest fallacies that students hold is that they have a set amount of intelligence, or are born with a certain set of talents, aptitudes, and abilities. According to Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: A New Psychology for Success (Random, 2006), this is called a fixed-mindset, and is the culprit behind most students’ inability or reluctance to push themselves and achieve. The solution to this is developing and nurturing in students a growth mindset, which recognizes that ability and success are the products of effort and persistence. Dweck contends that simply knowing about mindsets can influence students’ motivation to try, risk failure, and try again. Another strategy is to have them read and explore highly successful people and their path to success; often, like Jack White below, they worked really hard and overcame a lot of adversity – not just from others, but from within themselves – to accomplish what they did. I highly recommend reading Dweck’s book, especially as you consider how you might reach those students who most resist instruction or refuse to be challenged by possible failure. It’s a revelation.
To complement my recommendation, I’d like to share this post from Brain Pickings, one of my favorite blogs – just incredibly well-written and researched. This posting also discusses the challenges of creativity and ability, and how those that succeed push through with effort, not simply a naturally born ability to be great. It’s really lovely; consider sharing the video of Jack White (whom your students will recognize, more than Tchaikovsky) and his discussion of what it takes to be creative each day:
Tchaikovsky on Work Ethic vs. Inspiration
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2012/07/24/tchaikovsky-on-work-ethic-vs-inspiration/
Jack White on Inspiration:
Since I’m on a re-blogging tear today, I just have to share and recommend this brief article on student assessment. In particular, the questions Heather Wolpert-Gawron asks when developing her course assessments help to frame your assignments and projects within solid assessment criteria. The chart she shares (click for the .pdf) helps to quickly analyze your assignments and projects to see whether they meet this criteria. And finally, the rubric she uses (for writing assessment) can easily be adapted to fit several other disciplinary needs. For those who are designing or re-designing courses right now, check this out:
I hav
en’t posted since early June, so I thought I’d check in with my readers and random web surfers by sharing a new teaching tips blog:
http://teaching-snippets.blogspot.com/
The format of the new blog needs a little polishing, but the tips are very solid, especially the first Professor Dabney offers – invest your students in their learning experience. You can do this in several ways, by having students help develop the syllabus (lead a class discussion on what goes in the syllabus to govern the class, evaluate the learning of the students, and establish the pace and structure of assignments), by giving them choice when selecting how and what they study (such as choosing to do an oral presentation over a final paper, or selecting blog posts and blog moderation rather than response papers), and more. Dabney suggests asking for frequent feedback from students as a way to improve your own practice and validate their voice and opinion in their own education.
There are plenty of practical and provocative tips here, so please check it out.
Will Richardson argues for radically changing how we teach, how we approach student learning, and integrating technology into the classroom. He’s a very compelling (though fast) speaker. This is a short video reminiscent of Sir Ken Robinson’s ideas on education and change.
Originally sourced from: http://www.joebower.org/2012/07/5-minute-video-with-will-richardson.html
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