Classroom Technology to Support Teaching

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Stohlman]Kimberly Stohlman

When you were going through your teacher training, did you ever wish you could be a fly on the wall in an experienced teacher's classroom so you could see exactly how he/she handled things? You always change the classroom dynamics by introducing a novelty in the form of an observer, so actually visiting a class for real has its disadvantages as well as its advantages. But by using classroom technology, you can be an observer in someone else's class.

Of course, this innovative use of classroom technology doesn't just apply to beginner teachers and trainee teachers. Even more experienced teachers need to upskill and learn new techniques of doing things in class. Again, watching someone else who has done the hard work of developing the new technique is a great way to learn - after all, you probably know how your pupils pick up concepts and techniques by watching them demonstrated on video (if you haven't learned this, you really need to upskill!).

This new development is possible, thanks to a new secure website being set up by a group of Californian educators. This innovation, created by LessonLab, consists of a collection of exemplary lessons by experienced teachers in a real class. Of course, with classroom technology being so common these days, the presence of a Webcam in the classroom is no novelty and the children in the class act like they normally act. The lessons are presented on a split screen, so the viewers can chat online while they watch, and receive answers from an education coach.

Many companies and publishers are interested in this new development. You are probably familiar with books and encyclopedias that are designed to be used in tandem with that most familiar form of classroom technology: the internet. These "internet linked" encyclopedias have now been extended to textbooks, and publishers such as Scholastic Inc. and Pearsons are beginning to produce textbooks linked with exemplary lessons and demonstrations.

You have probably already learned about the different learning styles and how to cater to them in your classroom. And these techniques also have to be remembered by those who teach the teachers. Teachers have their own learning styles, too, and up until now, reading educational journals (and websites and online articles like this one) and listening to presentations at training days have been the main ways of learning about new tools and techniques. Now the visual learners at the front of the classroom are being catered for, as well as the visual learners sitting in the desks.

You may be tempted, when you hear about these exemplary lessons, to just let your class watch the demonstration lesson linked with the textbook so you can both learn at the same time. Don't do this. All videos and all classroom technology has to be used correctly to be effective. Mistakes you don't even know you're making can be impacting your lesson.

Watch this free video (which isn't from LessonLab but does cater to visual learners) for some important information on why and how you should be using school videos and [http://www.schoolvideos.com/expert/7_mistakes]download the expert guide for easy solutions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kimberly_Stohlman
http://EzineArticles.com/?Classroom-Technology-to-Support-Teaching&id=2961161

READ MORE - Classroom Technology to Support Teaching

The Need of a Reform on Integrity Education

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Artur_Victoria]Artur Victoria

Over the last 25 years a compelling body of evidence has been accumulated concerning the harm and waste caused by corruption and low levels of public integrity. The sums estimated are vast. The impact fails disproportionately on developing countries and on the poor within these countries. Flows of aid and structural lending remains significant to many developing countries are significant in terms of GNP. Aid and the development it is intended to spur are, however, often caught in a negative relationship, in which aid can fuel negative outcomes through its impact on corruption. It is largely against this background that a civil society and donor movement to counter corruption and establish high levels of public integrity has evolved.

This pro-integrity reform movement has undergone three major phases in its recent history: the first being awareness raising, the second the creation of conventions and international legislative structures and the third, in which we are now situated where implementation and enforcement are the overriding imperatives.

Despite the diligent efforts of many committed people reform successes remain relatively few and far between, either they are relatively distant historically (the changes in Northern Europe one and two hundred years age) or relatively particular as in the cases of Hong Kong and Singapore.

There is widespread uncertainty about whether the way to achieve improvement in public integrity is currently well understood, even if many of the attributes of high levels of corruption are increasingly clear. The historically favored strategy of implementing international 'best practice' has overwhelmingly been a failure.

Implementing public integrity reform is a considerable strategic public management challenge that requires the mobilization of large numbers of skilled people and resources to succeed.

The need for an Education Network is therefore based on these key understandings:

• The benefit of high levels of public integrity has been established though the examination of the consequences of corruption (the failure to maintain high levels of integrity) especially on the most vulnerable countries and populations.

• Currently there is a highly dispersed set of experiences and practices, both in the research and practice domains. A large and relatively unsystematic body of knowledge has been built up. The reliable application of this knowledge in practice remains at an embryonic stage if we are to judge by changes in governance over time.

• Despite the concept of corruption gaining common currency in the popular consciousness of most countries, as never before, it remains striking that within the academic community research and teaching remain dispersed, with very few courses being offered to meet the huge challenge of providing skills to support the pro integrity reform process.

At present much of the knowledge creation and impetus for public sector reform is coming largely from international organizations, be they donors or No Governmental Organizations. These organizations have initiated or provided the knowledge for many of the reforms that have been attempted (World Bank, U4, UN and so forth). This 'supply' model has some strength in that it has been able to develop a high quality of material, and a critical set of methodologies. http://sites.google.com/site/arturvictoriasite/ http://sites.google.com/site/cliptheschoolbeginning/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Artur_Victoria
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Need-of-a-Reform-on-Integrity-Education&id=2990625

READ MORE - The Need of a Reform on Integrity Education

The "McDonald's-ization" of Education

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ben_Carlsen]Ben Carlsen

McDonald's is astoundingly successful at purveying inexpensive fast food of consistently high quality. They have achieved this primarily through standardization and quality control. If you purchase an "Egg McMuffin," or a "Big Mac" at an outlet in Seattle, or Milwaukee, Chicago or Miami, it will be almost exactly the same.

Standardization is increasingly making in-roads into education. Once the realm of diversity (of opinion, thought, approach, teaching technique, classroom styles, etc.) and independence (academic freedom), the higher education classroom is being transformed into a "product" type delivery system. The "products" in this case are the concepts, lesson plans, group exercises, assignments, etc. - indeed, the education itself.

The intent of this transformation is to provide a "standard" high quality student classroom experience within disciplines, and across institutions. With the student being the customer (consumer) of the educational delivery system, we want to make sure he or she is getting the highest possible quality product, and the key to this is "quality control" and standardization.

Instead of the after-the-fact quality control offered through instructor "evaluations," " classroom observations," and the like, the approach introduces a far more intrusive and directive model. Lesson Plans, indeed, entire courses and curricula are loaded into pre-packaged modules, on thumb drives (USB) or onto computers, or servers.

As in the fast food business, manufacturing, or other product producing sectors, the product creation and delivery process is developed to gain the efficiency and effectiveness obtained in industry.

JUST LIKE McDONALD's

Just like McDonald's where the customer can expect to enjoy a standard, high quality product, served in a clean, well-designed environment, the student consumer can expect convenient delivery of the educational product, for his consumption, and enjoyment - "satisfaction guaranteed."

THE PROCESS

First, a product team is assembled. In this case it consists of academic experts, curriculum designers, course writers, technology experts, product representatives, trainers, content specialists, etc. The product development process is based on outcome objectives, i.e., "what do we want the student to know?," "what should he learn during this course?" and "how do we measure that?" This "beginning at the end" philosophy is crucial. It keeps the spotlight on the product, promotes quality, and ultimately, "customer satisfaction."

THE ENTERTAINMET COMPONENT

Gen Y students have different expectations from their predecessors, and are less likely to indulge obsolete or dated instructional methods and techniques. They demand to be engaged.

Instructors are partially selected on their ability to "entertain" as well as "inform." They are expected to be animated, humorous, engaging, and entertaining. They are expected to convey knowledge in convenient, enjoyable, and satisfying, bites.

STEAMLINING THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

The more standardized the process becomes, the less latitude for the educator, the more prescribed the content, exercises and learning activities are, the more the business managers of the career and "for profit" colleges like it. This concept may, however, benefit the student as it concentrates on a quality, standardized, classroom experience.

IT'S EASIER

Once the instructor has mastered the technology, the whole instructional process is easier under this model. Everything is pre-packaged. No messy development of lesson plans - they're already done - and done well. No thinking about creative learning activities and approaches - they're already there. You could almost do it in your sleep! (if it wasn't for the requirement to be animated and entertaining.)

STUDENT NEEDS

Students in this new education model will be immersed in technology throughout their degree program. This is the world of today, and the future. They will participate and interact with SMARTboards, laptops, WiFi, simulations, business games, remote "clickers," interactive learning, real-world relevant projects, presentations, etc. It's designed to match their learning styles and attention spans It is preeminently designed to prepare them for their careers. Although many students are "comfortable" with technology, fewer are proficient, and fewer yet have an in-depth understanding. The curriculum should help them become more proficient and better prepared for the technology demands of the future business environment. The intensely technological nature of the classroom experience also addresses the various learning styles. The auditory learner will have voice, music, and noise. The visual learner will enjoy the videos, powerpoints, and other visuals. The kinesthetic learner will appreciate the hands on components, especially the SMARTboard.

Student satisfaction is, of course, a primary objective. Education, especially for-profit education, exists to serve the student, while running a business. And, through serving and satisfying the student, ultimately the student will stay in school, graduate, and learn valuable knowledge and skills in the process. These graduates will benefit the business community, and society at large. An advanced society like ours is critically dependent on an educated and productive populous.

EMPLOYER NEEDS

What do employers want and need? The link to employer requirements is a vital one. Businesses need educated workers. They require technologically adroit employees who can meet the demands of a rapidly changing technological environment and a highly competitive situation.

Ours is a productive society. Businesses spend billions of dollars training and re-training their employees. "Business Ready" graduates will be more productive from day one and employers will appreciate this.

HAS EDUCATION COME TO THIS?

Purists would argue that the more traditional approaches are preferable, and that academic freedom is being infringed upon. They would say that instructors should be hired based on their knowledge, quality of education, expertise, research history and contributions to their field. They would undoubtedly prefer to see pure "academicians" and "scholars" in the classroom. However, there is room for an interesting debate here. Is it about the instructor or the student? Obviously, we understand that it's about both, but whose needs take precedence? The answer has to be - THE STUDENT! After all, the whole educational system is in place to meet the needs of the student, and ultimately, society.

Instructors with real-world, practical experience and without techno-phobia will be more adaptable to this new format, and perhaps better equipped to relate to the student.

THE BOTTOM LINE

In education there is always room for a broad range of opinions and approaches. Let's try this new one. It works in business - why not education? This is probably why Career Colleges are embracing the approach much more readily than their mainstream counterparts. The "for-profit" Career Colleges are definitely the forefront of this initiative, and "early adopters."

We all know that "quality " is an issue in education. Graduates with virtually identical credentials can have vastly different skills, knowledge, and abilities. This is, and always has been a concern. This standardized, quality-assured model addresses that issue.

Sure, this educational model is controversial, as it should be! But the end result may very well be that students have a reasonably similar experience, learn comparable skills, and become better "fits" within the business world. Employers can be better assured and confident that graduates have the knowledge and skill base they require to be successful contributors. They will probably, at some point, wish to be full participants in the curriculum development process. In the globally competitive market, this might just be what is needed.

When we're teaching Business we must be business-minded. Let's transfer those "best practices" from the business world to academia, keep our students involved, and better prepare them for their future careers. And, the lessons to be learned from places like McDonald's may be more applicable to education than we might have ever imagined.

Copyright ©, 2009, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. All Rights Reserved Worldwide for all Media. You may reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, leave my name and bio box intact, and you follow all of the EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers.

Ben A. Carlsen, Ed.D, MBA, is an experienced CEO and manager. Dr. Carlsen has over 30 years experience in management, consulting, and teaching. Currently the Head of the Business Department at Everest Institute, Hialeah, FL., he was Chairman of the Los Angeles County Productivity Managers Network and President of the Association for Systems Management (So. Calif. Chapter). Additional information can be obtained at http://drben.info

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Carlsen
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-McDonalds-ization-of-Education&id=3005654

READ MORE - The "McDonald's-ization" of Education

21st Century Skills - Beyond the Buzzwords

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Annie_Condron]Annie Condron

Education is a field filled with buzzwords, from RTI to collaborative development to differentiated instruction to student-centered learning and beyond. The latest trend in this time of "change" is 21st century skills.

21st century skills encapsulate all that teachers have been begging for in the post-NCLB era: creativity, problem-solving and learning beyond fact recitation. Like most ed buzz words, this one emanates from a genuine, intelligent approach to preparing kids for their future. This approach would free teachers from the stifling bonds of NCLB and it just makes sense.

After pleas from teachers, Obama has picked up the 21st century skills torch and is blazing it through policy, tackling the easiest aspect first. Technology in the classroom is a commonsense factor to 21st century learning since ours is the internet age. Obama plans to fund computer and broadband access in schools nationwide. But tackling tech is the easy part. Implementing it on a nationwide policy level will be harder than installing computers. How do you give a standardized test on creativity? This murkiness led one Washington Post writer calls 21st century skills "a pipe dream whose literature should be tossed in the trash."

Personally, I'm reminded of an episode from The Office. The inept boss, Michael, asks the receptionist, Pam, to write down "everyone's indefinable qualities. Just write down what people are doing all day in a way that is helpful."

Later on, he asks about their scores from the day.

Pam: "I think they're even. At various times, you gave Jim 10 points, Dwight a gold star and Stanley a thumbs up. I'm don't really know how to compare those units."

Michael: "Check if there's a conversion chart in the notebook."

Turns out, there isn't a conversion chart.

And so goes the problem with generically testing for "the kinds of research, scientific investigation, and problem solving that our children will need to compete in a 21st-century knowledge economy." (Obama)

Regardless of how difficult and complex it will be to make this shift, I agree with policy analyst Elena Silva:

Whether or not the trendy label of "21st-century skills" lasts, says Elena Silva, a senior policy analyst at the Education Sector in Washington, what's important is the evolving research on how people learn. Teachers were long taught to cover content first and wait for children to get older before having them apply it, she says, but now research shows that "people learn best by learning content at the same time they are acquiring [and applying] new skills."

Annie Condron is the Editor in Chief at TeachHUB.com. TeachHUB.com is a new, online resource center designed by teachers, for teachers and is tailored to address the everyday needs of teachers both inside and outside of the classroom. To read more articles from Annie Condron as well as access other teacher recommended education tools, visit [http://www.TeachHUB.com]http://www.TeachHUB.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annie_Condron
http://EzineArticles.com/?21st-Century-Skills---Beyond-the-Buzzwords&id=2922182

READ MORE - 21st Century Skills - Beyond the Buzzwords

Who Am I This Time? Role-Taking For 21st Century Learning and Growth By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nicholas_Wolff]Nicholas Wolff

Merlin the Magician, according to legend, trained the boy who would become King Arthur by transforming him into various animals through which he experienced different ways of thinking about power and groups. As a snow goose, he participates in a peaceful culture in which leaders are chosen based on their ability to navigate. Things are quite the opposite when he is turned into a falcon and nearly killed when a competitor picks a fight with him, or a fish when he is nearly devoured by a much bigger one. As an ant he can only adapt by becoming robotic, hearing "a noise in his head, like a song on the radio that repeats over and over, and he hears a voice, constantly giving him directions," because the ant culture has eliminated independent thought.

Merlin's method would be called "role-taking" in our world, a learning method that is powerfully effective for internalizing an unfamiliar skill or new information, e.g In a recent training seminar, employees of a large non-profit institution that serves the general public were reeling from the consequences of severe cutbacks directly due to donor money that disappeared down the Bernie Madoff rabbit hole. The employees felt understandably defensive and victimized, sandwiched between what felt like an indifferent and distant administration and unforgiving public. We used role-taking to help them view their daily stresses from a number of perspectives: long-term patrons with expectations that could no longer be met; newer patrons who were demanding and unappreciative; empathetic patrons; immediate supervisors; unavailable admnistrators; donors to the institution; investors who lost millions of dollars and shut down entire foundations. This role-taking exercise allowed emotional expression without too much personal exposure and united the group as they explored and practiced a variety of strategies for dealing with the daily frustrations.

Studies show that new learning acquired through direct participation is internalized more rapidly, something critically important in today's atmosphere of accelerated change. Here are some examples from the literature:

Educational Perspectives published an article describing the work of a Winnipeg, Manitoba science teacher who teaches about particle theory by having students "become," and tell stories as, actual particles. They integrate such complex concepts as conductivity and kinetic energy, interacting in skits, plays, puppet shows."[1] She also uses role-play to teach about the heart and circulation system by transforming the entire classroom into the heart system, using tarps and other props, the kids making the pumping and gushing sounds, and people in from outside the room treated as antigens.

The Astronomical Society of Australia studied the use of experiential methods in astronomy and physics classes. "Conventionally taught students tend to rote-learn," the researchers report, "they fail to integrate their new knowledge into their prior assumptions, and rarely think through the implications of what they learn,"[2] The study involved an interactive class assignment designed to teach about the formation of planets and stars through an imaginative, collaborative process. The students were told that each of them were to imagine themselves to be "world experts in some branch of astrophysics. Just as in the real world, however, no single group can hope to know enough to solve this difficult problem alone. You will have to exchange information with many other groups to devise a complete picture, and win the undying glory of being first to figure out how stars and planets form....Take a few minutes to read your briefing sheets, and discuss what you have learned amongst yourselves. Once you've figured out your own areas of expertise, you will have to exchange information with the other groups. Anything goes; you are allowed to form consortia, lie, cheat, steal, bribe: anything to figure out a complete picture. But bear in mind that unless you share information with other people, they will not share information with you...Your goal is to put all the information you will learn from the other groups together, to make a coherent theory of star and planet formation."[iv]
Results showed that students internalized the necessary knowledge at the same rate as in a lecture format, and that active fostered an observably more friendly and interactive classroom.

The integration of creativity, intellectual challenge, emotional connection, and personal interaction allows trainees/students to practice skills that actualize new information and real-time use of social networks, making these methods fantastic innovations for 21st century training and education.

[1] Margo Hrennikoff, "Implementing An Imaginative Unit," Educational Perspectives 39.2 (2006): 25.

[2]Paul J. Francis and Aidan P. Byrne, "The Use of Role-Playing Exercises in Teaching Undergraduate Astronomy and Physics," Astronomical Society of Australia 16 (1999): 206.

Nicholas Wolff is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Certified Diplomate and Trainer, Educator and Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy who designs experiential seminars and training groups for professionals in health care, education, forensics and corporate settings. His website is [http://www.lifestage.org]http://www.lifestage.org.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicholas_Wolff
http://EzineArticles.com/?Who-Am-I-This-Time?-Role-Taking-For-21st-Century-Learning-and-Growth&id=2894505

READ MORE - Who Am I This Time? Role-Taking For 21st Century Learning and Growth By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nicholas_Wolff]Nicholas Wolff

Beware of Leaving Other Humans in the Dust - No One Will Know What to Make of You

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow]Lance Winslow

Many futurists thinkers are so intelligent and so far off in the future in their thoughts that they tend to leave all of their followers, readers, and listeners in the dust. Predicting the future 5 to 10 years out is not all that hard to do. Accurate prediction of five years out is fairly easy, and predicting 10 years out can be done if you watch the macro or micro trends surrounding various industries, watching how they all come together and interact.

Predicting 20 years in the future is rather difficult as the author of the "Black Swan" has so eloquently stated. But this does not mean it's impossible, and if such futurist prediction is done correctly, and carefully explained to the reader then everything seems to work out right and the futurist can make a compelling argument. Even if that "potential future" will never come to be and most everyone knows it.

The Real Challenge is;

Invariably what ends up happening is a futurist will talking about things that are 30 to 50 years in the future. They might even start talking about Star Trek transporters, wormholes space travel, and even time travel. It's not that all this won't someday be figured out; it's that the viewer of such predictions cannot wrap their minds around it.

If you get that far out into the future people just won't know what to make of you. So, all futurists need to beware of leaving other human minds in the dust when making these types of predictions, otherwise they won't know what to think of you. Interestingly enough, most things do not change that fast, after all besides the Internet, and mobile technology life is pretty much the same as it was 20 years ago.

Do you see that point? However, in the last five years the changes in the Internet have been astounding, and most of the predictions were incorrect. Think about that for a second, and you will soon come to the realization of why this topic is so important.

Lance Winslow - [http://www.aircraftwashguys.com/historicals.shtml]Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow thinks you should talk over these issues with your family; [http://www.familycells.com]familycells.com

Note: All of Lance Winslow's articles are written by him, not by Automated Software, any Computer Program, or Artificially Intelligent Software. None of his articles are outsourced, PLR Content or written by ghost writers. Lance Winslow believes those who use these strategies lack integrity and mislead the reader. Indeed, those who use such cheating tools, crutches, and tricks of the trade may even be breaking the law by misleading the consumer and misrepresenting themselves in online marketing, which he finds completely unacceptable.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
http://EzineArticles.com/?Beware-of-Leaving-Other-Humans-in-the-Dust---No-One-Will-Know-What-to-Make-of-You&id=2863315

READ MORE - Beware of Leaving Other Humans in the Dust - No One Will Know What to Make of You

Online Education - Revolutionizing Learning

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaspal_Kittu]Jaspal Kittu

Our world is changing perceptibly everyday. The technological boom has revolutionized the way humans function. Innovative methods are emerging to substitute the traditional ways of working. We can discern perceptible change in the education sectors, wherein both students and educators are turning to information and technology to improve the quality and speed of learning.

Education has entered a new phase where Internet is fast becoming an important supplement to the traditional means of education like textbooks and classrooms. In the past decade, the shortcomings of classroom learning have become more evident. As a result, the youth is turning towards online guidance to help them cope with the excessive workload, which has eventually made elearning, live virtual class, online tutor and discussion forums as popular study choices of today's generation.

Education is an investment for future. And online education is the most rapidly growing dimension of the education sector. Higher educational institutes have increasingly embraced online education and the number of students enrolled in distance programs is rapidly rising in colleges and universities throughout the world.

The many advantages of online education have made it an indispensible tool in today's age. It help provides an unmatched autonomy to the learners. With increasing competition, additional professional qualifications have become mandatory and online courses provide an easy option to pursue the desired additional course with ease. Even the online study materials are easily accessible from anywhere, anytime.

The best part about online education is that the classes are quite flexible which even give students the power to control their learning environment, as in moving through their syllabus at their own pace. This nullifies the need for private tutoring as students can easily access the educational sites to get immediate assistance from online tutors. Round the clock availability of online help makes for a thorough understanding of complex subjects, thus, helping the student in securing that crucial extra mark.

The convergence of Internet and education has made learning possible anytime, anywhere. Due to Internet technology, the learning process has become decentralized. Students can live in a remote village but even then can have easy access to the pioneers and experts in whatever field of knowledge they want. This gives them both cost effective and flexible learning support right from the comfort of their homes.

Not only this, online education also incorporates innovative learning tools which make studying out an out a fun process. The elements incorporated in virtual teaching help in transforming any moron subject material, subject and topic into an intriguing one.

It's true that online education offers good quality multimedia tools to make studying a better experience. Infact, the additional usage of colors, images, figures, videos and audio help make difficult concepts all the more interesting and easy to memorize. This approach to study definitely increases the attention span, thus, improving the recall speed and better retention. Afterall, making learning more fun -- or interesting -- is what makes it more effective.

Online education facilitates a more interactive learning environment as students can easily avail the Class on Demand service to interact with the online tutor and as well discuss their doubts and queries without hesitation. These online tutors provide both academic support and counseling to motivate the students who later on try giving their best shot by excelling in their academic pursuits.

Extramarks brings students, teachers and parents together on a single platform to ensure that a child excels academically. To know more about online education, [http://www.extramarks.com/products/?tab=mindmap]online education, e-tutorial, school education support, CBSE, ICSE, and Rajasthan Board, log on to http://www.extramarks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jaspal_Kittu
http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Education---Revolutionizing-Learning&id=2753455

READ MORE - Online Education - Revolutionizing Learning