Guest post by Marianne Malmstrom At the Elisabeth Morrow School, we have been on a journey to help our students develop the essential skills of creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking and citizenship. We turned to virtual worlds and MOGs because these are the same skills many young gamers practice through immersive play. Initially, we used these spaces largely for curriculum … [Read more...] about Mining Minecraft, Part 2: Brilliance when students drive the learning
school policy
Why we mustn’t have a participation gap: 2 students’ experiences
The other day, two school librarians posted an insightful article about two students – Jessica, just starting her junior of high school, and Michael, who just graduated – who stand on opposite sides of the "participation gap," Prof. Henry Jenkins's term for the digital divide of participatory media and today's networked world. They describe what conditions in schools close the gap and what … [Read more...] about Why we mustn’t have a participation gap: 2 students’ experiences
All kinds of learning all at once with ‘BYOT’
With their bring-your-own-technology (BYOT) program, teachers in the Forsyth County (Ga.) School District are "learning along with our students how their devices work for their learning," Tim Clark, the district's instructional technology coordinator, told me in a phone interview. My excitement about the promise this represents for students grew as we talked. What this school district is doing … [Read more...] about All kinds of learning all at once with ‘BYOT’
State law about teachers on Facebook repealed
Apparently due to teachers' protests, a Missouri law banning them from using Web sites that all "exclusive access" to students has been repealed, KiwiCommons.com reports. State lawmakers, who had voted overwhelmingly to pass the law last spring, "voted with equal enthusiasm to repeal it." KiwiCommons adds that " Many teachers are relieved. The law, in their view, would have had unintended and very … [Read more...] about State law about teachers on Facebook repealed
Practical steps on the way to a school culture of respect
We hear a lot about the need to change school culture in order to defeat bullying and cyberbullying. But how? PBIS does not cut it for middle school teacher Daniel Witz. In a commentary in the Washington Post, Witz critiques the well-known Oregon-based anti-bullying program PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) as practiced at his school, then offers an alternative: "10 steps to … [Read more...] about Practical steps on the way to a school culture of respect