MELT Update
MELT registration was fast and furious on day 1 with almost 500 people registered by the end of the day! The deadline to register is 4 PM on December 20th. If you have not registered yet, please do so today.
IF YOU WILL BE HOSTING A STUDENT TEACHER THIS SPRING PLEASE FORWARD REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO THEM PLEASE.
MELT 2018 Registration Link
Osmo is an awesome tool for classrooms in the lower elementary. Osmo works with an iPad as an attachment. It allows kids to use manipulatives on the table or floor and and manipulate things on the screen. There are a variety of games and activities that come with it. Check it out today!
I love the image to the right. Engaging students means getting kids excited about what we want, empowering students means getting kids excited about what they want! Are we empowering our kids with learning or simply engaging them? Do we ever give them the ability to learn what they want within your content area? Couros gives the example of YouTube being the largest learning platform in the world but yet we still block kids from using it in our schools. It's not shocking that kids misuse YouTube because teachers are engaging them and not empowering them to learn. If we are empowering kids, it gives them a reason to use YouTube with a purpose.
Our schools are now investing time into innovation days or genius hours, which is great. But Couros warns that these should not be stand alone single events that happen. Innovation day and genius hour should be happening in all our classrooms as part of our pedagogy. Think about the kid that learns to play guitar on his own by watching YouTube videos. He didn't learn that skill by doing "genius hour" once a month!
Couros also talks about the difference between school and learning. See the chart below for a summarization.
MRVED MEETING SCHEDULE
December 14, 2017 TAC
December 15, 2017 Principals' Council
December 20, 2017 Superintendents' Council
December 20, 2017 MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
January 9, 2018 Title III ParaProfessionals
January 15, 2018 MELT
IF YOU WILL BE HOSTING A STUDENT TEACHER THIS SPRING PLEASE FORWARD REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO THEM PLEASE.
MELT 2018 Registration Link
Tech Tip of the Week - Osmo
Osmo is an awesome tool for classrooms in the lower elementary. Osmo works with an iPad as an attachment. It allows kids to use manipulatives on the table or floor and and manipulate things on the screen. There are a variety of games and activities that come with it. Check it out today!
Teaching Current Events
Over the past few weeks there have been no shortage of current events. Many of the topics within our current events have been touchy subjects, but important ones nonetheless. So...how do we teach current events to our students? At what age is it appropriate? How much time should we spend? Is it worth it?
Each person has their own opinion on each of these questions. Below you will find a series of articles on teaching current events to your students and possibly provide some clarity to the questions above.
Innovator's Mindset - Engage vs Empower
This is the 3rd time I have read this book, and I love this chapter every time I read it! There are some very powerful statements from Couros in this chapter that makes me question what education can and should look like. Couros is definitely not saying what we are currently doing is wrong or bad, simply, can we do it better?
I love the image to the right. Engaging students means getting kids excited about what we want, empowering students means getting kids excited about what they want! Are we empowering our kids with learning or simply engaging them? Do we ever give them the ability to learn what they want within your content area? Couros gives the example of YouTube being the largest learning platform in the world but yet we still block kids from using it in our schools. It's not shocking that kids misuse YouTube because teachers are engaging them and not empowering them to learn. If we are empowering kids, it gives them a reason to use YouTube with a purpose.Our schools are now investing time into innovation days or genius hours, which is great. But Couros warns that these should not be stand alone single events that happen. Innovation day and genius hour should be happening in all our classrooms as part of our pedagogy. Think about the kid that learns to play guitar on his own by watching YouTube videos. He didn't learn that skill by doing "genius hour" once a month!
Couros also talks about the difference between school and learning. See the chart below for a summarization.
December 14, 2017 TAC
December 15, 2017 Principals' Council
December 20, 2017 Superintendents' Council
December 20, 2017 MRVED Board (7 p.m.)
January 9, 2018 Title III ParaProfessionals
January 15, 2018 MELT
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