This year two bright young high school students I know did something quite unexpected. They graduated. One has spent much of his high school years addressing thorny mental health issues. The other (someone I have a semi-maternal interest in) just doesn’t like school — except for the social aspect — and really couldn’t be bothered … Read more Down with Education; Up with Learning
Are you one of those strange people who like to eat moths? (As a vegetarian, I’ll pass.) Perhaps not a typical dish on your celebratory table, but birds like them. And if you are trying to teach kids the concept of natural selection, they can be a good way to do so. Digital Glass, an … Read more Learn About Natural Selection: Play a Game
Colbert isn’t the first to talk about MOOCs, but he is one of the funniest. He also makes some good points. While public universities do have a higher mission than just/solely making money, and therefore have some incentive to provide a tiny taste of their education online, free is rarely a sustainable business model. … Read more We’re All Learners, We’re All Teachers
I’m inclined to love the flipped classroom, which is convenient since it is the hot thing in education. Really, what’s not to like? Short, entertaining videos that can be watched at home, and thoughtful discussion and meaningful project work in the classroom. It sounds perfect. Classwork becomes a fun experience for kids, making them more … Read more Flippin’ Out
I’ve been in publishing a long time, and I’ve generally been a fan of copyright restrictions. Those encyclopedia or history books? A lot of hard work goes into making those facts accurate, accessible and compelling. But a couple of recent(ish) happenings are giving me cause to rethink how we are applying copyright laws. “Ambulance chasing” … Read more What is Copyright Protecting?
Apparently, it is all about the intention. Re-Mission is a video game for young people battling cancer. The teen “becomes” Roxxi the nanobot, whose mission is to destroy cancer cells and prevent the spread of cancer. Developed by HopeLab, with support from a boatload of impressive organizations, Re-Mission is designed to be a fun, engaging … Read more Intention
Can Inspire make high school chemistry comprehensible? A cool new “intelligent” textbook uses AI to make dense topics more accessible. IA beats AI. Thoughtful TED Talk by Shyam Sankar on human-computer symbiosis. Inside the Haiti Earthquake. A simulation that lets students experience the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and make strategic decisions about how to … Read more Stuff Worth Checking Out
The potential of MOOCs is (potentially) amazing. Massive Open Online Courses, where hundreds of thousands of students take a single class, make many delirious with hope for the spread of knowledge, unlimited by tuition costs, geographical distance, and suspect merit selectivity. I’m interested, too. I’ve taken a couple of classes and marveled at many more. … Read more Can MOOCs Make the World Smarter?
Google Goggles. Making fun of Google Goggles. Fashionware for enjoying The Avengers 3D (even if the only superhero you had previous knowledge of was The Hulk). And now, Truth Goggles. PolitiFact’s Truth Googles (check out this demo), allow users to fact check claims made by politicians and the media. Interesting in itself, it also is … Read more Gogglemania
Graphic novels emerged as a sophisticated art and storytelling form with books such as Maus and Fun Home, and are now making their foray into the classroom. This is exciting news for those of us committed to reaching the disengaged and disenchanted learner. Graphic novels have been shown to engage students that are otherwise daunted … Read more Comically Engaging