11/30/2010

Hate PowerPoint? Here Are 5 Web-based Alternatives

Hate PowerPoint? Here Are 5 Web-based Alternatives
Prezi is pretty cool but it's interesting to see what other options are out there as alternatives to PPT presentations

11/23/2010

10 Ways People are Using iPads

I've been looking a lot at iPads and tablets as I'm hoping to get one in the near future so that I can start exploring mobile learning. I came across this link to some videos on how people are using iPads---very interesting! I had seen the finger painting video before but some of the other ones - particularly the light video are pretty cool.

11/17/2010

Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers | Video on TED.com

As someone who suffered through math as a kid, this talk gave some interesting food for thought. I have always felt that we tend to disassociate meaning and authenticity in the way we teach math in education. I think some educators who are trying to move in this direction through robotics, programming, etc - which by the way tend to be extracurricular activities - would concur with Wolfram's thesis. Here's the TED Talk link:
Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers | Video on TED.com
 or view here:

From rockets to stock markets, many of humanity's most thrilling creations are powered by math. So why do kids lose interest in it? Conrad Wolfram says the part of math we teach -- calculation by hand -- isn't just tedious, it's mostly irrelevant to real mathematics and the real world. He presents his radical idea: teaching kids math through computer programming. Take advantage of computers to allow us to be more practical and conceptual - e.g. creating programs to demonstrate understanding of math concepts. Help our kids to 'feel' math. Need to bridge the chasm between school math and real world math.

11/14/2010

EdWeek 10/11/2010 Article: How Do You Define 21st-Century Learning?

How Do You Define 21st-Century Learning?
I particularly like Diane Ravitch's response

Change Agent - Will Richardson interview in Education Week

Change Agent

Lots of food for thought in this article that encourages me to think that maybe what we have been doing in our technology course is a step in the right direction. That is, creating a web presence - a personal learning environment - to support, help organize, and encourage your learning and exploration of the possibilities of technology for teaching and ongoing professional development