High School Students Learning by Skype
I’m writing this entry on the heels of a great session in the iGeneration Seminar in which Dr. Larry Rosen participated in our book discussions via Skype. It was literally like he was right in the room with us!
This experience was a reminder for me that we need to encourage our teachers to take advantage of the resources available to connect with experts, students, teachers, and classrooms all over the world. My selection this week also reminds us of this and the power of Skype in schools.
“Skype created its first education-focused community, Skype in the classroom <http://education.skype.com/> , where teachers could create profiles, post classroom projects for other teachers to join, and find tips from educators on how to use Skype as a teaching tool. The site has grown into a community of more than 17,000 educators since it formally launched in March.”
Becoming a Connected Leader: A Journey
In the spirit of this blog, The Connected Leader, my selection this week comes from the blog of Chris Wejr, an elementary principal in Canada. In this post, Wejr chronicles his journey in developing an online personal learning network (PLN) and becoming a "Connected Leader." He's embraced all forms of social media (twitter, Facebook, blog, etc.) to find new ways to connect with his school community.
So, jump on board and join those principals (@connected_leadr, @theheritagems, @memorial_ms, @weaverdctrip, @BradleyHS, @Hilliard_Darby) that have begun using twitter to reach out to their school communities. Following these will be a start, but I promise you will soon find more in developing your own PLN.
The Five Stages of Data Analysis
Frequent data analysis is a behavior that we want every educator and Data Team in Hilliard Schools to weave into their craft. Research indicates that student achievement will increase when teachers and administrator frequently examine the results of common formative assessments and respond with different instruction. However, we know from experience that Data Team work takes practice!
The author of this week's blog choice states that, " When teacher teams analyze classroom data and district data, they often experience one of the Five Stages of Data Analysis...similar to the Five Stages of Grief. The five stages for teacher teams are similar because each person on the team may experience a different emotional reaction to the data that is presented."
An awareness of the five stages could help us as we nudge our teachers and colleagues to "accept" the current reality of the data.
Study Reveals Brain Biology Behind Self-Control
Here's a new study into student achievement that will peaked my interest, and I am certain that you will also find this fascinating!
"A new neuroscience twist on a classic psychology study offers some clues to what makes one student able to buckle down for hours of homework before a test while his classmates party. The findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that a student's ability to delay gratification can be as important to academic success as his or her intelligence- and educators may soon know how to teach it."
Read to find out how this research is being used by educators at the KIPP schools to improve both academic and social behavior. Seven character indicators, including zest, grit, and social intelligence, have been added to the student report card twice a year to measure growth using school based strategies to improve self control.
