Author: abendelow
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What matters most is content… er, form… no, I mean content…
Will the debate ever end? This recent Education Week article outlines the current and on-going debate over whether the whole “21st Century Literacy” movement (as propounded by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills {P21}) hasn’t gone too far! Hasn’t abandoned all content in pursuit of the latest form! Isn’t going to lead to the abolition…
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More proof of distance learning efficacy in K-12
This article shows that, at the least, distance learning solutions for K-12 schooling is no worse than regular classroom learning.As the article abstract puts it: Online virtual schools may be ideally suited to meet the needs of stakeholders calling for school choice, high school reform, and workforce preparation in 21st century skills. OK–no damage. Let’s…
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Gmail, or its like, SHOULD conquer the world
Why? Because gmail really is “intuitive, efficient, and useful” at helping people organize and communicate ideas. Because we all want a more peaceful and productive world, and gmail makes that more possible. Because as of now, gmail is quantitatively and qualitatively far ahead of the yahoo and msn/hotmail alternatives. In a tense time the world…
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More proof that online education will work
if you let it: this February 1st article describing the gains made by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Psych students over their peers attending traditional classes and labs. It’s true now at the college level because, as Mary L. McNabb puts it in her 2006 book, Literacy Learning in Networked Classrooms, it was also true with these…
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Good teachers are the most important factors in student learning
http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swfand yet, as Bill points out, as a country we have not been serious about identifying, understanding, and trying to replicate good teaching. Bill suggests something that I’ve suggested, and that web 2.0 tools make feasible: video recording classes to analyze and reflect on teaching. What better reflection than that done on accurate data? And…
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Can the American Dream of an equitable public education
be furthered by the web? I do not see why not. As an experiment, I am going to try to help students on the wrong side of the digital divide with web 2.0 tools. My hopeful hypothesis: that the read-write web will meet kids from disadvantaged homes where they are, give them proximal learning zone…
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A memo from the bosses to their Commander-in-Chief
Readers of this blog know that I have been an active supporter of US President Barack Obama, and have heeded his call to reach outside my comfort zone and help “rebuild America.” Well, two weeks ago, Barack emailed me asking that I host a “get-together” for folks to discuss the economic stimulus package currently being…
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By Jove, I think the British Schools have gotten it!
or so suggests this video from British Education Department types of last October suggests. With impressive spokespeople like these, I would think they’re enthused. So, where is the American version of this public education initiative?
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Would that I were a springboard for my colleagues,
one that could power them toward connecting and communicating in new, collaborative ways with web 2.0 tools! Instead, I’m afraid I’m an annoyance when I speak about the benefits of the read/write web for literacy teachers. And right now, without the benefit of electronic media at all they are maintaining learning gains each year as…
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Game theory already at play in curricula!
One of the great things about the net is that you get to follow the evolution of ideas from many differing places. And in a good discussion thread, there can be more solid information than one can find in a book. In a post last month, I described my hopes for the gains available when…
The Wikiness 