Eclectic Technology

How can we get students more engaged in units of study? What if we design our class so that they have ownership from the beginning of the unit? This post explores this issue, and although the focus is on social studies you could use the same steps in other curricular areas. What are the steps?

1. "Partner students and have them do a speed search on the topic." What can they find in 12 - 15 minutes? Let them generate a list of interest.

2. "Decision by debate." Change partners. Allow them 3 minutes to discuss and rank the topics by interest.

3. "Main characters." Switch partners again. In history you might be looking at key individuals, or key battles in a conflict.

There are five more steps that will help students learn to collaborate, analyze perspectives, co-create with you (as the teacher your job is to  make sure that all key areas are covered and help create the framework as well as providing additional input where necessary), and more.

This type of process allows the students to be engaged and have their voices heard from the beginning....a win-win situation in the classroom.

This infographic provides four key points about e-learning. When you click through to the post you will find detailed descriptions for each of the four ways technology is changing how people learn.

* What does it mean to move from individual to collaborative learning?

* What is this shift from passive to active or brain based learning?
* Technology and differentiated instruction - how does technology assist with this?  (Please note one paragraph is duplicated in this section.)

* Multitasking - Does it work?

The infographic is very simple and it worth reading the text (which is above the inforgraphic when you click through).