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"To understand the extent to which the skills taught in education systems around the world are changing, and whether they meet the needs of employers and society more widely, Google commissioned research from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The EIU surveyed senior business executives, teachers and students."
Beth Dichter's insight:
What skills do learners need today to be prepared to be a leader as they move through school and into careers? Google commissioned a study and this post provides a short video that discusses key findings as well as a link to the final report, Driving the Skills Agenda: Preparing Students for the Future. The Executive Summary provides a number of key findings, including the ones listed below. (The text below is quoted from the report.) * Problem solving, team working and communication are the skills that are currently most in demand in the workplace. * Education systems are not providing enough of the skills that students and the workplace need. * Some students are taking it into their own hands to make up for deficiencies within the education system. * Technology is changing teaching, but education systems are keeping up with the transformation rather than leading it. The full report provides additional information, including a number of visuals as well as case studies. As educators it is important that we consider the skills our learners will need in the future, and this report provides insight into some of what will be needed. 
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"The past year has illuminated many things about the way the brain works, including how it responds to games. It is now erroneous to conflate ten hours of Super Mario with minor head trauma. We know that you won’t go blind if you’re looking for coins and bananas and rings on a screen all day. Your motivation and attention span will remain intact no matter what level you reach in Skyrim. In fact, the very latest science is telling us the exact opposite of what we thought all along: video games actually increase brain function."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Brain research now shows that action video games impact "brain plasticity, learning, attention, and vision." What does this mean? That video games may make the brain bigger, as in increasing brain volume. Along with information on how video games may make the brain "bigger, better, faster, stronger" the post also shares information on "using the neuroscience of games to boost learning" and "how to ditch your biases." A number of studies are quoted in the post with links to additional information.
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"Recently, the NY Times ran an excellent article entitled: A Natural Fix for ADHD. In this piece, Dr. Richard Friedman, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Director of the Psychopharmacology Clinic at Weill Cornell Physicians, explores the neuroscience behind ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). In so doing, Friedman attempts to reframe our understanding of just what ADHD is, and how much more nuanced our approaches for treating it need to be."
Beth Dichter's insight:
This post from Edudemic explores ADHD in five areas: * ADHD has long been a controversial topic * The neuroscience behind ADHD * When ADHD was an evolutionary advantage * 5 Creative Approached - Get hands on - Vary the routine - Incorporate movement into your lesson plans - Teach mindfulness - Create a tutoring program Many of us have students with ADHD in our classrooms, and we know that day to day the behavior changes. This post provides some background information that was certainly new to me as well as some ideas you might incorporate into lessons that may help all your students, not only those with ADHD. I would also recommend reading the NY Times article referenced above. It will provide additional information.
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"The rise of the standing desk may appear to be a response to the modern, eat-at-your-desk, hunched-over worker chained to her computer, but history paints a different picture: Hemingway, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson all stood while they worked. Donald Rumsfeld had a standing desk, and so did Charles Dickens. Workplaces are moving toward more standing desks, but schools have been slower to catch on for a variety of reasons, including cost, convenience, and perhaps the assumption that “sit down and pay attention” is the best way to learn."
Beth Dichter's insight:
How would your classroom change if you were to switch to standing desks? Would it help your students who prefer to move? Would they learn more? This post looks at one small study and the results show that standing desks may make a difference. Students (and adults) need to move. Sitting in a chair is more confining than sitting on a stool or standing. Take the time to read this post and you may find yourself trying to create your own standing desk, or perhaps you might write a grant to bring one or two standing desks to your classroom.
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"The Franklin Academy High School implemented a 1:1 iPad deployment a the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. Over the course of the next two school years, the pilot was expanded to include all grades 9-12 in the high school. This deployment has reached 475 high school students and all teaching staff. Our K-8 program deployed iPads across the grade levels in the form of class sets and mobile carts. This study targeted our 1:1 deployment at the high school to investigate the impact the device has had on teaching and learning. The survey used to gather the student data was administered in April of 2014. Students included in the survey used the device anywhere from 1 to 4 years. The students use the iPad while at school and home."
Beth Dichter's insight:
The Franklin Academy (located in Wake Forest, NC) began a laptop initiative four years ago. Te@chThought has just published their four year study and review which focuses on Student Use and Behavior. You can access a pdf and download the report from the site. You can find more information about the initiative as well as information from previous years and a detailed visual that looks at the four years using the following categories on the Franklin Academy High School iPad Initiative Wiki * Learning Workflow * Device Management * Student Benefits * Teacher Benefits If your school is considering an iPad initiative (or a 1-to-1 initiative) you may find valuable information as you read through the the report and the Wiki.
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"How much of our intelligence is a genetic gift or the product of hard work is difficult, perhaps impossible, to know for sure. But for our brains to perform their best, new research suggests, it’s better to believe that effort trumps heredity."
Beth Dichter's insight:
As teachers many of believe it is important to teach students about growth mindset. This research provides additional information about the value of doing this. Quoting the last paragraph from this article in Time: "The takeaway: How we’re predisposed to think about problems changes the way our brains handle them. Beyond the abilities we’ve inherited, the most important factor in achievement may be believing that it’s within reach." If you are interested in more information on growth mindset search for the term in this Scoop.it. There are quite a few articles and videos that are appropriate to share with students.
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"We’ve all heard it before, “Kids don’t know grammar anymore because all they do is text,” or “Today’s generation misses everything going on around them because they’re staring at their phones.” But a recent research study by UCLA warns the damage of too much screen time may be even worse than many of us imagined."
Beth Dichter's insight:
How often have you seen students sitting at a table together, but communicating via their cell phones. The eyes are on the screens, not their friends and classmates. This post shares that technology is impactint students ability to read emotions. The next question to ask might be c"Can this change?" The answer appears to be yes. For more information click through to the post.
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"When it comes to brain development, time in the classroom may be less important than time on the playground. 'The experience of play changes the connections of the neurons at the front end of your brain,' says , a researcher at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. 'And without play experience, those neurons aren't changed,' he says."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Allowing young students free play time is important since it helps set up the prefrontal cortex (where executive functioning is located) to set up neuron pathways that help students to solve problems, make plans and regulate emotions. However, more and more schools are taking time away from recess, to focus on Common Core subjects. It is critical that this is free play. The post states "No coaches, no umpires, no rule books." Does your school have a policy about recess? Are students allowed to choose what to do, or are they given choices? This post shares insights that you may want to share with your PTO as well as others whom work in your school.
Nancy Jones's curator insight,
August 10, 2014 11:08 AM
Not just young kids, all kids! Studies indicate that the prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed until mid -20's for some. Really confirms the adage, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
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"Teaching students that intelligence can grow and blossom with effort – rather than being a fixed trait they’re just born with – is gaining traction in progressive education circles. And new research from Stanford is helping to build the case that nurturing a “growth mindset” can help many kids understand their true potential."
Beth Dichter's insight:
How can we help nurture a growth mindset? New research has been published shows that providing as little as "30-minute online intervention can spur academic gains for many students, particularly those with poor grades." Learn more about the programs that were offered and about the gains that struggling students made based on the online intervention. Carol Dweck is known for her research on growth mindset and this post provides up-to-date information that may make you consider creating a short presentation and discussion with students about the value of hard work and effort as well as various study techniques. It is important to remember that students of all ages need to be educated that they are able to learn.
Rosemary Tyrrell, Ed.D.'s curator insight,
July 17, 2014 4:34 PM
New research on mindset. Definitely worth a read!
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The way kids interact with computers and software -- and the support they get from adults -- is more important to improve learning outcomes than merely having access to the technology, study finds.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Research continues to tell us that providing students with digital devices does not lead to improved learning outcomes. The question that needs to be looked at is what else needs to be done? The researchers were interested in seeing if the introduction of computers would "close the opportunity gap." Unfortunately this is not what happened. Here is one sentence from the post: "They select different programs and features, engage in different types of mental activity, and come away with different kinds of knowledge and experience." There is much more information found in this post. The way the students use the computers were very different between the two groups as was the interaction of the adults with the children. This post brings up one question for me. More and more schools are moving to a one-to-one initiative. Are these schools providing teachers with the necessary professional development for them to effectively teach their students? Will we be able to overcome the obstacles that were found in these two very different libraries in our schools, or will we see a difference between our students who have access at home and those who do not?
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Just 12 minutes of aerobic exercise can boost low-income college students’ academic performance. The effect is large enough to close the achievement gap.
Beth Dichter's insight:
In 2012 a study was published that noted there were academic benefits for low-income who had "short bursts of aerobic exercise. This article shares a new study where participants age 17 - 21 were placed in groups (based on income level) and assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group jogged for 12 minutes while the control group watched a video on the benefits of exercise. And yes, these students also saw a significant increase in academic performance. For more information click through to the article.
Progressive training's curator insight,
June 17, 2014 11:30 AM
Can Exercise Close the Achievement Gap?
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Even as the emphasis shifts to the keyboard, experts say that learning to write by hand improves motor skills, memory and creativity.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Did you know that the Common Core standards do not require students to learn to write in cursive, but they do require that students become proficient at keyboarding? Recent research is showing that it is important for students to write in cursive. Why? Quoting from the article: “When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated,” said Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris. “There is a core recognition of the gesture in the written word, a sort of recognition by mental simulation in your brain. There are some states that are still requiring cursive. One wonders if this new research will lead to a shift in Common Core standards. Click through to the article for additional information.
Kimberly House's curator insight,
June 15, 2014 1:35 PM
I am so happy to see this article. Both keyboarding and handwriting are essential skills. One cannot replace the other. There are critical connections that happen in the handwriting process (as shown in Beth's comment). These connections help with not only spelling but the flow of writing.
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What are some of the most encouraging known facts about learning? From taking a walk to learning a new language, there are countless things we can do to
Beth Dichter's insight:
How do we learn? New research continues to inform us and we should help our learners discover that making some shifts in their practices may lead them to being more successful learners. This post provides "fifteen steps towards a better brain." Four of the steps are below. * Laughter boosts brain function. * You can improve your memory with one simple step. * Bilingual brains process information better. * Higher vocab increases cognition Some of the steps in this post may be new to you. Each is explained in more detail in the post, and every step includes at least one (or more) links to additional information. As you read through think about what you can do in your classroom to help your learners and yourself "build a better brain."
Lisa Gorman's curator insight,
March 5, 2015 7:25 PM
An excellent article for parents of children or indeed ADULTS who are interested in maximising their learning... lots of references to brain-based studies for your exploration here!
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The MindShift Guide to Digital Games and Learning explains key ideas in game-based learning, pedagogy, implementation, and assessment. This guide makes sense of the available research and provides suggestions for practical use.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Mind/Shift has run a series on digital games and learning and has not put together a guide that provides the highlights of this series. Why? To quote from the post... "to create a dynamic, in-depth guide that answers many of the most pressing questions that educators, parents, and life-long learners have raised around using digital games for learning." A few of the topics covered are: * What Research Says About Gaming and Screen Time * How to Start Using Games for Digital Learning * Overcoming Obstacles for Using Digital Games in the Classroom The post provides a more in-depth overview.
Becky Roehrs's curator insight,
November 19, 2014 8:08 AM
Over 30 pages of ideas of how to pick and use games with your students.
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"In the past year, education researchers have done much to turn commonly held beliefs about learning on their head. In her controversial new book, Seven Myths About Education...Daisy Christodoulou draws on her recent experience of teaching in challenging schools to show us just how much educational practice contradicts basic scientific principles..."
Beth Dichter's insight:
What myths do you know that undermine educational effectiveness? This post provides 21, and each is explained in the post. Fourteen of the myths provide links to additional information. Five of them are listed below. Click through to the post to find additional information on these five and the additional sixteen. * Facts prevent understanding. * You can always just look it up. * Homework boosts achievement. * Subject matter knowledge is a teacher's most powerful asset. * The brain is static, unchanging and set before you start school. You may not agree with all of these myths. Many could be used as a starter for discussions in a faculty meeting or with parents.
Lon Woodbury's curator insight,
November 10, 2014 10:07 AM
Its amazing how many things there are that everybody knows - but just ain't so! -Lon
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Quoted from the post: I spent last weekend on a camping trip with extended family. Having just completed a report on the use of digital games in the classroom, I was more than a little eager to consult with the kids in the group about their use of digital games inside and outside of the classroom. Given the popularity of Minecraft, I started there. “Do any of you guys play Minecraft?” I asked. Instantly there were three kids with three devices surrounding me, each showing me their “worlds.”
Beth Dichter's insight:
Should students play digital games in the classroom? This post, from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center provides a link to a report, Level Up Learning: A National Survey on Teaching with Digital Games. In 2012 the Cooney Center did a similar survey. This one provides more up-to-date information. They sampled 684 K-8 teachers and divided the report into four sections: 1. The "players" (a look at the game-using teachers); 2. The "practices" (as in the practices teachers engage in with their students around game playing); 3. The "profiles" (of the teachers that looks at how teachers use games in terms of frequency and ways: 4. The "perceptions" of the teachers (barriers and opportunities) This post provides an overview of some of the key finding and much more is found in the 67 page report (which is linked to in the article and can be found at http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/jgcc_leveluplearning_final.pdf.
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"A few years ago, I came across some interesting research by cognitive psychologist Ronald T. Kellogg. He claimed that the mark of an expert writer is not years of practice or a hefty vocabulary, but rather an awareness of one’s audience. This made sense to me, and I wondered if it were true in other disciplines as well."
Beth Dichter's insight:
As teachers many of us recognize the importance of metacognition. This post looks at current research and discusses how the research supports "the role of metacognitive thinking in becoming an expert." Nine areas are discussed. They include: * Sciences, which include Mathematics, Computer Programming, Engineering and Medical Sciences * Arts, which include Fine Arts, Writing and Communication and Music * Education, which includes Teaching and Learning Students may not be aware that their answers are incorrect, or that they do not have an understanding of the text they are asked to read. These students need to be taught that metacognition, the 'awareness and understanding of one's thought process' in key to becoming an expert.'
Joy Power's curator insight,
October 9, 2014 9:21 AM
Important research on learning for achievement. 
María Dolores Díaz Noguera's curator insight,
October 9, 2014 3:53 PM
Teaching Metacognition: How Students Think Is Key To High Achievement
Becky Roehrs's curator insight,
October 13, 2014 9:51 PM
Research about how self-awareness can help you tap your learning potential
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Researchers hope that being able to accurately measure how well students resist digital temptations will help them learn about how "academic diligence" features in later life success.
Beth Dichter's insight:
In the 1960s Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel and colleagues created an experiment, the "marshmellow test" to measure self-control in preschoolers. Would they eat one mini--marshmellow right away or would they wait 15 minutes to eat two mini-marshmellows? Fast forward about 50 years and researchers have come up with a new "test that challenges the willpower of schoolkids to resist the brain-candy of today’s digital distractions — the YouTube videos, Instagram and mobile gaming apps like Angry Birds." Why try to measure self-control. Researchers hope that it "will advance their studies of ways to improve academic perseverance in students." Learn more about the original "marshmellow test" and this new test in the thought-provoking post. Additional areas that are discussed include: * Road-testing the test * Staying on task * Different takes on willpower and grit * A debate over drudgery
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Humans thrive on visual stimuli, and interaction. We don’t want to hear about the latest tablet, or even read an article about it. We want to see it for ourselves. More than that, we want to experience it for ourselves. We want to press all the buttons, test out the apps, and personalize every feature. …
Beth Dichter's insight:
Research tells us that visuals are an important element of learning, and that when visuals are used in classrooms, yet many classrooms are based on text. This post looks at three areas: * Bringing Active Learning Back to the Classroom - How much of the time are the learners in your class actively participating as compared to passively listening? * Embracing Visual - Visuals help many learners understand complex subjects. Experts in many fields can look at images and quickly learn complex information. Are you teaching your learners visual skills? * Retrieving Practice - "By combining visual training with active learning, students can go from novice to expert in far less time than with traditional study methods." As many of us prepare to return to school embracing visuals and teaching our students how to interpret visuals has the potential to promote better understanding. This post provides some great pointers and you will find a link to the original research.
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Thanks to Lori Jablonski and Tom Hoffman (I've embedded Lori's tweets below), I learned about a report from the Carnegie Corporation that includes charts created by big-time consultants McKinsey &a...
Beth Dichter's insight:
This report from the Carnegie Corporation predicts that the implementation of Common Core will decrease graduation rates significantly unless "we create small schools and do blended learning." Larry Ferlazzo shares a number of tweets, and also includes a link to the original document from the Carnegie Corporation. This is information that should be shared, and it is surprising to me that main stream media is not publishing these numbers. We know that many schools (and states) are questioning the speed with which we expect students to meet this new standards, and for many teachers the scores of their students impact their job security. Take the time to read the post, and consider download the pdf of the full report (20 pages). There are many graphics located in the document that provide important statistics.
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Beth Dichter's insight:
Sea levels are rising and recent research tells us the impact will happen more quickly than originally stated. This infographic shares information on how the sea level has risen over the last 140 years and how much it is predicted to rise by the end of the century. It also shares information on the two main reasons this is taking place. This infographic would be appropriate to share with students studying climate change/global warming.
Deanmignanelli's curator insight,
July 15, 2014 10:28 PM
this photo shows how rising sea levels effect all of australia
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"Sitting is a learned behavior, passed on through tradition and adults, and today’s sedentary lifestyles are affecting our youth and their classroom performance. Studies show that more activity throughout the school day improves health and academic outcomes."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Our students sit most of the day. Yet research tells us that activity is beneficial, that movement throughout the day improves academic outcomes. This infographic shares information on this subject and includes a list of resources.
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We have an early look at some of the interesting data coming out of a larger report on teacher attitudes around the use of games in the classroom. The numbers hint at wider use of games in the classroom and indicate teachers see the real benefit of games in helping low-performing students.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Do you think games have a place in your classroom? This newly released data is from a survey of 694 K-8 teachers in the U.S. that the Joan Ganz Cooney Center conducted in 2013 to see how teachers are using digital games in their classrooms. * 74% of teachers are using games in their classroom * 55% of students play games at least once a week * 72% of students access games on a PC or a Mac, and 41% of teachers use a white board to share games * The two greatest barriers are the time it takes to implement games (45%) and the cost of the games (44%) This post from Games and Learning provides the current data in both a visual and written form. There is much more to be found on the website. You may also want to check out the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. They have also published an article on this which may be found at http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/2014/06/09/digital-games-in-the-classroom-a-national-surevy/
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The Gates Foundation released a report today surveying teachers and students on the kinds of digital tools they'd like to see available in classrooms.
Beth Dichter's insight:
This report focused on four questions: ● What do teachers want and need from digital instructional tools? ● How can product developers use this information to more effectively serve students, teachers, and schools? ● What do we know about how teachers and districts select and purchase digital instructional tools? ● What do we know about the overall market for digital instructional tools? The report identified six instructional purposes for technology, moving from teacher-driven to student-driven and identify both a primary and a secondary benefit. The areas are: ● Deliver Instruction ● Diagnose Student Learning ● Vary Delivery Method ● Tailer Learning Experience ● Support Student Collaboration and Interactivity ● Foster Independent Practice One piece that pops out quickly is that 54% of teachers surveyed did not find the digital tools they use effective.
KCenter SKEMA's curator insight,
April 25, 2014 4:53 AM
"The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation just released a report detailing the results of 3,100 teacher surveys and 1,250 student surveys on the kinds of digital instruction tools that are useful and effective. The foundation has asked teachers and students what they need when it comes to digital instruction, aiming to close the communication gap between commercial developers and schools. One of the biggest takeaways is that most teachers — 54 percent — don’t find many of the digital tools they use effective. That’s partly because teachers often aren’t making purchasing decisions. When they do have a say in tool selection they often report on its effectiveness more favorably. When asked about free products, teachers reported that free products are just as likely to be effective as the products the district purchased for them." |
Muy bueno!!!!
Preparing our students with the necessary skills for post-secondary career and college is critical, but especially for our poverty students. Too often, school is the only venue to provide these thinking, collaboration, and problem solving skills. However, many poverty schools under the pressure of standardized testing are stuck in a remediation routine of filling gaps in content, reading, and math. We must provide time for teachers to collaborate and plan integrated lessons that integrate these higher level thinking skills into their content areas.
What skills do learners need today to be prepared to be a leader as they move through school and into careers? Google commissioned a study and this post provides a short video that discusses key findings as well as a link to the final report, Driving the Skills Agenda: Preparing Students for the Future.
The Executive Summary provides a number of key findings, including the ones listed below. (The text below is quoted from the report.)
* Problem solving, team working and communication are the skills that are currently most in demand in the workplace.
* Education systems are not providing enough of the skills that students and the workplace need.
* Some students are taking it into their own hands to make up for deficiencies within the education system.
* Technology is changing teaching, but education systems are keeping up with the transformation rather than leading it.
The full report provides additional information, including a number of visuals as well as case studies. As educators it is important that we consider the skills our learners will need in the future, and this report provides insight into some of what will be needed.