#Edchat Weekly Roundup: Using Technology to Demonstrate Growth in the Classroom

This week's #edchat focused on how we can better-implement educational technology to document growth in both students and teachers. The 12pm ET topic discussed how we can use digital portfolios and/or other e-learning tools to document student growth and achievement in a more valuable way. The evening's conversation at 7pm ET questioned whether ideas discussed within PLNs (professional learning networks) and online communities of educators were really making waves in the educational space, or if we're just a "like-minded minority."?

With the rise of technology and a push towards more "authentic" forms of learning/assessment, is it time for education to shift away from stagnant letter grades? See below for participants thoughts on the 12pm ET conversation:


If grades are an indicati…

#Edchat Weekly Roundup: Importance of Student Voice

One of the most commonly used education hashtags (asides from #edchat) is #stuvoice. An abbreviation of “student voice,” the popularity of this hashtag is demonstrative of just how important the voice of students is in today’s educational climate. In a time where schools seemed to be more focused on testing than teaching, it’s now more important than ever to let #stuvoice be heard.

This past week’s #edchat discussed two aspects of student voices. At 12pm ET, the topic discussed was the Flipped Classroom Approach, a teaching model that inverts the traditional teaching methods by bringing “homework” into the classroom, and delivering online instruction at home.

For more information about the Flipped Classroom model, take a look at Knewton’s infographic “

 

#Edchat Weekly Roundup: 21st Century Teaching Tools

This week's #edchat topics focused on two different areas of teacher best practice. To begin the day, #edchat contributors discussed the relevancy and authenticity of worksheets, questioning whether or not they had a place in the 21st century classroom. Late Tuesday evening, the conversation focused on innovative 'ed tech,' and how teachers can implement it as a tool rather than a distraction. While these topics clearly focused on different areas of pedagogy and practice, they fall under a common theme (and common debate) of tradition vs. innovation.

The days' topics were as follows:

  • 12pm ET: If innovation is the goal of education, and is promoted through higher order thinking skills, why do we focus on worksheets?

  • 7pm ET: How do we change a t…

 

#Edchat Weekly Roundup: Taking Care of Our Teachers

Welcome back to our blog's new segment #edchat Weekly Roundup, where we look back at Tuesday's #edchat topics and highlight some of the day's poignant conversations and key players.

 

Integrating Technology into the Common Core Classroom [Guest Post]

The following is a guest post by Karen Larson and Gene Tognetti

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Integrating the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) creates a number of opportunities for educators. Once teachers develop classroom implementation plans that address the “why and what” student outcomes to be learned, teachers need to address the “how.” How do I, a third grade teacher, create opportunities in my classroom that will ultimately lead to “college and career” readiness? How do I teach students so the outcomes are truly learned?

This can be an exciting proposition, and indeed a great time to be an educator. It is a golden opportunity to improve teaching practices while we incorporate the CCSS. It’s also an opportunity to reassess and address how other education…

 

Introducing #Edchat Weekly Roundup

We’re happy to announce that Teach.com has become part of the #edchat community. #Edchat is a hashtag on Twitter that acts as a sort of ‘chat room.’ Every Wednesday (at 12pm EST and 7pm EST), educators around the world participate in online discussions focusing on varied issues and topics in education reform, classroom management, pedagogy, and practice. These conversations center around the main “topic” of the hour, and are comprised of people asking questions, posting ideas, and replying and retweeting to other members of the community. It’s a fantastic way to grow your professional network, and to exchange innovative thoughts and strategies with other members of the educational community. You c…

 

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