Inspiring New Futures

When it Comes to Teaching Social Media, Colleges Fall Short | Education News : Dr. William Ward of Syracuse University has a dire warning to share with colleges and universities in the U.S. and around the world. Even as they themselves stand on the cutting edge of technological research and development, higher education institutions are failing to teach their students  what they need to know to navigate the new digital and social challenges  inherent in a world more connected to and more dependent on social media.

“Simply allowing students to speak up would improve the quality of education as it would allow them to be more interested in what they are learning and leads to better teaching.” – Alex Wirth, USA | daily edventures : At some point here on Daily Edventures, you may have heard me say, “The world can’t wait for students to graduate in order to make a difference.” When you meet Alex Wirth, it’s perfectly clear why I believe this to be the case. Wirth, who is currently a student at Harvard University, is an advocate for youth involvement in government, community service, and especially service learning. He is a fellow at the  Forum for Youth Investment  where he has been working on a project to create a  Presidential Youth Council . He was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the  U.S. National Commission for UNESCO , where he serves as the youngest member and chairs the youth working group – a first-of-its-kind initiative at the U.S. State Department. ...

Education Week: The Rise of the Tech-Powered Teacher : Best known for our collection of education videos, Khan Academy covers every subject from algebra to art history for grades K-12. A significant piece of Khan Academy, however, is the interactive exercises that allow students to practice math and get feedback at their own pace, while giving teachers data on student progress. Over the past few years, our team has had the privilege of working directly with some of the teachers who use Khan Academy with their students. As we talk with teachers and observe them in their classrooms, one theme becomes absolutely clear: More than anything, teachers want all of their students to reach their potential. Teachers have high expectations for their students, and they work hard to help them succeed. But teachers are in a tough position.

Teachers report rise in pupils arriving at school hungry | Society | guardian.co.uk : Nearly a third of all teachers who were surveyed said they took food into school to feed pupils.  Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian A sixth of teachers are spending up to £25 a month buying bread, fruit and snacks to feed pupils who turn up to school without having eaten breakfast, according to the findings of a survey. Almost four out of five teachers reported an increase in the prevalence of pupils arriving at school hungry over the last 12 months. Two thirds of those teachers blamed "parental apathy" – parents not having the time or inclination to prepare breakfast – for hungry  children  but half of teachers also attributed increased pupil hunger to "financial hardship" caused by government spending cuts, unemployment and rising living costs, according to the survey of 500 UK teachers carried out by food company Kellogg's. Nearly a third of all teachers who...

Global Competence at the Middle Level: A Critical Imperative - Global Learning - Education Week : Middle school students are at a turning point between childhood and high school. Research  shows that these adolescent minds are incredibly curious about the world around them.  Judith Conk , senior consultant to  Asia Society International Studies Schools Network , explains why it's critically important to make global learning part of an innovative approach to student engagement. By Judith Conk A fresh emphasis on innovation and global competence sends a new imperative to middle level schools that is both exciting and challenging. Schools must provide an education for each student to prepare them for success in this rapidly changing world rather than educating them for the world in which their parents and teachers grew up. Our middle-level students now will be buying, selling, and communicating, either face-to-face or through technology, with people whose backgrounds an...

Are Video Games Educational? | Education.com : Video games. While they may seem like the bane of every parent's existence, they don't have to be—many of them offer unique learning features. And with increased requirements in schools placing unprecedented demands on children and parents, it may be time to start thinking about video games as teaching tools. The learning component of gaming can be optimized with parent involvement. That means understanding what makes a game both fun and educational.

Teachers Find iPad Slide-sharing App Nearpod Like 'PowerPoint on Steroids' -- THE Journal : Technology director and teacher Frederico Padovan may be only a few weeks into his school's first 1-to-1 iPad deployment, but he's already figured out how to keep students focused on their lessons. He's not worried about students steering away to surf the Web or chatting with friends on their new devices. Since the first day of school, Padovan has been using  Nearpod , a slide-based multimedia app that lets teachers create presentations by populating pre-built templates with an entire lesson's worth of text, images, and video. Then, using a special  teacher version  of the app, the presentations can be pushed out to an entire class, who use their own  student version , allowing the teacher great control over the tempo and pace of the lesson. "It's PowerPoint on steroids," explained Padovan, who teaches emerging computer technology and interactive design...

Using Technology to Teach About the Election | Edutopia : I will freely admit that I can be a bit of a political junkie from time to time. I listen to the news every morning, and I love talk radio in the evenings. I try to stay abreast of the goings on in the world and in our country. That is why I can see nothing more important than taking advantage of the election to engage our students in the political process and to help them begin forming their own viewpoints on real issues. Teaching about the election is nothing new. I remember sitting in front of the television watching the debates for homework back in the early '90s. However, the interactive websites and tools available to students and teachers today make teaching the election a completely different ball game. Students can now participate in online polls, read news at their reading level, and play interactive games that help them understand political issues and processes. Teachers can use technology tools to facilitate...

Google Announces 100 Live Hangouts For Teachers Around The World | Edudemic : Google is   celebrating World Teachers’ Day   with a couple big announcements. In an effort to increase the connections between educators and learners around the world, they’ve assembled a whole slew of interesting Google+ Hangouts as well as a daily topic for each day of the week. From learning how to flip your classroom to chatting with Sal Khan, there will be hangouts for an array of interests. Here’s the skinny from  Google :

“I see more teachers trying to connect with others from all over the world. Knocking down the walls of the classroom can be a very powerful thing to do. Connecting students with the world can only help them in the long run.” – Nick Provenzano, USA | daily edventures : “Teaching can be a lonely profession in some schools,” says Nick Provenzano. “You teach all day in your classroom and enjoy brief encounters with colleagues in the teachers lounge or passing quickly in the hallway.  There isn’t a lot of time to have a meaningful conversation about education and learning.” But rather than just accepting this fate, Provenzano decided to do something about it.  In addition to blogging on his multiple award-winning blog,  The Nerdy Teacher , Provenzano created and co-edits Project PLN. “Project PLN has found great success in allowing teachers from all over the world to share their thoughts on important educational topics,” says Provenzano.

Cellphone 'Valets' At New York City Schools; Students Pay To Store Devices In Trucks : NEW YORK — Thousands of teenagers who can't take their cellphones to school have another option, courtesy of a burgeoning industry of sorts in always-enterprising New York City: paying a dollar a day to leave it in a truck that's parked nearby. Students might resent an expense that adds up to as much as $180 a year, but even so, leaving a phone at one of the trucks in the morning and then picking it up at the end of the day has become as routine for city teenagers as getting dressed and riding the morning-rush subway. "Sometimes it's a hassle because not everyone can afford it," said Kelice Charles, a freshman at Gramercy Arts High School in Manhattan. "But then again, it's a living." Cellphones and other devices, such as iPods and iPads, are banned in all New York City public schools, but the rule is widely ignored except in the 88 buildings that have m...

Education Week: Q&A: Quest for 'Digital Wisdom' Hinges on Brains and Machines : Marc Prensky has written a number of books about the integration of technology and education. In his latest,  Brain Gain: Technology and the Quest for Digital Wisdom , he argues that technology can be used to enhance the human brain and improve the way people process information. In a recent interview with Editorial Intern Mike Bock for  Education Week ’s Digital Education blog , Mr. Prensky talked about what teachers and education leaders can do to get more out of technology.