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The Exciting Potential of Blended Learning Programs

What is blended learning?

Blended learning is a specialized education program that makes computer-mediated learning a central component of the classroom experience. Students are given access to hardware and software to help them learn, practice and enrich their school experience. Blended learning also typically involves some level of student control over the pace and path of their own learning with technological devices.

There are many different models of blended learning, but all involve the use of a digital platform. ChallengeU’s digital platform is one example of a flexible and modular option for educators seeking maximum control and capability over their students’ digital learning experience.

What can blended learning offer that traditional programs can’t?

There are several ways blended learning can offer benefits to both students and educators:

Data recording from digital education software can give educators an idea of how the programs are being used and provide a more advanced way to monitor and evaluate student progress

Adaptive learning algorithms can be built into systems to provide each student with an individually tailored learning platform that adapts to their unique needs and abilities

Resource maximization can be achieved by allowing digital technologies to take over some of the lower-level learning objectives while educators spend more time face-to-face with students providing the maximum value they can offer as a human educator

Digital and social literacy can be enabled through the use of in-demand digital skills and programs in conjunction with social platforms to construct a dynamic, information-rich and real-world environment in which to deliver key learning objectives

These are just a few of the potential advantages of exploring blended learning programs.

Why now is the time to adopt blended learning

At ChallengeU we recognize that technology is changing at an accelerated pace and that the best way to equip today’s students to handle tomorrow’s challenges is through research and adoption of innovative blended learning programs.

The more we learn about the potential of technology, the more we can teach future generations how to harness it.

 Author: Nicola Brown

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Evaluating 1:1 Computing for Educational Institutions

What is 1:1 computing?

1:1 computing in education refers to the concept of providing all students with a single identical device, typically a laptop that students can take home and to school, to use for educational purposes.

What are the benefits of 1:1 computing?

Some of the potential benefits of 1:1 computing are the ability to provide equal access to standardized devices that can be easily monitored, updated, secured, etc., with the goal of improving learning opportunities and even improving evaluation results and other positive educational outcomes.

When Maine implemented 1:1 computing in schools statewide in 2002, it resulted in significant improvements in writing scores. Similar studies have reported similar positive improvements in writing and literacy.

Other studies have shown that students within 1:1 programs reported higher satisfaction with school, decreased rates of suspension, increased attention, interest, engagement and motivation.

Comparing 1:1 computing with BYOD

1:1 computing is often compared with its sister alternative called “bring your own device” (BYOD). The latter is in many ways the opposite of 1:1 computing. It encourages students to bring and use the devices they already own at home.

The following table compares the pros and cons of 1:1 computing with its equally popular alternative of allowing students to bring their own devices to school:

The future of 1:1 computing in schools

One of the major barriers to adoption for educators considering 1:1 computing is the large upfront and ongoing costs of investing in the program.

The first and most important step in deciding whether or not to try the 1:1 model is to establish specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable and time-bound objectives (“SMART” objectives) for the program.

Initial results from studies of 1:1 computing are encouraging. What seems to be clear from the research is that implementing ambitious initiatives to enrich students’ learning environments with technological tools can have measureable positive educational outcomes.

We are excited to be part of the evolution in education at ChallengeU and encourage scientists and educators to continue their valuable research and practice in this important field.

Author: Nicola Brown

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5 New Year’s Resolutions for Teachers

As we keep our fingers on the pulse of the most game-changing advancements for schools and educators, we’ve put together a handy guide of five New Year’s resolutions to help you put your best teaching foot forward in 2015:

1. Think of your classroom as an integral piece of a global society

This year’s Digital Citizenship Week served as an important reminder to know the role our students and our classrooms play in cultivating global social good. Encourage digital literacy by introducing additional digital components to projects and allowing students to bring their own devices to school for learning.

2. Maintain an open mind for the changing role of technology in education

Technological innovations are continually changing our world and it is our job as educators to learn how to navigate this fluid digital landscape in order to provide the best opportunities for our students.

One of the most valuable ways to stay up-to-date is to encourage students to share their own experiences with technology on a regular basis: What devices and software are they using? How have these changed the way they interact and learn? What challenges have they faced?

3. Dedicate more of your classroom time to face-to-face discussion

Emergent trends like the flipped classroom are finally allowing teachers to spend precious classroom time maximizing their value as educators in a highly interactive way. Try leveraging applications such as ChallengeU’s educational platform to take over some of the leg work. You’ll find yourself becoming more productive and engaged with your students.

4. Embrace change, fun and spontaneity each day

Our constantly evolving world can be a challenge for time management, organization and structure. Look at unforeseen circumstances as a unique opportunity for real-world skill building rather than an obstacle to learning. This will help you reduce your own stress and take maximum didactic advantage of emergent changes.

5. Practice gratitude and self-compassion

We believe that educators have one of the hardest, most important and most rewarding jobs in the world. Take time to celebrate all your successes this year, no matter how big or small.

Write down 5-10 achievements you’re particularly proud of and refer to them for some intrinsic motivation in 2015. Expressing gratitude and self-compassion has been shown to have positive benefits for health and happiness. Don’t forget to assign yourself some well-deserved gold stars, too.

Happy New Year from all of us at ChallengeU!

 Author: Nicola Brown

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How to Use Pinterest in Class

Pinterest, a smaller social media cousin of giants like Twitter and Facebook, is a creative and engaging platform for sharing, “pinning”, commenting and browsing visual content.

Though Pinterest started out in 2008 geared towards arts, crafts and DIY projects, it has expanded to include photos and content from all corners of the web.

Here are some ideas for using Pinterest to enrich the learning experience for your students:

Create boards to compile learning material

Collect photos and content in one place to give students an engaging way to browse material relevant to the topic of study on Pinterest. Because the platform automatically links to the source of the photos you pin, students can access the original content for reference.

Gather and share inspiration with other educators

Browse content pinned by other educators or discover education-related pinboards to gain inspiration for your own boards and in-class projects. Share your own ideas by uploading original images or pinning your favourites from others.

Add a Pinterest board to project submissions

Get students to create their own boards as part of their project submissions. Students can gather photos and research from all over the web and add their own captions to help solidify their learning. Get students to connect by following their classmates on the platform.

Give dynamic feedback

Connect with students on Pinterest and provide feedback via comments on students’ pins and boards. Encourage peer-to-peer learning by providing links to other students’ work and suggesting how ideas may be shared and built upon.

Showcase student work

Use the platform as a showcase for student work. Gather photos and snippets of student projects and let your class browse all the submissions online any time. Students can also share their achievements with friends and family through the platform.

Facilitate brainstorming sessions

Encourage students to pin ideas from around the web in the brainstorming stage of projects. They can add notes to their pins to help them remember what inspired them or how they might use the content.

Pinterest can be a very effective learning tool when its dynamic and visual interface is incorporated into the learning environment. Try adding a Pinterest component into your next unit or chapter with the ChallengeU platform to encourage creative exploration and engaging self-expression.

 Author: Nicola Brown

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Some Things You Should Know About Gamification

The word “gamification” is a misleading one. It suggests a kind of game-like retrofitting of existing experiences, which, as Michael John points out, doesn’t quite capture the excitement of this innovative area of exploration in education.

Gamification is not…

Adding rewards for previously unrewarded tasks

Creating “competition” between “players”

Trivializing serious subject matter

Here are the problems with all three of these common assumptions about gamification:

Instating an extrinsic reward for a behaviour that was previously undertaken without any reward can erode the underlying intrinsic motivation to accomplish the task. Creating competition can often lead to combative behaviour and negative social comparisons. Gamification is not about trivialization – if done right, learning and play can function incredibly successfully as one.

Gamification is…

Creating an environment that encourages independent creative exploration

Building core skills into activities and games from the beginning, not retroactively

Using new technologies to enrich the learning environment in fun and engaging ways

The gamification of learning is an idea that taps into a form of interacting with our environment that we are naturally inclined towards from a very young age. Renowned developmental psychologist Jean Piaget taught us that when young children play, they are actually engaging in active learning about their environments.

Successfully bring gamification into the classroom relies on the understanding that play is a form of exploratory behaviour. It is fundamentally a creative act and one that is best supported with a comprehensive set of tools and technologies that are flexible and feature-rich.

ChallengeU’s platform is a highly customizable way to build this type of rich content, realize the potential of gamification, and thereby tap into deeper learning experiences. Watch this inspiring video that explores some of most exciting capabilities of this proprietary software.

Some of the hardest-to-learn and most important qualities aren’t taught through the pages of a book: curiosity, inquiry, determination, cooperation, leadership, empathy and compassion.

The gamification of learning is about opening this path from knowledge to action.

 Author: Nicola Brown

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How Education Technology Can Make Us Fitter, Healthier and Happier

Incorporating education technology into physical education classes may not be an obvious step for many Phys. Ed. teachers who began their careers with just a whistle and a clipboard, but we think it should be.

From hardware to software, the potential for improving the health of our children and combating the negative stereotype of students and technology – sitting slumped at a screen for hours – is significant.

Those who have already started incorporating technological tools into fitness practices have experienced immediate benefits, particularly when it comes to fostering excitement and passion for physical education.

Author: Nicola Brown

The changing world of physical education

Physical education is no longer being treated as a sideline effort in the education system. Rising trends in obesity, particularly in North America, are bringing the issue of student health and fitness front and centre.

New trends in physical education are putting a heavier emphasis on fitness and fun, two ideas that are central to the spirit in which many educators have adopted software and hardware into their curriculum.

Run with the trend

participACTION has an enlightening article detailing one teacher’s journey outside his comfort zone to realize the potential of using technology to enhance and enrich the learning experience in Phys. Ed. classes, in myriad ways.

From a fun way to draw team members from a hat, Team Shake, to a sophisticated application for analyzing movement via video, Ubersense, Phys. Ed. teacher Blue Jay Bridge discovered that embracing and experimenting with bringing technological affordance to the playing field led to better engagement of his students.

Check out this pinboard of inspiration to discover more intersections of technology and Phys. Ed.

The future of Phys. Ed. Tech.

With the recent rise in popularity of wearable gadgets like the FitBit and Nike+ FuelBand, the future trajectory of what technology in physical education will look like is fast advancing and hard to predict. The most game-changing revolutions will likely come from the unprecedented intersection of hardware and software.

But one thing is for sure. At ChallengeU we know that the key to learning and the key to better health and a better future for our kids is fostering passion and excitement in the classroom.

Introducing technology for instruction and practice in physical education is no different from buying new gear for the playing field. We would even argue that the return on investment can be much greater.

There’s no better or easier time to #bringbackplay than right now. What are you waiting for?

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6 Reasons to Bring Your Own Device to School

Students don’t need convincing. They already bring their devices everywhere they go. According to a Pew Research study conducted in 2013, 78% of teens have a cellphone, almost half of those have smartphones, and 23% have tablet computers. 93% of teens have a computer or have access to one at home, and three quarters of teens access the internet on a mobile device.

Here are seven reasons why the bring your own device (BYOD) to school movement is receiving such positive attention:

1. Save Money

Institutions often have a hard time providing new technology to their students and teachers simply because of the prohibitive costs. Bringing your own device allows schools to leverage the affordances of technology without breaking the bank.

2. Stay Relevant

It’s hard to provide the best learning experiences when your tools are out of date. If students already have the newest smartphones, laptops and tablets, take advantage of the opportunity to use the latest technology in the classroom.

3. Enable Accessibility

Everyone learns differently. Empower your students by allowing them to work on whatever device they’re most comfortable with. Those who require special equipment can then work at the appropriate pace and comfort level.

4. Learn Socially

Biology teaches us that humans are fundamentally social creatures. Our students are using social media on a daily basis already. Bringing social connections to the classroom can elevate and deepen the learning experience.

5. Promote Creativity

Students are more likely to make maximum use of devices they’re already familiar with. The more existing expertise can be built upon in the classroom, the further creative applications can reach.

6. Realize digital literacy

With a classroom full of different devices, students can learn about new technology from each other. We believe that digital literacy is one of the most important and fundamental skills today’s youth should emerge from schools armed with.

K-12 Blueprint Canada offers a great starting point to understanding what BYOD is all about; the website offers various resources to help you implement BYOD learning plans into your curriculum.

Author: Nicola Brown

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3 Tech-Savvy Thanksgiving Activity Ideas for Educators

Close the history textbooks and bring this celebratory day to life for students with these three unique Thanksgiving activity ideas that put the creative power of today’s digital technology to great use:

  1. Gratitude Videos

Start the day off on a fun note with gratitude videos. Have students create short video clips of themselves using a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone camera. In the video, ask students to share one thing that they are grateful for this season. Encourage non-material submissions; try to get students to think about friends, family, and experiential things they are grateful for. To make it easier for younger students, give them a short script to follow: “This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for ….”.

Compile all the submissions into one long video using video editing software like WeVideo and present it to the class on the day. Students will be excited to see themselves and their friends on the big screen and be exposed to a wider variety of things to be grateful for.

Win-win!

2. Pinterest Crafts

Add an extra level of creativity to Thanksgiving crafts with a Pinterest board. Have students engage in an arts and crafts session to create an artwork that they feel captures the spirit of Thanksgiving for them. You can find some creative ideas and inspiration for your own crafts on Pinterest here.

Take photos of completed crafts and create a Pinterest board of the Thanksgiving crafts. Ask students to write their own captions for the photos explaining what the craft is and why it represents Thanksgiving to them. Share the board with the whole class so students have a way to view and share their creative work with friends and family.

This is a great way to introduce students to the Pinterest platform and encourage creative reflection on what Thanksgiving is all about.

3. Twitter Q&A

Ask students to submit questions via Twitter using a unique hashtag (to make it truly unique, try using a short keyword plus the name of your class e.g. #thxclass7). The questions should be about Thanksgiving – the holiday’s food, history, cultural differences, social significance, etc.

Use a projector and a creative program like TweetBeam to display a running feed of students’ questions on a big screen. Submit some of your own questions to cover key areas of learning. Read out questions that pop up on the screen and engage the class in discussion about them.

Engaging digital natives through platforms they already use on a regular basis can help bridge connections between classroom learning and everyday life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

by Nicola Brown

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Why There’s No Quick Fix for Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying has received a good deal of media attention in Canada, particularly in the past few years with cases like that of Amanda Todd, the young girl who committed suicide after being stalked and publicly shamed online.

But if a recent research project by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is any indication, cyberbullying is not an easy issue to solve. The research suggests that at least 60% of digital natives are not sensitive to or cannot distinguish between harmless teasing and harmful threats, privacy breaches and persistent harassment.

In 2014, Canada’s authority on bullying, PREVnet, claimed that 78% of Canadians believe that there isn’t enough being done about bullying in their communities.

This year’s roundup of the top five insights from Digital Citizenship Week may help inform the way we approach cyberbullying:

Banning technology is not an effective solution to any problem

Digital literacy should be taught as early as possible to children and adults

Students should be well aware of both their rights and responsibilities online

Take students seriously; listen to them and involve them in policy formation

Good digital citizenship practices don’t have to be overwhelming

One of the most challenging aspects in confronting the issue of cyberbullying is simply the fact that students today are growing up in a very different world to the one their parents, teachers and guardians grew up in. Approaches that may have worked 50 years ago are just not adequate to handle the realities we face in a heavily digitally mediated world.

Perhaps one of the most effective ways to begin to tackle the issue is to speak to students in their own language. Using technology as the medium to address issues that are propagated in the online world can help to align problems and solutions more closely. If students can engage in discussion about online behaviour through a Twitter chat, for example, they might be more likely to maintain that awareness and attitude on Twitter going forward.

StopCyberbullying.org offers some useful advice and tips for how to prevent cyberbullying as well as how to stop it once it starts. PREVNet.ca also hosts a wealth of information on the topic.

While there are clearly no quick fixes for cyberbullying, there are ways that we can and should begin to make a dent in the issue today.

By Nicola Brown

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3 Ways Technology is Making the Flipped Classroom Easier

According to many educators and edtech writers, the flipped classroom may become the new norm.

Some of the key drivers behind flipped learning are a desire to maximize an educator’s utility in the classroom and to help students engage in more interactive and collaborative learning environments.

Implementing the flipped classroom is becoming easier as technology and its related software capabilities advance. Here are 3 important ways technology is facilitating wider adoption of the flipped classroom:

  1. Creating audio-visual media is easy and popular

  Popular platforms like YouTube are making it easier for anyone to create and upload video content. One of the easiest ways to use the channel for those who aren’t professional videographers or producers is simply to record a video of you talking through your webcam. And voilà, you have an online lecture.

Massive online open courses (or MOOCs) are already making maximum use of video as a medium for delivering educational material online. Companies like Coursera, edX and Lynda.com are revolutionizing the way we think about delivering education.

  If educators can deliver direct instruction to students via videos viewed at home, precious classroom time can be saved for activities that make the most of the physical presence of others, like interactive team-based projects. Moreover, using video has been shown to enhance learning.

2. Learning happens anywhere and everywhere

Let’s face it: our 21st-century lives are rarely spent in one place. We are continuously trying to juggle demands that seemingly require us to be in multiple places at once. Unsurprisingly, technology has followed us there in hot pursuit.

Devices like smartphones and tablets have allowed us to remain connected to the wider world no matter where we are. There are undeniably drawbacks of this new modus operandi, but one of the benefits is that we can continue to learn outside the classroom and outside the home: on the train, in coffee shops, in the park. We remain connected to information and resources we couldn’t have dreamed of even a decade ago.

In an inspiring video, ChallengeU explores the exciting possibilities this opens up for educators and students.

3. Multi-modal instruction facilitates better learning

Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical approach to teaching that asserts that providing different students with different paths to learning facilitates effective learning, regardless of differences in student ability. This approach has been successfully implemented in several schools.

  It is based on some basic psychological and neurological science that tells us that different people learn better through different forms of instruction (auditory, visual, tactile, etc.), and in fact that the more sensory pathways that get activated in the brain by incoming information, the stronger that information is encoded in the brain.

Technologies that allow us to learn through multiple modalities, like reading text, looking at images, viewing videos and listening to audio, facilitate better learning for everyone. The flipped classroom encourages the use of more diverse technology in its mission to enable deeper and more meaningful engagement with material.

If new technologies are continually creating opportunities for us to improve the way we educate our future generations, we’re all for it.

 By Nicola Brown

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Have We Been Teaching Backwards? How the Flipped Classroom May Become the New Norm

It seems like an obvious concept: teaching (which is traditionally some variation of standing in front of a class and talking) happens in the classroom, and homework, as the name clearly suggests, happens at home.

But how did we settle on this model? Some educators are now arguing we need to turn this tradition on its head and adopt the flipped classroom.

What is the flipped classroom?

The Flipped Learning Network defines flipped learning as “a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter.”

In addition to this definition, for a flipped classroom to successfully be employing flipped learning it has to adhere to four pillars: flexible environment, learning culture, intentional content, and professional educator. You can learn more about flipped learning here.

Here’s an example of what this might look like:

At home, outside of school time, Kyle views online video instruction from the teacher in addition to reading some material related to his course in history about the First World War. The next day at school, armed with the knowledge and the questions he’s developed, Kyle, together with his classmates and his teacher, embark on interactive exercises like writing letters as if they were soldiers in the trenches to loved ones, to apply their knowledge and work through their questions creatively and dynamically together.

How do you flip a classroom successfully?

The key to the flipped classroom is employing the right technology to ensure that students receive the most enriching learning experiences and can make the most of their time in class when they are surrounded by classmates and a teacher.

Employing a variety of video, text, images and interactive platforms for learning outside the classroom ensures that all students have the opportunity to engage with material deeply so they may participate fully in the dynamic classroom. Employing similarly diverse technological tools in the classroom can further deepen the learning process by giving students multiple options for how they interact and engage with material together.

 What are the benefits of the flipped classroom?

The important point about flipped learning is that watching a history lecture can be done anywhere. Collaborating on a project and interacting dynamically with other learners around you can only be done when students are all together in the classroom.

In an inspiring article on The Daily Riff about the history of flipped classrooms, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams explain two of the most important facets of the flipped classroom: it increases student interaction and it changes the way we talk with parents.

Students can get more one-on-one time with the teacher, have their questions answered, and work through problems with fellow students. Adopting the flipped classroom changes the conversation with parents from how a student behaves to how a student learns, a much more valuable conversation to have.

To learn more about how you can flip your classroom for the better, check out Bergmann and Sams’ book Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Dayand visit Flipped Learning Network to join in the conversation.

By Nicola Brown

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Watch and Learn: The Secret to More Effective Teaching

We’ve all been there: staring blankly at pages and pages of dense text in tiny font, filling heavy tomes of largely unread material.

Textbooks are obviously an irreplaceable asset in the classroom, but relying on them too heavily can sometimes do more harm than good when it comes to teaching material that students are actually going to absorb long term.

The power of video

In a 2006 study, researchers found that using video-streaming technology in science and social studies classes resulted in higher examination performance for third-grade and eighth-grade students.

Another interesting study from 2005 revealed that using video to present doctor-patient case studies to postgraduate students lead to increases in data exploration, theory building and evaluation. In comparison with a control group, students who viewed video-based case studies spent more time discussing the scenario and offering explanations for the patient’s condition.

This research suggests that more sophisticated cognitive processes and improved memory recall may be enabled by the use of video in educational settings.

Audiences as “active participants” 

In a world where students are constantly being bombarded by multimedia information streams, demands on attention have increased significantly. You need only look to the success of companies like YouTube to be convinced that audiences are moving from being “passive receivers” to “active participants” in their own media consumption practices, and that video is playing a significant role in that transformation.

Not only can video be considered a helpful audio-visual asset in an arsenal of teaching materials for educators, but it can also be seen as a dynamic medium through which students can participate and create their own learning opportunities.

Bringing video into the classroom can facilitate:

Collaboration

Problem solving

Digital media literacy

Social engagement

Better test performance

Increased cognitive processing and memory recall

By Nicola Brown 

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A Game-Changing Pair: Educational Technology and Learning Disabilities

Traditionally, teachers have struggled with how to approach teaching classes with a wide range of learning abilities and disabilities. Teachers often don’t have the time or resources to give students with learning disabilities the special attention they need.

What constitutes a learning disability?

Learning disabilities affect how an individual is able to handle various types of information. Individuals with learning disabilities can have problems with any of the following: listening, speaking, reading, writing, attention, and mathematics.

Learning disabilities are not uncommon, but may often go unrecognized or undisclosed. This means estimates of the percentage of individuals who have learning disabilities varies widely. Putting a Canadian Face on Learning Disabilities (PACFOLD) estimates that 1 in 10 Canadians has a learning disability, and it could be much higher than that.

Finding solutions for learning disabilities needs to be a priority

According to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, dyslexia, a language-based neurological processing disorder, or reading disability, is the most common learning disability. Some estimates even claim that 15-20% of the population in the U.S. has a language-based learning disability.

With so many people affected by reading disabilities, educators need to seek solutions that can be integrated seamlessly into standard curricula and classroom settings. Finding solutions for disorders as widespread as dyslexia should be a priority.

  How educational technology is revolutionizing students’ opportunities

Assistive technology like text-to-speech programs take advantage of the known benefits of multi-sensory information and are changing the ways we can provide those with dyslexia and many other learning disabilities the special help they need to thrive in the classroom.

Unfortunately, assistive technologies in education are often subject to overbearing criticism, as Kyle Redford points out. “We wouldn't deny someone glasses or hearing aids if they needed them to learn. Assistive technology is no different,” she argues.

One example of how educational technology is changing the game for those with dyslexia comes from Adam Hickey at the Landmark School in Beverly, Massachusetts, a private school for language-based learning disabilities. In an interview with Cindy Keene for the Boston Globe, Hickey recounts: “Researchers found that the short lines on an e-reader can reduce this distraction and help readers concentrate. So now we know that these devices aren’t just technological gadgets, but an educational resource for those with dyslexia.”

Allowing educational technologies to perform more of the leg-work required to help those with learning disabilities succeed would enable better-integrated and more effective educational systems. Not to mention facilitating the same levels of opportunity for all students regardless of their learning abilities.

By Nicola Brown

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Halloween or Hallow Out? The Debate Over Halloween in Schools Rages On

It’s that spooky time of year again: leaves and temperatures are falling and All Hallows’ Eve is upon us!

While most of us are familiar with the costume-wearing and candy-consuming facets of this holiday, it is interesting to remember its traditional roots.

Sam Portaro in his book Brightest and Best: A Companion to the Lesser Feasts and Fasts describes the original intent of Halloween as a day to use “the power of humor and ridicule to confront the power of death.” A day of “remarkable deeds and doers triumphing over the misanthropy of darkness and devils.”

Important ideas to think about, perhaps. But for our kids, the most important things are the candy and costumes, and it’s this version of Halloween that is the most divisive for many parents and teachers.

On one side are concerns over things like safety, food allergies, religious issues and learning distractions. On the other, concerns over abolishing the fun and joy of a treasured holiday.

In a biting editorial in Time from Nick Gillespie last year, the trend of some schools moving to ban candy, costumes or both from their halls sends the message that “we are a society that is so scared of its own shadow that we can’t even enjoy ourselves anymore.”

While some cases of banning Halloween seem to lack legitimate reasons, is there room to debate more controversial scenarios like the presence of weapons (fake or otherwise), full face masks that make students unrecognizable, and inappropriate attire that might otherwise breach normal codes of conduct?

Perhaps the answer is not to ban the holiday or fail at attempts to re-name it “Black and Orange Day” but to re-educate ourselves and our students about its original purpose and encourage positive initiatives to celebrate Halloween in a safe and responsible way.

St. Marcellus Catholic School in Etobicoke seems to be getting it right. They’ve set up a Halloween-themed food bank donation initiative this year to support Free the Children’s We Scare Hunger campaign.

If that’s not a perfect way to maintain the fun and festivities at the same time as triumphing over darkness and devils, I don’t know what is.

How is your school celebrating Halloween this year?

By Nicola Brown

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Why Our Students Are Still Failing and What We Can Do About It

We’ve all heard the adage “different strokes for different folks,” an expression that almost always tends to take on a negative connotation. It implies that doing things differently is weird and unusual, but is it really?

What Science Tells Us

Howard Gardner, a developmental psychologist at Harvard University best known for his theory of multiple intelligences, would argue differently. Gardner’s theory proposes that intelligence can be manifest and cultivated in multiple forms, and that learners shouldn’t be restricted to learning in one modality.

At its core, the neurological basis of differentiated learning is simple. Researchers have found that the more of the five senses are activated, the more impact the stimuli has on the brain. This is because the incoming data gets stored in multiple regions of the brain and more cross-pathways between these regions are created.

Patricia Wolfe’s Brain Matters: Translating Research Into Classroom Practice is an excellent resource for understanding how scientific evidence of how we learn can be incorporated into strategies for better teaching.

How We Can Help Students Find Their Success

It seems that variation is the key. The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement advises teachers to vary materials, processes and assessment, but also admits that pulling off instruction that’s individually tailored to students can be a challenge in time and effort. But as this South Carolina elementary school has discovered, introducing technology to facilitate differentiated learning is a promising step forward.

The idea that different people learn differently is not a new one in the field of psychology. But advances in technological initiatives that recognize differentiated learning and leverage differentiated instruction are making headlines today because they’re actually producing results.

One of the easiest ways to start leveraging differentiated instruction is to use new technology platforms to present material in different modalities (like text, visual and audio) and allow students to interact with that material in a way they find most engaging.

Changing Our Perspective

We need to stop thinking of “different strokes for different folks” in a negative way. Too often we associate the need for differentiated instruction only with students who have learning disabilities or special needs, when in fact scientific evidence shows we all benefit from differentiated learning. 

by Nicola Brown

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Top 5 Insights From Digital Citizenship Week

Digital Citizenship Week is an important opportunity to educate ourselves and others on the issues we all face in an ever-more connected world. Here are some of the most valuable insights to take away from Digital Citizenship Week 2014:

1. Teaching works, bans don’t

In a world where barriers are being eroded on all frontiers, digital and otherwise, it is foolish to think that restrictions and bans are an effective response to the issues teachers and students face in a hyper-connected world on a daily basis.

But how do we maintain privacy for our youth? How do we prevent the often devastating results of cyberbullying? The simple answer is education. Tom Whitby writes that kids need to be introduced to the importance of digital citizenship and personal responsibility online from an early age.

An easy way to do this is to make use of the technology students are growing up with to educate them. Speak to students in their own language. They’ll listen.

2. Digital literacy isn’t just for kids

It’s easy to forget that just as our kids must learn how to engage with digital technologies, so should we. We wouldn’t hire unqualified teachers to teach subjects they know nothing about, so why do we assume that we have all the answers when it comes to digital literacy?

Suzie Boss makes a compelling case through the work of Renee Hobbs for why digital literacy and digital citizenship should be as much a priority for older generations as they are for younger ones.

3. Let’s not forget about our rights

Digital citizenship discussions aren’t short of arguments when it comes to online social responsibility, but what about our rights?

Technology journalist Larry Magid recalls that the definition of “citizen” also includes the concepts of “rights” and “protection”; two points that shouldn’t be relegated to the sidelines.

While we may accept that constantly evolving digital technologies are inevitable and uncontrollable, this doesn’t negate the need for good judgment and critical thinking when it comes to weighing all sides of our digital citizenship equation.

4. Take your students seriously

One of the best ways to cultivate responsible digital citizenship is to empower students through opportunities to lead, be heard and make a difference in their day-to-day lives.

Holly Corby writes about how such opportunities cultivate a sense of self-worth in students, and can be as simple to initiate as asking students what they want.

5. Cultivating digital citizenship doesn’t have to be overwhelming

We are equipped with an abundance of resources at our fingertips to help us navigate the ever-changing online world. This unprecedented access to information is a boon but can also be overwhelming.

Media Smarts, Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, is a great place to start. With lesson plans tailored to age groups, fun educational games and helpful tip sheets, it’s a great way to incorporate digital citizenship and media literacy throughout the year.

by Nicola Brown

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