Protect your Dreams

A short but very powerful clip - nothing more needed except your response...

Steve Spangler - How to be an Amazing Teacher

A great clip that reminds us of why its important to create unforgettable learning experiences - wonder, discovery and exploration!

The difference between good and great - a great teacher doesn't just teach facts they teach us this real world application - not just how to do something but why to do it. Unforgettable learning experiences- you may not always remember what you did in that class but you do remember that you loved being there!

The surprising truth about what motivates us

I found this an interesting presentation on what it is that really gets people to engage in their job/career/vocation.  According to this the three main motivating elements are:

1.  Being challenged - able to be self directed
2.  Mastery - getting better at stuff
3.  Making a Contribution - making the world a little bit better!

The majority of people want to feel that they are part of something meaningful.  I believe this is a key element for the majority of those involved in education and why our job is described as having a large vocation element rather than it being just a career.

I believe this ties in with the Simon Sinek TED talk blogged about below that examples the difference in businesses / schools that work on the 'WHY' before the 'HOW' and the 'WHAT'.  People believe if the direction is passionately shared?!?  Buy in follows??

Your thoughts?

The changing face of education

Learning @ School was a great opportunity to observe, discuss and interact with a lot of different individuals from all over the country about the potential for eLearning to impact on how we 'do' education. There are lots of tools and processes out there that promote cooperative, interactive and real thinking/problem solving situations for students today but there seems to be an increasing 'disconnect' with the 1 group we want involvement from - the parents of our students. They still see a lot of e stuff as fluffy and the extra bit rather than a real part of the learning process. How to shift / bring them along on the journey of learning that school is blazing is one that needs as much attention as the way we seek to structure our eLearning and eCompetencies within the school curriculum framework. The following talk from Sir Ken Robinson is one possible example of showing people just why this change is necessary.

Quotable quotes:

"The present time is the most stimulating period in the history of the earth and our children are distracted by boring stuff. " [Sir Ken Robinson]

"We are alienating millions of our youth who see no purpose in going to school." [Sir Ken]

"We have to go in opposition to standardisation which is systematically destroying the capacity for cognitive development." [Sir Ken]

It is one way to try and counter the seemingly opposite direction that we are currently being pushed in. One that seems to forget the amazing potential that the revised curriculum gave us in regards to developing a school curriculum that reflected local content and context and set the foundation for the development of true 21st century thinkers!