Tag Archives: Learning

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Teaching Competencies

Image by Tatadbb. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Tatadbb. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

Minnesota Educational and Media Organization (MEMO) has developed a list of Information and Technology Literacy Standards highlighting 21st century skills necessary to bridge K-12 and higher education expectations for students.  The standards for grades 9-12 include;

  • Inquiry, Research, and Problem Solving:  The student will learn a continuous cycle of questioning, gathering, synthesizing, evaluating, and using information individually and collaboratively to create new knowledge and apply it to real world situations.
  • Expanding Literacies: Read, view, listen and communicate in any format for a variety of purposes.
  • Technology Use and Concepts: Students will explore multiple technologies, evaluate their suitability for the desired educational or personal task, and apply the tools needed.
  • Ethical Participation in a Global Society:  The student will participate productively in the global learning community and demonstrate safe, ethical, legal and responsible behavior in the use of information and technology.

As a library media specialist, how do you effectively teach these skills? This November, author Terry Heick shares several approaches to frame and effectively delivery content.  The article, 11 Brilliant Ways To Frame Critical Content: A Complexities Chart discusses patterns, cultural trends, themes and more.  At the bottom of the post Heick notes, “This isn’t an either/or proposition…take a standard–or concept behind a standard–and “refract” it through whichever of the following Depth or Complexity made the most sense according to that student’s knowledge-level.”

As an additional resource, TeachThought also published a visual information graphic on how to gauge understanding between a teacher and the learner(s.) Click here to view 27 Simple Ways To Check For Understanding, November 2013.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Distance Learning: The Next Steps

Image by Nazzen. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by Nazzen. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

Distance learning is often marketed as a way to meet diverse educational needs by offering course flexibility, accessibility, and program diversity. In an infographic, Career Graphics illustrates the evolution of distance learning starting as early as 1728; emphasizing key factors which influenced its transformation to what we know it as today. Some of these elements include the first correspondence courses and the introduction of new technologies such as the radio, television and internet.

In an article by Edudemic, author Nina Hassing eludes to the number of times employees change career paths as an important variable in the growing need to apply broader, analytical thinking skills. She stated, “Memorizing facts will have a much lower value, while utilizing information for analysis and decision making will be a critical skill for educational and professional advancement.“  This is used as the backdrop to discuss why the concept of distance learning needs to evolve. Hassing lists 9 ways in which this type of learning will continue to grow, why change is needed and her predictions for the future of distance education. Click here to read the full article, Why (And How) Distance Learning Needs to Change (August 2013.)

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Gamification in Education

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Games! Photo by Declan (TM) retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.
Games! Photo by Declan (TM) retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license.

With technology seeping into most every aspect of life, it is important to take a step back and evaluate what are the best, most appropriate applications in your professional and personal life. How much technology is too much? Does a game/program enhance how a particular topic is conveyed?  Can games induce excitement about certain content?

In September 2012, Edudemic, in partnership with Knewton, posted an article titled, The 100-Second Guide To Gamification In Education.  Gamification is becoming a growing trend in which games are introduced as a teaching tool to supplement the delivery of core curriculum.  Therefore, the question remains, if over 5 million people play games more 45 hours a week, what elements of gaming can be cultivated for education? As a follow-up to this article, this month Edudemic posted 25 Things Teachers Should Know About Gamification.

Here are three points made in the full article;

#11. Gamification is designed with the assumption that players aren’t initially interested. This means games are exciting and engaging enough to capture the attention of an uninterested student and carry them through to the end.

#16. One goal of Gamification in the school setting is to allow kids to be creators of their own knowledge, allowing the teacher to be an assistant to the child’s learning journey.

#18. Gamification models are being used in other educational settings as well, such as job trainings and seminars.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

MDE: Innovative Learning Time Conference!

Clockman! Photo by Sean MacEntee and retrieved from Flickr. Used under a Creative Commons license.
Clockman! Photo by Sean MacEntee Retrieved from Flickr used under Creative Commons license

*Information in this post was submitted by Nancy Walton, State Librarian, Minnesota Department of Education (MDE).

The Minnesota Department of Education and St. Olaf College invite educators, out-of-school time professionals, and all other interested community members to the 2013 It’s About Time! Innovative Learning Time Conference.  This conference will be held 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, June 21, 2013, at St. Olaf College Buntrock Commons.  The conference aims to help communities collaborate to create richer, more effective learning environments both inside the school day and through out-of-school and summer learning opportunities.  Keynote presentations will include:

  • Dr. Rose Chu, Interim Dean, School of Urban Education, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, on more, deeper learning during the school day;
  • Bob Seidel, Senior Policy Director of the National Summer Learning Association, on stronger, connected learning during out-of-school time;
  • Dr. Eric Jolly, President of the Science Museum of Minnesota, on whatever it takes  to close learning gaps; and
  • Father Tim Manatt, S.J., President of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Minneapolis, on innovation in college and career partnerships from high school through college graduation.

Breakout sessions and small group discussions will provide participants the opportunity to focus on their particular interests in greater depth.

Registration and payment deadline is Friday, June 14. Cost is $45.  Register online at: http://wp.stolaf.edu/conferences/

Please contact Cindy S. Jackson cindy.s.jackson@state.mn.us with your questions.

 

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist

Summer Learning Resources!

Image by Ahmad Hammound-some rights reserved
Image by Ahmad Hammound-some rights reserved

Edudemic (May 2013) posted an article on Ten Resources for Learning Over the Summer.  This is a quick, easily read post for all educators looking to enhance a program or instructional design. Below is a list of the general content areas discussed. Click here to read the full article.

  1. How Do Teachers Inspire Curiosity in Their Students
  2. Teaching and Learning with Videos
  3. Creative Classroom Ideas
  4. Add Multimedia Components to Presentations
  5. PBL (Project Based Learning)
  6. Engage, Inspire, and Educate Interactively Online
  7. Game Statistics and Game Simulation Applications for PE Teachers
  8. Eureka Moments–Fostering & Inspiring Creativity & Innovation
  9. No Homework
  10. Tools for Creating

Tip: When you are ready to begin planning for the 2013/14 school year, consider introducing at least one new idea into your classroom/media center.