Tableau Vivant: fantastico!

Educators are more aware of different learning styles than ever. However, acknowledging difference is not the same as addressing it properly. I had a largely visually based class of 9 to 12 year old, while teaching in social studies in Ghana. Not being a visual person, designing lessons for the group was difficult for me, especially given the content of Ghanaian Social Studies. Doing a “Tableau Vivant” exercise as my classmates and I did last week could be an excellent way to engage students through technology, and allow visual learners to digest a complex or important event in history. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, any guesses at what my classic novel my classmates and I are depicting? (Clue: say goodbye to Piggy!!!)

Props to Picnik

Using Picnik.com I was able to apply new looks to old photos. I also used the cropping tool to use the rule of thirds and was able to re-size photos for the web... Fantastic!

Thoughts on “Teddy Bears Go Blogging”

 Educational blogs seem to be a hot topic for teachers, especially as we strive to bring the world into each classroom. The author clearly found a project that achieved helped her students engage in a unique project that achieved unique learning outcomes beyond that of the original learning objective. Like all adventures in technology and education, the teacher, by interacting with both her students and their global partners, modified the project as it went on. The teacher became a student of technology by listening to desires of her pupils, thereby enhancing their experiences. Brenda Sherry’s experience illustrates the potential for blogs to not only facilitate learning, but also motivate students.

"Learning Styles"

I found these VAC learning style quizzes very interesting. The ones I'd previously seen did not go into nearly as much detail. Also, its nice that the web derives the results.

Learning to Utilize Technology in the US: Thoughts from the developing world

I recently returned from Africa, where I taught at a small elite football academy in the Eastern Region of Ghana for 8 months. Our goal, was to provide 52 pupils - ages - 9 -16 - with a first rate education.

One of the greatest challenges we faced was preparing our students, who are often up for scholarships in the US and UK to elite boarding schools, with a 21st century education. I do not mean to say that Shakespeare has lost its value, or that textbooks have become irrelevant. One of the biggest problem we faced was integrating technology into there learning process. For example, when I thought about typing speed, I thought of resumes for secretaries on Mad Men, but with Facebook and the Internet America's youth has typing skills by 13 that shocked me.

Simple things like typing, searching the Internet, sending an email have become necessities for functioning as citizens in our global society. But, the technology available in the US - Internet speed alone - provides educators and students with unique ways to improve learning outcomes. This is a gift we must take advantage of in our classrooms.