Nellie and I met at a local cafe to do this interview on what self-directed learning skills meant to her and how this training has impacted her thinking and teaching. With a simple background videos like these can impact others.
Steve Jobs Quote
Watched a documentary on Steve Jobs and want to remember this:
“When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way it is, and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life. Have fun, save a little money. Life can be much broader, once you discover one simple fact, and that is everything around that you call life was made up by people who were no smarter than you.” – Steve Jobs
Cloud Based Information Management Tool
Now here’s a tool that any educator would be happy using. Diigo, is a cloud based personal information management tool that allows you to collect and access a variety of digital information. You install Diigo and then go about using the bookmarking, highlighting, and sticky notes. Capture, annotate, and share your notes all inside a cloud.
You can access your information on the go. Try the free plan first and also check out the Educator’s upgrades.
Training the Hybrid Educator
Next Wednesday, November 2, 2pm [EST] Education Week is hosting a free webinar called: Training the Hybrid Educator. Katie Ash is moderating the webinar. I heard her speak last Spring and she’s fabulous, smart and I’m sure will provide great questions for the guest speakers. Register here.
Hybrid learning, which blends face-to-face teaching techniques with online instructional aspects, is a rapidly growing sector of K-12 education. Although each hybrid, or blended, program varies on the spectrum of face-to-face vs. online elements, it is always important to properly train hybrid educators to meet student needs effectively. This chat will address what kinds of professional development are available to hybrid educators, as well as the key factors they need to know to be successful in the classroom. Our guests will share their experiences as hybrid and virtual instructors and talk about the role that hybrid education is playing in K-12 today.
Erik Toman, middle school teacher, Chicago Virtual Charter School
MassCUE 2011: Follow-Up
I would like to extend a big thank you for all who attended our presentation at MassCUE2011. Meg and I hope you came away with some tips you are now able to implement in your classroom or are at least giving some serious thought to what self-directed learning skills are all about and how important they can be in your life.
We had a fabulously, posh space for our presentation. Gillette Stadium is home to the Patriots [who happened to be on another field practicing-no photos allowed]. The view out onto the field was spectacular. This would put a whole new light into watching a live game.
Be sure to join us for our free webinars where we will continue the conversation surrounding self-directed learning skills and how you can hone them and share them with your students, fellow colleagues and administrators.
The Divided Brain
For some time now we have thought of the 2-sides of the brains, now British psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist looks at the evolution of Western Civilization through a neuropsychological prism. In his recent book, The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, is re-thinking this the left-brain right-brain concept.
McGilchrist is quick to point out that the old left-brain, right-brain clichés of the 1960s and 1970s were greatly oversimplified. Recent research has shown that both sides of the brain are deeply involved in functions such as reason and emotion. But the dichotomy is still useful, McGilchrist says, and should not be abandoned. Watch what RSA has done here and learn more about self-directed learning skills here.