Category: K-12 Education

We Didn’t Start the Fire: A Brief History of the U.S.A.

Scott Allsop has taken Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire and created an educational video that depicts all the historical events that Joel sings about. Tracey Osborn uses Allsop’s video and takes it even further. Osborn created this webpage that provides the song’s lyrics and hyper-links all of the historical events metioned to related online resources. Wow!!! I could see some kids just going crazy with this kind of activity. You know they’ll even do this at home and come back the next day still talking about all the history that they’ve absorbed.

You can watch the video here…

…or you can also view/download this video (and many other great videos for use in the classroom) from the awesomely cool TeacherTube.com.

What impact do you think this kind of lesson would have?

Provocative Quote

“We would never consider teaching children to read without also teaching them to write. In the same manner we must teach our children not just to read electronic media but also to create digital media themselves.”

–from Ann Bell’s new book Creating Digital Video in Your School

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I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts on Mrs. Bell’s claim. Please share your response by clicking on the Comments link below.

Clif

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. With ample anecdotes and witty asides, Robinson points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize — much less cultivate — the talents of many brilliant people. “We are educating people out of their creativity,” Robinson says. — from TED Talks

Do you agree or disagree with Sir Robinson’s assertions?

The Crisis in Darfur: A Mini-Lesson that Teaches So Much

I challenge you to complete this mini-lesson and consider the questions below.

LESSON

  1. Watch this news special about the crisis in Darfur.
  2. Play Darfur Is Dying, a quick mini-game that simulates aspects of daily living in this region.

DISCUSSION

  1. What is your reaction to this information and simulated experience?
  2. What, if anything, did you learn from this lesson?
  3. How might this activity be integrated with teaching and learning?

Civil Rights Museum

The National Civil Rights Museum is located in the former Lorraine motel in Memphis, TN where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. I’ve visited the museum several times in the past year and I’ve been trying to blog about my experiences. I’ve been working on this post for four days hoping to find the words that would fully describe the impact of these visits as they have been profound and moving. However, I feel like my efforts to describe my experiences in words only diminishes their impact. What I can say is that I strongly encourage you to visit the museum the next time you are in the Memphis area. I assure you it is worth the trip.


Photo by Clif


Photo by Clif


Image from History Cooperative

Looking for “The Best” Technology Integration Resources

I encourage you to checkout the discussion that’s underway at The Playground regarding exemplary technology integration resources. I think that you’ll find that it has some excellent suggestions. A few of my suggestions are below. Please add your favorites the list using the Comments section.

Pay Attention

As you gear up for a new school year I encourage you to watch this video clip, Pay Attention, at least once and reflect upon its message. You might find it beneficial to review Karl Fisch’s Shift Happens before you watch this video.


Teaching and Learning up in the Air

Traveling with a Lawn Chair and BalloonsHere is a cool story (Read about it here and here) that could be integrated into the curriculum in so many different ways. I’ll give a few examples to start the conversation, and then you can add your ideas in the comments section.

  • There is so much math and science involved with this endeavor (weight, altitude, speed, distance, global positioning, ballasting, weather, wind currents, and much more) that it could easily be integrated into data collection and presentation, measurement, etc. activities.
  • There is the potential to make connections to geography, maps, latitude and longitude, etc. in social studies and geography.
  • This story (or video of this story) could be used to kick-off a creative writing/ podcasting/ video/ journaling/ presentation exercise in reading, writing, speech or mass communications classes.

I’m sure you have other thoughts about using this in teaching and learning, or perhaps you’d like to expound on something already mentioned. Either way, please add your thoughts and feedback by clicking on the Comments link below.

Games and Simulations in Education: A Resource List for Newbies

The following is in response to the requests several of you have made for more information about games and simulations in education.

The use of games and simulations in education is increasing. There is a lot being researched, written, blogged, and talked about on this topic. There are increasing numbers of presentations and discussions on the topic at conferences. The topic is also becoming part of the curriculum in more and more educational technology courses and programs. While I believe that the use of electronic games and simulations in teaching and learning is in its infancy, there are those that have had an interest in this for quite some time, and have acquired a respectable level of expertise in this area. I suggest the following resources to help you prepare to integrate games and simulations with teaching and learning in your classroom.

  • Mark Prensky – Prensky’s provocative nature has helped him become one of the biggest names in games in education. His book Digital Game-Based Learning is a must read for anyone looking to become knowledgeable of this topic. (Warning: He likes to be shocking for the sake of being shocking.)
  • Lloyd Rieber – Dr. Rieber’s understanding of rigorous research and development combined with his ability to easily communicate with classroom teachers has made him a well respected individual in the field of instructional technology around the world. His website, Nowhere Road, is full of useful resources.
  • WWILD Team – This is an “online community of teachers, parents, students, and software developers promoting experiential learning.” Be sure to especially look over the Homemade PowerPoint Games (think, “Webquest meets PowerPoint”) section.
  • Rick van Eck – He has become known for his research in instructional games and simulations.
  • Dennis Charsky – As an emerging researcher and practitioner in the area of instructional games, Dr. Charsky has the ability to communicate his knowledge of computer programming, game development, and graphic design to educators.
  • COTS – Integrating commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) games with teaching and learning
  • It’s All Fun and Games until… – This is a partial compilation of resources (podcasts, PowerPoint files, etc.) from guest presentations given in conjunction with a special topics class I helped co-teach.

What resources would you add to this list? Please leave your suggestions (provide URLs when possible) in the comments below.