Friday, June 29, 2012

Hey, Boo (Documentary Must-See)

I just watched an amazing documentary on PBS online and was reminded what a fabulous educational resource PBS' Web site is, especially for educators. Check it out here. There are even several special sections for educators like this one for the American Masters series!

And enjoy this documentary about Harper Lee, the writing of To Kill a Mockingbird and the way that its publication made contributions to the early Civil Rights Movement.


Watch Harper Lee: Hey, Boo on PBS. See more from American Masters.

Watch the Full Documentary with full-screen viewing capability at PBS.org.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

When currencies meet objectives

Think about learning currencies and how they've changed over the past 20 years. The Internet went public in 1993 and ever since has been turning evolution into revolution in the practice of teaching and learning. Both bring about change, but the pace at which learning has been transformed by technology has been warp-speed. As program management and administration have become much more research-based, the tools (most free) have been developed to keep pace with bringing that level of rigorous inquiry and fact-based strategizing to the learner themselves. These tools provide venues for new millennium skill development in research and collaboration at all levels of learning.

In this interesting graphic, learning currencies inspire a way of looking at learning objectives and outcomes with an active, research- and collaboration-based approach to teaching and learning. These currencies can be exchanged in any academic field or topic.

What are the currencies in your classroom, virtual and on-the-ground? How do your currencies help form your learning objectives and meet your learning outcomes?

Friday, June 22, 2012

Huntsville school system trades textbooks for laptops & e-books

Have you heard? Huntsville schools are going digital with their textbooks! Check it out HERE!

What a forward-thinking move!
I think it will be great, said long-time school board member Topper Birney. Very quickly, it will save money. You don’t know how much we spend on textbooks, and once you buy a textbook it’s out of date the next day. 
Did you know that there are lots of FREE academic e-books out there for use in your classroom? Look through the resources links on the right of this page or just do a Web search for "free academic e-books" and see what's out there!

e-Books are not only more affordable (especially if FREE!) but are "dynamic" in that the information is more likely to be current and easily updated. Developing your course textbook-independent with e-curriculum has never been easier! 

Contact me at the ODEeL if you'd like a consultation on how we can help you locate and integrate these resources into your classes!