Articles
IISME has posted a selection of relevant and interesting articles addressing pedagogical and educational issues of interest to the IISME teacher community. If you would like to recommend articles for posting, please contact Shari Liss at sliss@iisme.org.
Game-Based Learning: Beyond the Worksheet: Playsheets, GBL, and Gamification
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/beyond-worksheet-playsheets-gbl-gamification-alice-keeler
Game-based learning (GBL) and gamification are hot topics in education. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they actually describe different phenomena. GBL is when students play games to learn content. Gamification is the application of game based elements to non-game situations. Playing games can give students context for what they are learning. When my students played Angry Birds in the classroom, none of them asked what the purpose of learning x intercepts was.
Mixing it Up with Mangahigh: Using Games to Differentiate Instruction
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/mangahigh-games-to-differentiate-instruction-kristof-mueller
Education doesn't work with a one-size-fits-all approach. Teaching requires a deep understanding of the differences -- in knowledge, abilities, and learning styles -- that students bring to class. Differentiated instruction is the umbrella term describing the many ways that teachers modify their curriculum to meet the needs of all their students. At Quest to Learn, we take a cue from games when it comes to differentiating instruction. A well-designed game leads players through carefully-leveled tasks that prepare them to succeed in bigger challenges.
Beyond Knowing Facts, How Do We Get to a Deeper Level of Learning?
As educators across the country continue to examine the best ways of teaching and learning, a new lexicon is beginning to emerge that describes one particular approach — deeper learning. The phrase implies a rich learning experience for students that allows them to really dig into a subject and understand it in a way that requires more than just memorizing facts.
Study: You Really Can 'Work Smarter, Not Harder'
Research shows that reflecting after learning something new makes it stick in your brain.
Using Entrepreneurship to Transform Student Work
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/pbl-entrepreneurship-transforms-student-work-raleigh-werberger
As my colleagues and I were building curriculum for our ninth grade project-based program, we found that most of our conversations centered not on potential projects themselves, but rather on building student self-motivation and self-mastery. We realized that our program's measure of success was whether the students learned to take charge of their own learning and find a joy in it. [We want to take our students] Beyond “Just Good Enough”
Design Thinking in the Classroom
http://www.slideshare.net/EpicenterUSA/the-bully-bystander-story
The Bully and the Bystander Design Challenge
It began with a short story. It ended with tears and empathy for both bullies and bystanders.How to Develop Positive Classroom Management
http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-management-relationships-strategies-tips
A recent report found that educators believe that the secret to effective discipline is proactively building relationships, not reacting punitively to student misbehavior. In surveys with 300 New York City public school teachers that included an open-ended question about the largest threat to school safety, the most common response was a lack of cohesive culture and positive relationships between staff and students.
Adopt-A-Classroom Grants
http://www.adoptaclassroom.com
Teachers who register at the Adopt-a-Classroom web site can be adopted by an individual, a business, or a foundation. Once adopted, teachers will receive $500 worth of credit to purchase items that enrich the learning environment, including classroom technology.