No Free Lunch in Room 128

There has been a tide of discussion on where schools are headed and what they should do to correct themselves.  My thoughts go directly to one weakness, problem solving.  How can I make my students (and my own children) better at this skill?Problem (or at least what I see)

We need “Good deed doers,” divergent thinkers, and problem solvers.  We need students who don’t need to be hand-held and spoon-fed.  I tell my students this all the time, but I catch myself helping and enabling.  

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EdGamer 17: The Supreme Court and EdGamer Agree

Welcome to EdGamer episode 17! This week we get judicial as we discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the California law that banned sales of violent video games to children. We also touch on another board game and discuss teen virtual worlds. This episode is chock full of random video game and education talk as we discuss all the topics that have been nagging on our brains lately.… Read the rest

My Teacher To-Do List for the Summer

My summer seems to be pretty busy and I am always feeling like I am doing mindless tasks.  I made a conscious effort to make sure that I was completing activities that worked the mind this summer.  The list below shows most of the activities that I am involved with during my “vacation.”

Teacher Feast– This is a week long training camp for teachers to learn technology for the classroom.  It is a great model for professional development.  … Read the rest

Three Qualities That Make Video Games Better Teachers Than Teachers

In my five part countdown about video games and education (the rest can be found here, at EdReach.us), I have addressed the types of gamers in your classroom and the common misconceptions about these students. This article, however, takes the focus off of the students and turns a spotlight onto the teachers. There are several qualities that make video games better teachers than teachers, and here are my top three:

 

Reason Number One: Ability to Assess

 

The speed and accuracy of computers are something the human brain can no longer match.… Read the rest

EdGamer 16: Vader vs. Shakespeare

EdGamer will not be heard in its entirety.  Half of EdGamer 16 has disapparated (Harry Potter terminology) into the unknown.  The show will end a little after the 35 minute mark.  Gerry and I had a few issues with Skype and all seemed well with our recording until I went to edit the show.  Our last Skype hiccup stopped my recording even though the recording program still showed that all operations were normal.  … Read the rest