Is critical thinking for kids? Absolutely! The art of critical thinking begins in childhood. What kind of thinker is your child? Does he believe everything on TV? Does she always figure out how to get what she wants?
Does he ask questions? Does she go along with what her friends suggest? You can help develop your child’s critical thinking skills by learning a few key guidelines!
Whether your child is just starting summer vacation or in the midst of the school year, parents can help keep minds active in fun ways. Critical thinking skills don’t fully develop until adolescence, but the foundations for good thinking develop in younger children.
The nonprofit Foundation for Critical Thinking cultivates core intellectual virtues that lead to fair-minded thinking. They have identified three ways K-6 children typically think.
Twitter’s 280 character limit has now been rolled out to everyone. In this post I’ll give you a few tweet ideas on how you can use the new update for your brand or business.
Personally, I really liked the 140 character limit, and after being in this industry for some time, I'd gotten good at chopping down long-form text to fit the platform's restrictions. I loved the challenge, and I also think it's been a big part of the appeal of Twitter - you know you're logging on to short thoughts and not long rants.
Twitter’s 280 character limit has now been rolled out to everyone. In this post I’ll give you a few tweet ideas on how you can use the new update for your brand or business.
Personally, I really liked the 140 character limit, and after being in this industry for some time, I'd gotten good at chopping down long-form text to fit the platform's restrictions. I loved the challenge, and I also think it's been a big part of the appeal of Twitter - you know you're logging on to short thoughts and not long rants.
Ofcom (the UK media and communications watchdog) have published (at end of January 2019) the Children and parents: media use and attitudes report 2018. As usual, it is based on robust research: 1,430 in-home interviews with parents of 5-15s and children aged 8-15 were conducted, along with 630 interviews with parents of children aged 3-4: undertaken in April-June 2018. It includes parents views about their children's use of media and devices.
"In today’s 'selfie' generation, photography isn’t always seen as a high art form, especially among our students. Therefore, it’s up to us to share the work of prominent photographers and showcase what a powerful form of expression photography can be." Thanks to Amanda Koonlaba for sharing this resource on the NEA edCommunities Middle School Strategies community.
On Mar. 12, the European Commission released the final report of its independent High Level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation (the Group), a group of 39 experts from different sectors and countries that was convened earlier this year and tasked with putting forward strategies to counter disinformation. The report, which is one part of the Commission’s efforts to formulate a new strategy to tackle disinformation more effectively, calls for a “multi-dimensional approach to disinformation” and emphasizes that there is no single root cause or solution to such a complicated problem.
The classroom of the future, according to the world’s best teachers
By Global Teacher Prize | March 2nd 2018
In many parts of the world, today’s classrooms are almost unrecognisable compared to those of a decade ago.
Technology is changing the way students learn and teachers teach. From interactive white boards replacing chalk boards to tablets replacing desktop computers, schools are becoming increasingly digital.
Looking ahead to 2030, greater internet connectivity and smarter technologies promise to radically reshape the classroom of the future.
We asked the Global Teacher Prize 2018 Finalists to share their views on how they feel the classroom will change in the coming decade, and what this means for the role of the teacher.
What do you think will be the biggest difference between the classroom of 2030 and the classroom of today?
Many of our Finalists predict that the trend of young people effectively teaching themselves will continue.
The classroom of the future, according to the world’s best teachers
By Global Teacher Prize | March 2nd 2018
In many parts of the world, today’s classrooms are almost unrecognisable compared to those of a decade ago.
Technology is changing the way students learn and teachers teach. From interactive white boards replacing chalk boards to tablets replacing desktop computers, schools are becoming increasingly digital.
Looking ahead to 2030, greater internet connectivity and smarter technologies promise to radically reshape the classroom of the future.
We asked the Global Teacher Prize 2018 Finalists to share their views on how they feel the classroom will change in the coming decade, and what this means for the role of the teacher.
What do you think will be the biggest difference between the classroom of 2030 and the classroom of today?
Many of our Finalists predict that the trend of young people effectively teaching themselves will continue.
The classroom of the future, according to the world’s best teachers
By Global Teacher Prize | March 2nd 2018
In many parts of the world, today’s classrooms are almost unrecognisable compared to those of a decade ago.
Technology is changing the way students learn and teachers teach. From interactive white boards replacing chalk boards to tablets replacing desktop computers, schools are becoming increasingly digital.
Looking ahead to 2030, greater internet connectivity and smarter technologies promise to radically reshape the classroom of the future.
We asked the Global Teacher Prize 2018 Finalists to share their views on how they feel the classroom will change in the coming decade, and what this means for the role of the teacher.
What do you think will be the biggest difference between the classroom of 2030 and the classroom of today?
Many of our Finalists predict that the trend of young people effectively teaching themselves will continue.
Microsoft says AI and machine learning driven by open source and the cloud
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly gaining importance, and Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Azure chief technology officer, believes it's because of open-source software and the cloud.
Yes, Microsoft just announced that the next major edition of Windows 10 will support artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). But, marketing hype aside, Microsoft knows darn well that the real heavy lifting for AI and ML happens on the cloud with open-source software. That was the message Mark Russinovich, Microsoft's Azure CTO, brought to The Linux Foundation's Open Source Leadership Summit (OSLS) in Sonoma, CA.
Russinovich opened by saying:
AI technologies and techniques are experiencing a renaissance. Open-source technologies and communities have fostered the growth of self-taught machine learning developers with libraries and frameworks. The computing power of the cloud has made the processing of large data sets cost effective and commonplace. As more research continues to be done and shared throughout the communities we will continue to see more intelligent apps driving even greater adoption of open-source technologies across all processing platforms.
Specifically, he mentioned two examples where Microsoft is using the cloud and open source to help provide solutions with customers. The first is with Rolls-Royce aircraft engines which use ML to track their wear and tear. This data is then used with AI to proactively maintain the engines.
Microsoft says AI and machine learning driven by open source and the cloud
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly gaining importance, and Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Azure chief technology officer, believes it's because of open-source software and the cloud.
Yes, Microsoft just announced that the next major edition of Windows 10 will support artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). But, marketing hype aside, Microsoft knows darn well that the real heavy lifting for AI and ML happens on the cloud with open-source software. That was the message Mark Russinovich, Microsoft's Azure CTO, brought to The Linux Foundation's Open Source Leadership Summit (OSLS) in Sonoma, CA.
Russinovich opened by saying:
AI technologies and techniques are experiencing a renaissance. Open-source technologies and communities have fostered the growth of self-taught machine learning developers with libraries and frameworks. The computing power of the cloud has made the processing of large data sets cost effective and commonplace. As more research continues to be done and shared throughout the communities we will continue to see more intelligent apps driving even greater adoption of open-source technologies across all processing platforms.
Specifically, he mentioned two examples where Microsoft is using the cloud and open source to help provide solutions with customers. The first is with Rolls-Royce aircraft engines which use ML to track their wear and tear. This data is then used with AI to proactively maintain the engines.
Blockchain is often touted as a world-changing technology and in many ways, it is. However, it isn’t necessarily the cure-all panacea for the world’s problems that many evangelists would have you believe.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the issues with blockchain that anyone thinking of using it should understand. Starting with perhaps the biggest…
Blockchain has an environmental cost
At least, the way it is being used today, it does. Blockchain relies on encryption to provide its security as well as establish consensus over a distributed network. This essentially means that, in order to “prove” that a user has permission to write to the chain, complex algorithms must be run, which in turn require large amounts of computing power. Of course, this comes at a cost. Taking the most widely known and used blockchain as an example – Bitcoin – last year it was claimed that the computing power required to keep the network running consumes as much energy as was used by 159 of the world’s nations.
Yes, Bitcoin’s blockchain is a hugely valuable network – with a current market capacity at the time of writing of over $170 billion – so sophisticated and computationally intense security is essential. Smaller scale blockchains – such as those that an organization may deploy internally to securely monitor and record business activity – would consume a fraction of that. Nevertheless, it’s an important consideration and the environmental implications as well as the energy costs can’t be ignored.
Blockchain is often touted as a world-changing technology and in many ways, it is. However, it isn’t necessarily the cure-all panacea for the world’s problems that many evangelists would have you believe.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the issues with blockchain that anyone thinking of using it should understand. Starting with perhaps the biggest…
Blockchain has an environmental cost
At least, the way it is being used today, it does. Blockchain relies on encryption to provide its security as well as establish consensus over a distributed network. This essentially means that, in order to “prove” that a user has permission to write to the chain, complex algorithms must be run, which in turn require large amounts of computing power. Of course, this comes at a cost. Taking the most widely known and used blockchain as an example – Bitcoin – last year it was claimed that the computing power required to keep the network running consumes as much energy as was used by 159 of the world’s nations.
Yes, Bitcoin’s blockchain is a hugely valuable network – with a current market capacity at the time of writing of over $170 billion – so sophisticated and computationally intense security is essential. Smaller scale blockchains – such as those that an organization may deploy internally to securely monitor and record business activity – would consume a fraction of that. Nevertheless, it’s an important consideration and the environmental implications as well as the energy costs can’t be ignored.
Each of the following DIY Arduino projects is covered with detailed step by step tutorial on how to do it yourself and includes circuit schematics, source codes and videos.
This collection of Arduino Projects features:
Wireless control Automation Motors control Robotics LEDs and more.
Each of the following DIY Arduino projects is covered with detailed step by step tutorial on how to do it yourself and includes circuit schematics, source codes and videos.
This collection of Arduino Projects features:
Wireless control Automation Motors control Robotics LEDs and more.
FIGURE 1 J'ai montré dans un post précédent, l'importance contemporaine de la curation collaborative de données. Les compétences dans ce domaine sont au coeur de la nouvelle litéracie algorithmique.
La figure 1 présente ces compétences de manière systématique et, ce faisant, elle met en ordre les savoir-faire intellectuels et pratiques tout comme les « savoir-être » éthiques…
FIGURE 1 J'ai montré dans un post précédent, l'importance contemporaine de la curation collaborative de données. Les compétences dans ce domaine sont au coeur de la nouvelle litéracie algorithmique.
La figure 1 présente ces compétences de manière systématique et, ce faisant, elle met en ordre les savoir-faire intellectuels et pratiques tout comme les « savoir-être » éthiques…
In today’s hypermedia landscape, youth and young adults are increasingly using social media platforms, online aggregators and mobile applications for daily information use. Communication educators, armed with a host of free, easy-to-use online tools, have the ability to create dynamic approaches to teaching and learning about information and communication flow online. In this paper we explore the concept of curation as a student- and creation-driven pedagogical tool to enhance digital and media literacy education.
We present a theoretical justification for curation and present six key ways that curation can be used to teach about critical thinking, analysis and expression online. We utilize a case study of the digital curation platform Storify to explore how curation works in the classroom, and present a framework that integrates curation pedagogy into core media literacy education learning outcomes.
In today’s hypermedia landscape, youth and young adults are increasingly using social media platforms, online aggregators and mobile applications for daily information use. Communication educators, armed with a host of free, easy-to-use online tools, have the ability to create dynamic approaches to teaching and learning about information and communication flow online. In this paper we explore the concept of curation as a student- and creation-driven pedagogical tool to enhance digital and media literacy education.
We present a theoretical justification for curation and present six key ways that curation can be used to teach about critical thinking, analysis and expression online. We utilize a case study of the digital curation platform Storify to explore how curation works in the classroom, and present a framework that integrates curation pedagogy into core media literacy education learning outcomes.
There is growing recognition in the education systems around the globe that being able to problem-solve computationally—that is, to think logically and algorithmically, and use computational tools for creating artifacts including models and data visualizations—is rapidly becoming a prerequisite competency for all fields.
In 2012, the U.K. national curriculum began introducing computer science (CS) to all students. Singapore, as part of its “Smart Nation” initiative, has labeled developing CT as a “national capability.” Other countries, from Finland to South Korea, China to Australia and New Zealand, have launched large-scale efforts to introduce CT in schools, as either a part of new CS curricula or integrated into existing subjects. Here in the U.S., former President Barack Obama called on all K-12 students to be equipped with CT skills as part of an “Computer Science for All” initiative in 2016. Most emergent efforts in the US involving CT are currently part of CS curricula, although CT is increasingly seeing integration into STEM (especially science) learning.
Computational Thinking (CT) is "the thought processes involved in understanding a problem and expressing its solutions in such a way that a computer can potentially carry out the solution."
Toys such as the recently Kickstarted Turing Tumble do just this: introduce kids to the notion of algorithms.
It's a very powerful field of studies for kids and grown-ups alike, because it helps understanding what's behind the curtains when it comes to computation.
It teaches how to divide a big problem into bunch of smaller ones that are easier to solve - and this is a solid skill to own.
Multiple representations of computational thinking may encourage those with math anxiety to make connections between the processes to how they see and solve the world. Not one right way to see and solve even though there may be one right answer.
The belief in learning styles is so widespread, it is considered to be common sense. Few people ever challenge this belief, which has been deeply ingrained in our educational system. Teachers are routinely told that in order to be effective educators, they must identify & cater to individual students' learning styles; it is estimated that around 90% of students believe that they have a specific learning style but research suggests that learning styles don't actually exist! This presentation focuses on debunking this myth via research findings, explaining how/why the belief in learning styles is problematic, and examining the reasons why the belief persists despite the lack of evidence.
Metacognition is awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes. The ability to analyze one’s own thoughts that lead to statements like “I don’t know how to do this” and “I can’t do this” allows for students to take better control of the learning and to begin to apply the skills and knowledge they have to the situation. Often times, if we begin to ask the student questions about what he/she does know how to do, what skills he/she has that can be applied, the student is then able to begin to attend to the work. However, what has often happened in the past, is that the student has been unsuccessful in attempting to do something new, gotten a grade that felt “bad” and it has created a sense of anxiousness about being “bad” again and so it is easier to not try it than to be “bad”.
Carol Dweck’s concept of “Not Yet” has helped many educators rethink grading and the concept of grades as either “good” or “bad”. The power of the concept of not yet allows a student to be on a continuum to achieving “good” (learning) without the feeling of being “bad” (I failed again). The idea of allowing for mastery learning teaches students metacognition. Dweck’s focus is on rewarding the process of learning more than the learning itself which allows students to develop metacognition through repeated successful learning experiences.
Metacognition is awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes. The ability to analyze one’s own thoughts that lead to statements like “I don’t know how to do this” and “I can’t do this” allows for students to take better control of the learning and to begin to apply the skills and knowledge they have to the situation. Often times, if we begin to ask the student questions about what he/she does know how to do, what skills he/she has that can be applied, the student is then able to begin to attend to the work. However, what has often happened in the past, is that the student has been unsuccessful in attempting to do something new, gotten a grade that felt “bad” and it has created a sense of anxiousness about being “bad” again and so it is easier to not try it than to be “bad”.
Carol Dweck’s concept of “Not Yet” has helped many educators rethink grading and the concept of grades as either “good” or “bad”. The power of the concept of not yet allows a student to be on a continuum to achieving “good” (learning) without the feeling of being “bad” (I failed again). The idea of allowing for mastery learning teaches students metacognition. Dweck’s focus is on rewarding the process of learning more than the learning itself which allows students to develop metacognition through repeated successful learning experiences.
Prepare students for digital learning Arriving students need to know what to expect from digital learning. Our findings point to the key practices and tools that students find useful in each sector but there is no one-size-fits-all solution. This is where institutions can make excellent use of their local insights data.
Make bring your own devices (BYOD) work Most students now bring their own devices for learning but many can’t use them to access subjectspecialist software and online content. Students learn more efficiently if they have access to the full range of learning tools on a device of their choice.
Assistive technology is for everyone One in five students is using assistive or adaptive technologies, often by choice rather than necessity. Institutions should recognise the value of ‘inclusive for all’ and investigate how digital technologies can support inclusion in learning and assessment.
Help students stay happy and well FE students would benefit from better access to health and wellbeing services online. HE students would benefit from more help to stay safe online. All students want to feel that they belong, so their log-in should give access to personalised services, student societies and social networks.Digital experience insights survey 2018: findings from students in UK further and higher education.
Authors: Tabetha Newman, Helen Beetham and Sarah Knight SEPTEMBER 2018
Teachers are the most important school-related factor influencing student learning. Teachers can help level the playing field and provide opportunities...
Teachers are the most important school-related factor influencing student learning. Teachers can help level the playing field and provide opportunities for success to all their students. They can inspire students to innovate; to think and reflect and to work in collaboration with others.
"Teachers are the most important school-related factor influencing student learning. Teachers can help level the playing field and provide opportunities for success to all their students. They can inspire students to innovate; to think and reflect and to work in collaboration with others."
"A new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults finds that the social media landscape in early 2018 is defined by a mix of long-standing trends and newly emerging narratives."
Rufaro Chisango, a black student at Nottingham Trent University, tweeted a video of students chanting “we hate the blacks” outside of her dorm. This shockingly racist abuse has quite rightly drawn widespread condemnation.
Whenever someone does something explicitly racist, it’s often framed as an isolated incident. This doesn’t just misrepresent the experiences of black and minority ethnic (or BAME) students, who face racism in many forms on a daily basis – it obscures the structural and institutional nature of racism.
Flipping the curriculum could help us meet the demands of the artificial-intelligence era
Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotech are redefining what it means to be human—and employable.
Jobs are disappearing as automation replaces the need for people. New occupations are emerging that demand competencies that can transfer across the multiple assignments workers will experience in their lives. The disappearance of global boundaries presents opportunities—and risks—for all workers.
These changes demand a significant, ambitious evolution in how we prepare students for their future in a world that's increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. We need a relevant and modernized education.
According to the article, education now focusses more on information and data, followed by understanding and knowledge, and in last place, transfer of expertise. However, in the future, when artificial intelligence becomes common, education needs to focus on transfer of expertise before everything else. I feel that this is rather true. Knowledge of events and subjects might give you a boost in your career, but what is more important is the skills to learn, which is the transfer of expertise. Education needs to shift in order to meet this demand of skills needed in the future.
It can be evidenced that a lot of aspects of education continue being as traditional as always. Nevertheless, I must highlight that nowadays people are becoming aware about the importance of incorporating technology into the classrooms. Although people are becoming aware, taking advantage of technology to improve the learning process is still a challenge.
This article is really interesting due to the fact that it provides specific examples of skills needed in this century, and that can be achieved through the use of technological devices. Also, this article made me think about my role as a future teacher and the responsibility to start making little changes into the classrooms in order to improve education and contribute positive aspects to it. it is clear that the article makes a direct relationship about technology and education, and how to prepare students to deal with the 21st century skills.
This concept is called self-sovereign identity. Self-sovereign identity starts with the notion that we all are the makers of our own identity, online and off. Because they do not rely on any centralized authority, self-sovereign identity systems are decentralized, mirroring the way identity works in real life.
Offline, our interactions flexibly support the use of attributes and credentials from numerous third parties, all presented by the very person they’re about, typically by taking those credentials out of a wallet or purse and presenting them to someone else to verify. For example, take a driver’s license. States issue it as a credential that you’re authorized to drive. But, it’s useful for a lot more. When you show up at a bar and the bartender wants proof you’re over 21, you show them your driver’s license.
How blockchain can solve the identity dilemma
Self-sovereign identity systems use blockchains – distributed ledgers – so that decentralized identifiers can be looked up without involving a central directory. Blockchains don’t solve the identity problem by themselves, but they do provide a missing link that allows things we’ve known about cryptography for decades to suddenly be used. That allows people to prove things about themselves using decentralized, verifiable credentials just as they do offline.
This concept is called self-sovereign identity. Self-sovereign identity starts with the notion that we all are the makers of our own identity, online and off. Because they do not rely on any centralized authority, self-sovereign identity systems are decentralized, mirroring the way identity works in real life.
Offline, our interactions flexibly support the use of attributes and credentials from numerous third parties, all presented by the very person they’re about, typically by taking those credentials out of a wallet or purse and presenting them to someone else to verify. For example, take a driver’s license. States issue it as a credential that you’re authorized to drive. But, it’s useful for a lot more. When you show up at a bar and the bartender wants proof you’re over 21, you show them your driver’s license.
How blockchain can solve the identity dilemma
Self-sovereign identity systems use blockchains – distributed ledgers – so that decentralized identifiers can be looked up without involving a central directory. Blockchains don’t solve the identity problem by themselves, but they do provide a missing link that allows things we’ve known about cryptography for decades to suddenly be used. That allows people to prove things about themselves using decentralized, verifiable credentials just as they do offline.
Everyday, there are 4 million blog posts, 100,000 news articles and 500,000 hours of video published on the Internet. A wealth of information and knowledge. A wealth of information and knowledge that is lost for most companies, at least for the most part.
Lost?
Step 1: content curation Not entirely. Thanks to content curation technology, the Web can now be filtered. With content curation tools and platforms such as Scoop.it (among others of course), we can use more or less sophisticated ways to filter this huge amount of content that is published daily to zoom in on what matters to us. Good content curation technology is essential. It saves people a huge amount of time looking for content to share for marketing purposes or information that helps their organization make better decisions. And perhaps as importantly, without these filters, we would just be able to search – not discover. We would still find answers to what we don’t know but we wouldn’t know what we don’t know.
But until recently, all the solutions we’ve offered to deal with information overload – ours included – have revolved around the same basic idea: more – or more sophisticated – filters.
Everyday, there are 4 million blog posts, 100,000 news articles and 500,000 hours of video published on the Internet. A wealth of information and knowledge. A wealth of information and knowledge that is lost for most companies, at least for the most part.
Lost?
Step 1: content curation Not entirely. Thanks to content curation technology, the Web can now be filtered. With content curation tools and platforms such as Scoop.it (among others of course), we can use more or less sophisticated ways to filter this huge amount of content that is published daily to zoom in on what matters to us. Good content curation technology is essential. It saves people a huge amount of time looking for content to share for marketing purposes or information that helps their organization make better decisions. And perhaps as importantly, without these filters, we would just be able to search – not discover. We would still find answers to what we don’t know but we wouldn’t know what we don’t know.
But until recently, all the solutions we’ve offered to deal with information overload – ours included – have revolved around the same basic idea: more – or more sophisticated – filters.
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