MOOC-Eds

There is so much out there to learn and so little time. The MOOC-Ed movement is great and the one sponsored by the Friday Institute is the best I have found. They have so much to offer anyone in the educational world. The resources are superb as well. You can collaborate with educators around the globe and learn so much. Check out their classes here.

Here are the classes they currently offer.

Sign up today for a great learning experience.

EdCamp Global

What a marvelous way to connect with global educators for free. If you haven't signed up for this free event, please do!

EdCamp Global

Copyright Concerns and other Social Media Ideas

The world of social media along with the freedom of resources on the Internet has opened up a lot of issues for teachers to address in their classrooms. It is possible that copyright infractions have not changed; however, the ease of finding those who break copyright rules is much easier to find. I can remember going to a physical library and doing my research for a paper by reading real books and taking notes on 3 x 5 index cards. Those would be organized and the paper written. I could have copied an author's words but it was more labor intensive, especially with my manual typewriter! Social networks were created through the school community in the dorms and with groups at church.

Enter the new generation with connections everywhere which are able to track every word said and every picture taken with the capability of quickly passing information around. The ability to copy and paste also makes copyright infringement so much easier to accomplish.

What is the responsibility of teachers and parents? First, we must set an example of wise use of social media sites. We also much teach our students about the discernment needed to be on these sites and the legality of stealing information from someone else through copy and paste.

Here is a good resource to use.

The 4 Cs apply here too!

The 4Cs of Tech Implementation as discussed in this article gives us something to all think about. Julie Davis gives good reasons why technology used effectively in the classroom can help students reach critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. What do you think. Click here to read the article.

Why does technology seem to change everything?

Just read an interesting article discussing how "scary" technology is because there is so much out there for our students to stray into. However, students have always been able to get into trouble. Maybe they can do so more quickly now, but the rules haven't changes. Teach them respect and the love for learning! The rules, of course, will guide the learning and keep things moving along positively. It is an interesting read.

Just because it deals with technology . . .
Author, George Curos
Division Principal for Parkland School Division and an Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership consultant.