Why Does Sugata Mitra Anger So Many Educators?

This Ed Tech Talk entitled, Why Does Sugata Mitra Anger So Many Educators, is interesting!  I think you will find it interesting.  If you aren't familiar with the work of Sugata Mitra, view some of his TED Talks here.

Participants in the Ed Tech Talk include Dave Cormier, Jeff Lebow, Jennifer Madrell, Graham Stanley, John Schinker.  They discuss Sugata Mitra's concept of Self-Organized Learning Environment (SOLE), but conversation goes beyond Mitra's views.  Their discussion leaves room for reflection for the future of education in K-12 and higher ed.  Dave Cormier wrote two related posts The Rise of SOLEs (Part 1): The Decline of the Webquest and The Rise of the SOLES (Part 2): At the Heart of a SOLE.  These put some of their conversation into context.

What are some of your take-aways?  What points do you agree and disagree with? Watch it and share your thoughts here or in person with another educator.

A Pep Talk from Kid President

A favorite needs watched more than once.  It also needs shared. Watch Kid President from Soul Cake to brighten your day.  Then share, go and "create something that will make the world awesome!"

Lessons from Auschwitz: The Power of Words

Lessons from Auschwitz: The Power of Words by Benjamin Zandar is a beautiful short video with an important message.  "I will never say anything that can't stand as the last thing I say."  This provides a reflective moment during the Holocaust Memorial Week.

#Easter Fun

My kiddo made these this weekend.  The big question is Will they hatch HTML?  So far, so good.

Migrant Youth Voices on iPads and Blogs

I presented at NCCE 2014.  The basic concept of the presentation is giving underrepresented students a voice, bringing out the super hero in them, and allowing them to speak on topics of interest to them through the use of emerging technologies. The inspiration of this presentation is from the Oregon Migrant Leadership Institutions (OMLI) I've participated in at Oregon State University for the past five summers.  The presentation gives high school participant examples from the OMLI and reflects on tech integration from the perspective of a learning educator.

http://prezi.com/ontt6uhguty1/migrant-youth-voices/

Here are related posts about the OMLI experiences.
Giving Students a Voice with iPads and iMovies
Student Voice with Tablets vs Pens
Summer Camp Experiences Recorded with Weebly, Animoto, and Educreations

The Teachers Should See This: Super Bowl Predictions

Watch the video below initiated and created by my young guest blogger.  It's a fun example of creativity and pop culture outside the classroom with tablets and apps such as iMovie.

Personally, I base my favorite team and predictions entirely upon color schemes.  It's a close call this year!

There must be math applications for predictions and probability for creative math teachers out there a bit deeper than our "scientific" predictions.  Share if you have any. :-)

Happy commercial watching!