Pokemon - hard to resist! Coding? Raising brilliant children and learning goals v creativity.

Education Readings by Allan Alach

I welcome suggested articles, so if you come across a gem, email it to me at allanalach@inspire.net.nz

10 ways Pokemon Go portends AR in learning

May as well jump on this bandwagon…

‘Quite simply, this opens up immense possibilities and opportunities for learning. If we could take some of that AR ‘magic dust’ and sprinkle it on learning, we may, at last, lift and augment tasks that were traditionally passive, static and 2D into activities that are active, dynamic and 3D. The real world, in which we live, learn and participate is, after all, active, dynamic and 3D. You can literally superimpose anything on anything, anywhere at anytime for anyone. It is personalised learning in the extreme, with a huge does of curiosity, motivation and addiction thrown in.’

http://bit.ly/29WNUl6

Five Things Education Technology Could Learn from Pokémon Go

‘However, during my weekend search for Pikachu, Snorlax, and the other 248 Pokémon, it dawned on me how right the developers of the game got it when it came to building a technology that motivates and inspires users to get hooked and stay that way, even when the searching process gets more difficult. I think about this — how to motivate people and keep them motivated — often, although typically within the context of subject area that most fourth graders (and, lets be real, most thirty-year-olds) find less exciting than the hunt for mythical, magical beings: education.’

http://bit.ly/29OxnzO

Coding in the Curriculum

Another bandwagon…

‘I don’t know about you, but the first thing I asked was who is going to do this? I have met many a good soul who dedicate their lives to teaching students, but who’s computer literacy is extremely limited.  And while the content knowledge required to for Level 1 of the curriculum will be very basic, it still requires a great deal more teaching knowledge to be able to teach it effectively. What are students getting stuck on? What are the next steps? How do I solve the next problem?’

http://bit.ly/2a1E5Fe

Coding Is Over

This article is not about education but does show that the current ‘teach the kids to code’

bandwagon may have a dubious underside.

‘Companies have an economic interest in lowering the barrier to entry for software engineering jobs, as well as decreasing the number of people they need to hire to push new features and show “growth”. If making web applications becomes easier, more people will be available to fill those positions, and salaries will go down.’

http://bit.ly/2aaAZ2b

Slow Processing Speed and Anxiety: What You Need to Know

Anxious thinker

‘But for kids with slow processing speed, anxious moments can pop up throughout the day, and without warning. That’s because their processing speed issues can impact everything from taking tests to talking with friends. And in some cases, the frequent anxiety turns into an anxiety disorder.’

http://u.org/2a1HmEI

Abstract thinker

Think More Abstractly to Develop Creativity and Innovation

‘Creative problem solving is enhanced by thinking more abstractly or at an intellectual distance, rather than more concretely, according to research studies.’

http://bit.ly/29N3V0M

Contributed by Bruce Hammonds:

The Need for Adaptation in Schools

‘The young people at the conference want to take an active role in their communities and their futures. It's an upbeat group that’s full of passion.So how do schools provide outlets for these Generation Z students to pursue their passions, be active participants in community life, and steer these learners toward their futures?The answer is adaptation.’

http://edut.to/2a0haLh

How To Raise Brilliant Children, According To Science

‘We're training kids to do what computers do, which is spit back facts. And computers are always going to be better than human beings at that. But what they're not going to be better at is being social, navigating relationships, being citizens in a community. So we need to change the whole definition of what success in school, and out of school, means.’

http://n.pr/2a1G24r

Learning Goals… Success Criteria… and Creativity?

‘While I am aware that setting clear standards are important, making sure we communicate our learning goals with students, co-creating success criteria… and that these have been shown to

increase student achievement, I can’t help but wonder how often we take away our students’ thinking and decision making when we do this before students have had time to explore their own thoughts first.’

http://bit.ly/29WT7tf

From Bruce’s ‘goldie oldies’ file:

The World IS flat!!!!

“In his book, 'The World is Flat' , Thomas Friedman shares how the convergence and explosion of new communication technologies and globalisation has 'flattened' the world allowing anybody, anywhere, to be connected anytime, with growing efficiency and speed. Others have called this convergence the beginning of the 'Second Renaissance' while others call it the 'Age Of Creativity or Talent.’”

http:///1FvthER

Henry Giroux - lessons for New Zealand educators. Revitalizing the role of public education.

Time to call an end to neo liberal free market drivel before we ruin our country.

‘There is no doubt that current political leadership, influenced by a neo –liberal philosophy of small government, individualism and the need to privatise of all aspects of living has led to the erosion of the belief in the common good resulting in a growing gap between so called ‘winners and losers’.The winners are the financial and corporate elite - the one percent.The corporate and financial elite, right wing think tanks –and extreme fundamentalist political groups (the Tea Party in America and the ACT party in New Zealand) are increasingly focusing on privatisation.’

http://bit.ly/18ntJX8

Digital technology:Over promised and under-delivered?

‘It seems however that modern technology is sold to schools by people who see schools as a 'cash cow'. And,once technology is introduced, there is always new technology to replace old models, new upgrades to 'keep up with the play', eating up scarce financial resources of the schools.It would be wise to spend money on professional development to assist teachers to use the technology sensibly.’

http://bit.ly/29YuqvH

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