"Understanding the differences between primary and secondary sources can be a challenge to some middle school and high school students. "
Research and publish the best content.
Get Started for FREE
Sign up with Facebook Sign up with X
I don't have a Facebook or a X account
Already have an account: Login
Eclectic Technology
224.7K views |
+0 today
Tech tools that assist all students to be independent learners & teachers to become better teachers
Curated by
Beth Dichter
 Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...
Scoop.it!
My PhD: http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/super/theses/PhD(Muller).pdf It is a common view that "if only someone could break this down and explain it clearly en...
Beth Dichter's insight:
This video may surprise you with what students actually learn (or do not learn) when watching videos. If you are going to be creating videos to flip your classroom, or you using videos created by others take the time to watch this one. You may find yourself making some revisions to help your students better understand key concepts. 
Deborah Rinio's curator insight,
March 24, 2014 12:56 PM
SCIENCE TEACHERS: WATCH THIS VIDEO! This is a great video that explains what students gain from watching videos dealing with science concepts. Watch this and use the information to choose great videos. Or add components to the videos you already watch to help make sure your students will learn. 
Raquel Oliveira's curator insight,
March 28, 2014 11:38 AM
5 maneiras para aumentar a chances de aprendizagem por meio de videos. O comparativo é feito com videos da Kahn Academy . Great reserach ! 
AMPA Santa Teresa. 's curator insight,
March 31, 2014 7:41 AM
Aquest vídeo et pot sorprendre amb el que els estudiants aprenen (o no aprèn) quan miran vídeos. Si eres mestre, si estàs creant vídeos per a estudiants o tal vegada utilitzes els d'altres, agafeu temps per mirar aixo.
Scoop.it!
I often hear language learning is much easier when you are younger, and that we must teach our young students another language when they are young so that they can be ‘more competitive’ in an increasingly globalized, connected world. While I don’t argue with that at all, there are many other benefits that come from being …
Beth Dichter's insight:
Are there benefits to being bilingual? Current research says yes, and this infographic shares information on some of the benefits. Click through to the post to see all the benefits...and perhaps you will decide that it is time to study another language!
Drora Arussy's curator insight,
March 4, 2014 7:46 AM
Really states clearly and understandably so many of the benefits of speaking a second language - how much more does the culture of Hebrew bring into the mix? 
Tandoo Barcelona's curator insight,
November 25, 2014 9:26 AM
An intersting article about the advantages of bilingualism. So start learning! :) (Karina)
Scoop.it!
Quoting from the post: Statistically speaking, the strength of the relationship between two variables. John Hattie, Professor of Education and Director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia, says ‘effect sizes’ are the best way of answering the question ‘what has the greatest influence on student learning?’
Beth Dichter's insight:
So the question is, what does research tell us are the best teaching and learning strategies? This list, from John Hattie's research, provides insight into this question. After an introduction that describes how the effect size is applied and the cautions that must be observed, there is a short section that discusses how you might apply this data...and then there are six scrollable pages where the data is shared. There is also a list of of the 39 strategies that is to the point. The scrollable list provides additional insights for better understands. What is least successful? Retention. What is most successful? Teacher credibility in the eyes of the student. This post is worth reading, and reading again. The strategies may not be new to you, but as you read through the research you may choose one or two to work on as this school year continues.
Scoop.it!
If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? - Albert Einstein It always starts with a question. Most of the time there is a simple answer to that question. What...
Beth Dichter's insight:
How do we get students to conduct inquiry-driven research where they cannot easily Google the answer? This post provides a look at how to teach teenagers by using questions that do not have an easy answer, specifically "Who is more popular, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, or Beyoncé?" It does not have a clear cut answer and requires that you look at trends. A description of what this question led to is provided and it shows that answering this question leads to a range of resources that students must also look at and evaluate. But what about younger students? Two suggestions are made that will help you start thinking about how to do this and engage younger students in conducting inquiry-driven research. For more information on this click through to the post.
R. Alisha J. Hill's curator insight,
December 28, 2013 10:16 PM
This blog hits the nail on the head...reasearch papers must be inquiry based. In order to be college and career ready students must know how to draw inferences and make conclusions using evidence to back up their argument. They must also know how to identify credible sources. Using this inquiry driven research approach teaches them "how to fish", which is a lifelong survival skill students will need To function in today's society.m
Scoop.it!
"Educators are increasingly focusing on the ninth grade as the year that determines whether a young person will move on or drop out of school. According to research published in the journal Education, ninth graders have the lowest grade point average, the most missed classes, the majority of failing grades, and more misbehavior referrals than any other high-school grade level. Ninth grade has increasingly become a “bottleneck” for students..."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Research shows that 9th grade is a pivotal year for high school students. Some define it as a "make or break year for many 14- and 15-year-olds." Why? They are entering a new school, having more autonomy and more homework, and they are an adolescents, with brains that may not be making the best decisions.
Mary Lambert Belechak's curator insight,
October 10, 2014 6:19 PM
Knowing 9th grade year is so pivotal and important and getting 9th graders to know it are two different things. Attendance, behavior, and grades. Attendance in first 30 days.
Scoop.it!
David Wilcox, of Musings on the Middle Years of Education, and I have worked together to create an infographic about the teen brain. It is based on a blog post he wrote over a year ago (Click here ...
Beth Dichter's insight:
Do you understand the teen brain? This infographic explains how "teens forgetfulness may be due to major changes in their brain. These changes can last into the college years." This is a long infographic with three sections. Section 2 looks at the question "Why is my teen so forgetful?" and Section 3 will provide ideas on how you may help your teen. Although designed for parents this is a great infographic for teachers to gain a better understanding of the current research on teens and their brains. The final section of the infographic provides references. You may download this as a single file or download each section independently.
Audrey's curator insight,
December 5, 2013 3:24 PM
Thanks for this Beth. I will add this to my tutorials for students. It is very helpful, Audrey. Also have a look at www.hotmoodle.com. 
David Baker's curator insight,
December 8, 2013 1:01 AM
I plan to share this at the School Accountability meeting I am chairing next week. We have a standing agenda item - the middle school student. This is a great resource and in a great format to start conversations at school and home.
Scoop.it!
Beth Dichter's insight:
What do you know about Generation Z? This website has much more than the infographic that is shown above. You will find additional details on each of 36 categories that include not only the ones within the infographic such as Effective Engagement, Education, Age Range, and Wealth but also Influencers (which will lead to a table called Generations Define and that compares the Builders (born from 1925-1945) to the Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z); Social Media; Learning Styles; and many more. Do you work with students whom are Gen Z? If so this infographic has the potential to become a project where students learn more about one area and determine if they agree or disagree with the results found in this research. McCrindle, the company that did this research, is located in Australia and is recognized as a leader in research on Generation X, Generation Y and Generation Z.
Beatriz Montesinos's curator insight,
November 28, 2013 5:42 AM
Excelente estudio sociólogico de la Generación Z (niñ@s nacidos entre 1995 y 2009) realizado por la empresa australiana McCrindle.
Scoop.it!
Beth Dichter's insight:
Common Sense Media has just published an infographic and a report that looks at how children ages 8 and under are using media. They did a similar report two years ago so you will see some major shifts in how current technology is being used. Areas covered in the infographic include: * Access to mobile technology * Tech savvy toddlers * Screen time * What kid's are doing with mobile devices * Television time * Digital Divide and more. There continues to be debate over how much screen time is appropriate for young ones. This infographic may provide some information that surprises you. To access the summary or the full report, "Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America 2013"
Scoop.it!
Many studies show that engaging in reciprocal back-and-forth conversations gives children a chance to try out language for themselves, and also gives them the sense that their thoughts and opinions matter.
Beth Dichter's insight:
This post explores research that show that rich conversation is an important component of children learning. It also notes that children only less than 15% of their time at school. Therefore a key part of learning rich conversation is parents. "A study by researchers at North Carolina State University, Brigham Young University and the University of California-Irvine, for example, finds that parental involvement—checking homework, attending school meetings and events, discussing school activities at home—has a more powerful influence on students’ academic performance than anything about the school the students attend." For more information on this as well as links to additional studies click through to the post.
Scoop.it!
"Do American students have too much homework, or too little? We often hear passionate arguments for either side, but I believe that we ought to be asking a different question altogether. What should matter to parents and educators is this: How effectively do children’s after-school assignments advance learning?" Do American students have too much homework, or too little? We often hear passionate arguments for either side, but I believe that we ought to be asking a different question altogether. What should matter to parents and educators is this: How effectively do children’s after-school assignments advance learning?
Beth Dichter's insight:
Homework - where do you stand on this issue? This post by Annie Murphy Paul provides information that looks at current research on the brain and a new field called "Mind, Brain and Education, that is devoted to understanding and improving the ways in which children absorb, retain and apply knowledge" The post discusses specific ways that homework may be designed to help learners. These include spaced repetition, essentially exposing students to the same information over a longer period of time; retrieval practice, using a test to reinforce what a student knows; and interleaving, mixing "up different kinds of situations or problems to be practiced, instead of grouping them by type." You will find more information on this research as well as evidence that points to pretty significant increases in students grades when utilizing these methods. Well worth a read as we enter a new school year and have to look at the issue of homework yet again.
Scoop.it!
Beth Dichter's insight:
Are you using Google Docs? This post explores many of the options available to you in Google Docs including: * Google Docs for Research - Look under Tools to access Research. As well as allowing you to research within Google Docs this tool streamlines " the process of creating hyperlinks and appropriately formatting citations." * Google Docs for Collaborative Writing - Some of the features of this tool include sharing and commenting, built-in dictionary, smart spell check and grammar check, one click footnotes and citations, Easy Bib connection and revision history. The Common Core stresses the need for students to collaborate. Google Docs may assist your students in the process. The post also contains quite a few screenshots.
Scoop.it!
Part 3 - Insights and Lessons Learned from the Student’s Perspective This is the third part in the series we've run this week from Franklin Academy Principal
Beth Dichter's insight:
This is the last of a series of three posts that looked at "teaching and learning with an iPad." This post looks at if from a student perspective and discusses three lessons learned (as well as providing data from this 3-year study). The three lessons discussed are: * Lesson 1: Organization * Lesson 2: Timely Workflow and Communication * Lesson 3: Information Access Access to Part 1 and Part 2 of this series are available at the end of the post. Part 1 look at the lessons learned from the viewpoint of an administrator. The three lessons discusses in this post are: * Lesson 2: Staff Development and Support * Lesson 3: Be A Model Part 2 of the series explored the viewpoint from a teachers perspective. The three lessons in this post discussed: * Lesson 1: Change of Habit * Lesson 2: Success is in the Support * Lesson 3: 1:1 iPads Changing Students Performance For those whom may be pushing out iPads this year or for those using iPads the information in these 3 posts is valuable, esp. since it covers a 3-year period and the perspectives of the 3 key parties involved.
|
Scoop.it!
Searching for information on the Internet can be extremely challenging for our students. This is widely due to the sheer amount of information that is currently available out there. A lot of teache...
Beth Dichter's insight:
You assign students a research project. Many students go to Google, type in a question (without giving much thought), and often become overwhelmed with the amount of information available. Is this a familiar scene? Think back and make one change, instead of using Google have them use a database? Is that a significant shift? This post provides a series of steps, taking you through a number of ways you might proceed with a research project and adding in complexity. Scheer begins by explaining a common research project and moves on through a number of areas: * What is understanding? * Understanding Searching with Technology * Stages of Research * Putting This All Together * Conclusion Do you have your students do research projects? Do you find that you are not satisfied with the quality of work being done? This post provides an excellent foundation to help you revamp your process and provide your students with skills that they will use not only in the classroom but also in the future, in both their personal and professional endeavors.
Kate JohnsonMcGregor's curator insight,
April 7, 2014 2:20 PM
Re-framing the stages of research to help students manage the volume of information on databases and the internet. PLAN – Identify what the problem is and the questions that you are going to ask. STRATEGIZE – The route that you are going to take to search the web for information about your questions. EVALUATE – The sources of data that you are using for credibility, accuracy and currentness. TRIANGULATE – Compare your sources of data against one other.
Scoop.it!
"A new study shows that we are far better at remembering what we see and touch than what we hear."
Beth Dichter's insight:
How do we learn best? This is a critical question for educators to understand and to keep up-to-date with research, and this post from the National Geographic looks at new research that shows that our auditory memory is not as robust as our visual and tactile memory. Much more information is available in the post but the shorthand is that having students engage as many senses as possible is the best way for us to reach our learners!
David Baker's curator insight,
March 13, 2014 4:33 PM
Important to remember that we structure classrooms to support learning.
Scoop.it!
Beth Dichter's insight:
If your students have Google accounts you might consider having them use Google Slides to help them organize research. With the tools available for searching next to the slides it is an easy way for them to begin to organize their materials. Richard Byrne has created a video that walks you through what to do.
Scoop.it!
Public Science Project has been successful at enlisting the help of young people and motivating them to engage in highly academic work in large part because they value what those youth bring to the table. This model offers interesting insights for educators struggling to motivate and challenge learners that seem disengaged or disinterested in learning.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Talk about authentic learning, this post provides the model to help your students become engaged and motivated researchers. Train students in "statistics and research methods" and they can actively participate in research. The post provides details of this project (which is in New York) and may move you to see if you could bring this opportunity to your students.
Scoop.it!
7th grade Geography teacher, David J. at Graded-The American School of Sao Paulo, was planning an in-depth country data study and interpretation. He decided to allow his students to explore the use...
Beth Dichter's insight:
Take a look at this post to see one way to use infographics to help teach critical thinking. The post provides a look at what makes a good infographic as well as two suggestions for free tools to help students create them. There are also a couple of videos that will help students learn more about infographics as well as the need to cite sources, samples of infographics made by the students and more! Think about finding a topic that your students could research and consider having them make infographics to show their understanding...chances are they will be engaged in the process.
Scoop.it!
Learning to focus on one task while tuning out the many distractions vying for attention is a crucial life skill that some students are missing.
Beth Dichter's insight:
We live in age with many distractions. What happens to students when they are constantly being interrupted by one digital device or another? What impact might this have on their ability to cultivate "skills of attention...if students don’t learn how to concentrate and shut out distractions, research shows they’ll have a much harder time succeeding in almost every area." What should we do to help students learn to focus? Should learning to focus become a part of the curriculum? Learn more about this topic by clicking through to the post.
Scoop.it!
"SummarizeThis is a free tool that summarizes the main point(s) of long articles that you find on the web. To use SummarizeThis you just copy and paste text into the summary box and click "summarize." A summary of the text then appears above the original text that you copied."
Beth Dichter's insight:
This tool look interesting and you might have students use it when they are doing research. We know how hard it can be to get students to read longer articles. This has the potential to let them see if his article is important to their topic. Will it help them answer their questions?
Intriguing Networks's curator insight,
December 3, 2013 3:35 AM
B Possibly not just for teachers, but if it works so well then maybe the authors might need to think again, 'brevity the soul of wit' 
Phil Turner's curator insight,
December 3, 2013 6:03 PM
This looks surprisingly effective (in my test of one article) ... and could be a useful first order tool for scanning large amounts of work. Students might learn to summarise/paraphrase by looking carefully at how the results relate to the original text (if they can resist just cutting and pasting the new words). 
Tracy Shaw's curator insight,
December 10, 2013 6:58 PM
Here's a cool tool for teachers! Time saver.
Scoop.it!
"Google Books is one of the research tools that Google offers, but a lot of students overlook. Google Books can be a good place for students to look for books and look within books that can help them with their research projects."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Have you checked out Google Books as a tool for research? Richard Byrne provides a great overview of how to have your students use this tool. He also provides a slideshow with directions that include screenshots.
Scoop.it!
Beth Dichter's insight:
Have you had people ask you why you choose to use infographics in your classroom? This presentation is by Mia MacMeekin, who has created many great infographics (some of which have been posted on this Sccop.it). The best way to access this is in PDF format. This file is quite large so here is a direct link to it: http://anethicalisland.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/rscon-presentation-22.pdf
Scoop.it!
"As e-readers grow in popularity as convenient alternatives to traditional books, researchers at the Smithsonian have found that convenience may not be their only benefit. The team discovered that when e-readers are set up to display only a few words per line, some people with dyslexia can read more easily, quickly and with greater comprehension."
Beth Dichter's insight:
The end of this press release shares a new website: Read Easy (located at http://readeasy.si.edu/). This website shares links to several articles that share the research ("E-Readers are More Effective than Paper for Some with Dyslexia" and "Shorter Lines Facilitate Reading in Those Who Struggle"). The website also provides a demo of what works and states that the Smithosonian will be offering a "FREE online certification course to support professional reading specialists interested in using mobile e-reader devices to help students with dyslexia in their practice. Certification is only open to professional reading specialists." This course will be available on December 1st. For more information click through to the Read Easy website (link above).
Heather MacDonald's curator insight,
September 23, 2013 11:20 AM
I love these kinds of advances. For those of us who know of people who've struggled with language learning challenges this is a great discovery. Language leaning problems create way too many other personal and social problems for children who then grow to be adults with problems unless they are diagnosed and helped. Way to go Smithsonian researchers! 
LS5043-2014's curator insight,
November 6, 2014 6:34 PM
Important evidence re: usefulness of e-readers to underserved library populations.
Scoop.it!
'The latest findings from the real neuroscience of creativity suggest that the right brain/left brain distinction is not the right one when it comes to understanding how creativity is implemented in the brain.
Beth Dichter's insight:
New research from a number of cognitive scientists "are overturning conventional notions surrounding the neuroscience of creativity." Recent findings is not located in a single region of the brain nor on one side of the brain. Instead various regions of the brain work together. The post goes on to discuss "Three large-scale brain networks are critical to understanding the neuroscience of creativity across domains." The three networks are: * The Attentional Control Network * The Imagination Network * The Attentional Flexibility Network It then goes on to discuss the Neuroscience of Creative Cognition. As we gain new understandings of the brain and creativity it may require a paradigm shift....in the meantime this article may spark some new thinking in your brain.
Gary Faust's curator insight,
August 30, 2013 8:53 PM
In experience creativity seems to be volitional not physiological, now there is some science to counteract this socially accepted point of view. 
Regis Elo's comment,
September 18, 2013 7:01 PM
Sorry again for the delay.thankx for your comments. I add that it seems coherent to agree with both of you Kathy and Louise , inclueing the possibility to care about the individual self-consciousness and empathy as a specific human condition to be eternally unsatisfied WITHOUT SPIRITUALITY?....IT'S BEYOND! i guess
Scoop.it!
A new Stanford study shows that students learn better when first exploring an unfamiliar idea or concept on their own, rather than reading a text or watching a video first.
Beth Dichter's insight:
What is the best way to flip a classroom? Perhaps it is not showing videos first, but allowing the student to experiment first and then watch videos or read material. This study shows that students experimented first had substantial improvement in performance. This study used a specific "new interactive tabletop learning environment, called BrainExplorer, which was developed by Stanford GSE researchers to enhance neuroscience instruction." Based on the use of this environment students did better exploring first. The experiment is described and data is shared in this article and it shows that the group who experimented first had a significant improvement in their final score. There is an explanation as to why they chose the field of neuroscience as their goal (quoted from post below): “Part of our goal,” the researchers write, “is to create low-cost, easy-to-scale educational platforms based on open source, free software and off-the-shelf building blocks such as web cameras and infrared pens so that our system can be easily and cheaply deployed in classrooms.” The article also notes that this 'many educational researchers and cognitive scientists have been asserting for many years: the “exploration first” model is a better way to learn.'
Ra's curator insight,
July 21, 2013 5:43 PM
Implications for fabric tech in relation to systems. Trial and error as the lead in. Provide basic skill set and try to evolve the understanding of the systems and processes required to achieve identified outcomes. |
Help your student learn the differences between primary and seconary sources by sharing this video by Common Craft. What makes primary resources important? When it is better to use secondary resources? How to they interact with each other? This two minute video will provide an overview that will help your students deepen their understanding.