QUICK VIDEO || CLASSROOM MUSIC AND AI TASK LISTS: I used Screencastify to make a quick video explaining two new tools I'm playing with. If you use background music occasionally in class, Festify.us makes it simple to create a quick playlist that students can add to, without losing your ability to control what plays. It's not perfect, but it has been interesting to play with in the library. And Goblin.Tools is a task-list tool that niftily integrates an AI function to break top-line tasks down into a series of steps, which may be very useful for kids who get overwhelmed by projects and just need a starting point.
LATERAL THINKING AND BASKETBALL: Eric Sheninger has a great post up titled "Relevant Thinking and Student Success," where he highlights this idea:
In a disruptive world, learners need to be able to replace conventional ideas with innovative solutions to authentic problems.
I talk about this idea with students constantly, especially in math, where the tendency is to attempt to learn a series of recipes, rather than train your brain to speak the language of math. One way lies frustration; the other develops the ability to solve new problems that you've never encountered before. Earlier this week, we talked about it in the context of this clip from the NCAA tournament:
"That has nothing to do with math," is (of course) what they said. But wait, I explained. He had a problem: to get the ball in successfully. He had a recipe: the play drawn up by his coach. He had a couple of wrinkles. None of the shooters the play was designed for came open. He could blindly follow the recipe, leading to a bad shot or turnover, or he could try something else. And anyone watching knows he made the right call.
Lateral thinking is a skill that translates across domains, and middle school is the ideal time to begin intentionally making these points and presenting learners with problems and situations that encourage them to recognize this and force them to stretch those mental muscles.
HISTORY SHOULDN'T BE BORING: Great post by Alex Brouhard with four short ideas on how to make history engaging for students. I vividly remember moving from a 10th grade history class (boring, learning lists and dates) to an 11th grade history class by a master teacher -- fascinating, just story after story, in which I learned history without trying simply by paying attention.
THINGS THAT DON'T WORK: Fascinated by this list of Things That Don't Work, many of which have further links for more exploration. Gut instinct was that I would enjoy having a class read this list, then make their own list of School Things That Don't Work.
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