picture of an e-learning classroom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This collaboratively written article provides some great ideas for leveraging today’s mobile technologies to help students enhance those vital writing skills.
The use of smartphones in the classroom is no longer clearly something to be frowned upon. In fact, some teachers are now looking to use them as tools to get the best out of their students. Initially, smartphones were distractions, with students playing games or engaging in texting, taking attention away from group activities or lectures. But as today’s society embraces technology to an increasing degree, there is much to be said for leveraging it in the classroom. Traditional dynamics still have a place – the teacher is still the source and disseminator of information and the students are still the recipients, but with technology in the classroom, students can pursue independent learning even further, guided by the instructor.
Summary: Most users are unable to solve even halfway complicated problems with search. Better to redirect their efforts into more supportive user interfaces when possible.
Users are incredibly bad at finding and researching things on the web. A few years ago, I characterized users research skills as “incompetent,” and they’ve only gotten worse over time. “Pathetic” and “useless” are words that come to mind after this years user testing.
In a recent study, for example, a user wanted to buy a highly protective yet girlish phone case as a gift for her daughter. While on Amazon.com, she engaged in random fishing expeditions into the product database, using search queries such as “pink impact resistant iphone 5 cover.”
This was by no means the worst query we saw that week; in this case, however, the user never found what she wanted. She tried a few query modifications — which most users won’t attempt — but never questioned her basic research strategy. Nor did she realize that Amazon uses a full-text search that doesnt understand the meaning of a query.
Easy to use and implement, Autodesk solutions help kids see the wonders of what can be accomplished and develop a lifelong love of design.
Through creative consumer apps and games, full-fledged design software, online workshops, and Autodesk-supported design competitions and projects, kids get the opportunity to explore ideas and concepts visually, learn the building blocks of design from the ground up, and gain confidence in critical STEAM subjects.
Free Software Options for in and out of the ClassroomDownload Free Software for Personal Educational UseThe Autodesk Education Community is an online community that enables teachers and students to download—for free—the same software used by professionals worldwide.Apply to Download Free Software for Institutional, in Classroom UseThe Autodesk Academic Resource Centre is an online grant delivery programme to provide free access to Autodesk software and technology to secondary education institutions in the UK.New: Download the step-by-step guide for ARCFree Apps to Use in the Classroom, Home or PlayFoster creativity in your students with fun and engaging Autodesk creative and mobile apps.
skills-16 (Photo credit: Vancouver Island University)
Do you have the skills that would make employers want you? This infographic (from Youtern) shows what the employers want, and what the candidates need to get.
Takeaways:
Strategic perspective is the most valued skill by an employer.
Many hiring managers believe skills can be learned.
70% of hiring staff rate interview skills as necessary for success.
However, collaboration between students is often a critical component of any classroom activity or project and increasingly there are options available that allow for collaborative efforts across iPads.
Below are six ways to support collaboration between student iPads that cover the spectrum of creation options that range from text to digital storytelling to video creation.
English: Some of the basic elements of the scientific method, arranged in a cycle to emphasize that it is an iterative process. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
You know how to tell if something controversial is actually true, but what if you want to read up on something without stumbling into half-truths and pseudoscience? Here’s how to use the internet as a powerful research tool without being led astray.
The old mantra is that you’re never supposed to set yourself up for failure. Thats true in most cases, but its not a black and white issue. Failures good for you, and its often the only way you learn. Putting yourself in a position to fail might sound weird, but its more beneficial than you think.We know that learning from your mistakes is one of the best ways to learn, but the idea of actually setting yourself up for failure is a road few of us are willing to venture down. That said, its important to remember that the cost of failure is nothing, and if you set aside a “safe zone” where you’re not afraid to fail when learning new skills, you’ll be better for it in the long turn.
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