Benefits of Mind Mapping

By Katie Lepi 

When I talk to people about mind mapping, I usually find myself facing one of two reactions: The person I’m speaking with either LOVES mind maps, or pretty much has no idea what they are or what they could be used for. We’ve discussed mind maps occasionally in the past, but I recently stumbled on this great graphic from Daniel Tay(who creates a bunch of different mind maps on different topics).

This particular graphic addresses the benefits of mind mapping, which can serve as a good primer for anyone who is unfamiliar with the concept. It is also a pretty simple mind map, especially compared with many of the maps you see if you do a quick web search to find some. Take a look and see how mind maps can benefit you and your students!

The Benefits of Mind Mapping

• Organize
• Brainstorm
• Understand
• Recall
• Note-take
• Communicate

Post Source : http://www.edudemic.com/benefits-of-mind-mapping/

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Technology Affecting Kids

By Katie Lepi

Technology brings so many awesome things into our lives. A world of information is at our fingertips, not much is out of reach, and there is seemingly a new, awesome, must-have devicereleased every week. We all hear stories of parents who park their kids in front of a TV or computer so they can get things done, and while the kids generally love it, it has taken us awhile to ask important questions about what effect media and devices are having on our kids. 

The handy infographic below takes a look at the effect of media and technology on kids in the US . Some of the statistics are pretty concerning – especially pertaining to the amount of exposure that kids have to media and devices these days. Keep reading to learn more. Weigh in by leaving a comment below, mentioning @Edudemic on Twitter or leaving your thoughts on our Facebook page.

How Is Technology Affecting Kids?

• Children under age 2 spend twice the amount of time watching TV as they spend with books
• 42% of kids age 0-8 have a TV in their room
• 70% of daycare centers use a TV as a regular part of the day
• Kids spend about 110 minutes per day watching TV, and a little over 90 minutes watching DVDs or movies
• 73% of parents say they’d like to limit their child’s TV watching
• 66% talk to their kids about the dangers of social media sites
• 53% count on their kid to tell them if there is a problem online
• 43% follow their kids on social media
• 39% set parental privacy settings
• Parents’ biggest concern with social media is violation of privacy
• 79% of teachers use social media as a teaching and learning tool
• 74% say incorporating tablets would be helpful, 26% say it would be a distraction to learning
• Teachers feel that students’ attention span is what is most affected by media

Post Source : http://www.edudemic.com/technology-affecting-kids/

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The Process Of Inquiry In The Clasroom

By Tracie Weisz

In a story last year about Tony Wagner, author of The Global Achievement Gap, they quote him as saying, “The culture of schooling as we know it is radically at odds with the culture of learning that produces innovators.” We can tell you the kinds of environments where we know kids are excited, enthusiastic, and open to inquiry and discovery – it happens naturally for young children almost anytime they are given a little freedom to explore, experiment, and create. However, the structures we set up in school, many ingrained in us from preservice texts, and even before (anticipatory set anyone?), often have schools doing things that take away those very opportunities.

Inquiry In The Classroom

A couple of years ago, I started to simply turn my social studies lessons upside down so we could practice inquiry. My 8th graders had not had much practice. At the beginning of a lesson, I’d show them something – usually a picture, a piece of art, an article, a short video, an illustrated map – something. I’d tell them what it was, as in naming it, and maybe giving it a little context, and then they had 5 minutes to write down all of the questions they had about it. Initially, this was a difficult exercise for them – they would not have many questions. When we talked about some of their questions, sometimes another student would shout an answer, even though none was obvious. There was one boy who I knew was very sharp, but routinely would only write down about 3 questions. After the 3rd time we did it, I asked him why he had so few questions in 5 minutes. He said he didn’t want to write down very many because he was just waiting for me to assign an essay paper on all of them if he had a bunch! What an eye opener for me! Apparently, without any ill-intent to squash inquiry, I had done just that!

Depending on the unit we are studying, the students share their favorite questions (according to them) in a Google spreadsheet. We collect questions here over the course of a unit. At some point, students decide which one (or more) they really want to pursue, and we make an initial plan of attack. At varying points, through reflective journaling, concept maps, and more questioning, they continue to plot and re-plot their plans as their studies unfold.

Read More...

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Skills For Modern Teachers And Students

By Karen Van Vliet 

Walk into a school, airport, shopping mall, or even a church and the image is always the same, teens and tweens have their heads down, ear buds on, and a mobile device in their hand. This generation is commonly referred to as Generation Z and they are coming of age with a new set of rules, expectations, and mannerisms. Born between 1995 and 2009, the oldest of this generation is coming of age this year and headed off towards adulthood. What can they expect of their future work experiences? What will employers expect of them? What can educators continue to do? What can teachers do to better prepare them?

Does Gen Z Learn Differently?

There is plenty of research and articles circulating around out there about how this generation learns and what the future workforce will hold for them. In an online article entitled “Workforce Preview: What to Expect From Gen Z” by Dennis McCafferty in April 2013 he shared the following statistics:

• 60% of this generation like to share knowledge online, a sign of collaborative skills

• 64% contribute to websites because they like learning about new things

• 76% feel that online experiences help them reach goals

• 66% say that technology makes them feel like anything is possible

The Pluses Come With Minuses, Too.

But just as technology has provided this generation with many strong technical attributes it has also produced its share of negative traits. Generation Z lacks the ability to effectively communicate ideas, share an opinion, or debate an issue. After spending the majority of their formative years in front of a computer this generation of employees are unfamiliar with collaborative teams, face-to-face discussions, and public speaking. Instant feedback and immediate response to inquiries also limits the coping skills of this generation to problem solve.

The skill to explore multiple solutions for a problem is not as mature in this generation as in previous generations. “Yvonne Sell, Hay Group’s director of leadership and talent in the UK, believes that Generation Z will have a desire for change, stimulation, learning and promotion that will conflict with traditional organizational hierarchies. ‘

Generation Z will want to be heard no matter how junior they are, and perhaps may have little tolerance for working with those who don’t share their views.’ Sell warns that organizations need to be aware that Generation Z may have less concern for responsibility, accountability and understanding of consequence.”

In just a few years there will be five generations in the workforce. That diversity alone in how employees view their job stability, relationships within the workplace, and the education needed to get the job has started to change the way businesses advertise for new hires and the environment in which they will potentially work. Yet the skills needed to succeed in the transformative knowledge era are still lacking in many of the students known as Generation Z.

Bubble sheets and multiple choice exams have robbed our students of the ability to explain, defend, and elaborate on their understanding of a topic. In addition a highly compact curriculum with little time to “brew” over the material also imparts little of the self-directed and intellectual curiosity skills that will be demanded of our students.

Unfortunately, these are the very same soft skills that employers are looking for in their future employees.

Read More...

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Ways To Help Yourself

Here is a cool visual I came across today which features some interesting tips to help you focus. From the 11 tips mentioned here the ones I find myself lacking are number 6 " clear your desk completely" and number 7" Put on headphones", I definitely can not concentrate with music playing.

Below is a round-up of the 11 tips to help you stay focused. Have a look and let us know what you think of them.

• Keep food on your desk. Glucose help your brain focus.
• Turn off the phone. Most phone calls are not urgent.
• Get a good chair. There is a reason- bosses don’t seat on cheap chairs.
• Time yourself and see how much you did in 1 hour.
• Shut off everything that you are not really using.
• Clear your desk completely.
• Put on headphones. Classical music or no music is best for focusing.
• Make a list. Make it short.
• Reward yourself. If you get focused, be proud of yourself.
• Frame a picture of your goal. And look at it every morning before work.
• Bring your pet with you. They help you focus

 

Via: fundersandfounders.com

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/04/11-ways-to-help-you-focus.html

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Kids Online Safety

The visual below from British Council features '5 golden rules' designed to help parents and carers help their children enjoy social media in a safe digital environment.The graphic also provides some interesting stats about kids social media usage.

Here is a brief overview of these five golden rules

1- Show me

Ask your child to show you the sites they use.

2- Low profile

Ask your child to set profile settings to private

3-Just ask

Ask your child about their online friends.

4-Photo check

Ask your child to only share photos that they wouldn't mind showing you first.

5- Don't worry

Ask your child to tell you if they are worried about something online.

   Via British Council

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/04/the-5-golden-rules-for-kids-online.html

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Technologies Of The Future

By Katie Lepi

Our classrooms – and our lives more generally – have come a long way in terms of technology. From ye olde school slate to iPads, the way students learn, teachers teach, and we all research has changed significantly. But what is coming down the pipeline in terms of technology of the future? Humanity’s views of the potential of future technology has always been interesting to me (think about things like Back to the Future and Star Trek: Where are my hoverboard and my transporter?!). The handy infographic below takes a look at 10 innovations that may or may not be possible by 2050, along with a % guesstimation of the likelihood that the technology will actually exist. Keep reading to learn about the potential of these 10 fun future technologies.

10 Technologies of The Future

Dream Downloads – 5% chance – Will you be able to download your dreams via brain scan?

Human + Robot marriage – 10% chance – Will you or your colleagues (or students) have avatar companions rather than human companions?

Child Born in Space – 10% chance – Will you know someone who gives birth in space?

Moon Hotel – 25% chance – Forget the Disney World, maybe your students will be headed to the moon for April break

Humans Live 150 Years – 40% chance – Which means we would retire at age…..120? Oof.

Robotic Insects Crop Pollination – 40% chance – Could this be the solution to disappearing bees and other pollinators in nature?

Cloned Humans – 60% chance – Let’s hope your students don’t clone themselves so they don’t have to come to class

Spray On Skin – 70% chance – Just keep a spray bottle of it around for small classroom accidents

Electronic Display Tattoos – 80% chance – Because ink is so 1980′s

Active Contact Lenses – 90% chance – Like google glass in contact lens form. For the anti-spectacled among us

Post Source : http://www.edudemic.com/technologies-of-the-future/

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Skype - mschools, linkites

                                                                          

 

Skills For Modern Teachers And Students

By Karen Van Vliet

Walk into a school, airport, shopping mall, or even a church and the image is always the same, teens and tweens have their heads down, ear buds on, and a mobile device in their hand. This generation is commonly referred to as Generation Z and they are coming of age with a new set of rules, expectations, and mannerisms. Born between 1995 and 2009, the oldest of this generation is coming of age this year and headed off towards adulthood. What can they expect of their future work experiences? What will employers expect of them? What can educators continue to do? What can teachers do to better prepare them?

Does Gen Z Learn Differently?

There is plenty of research and articles circulating around out there about how this generation learns and what the future workforce will hold for them. In an online article entitled “Workforce Preview: What to Expect From Gen Z” by Dennis McCafferty in April 2013 he shared the following statistics:

• 60% of this generation like to share knowledge online, a sign of collaborative skills

• 64% contribute to websites because they like learning about new things

• 76% feel that online experiences help them reach goals

• 66% say that technology makes them feel like anything is possible

The Pluses Come With Minuses, Too.

But just as technology has provided this generation with many strong technical attributes it has also produced its share of negative traits. Generation Z lacks the ability to effectively communicate ideas, share an opinion, or debate an issue. After spending the majority of their formative years in front of a computer this generation of employees are unfamiliar with collaborative teams, face-to-face discussions, and public speaking. Instant feedback and immediate response to inquiries also limits the coping skills of this generation to problem solve.

The skill to explore multiple solutions for a problem is not as mature in this generation as in previous generations. “Yvonne Sell, Hay Group’s director of leadership and talent in the UK, believes that Generation Z will have a desire for change, stimulation, learning and promotion that will conflict with traditional organizational hierarchies. ‘

Generation Z will want to be heard no matter how junior they are, and perhaps may have little tolerance for working with those who don’t share their views.’ Sell warns that organizations need to be aware that Generation Z may have less concern for responsibility, accountability and understanding of consequence.”

In just a few years there will be five generations in the workforce. That diversity alone in how employees view their job stability, relationships within the workplace, and the education needed to get the job has started to change the way businesses advertise for new hires and the environment in which they will potentially work. Yet the skills needed to succeed in the transformative knowledge era are still lacking in many of the students known as Generation Z.

Read More... 

Contact Us -

Website- www.mschools.co.in, www.linkites.com

E-mail - enquiry@mschools.co.in, info@linkites.com

Phone - +91-731-2401952

Skype - mschools, linkites