January 3, 2015 Here is an interesting visual to take you into a short etymological journey to discover the origins of some commonly used words in the contemporary discourse. Surprisingly enough, all of these terms originated in the realm of literature. The visual below traces the literary origins of 15 words. For each of these terms it provides the year and the literary work where it was first…

December 29, 2014 Educational technology is a dynamic field of research and study. This dynamism stems mainly from the constant flow of new educational web technologies and the emergence of novel Ed Tech concepts that provide theoretical underpinnings for these technologies. The challenge for teachers is not only in keeping up with this fast moving trend but also with understanding the basic foundational…

December 26, 2014 Below is an interesting visual I cam across through a tweet from We Are Teachers. The visual maps out some really intriguing facts about students today. These facts are based on different studies and surveys conducted mainly on US students. I went through this resource and devised this brief synopsis: Minority students attending US schools will make up a majority of all students…

December 17, 2014 Procrastination is one of the social evils that has always accompanied us since the dawn of time.Some people crave procrastination and think they can do better when they delay tasks that require immediate attention. Others procrastinate because they lack motivation or interest to keep them focused and on task, some procrastinate because they think they have a  ‘skill deficit’…

December 16, 2014 Below is a visual released a few days ago by Google in which it featured some of the most popular games, movies, music, news and books of 2014. In the education section, Duolingo topped the list. This is  a great web tool and mobile app for learning a new language. It  provides a plethora of translation activities  through which learners get to practice their new…

December, 2014 Here is a new visual from ISTE on the concept of digital citizenship. The visual outlines some of the features characterizing ‘good’ digital citizens based on attributes of good citizens. The elements of digital citizenship, according to ISTE, “ are not so different from the basic tenets of traditional citizenship: Be kind, respectful and responsible, and just do the right thing”….

December 13, 2014 There is no secret recipe to enhance one’s productivity. It all boils down to how much dedication and will power you have and are willing to invest in your work. But sometimes people do have the will power to be productive and achieve more  but they just can’t put it down  to action. The distractions in their lives are too many to let them work as they want. This is where…

December 11, 2014 It is amazing how much technology can do for students to enhance their learning and personal development. I wish we had these tech affordances when we were students, things could have been much easier. Technology, however, is only effective when it is leveraged in the right way and to the right purposes. The first step in the effective use of technology is to have access to the…

December 10, 2014 Here is another interesting work from one of our favourite blog authors : Dr Jackie Gerstein. Of course you know her I have shared several of her beautiful visual in the past. Today, and as I was wading through my Twitter feeds I came across another of Jackie’s infographics on growth mindset. In this visual, Jackie features a number of ideas and tips that educators should adhere…

December 9, 2014 Here is a good visual that features some of the things successful teachers do differently. This infgraphic is based on an article written by Julie DeNeen which I would refer you to for more details on each of the 25 ideas included below. Read the list and see the ones that resonate with you and also identify the ones missing in your teaching pedagogy. Here is a quick round-up…

December, 2014 A few days ago I curated a set of useful web tools that teachers can use to create infographics to use in class. All of the tools I included in that collection are very easy and simple to use. Today, somebody emailed me this beautiful infographic that I want you to have a look at. This is an infgraphic on how to create an engaging infographic. It features some interesting tips that…

December 4, 2014 Here is another wonderful visual from Mia MacMeekin featuring a number of tips and ideas on how to facilitate online discussions.In fact, most of these tips are also valid for discussions taking place in a physical setting such as classroom. The section on prompts to stimulate conversation is what I like the most in this visual. You can use these prompts with students to help them…

December1, 2014 Today as I was curating  a list of tools to use for creating infograhics in class, I came across this interesting visual created by  Anethicalisland.  The visual provides a succinct overview of what infographics are, reasons to use them in class, and some of the benefits behind using them in instruction. For instance, using infographics for learning is supported by…

November 27, 2014 Internet of Things (IoT) is a relatively new concept that is making such a buzz online. I have come across it in several instances but never really inquired deeply about its meaning. However, today I read a really interesting article by Jacob Morgan entitled ” A Simple Explanation of ‘The Internet of Things’. In this article, Jacob defined IoT as “the concept of basically connecting…

November 26, 2014 Getting students engaged in learning is the ultimate goal of every teacher yet it is usually the most daunting and arduous one to achieve. Living in a digitally focused age where tech devices are dominating students lives, attention and focus become a rare currency. Students’ minds are wired to multitask and use only fragmented bursts of attention. As teachers, we have to compete…

November 23, 2014 One of the biggest affordances of technology is towards the enhancement of the concept of personalized learning. Internet and more particularly web 2.0 technologies and mobile apps have provided learners with unprecedented opportunities to learn whenever, wherever, and however they want. At its core, personalized learning is all about tailoring the available resources in order…

November 18, 2014 Creativity block, similar to writer’s block, is a mental state that makes you feel incapacitated and unable to generate new ideas to move the process of whatever you are working on ahead. I believe we have all experimented creative blocks at some point in our work but the good thing is that there are several good ways we can use to overcome this block. The visual below from Gonzalo…

November 13, 2014 The age-old debate on the division of the brain into sections each one responsible for a certain set of skills and tasks overshadows much of the theories and pedagogy in education. Based on the developments in cognitive science and brain anatomy, pedagogues become able to theorize new conceptions of how kids acquire, learn and process information internally. Some of the ramifications…

November 13, 2014 School improvement efforts rely heavily on quality leadership. Educational leaders are tasked with establishing a collective vision for school improvement and initiating change to spur innovation, ensure student learning, and increase achievement. On July 13th I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. James Strong, from the College of William and Mary, deliver a keynote address at the…