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Showing posts from March, 2015

Three Ways Social Media Enhances Student Learning

"Engaging in various forms of social media is a routine activity that research has shown to benefit children and adolescents by enhancing communication, social connection, and even technical skills. Social media sites such as Facebook offer multiple daily opportunities for connecting with friends, classmates, and people with shared interests ."   ( The Impact of Social Media On Children, Adolescents, and Families - American Academy of Pediatrics) With stories of cyber-bullying, harassment, and plagiarism, the risks of engaging in social media are well-publicized. However, research suggests the use of social media impacts learning in many positive ways. Here are three benefits that merit extra attention;  Increased Student Engagement - Students readily connect with others through social media. Watch what happens when kids need to find a solution to their problem. They reach out to their networks, they " Google " for information, and they watch instruct

A Relevance Recipe For Educators

A Relevancy Salad is a nutritious mixture of communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, plus connectedness . For many, the " 4-Cs of 21st Century Education " have become a daily part of our school-based jargon. However, there is still some question as to what defines a relevant educator . What are the ingredients and processes necessary for creating a nutritious, tasty, and satisfying relevancy salad? The first step in creating your relevance salad is the embracing of a learner's mindset . Many, if not all, educators speak highly of lifelong learning, but the best relevancy salads are made by educators who make learning a healthy part of their daily routine. Much like the open air kitchen at your favorite bakery or delicatessen, relevant educators are transparent with their learning processes and reflections. They know getting just the right flavor requires taking some chances. They also acknowledge there may be mistakes and miscalculations along t