Across the country, there is a renewed focus on laws and practices to promote quality civic education, geared toward preparing our students with the skills they need to be active participants in a democracy who are able to access and insert themselves into the democratic decision making process. Shawn talks with Mary Ellen Daneels about … Continue reading A Sputnik Moment for Civic Education: SWBT Episode 20
Civic education in the United States has been getting a lot of attention lately. Different then “Government” courses that focus on the structures of government, the goal of a Civics course is to prepare students to participate in democracy and to educate them about the rights and duties of citizenship. One of the driving forces … Continue reading The Modern Robes of Democracy
My recent article about Building with Virtual Reality was just published in Digital Learning Magazine! It is a step by step guide to creating a Virtual Experience. Beyond the exciting ability to create I believe it is essential for students to understand Virtual reality so that they will be able to understand and evaluate the … Continue reading Dive Right in with VR Tech
Project based Learning is more than just a lesson format. It is a cultural shift for both the school and the classroom. I sat down with Andrew Miller, guru of Project Based Learning to discuss "Making PBL Work." https://anchor.fm/sowevebeenthinking/episodes/Episode-19-Andrew-Miller---Making-PBL-Work-e449jo
Episode 18 of the "So We've Been Thinking..." podcast is now available! This episode discusses putting "Task's Before Apps" with Dr. Monica Burns! Listen to the episode here: SWBT Podcast Episode 18: Tasks Before Apps with Dr. Monica Burns For more information about Monic Burns you can check out her website "Class Tech Tips." … Continue reading SWBT Episode 18 with Monica Burns
For the last year, Tom Driscoll and I have been working on the "Modern Civics Project. Our goal is too look at Civic Education and Civic Education instruction and create support for teachers, schools and districts who are looking to re-invigorate their instruction and rethink their curriculum. So far the response has been overwhelming. This … Continue reading MASSCUE/MASCD Civic Education Presentation
The Transformation of History Instruction Technology has forever changed the way that History classes are taught. Once, not very long ago, history classes relied upon two key sources of information: the teacher and the textbook. Students read the textbook, and then the teachers shared their vast knowledge, usually through lecture. Research assignments were key, but … Continue reading The Transformation of History Instruction
So if you are thinking of diving in but have been afraid to take the leap, here is a “Get Started NOW” guide to have students building and sharing their own experiences.
"The Power and Promise of Immersive Learning Experiences"
Digital Learning Magazine recently reached out and asked me to write an article specifically designed for teachers who do not use or are not aware of the power that social media can have in the classroom. As I wrote it was amazing to think that I first started using Twitter almost a decade ago. It's … Continue reading Getting Started with Social Media in the Classroom
