Pedagogy
Digital Research Tools
http://digitalresearchtools.pbwiki.com/
As more and more scholars grow interested in the world of digital research, this tremendously useful wiki will be one that they will tell their colleagues about. Created by Lisa Spiro, the director of the Digital Media Center at Rice University, this collaborative wiki collects information about tools and resources that can help scholars conduct research more efficiently or creatively. Visitors can browse through topical headings that include "Authoring", "Blogging", and "Data Mining", among others. Within each heading, visitors can read short descriptions about each resource. Under the "Types of Tools" section visitors can search for specific tools that can help them collect data, edit images, make a dynamic map, and so on.Additionally, visitors can sign up to join the wiki here and also learn more about Spiro and her other projects. [KMG]
Doing What Works [Real Player, pdf]
The U.S. Dept. of Education sponsors this Doing What Works website, which focuses on pedagogy in order to assist this nation's teachers in finding what are likely to be effective methods of teaching. To see the areas of study that are covered on the website, look to the top left side of the page. You'll find "Early Childhood Education", "English Language Learners", "Math and Science", and "Psychology of Learning". Topics to be added to the site are also listed under "See What's Coming!" To always be up-to-date on new material the site has added, simply click on "Subscribe for Updates" on the right hand side of the page. By clicking on the "What Works Clearinghouse", found at the top right corner, visitors will be taken to the real heart of the site. By clicking on one of the topics of study, visitors can watch, listen, and read a short animated video overview of the topic that includes current research. If videos aren't your thing, you can just head straight to the other options, which are "Review the Research Base", "Understand the Essentials", "Find Recommended Practices", and "Access Planning Templates". It should be noted that the Department of Education makes sure to point out that it is not endorsing any of the commercial products that might be used in any of the teaching approaches. [KMG]
Listening to Students About Learning [pdf]
http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/dynamic/publications/elibrary_pdf_737.pdf
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has been working on a number of reports on how to strengthen pre-collegiate education in community colleges, and this compelling work represents part of their most recent findings on the subject. Authored by Andrea Conklin Bueschel, this 24-page report draws on interviews with students, community college leaders, teachers, and others to look into what is most effective in terms of working with these students to achieve their educational goals. The report draws on research performed at a variety of community colleges in California, and anyone with an interest in the continued success of students in these institutions will find this report very helpful. The report is rounded out by a detailed bibliography. [KMG]
National Writing Project [pdf]
Writing is an important skill for everyone to possess, and the National Writing Project (NWP) "envisions a future where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learner, and active participant in a digital, interconnected world." The NWP is a network of sites based at colleges and universities, and their work provides professional development resources, research reports, and practical classroom activities for students of all ages. Visitors will want to make a beeline for the "Resources" section of the site. Here they will find topical sections that cover "Teaching Writing", "Teaching Reading", "Standards and Assessment", and four other areas. Within each section, visitors will find well-organized groups of links to a range of helpful materials. Back on the homepage, visitors can read through the "Events & Opportunities" listings, and also check in with their "In the News" postings. Finally, visitors should also sign up for their free newsletter. [KMG]
Quizlet
Educators may want to take a close look at this most helpful web application. Quizlet allows students and teachers to create flashcard sets with little fuss, and they can also share their flashcards with friends via email, Facebook, or MySpace. The site has a great "How do I…?" section that provides many answers to how to best use the program. Quizlet is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]
Survey and Questionnaire Tutorial [pdf]
http://www.statpac.com/surveys/
What are the important factors to consider when designing a survey? Would itbe best conducted via telephone? Or would it be better to have a face-to-face meeting? These are but a few of the topics covered on this site createdas a public service by the StatPac group. Visitors can elect to download theentire report on survey design here, or they can just click through thetopics that interest them. Each topic includes a brief discussion of itsrelative importance, and the areas covered include questionnaire length,time considerations, question wording, and sampling methods. It's athoughtful and helpful resource overall, and it's one that might be put togood use in an introductory statistics course in college. [KMG]
Teaching and Learning Themes
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pesl/themes/
The University of Nottingham, in the United Kingdom, has an innovative online program called Teaching at Nottingham that "offers both a window onto the University's teaching culture and a space for the critical evaluation of teaching practice". The tab "Teaching & Learning Themes" is definitely worth a visitor's time. The link "Student Perspectives On...Teaching, Learning and Assessment" are particularly interesting, as in each category has synopses of studies that were done with the aim of quantifying the students' perspectives in classes at Nottingham. Visitors can read about one such study in the Learning category titled "The good, the bad and the ugly: [pharmacy] students' experiences of group projects", which found that most students believed that group projects were good learning experiences for working as a team in their future careers, but preferred solo or two- person projects. The "Focus On..." link offers, among other categories, "Visual Learning", "Peer Teaching" and "Academic Tutoring" which focus on research about teaching. [KMG]
University of Delaware: Problem-Based Learning
Based at the University of Delaware, this set of peer-tested and vetted educational resources asks the important question: "How can I get my students to think?" Their educational philosophy places a premium on problem-based learning (PBL), which is an instructional method that asks students to work cooperatively in groups in order to seek solutions to real world problems. First-time visitors can take a look at some sample PBL problems. These sample problems include several group exercises that deal with everything from household wiring to a case study problem in molecular evolution. College instructors will want to definitely visit the "PBL Courses and Syllabi" area, where they can take a look at sample syllabi that draw inspiration from the problem-based learning perspective. Finally, visitors can also browse through the PBL Clearinghouse and look over a list of related educational sites. From the Scout Report. Copyright Internet Scout Project, 1994-2008.
What To Expect Your First Year Teaching [pdf]
http://www.teachersfirst.com/whatexpect.pdf
The Teachers First website has been offering up high-quality lessons, teaching units, and web resources for teachers for almost ten years. Along with these resources, they have also created a number of papers and presentations that are designed to support the careers of teachers who are just entering the profession. One such resource is the helpful 48-page manual by Amy DePaul titled "What To Expect Your First Year of Teaching". The document was prepared under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement and it contains a cornucopia of insights and observations from both veteran and first-year teachers. Visitors can skip around the report at their leisure and they may also wish to forward it along to other fellow educators. From the Scout Report. Copyright Internet Scout Project, 1994-2008.
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