Designing Instruction
Learning Opportunities
Personalized Learning Podcast
Get all the strategies and insight from those actually doing the work. Teachers, facilitators and specialist share their experience and share what is working for them each week of our PL Podcast. Click here to explore Season 2. →
Instructional Technology (IT) Weekly
PD made easy. IT Weekly are video's design to show educators how to use digital resources and share some strategies for integrating this tools. These videos are short, fun and are a great resource for those looking to expand their use of technology. Head right this way to check out videos from this past season and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking the button below.
App of the Week
Tool Time! Stop trying to keep up with all the new apps being created and let us do the work for you. Find the right app for your lesson and learn how use it by watching App of the Week. We showcase everything from iPad apps to Chrome extensions to add ons. We even highlight websites that can be useful in the classroom. Watch all of last season here and subscribe to our YouTube by clicking the button below.
Pedagogy
Digital Transformation
Teaching with technology more than just giving students access to a device. its a blend of:
- What you're teaching
- How your teaching it
- What are students doing/creating
- What tools best support the outcome you seek
TPACK and SAMR are a few models that can be helpful to ensure that your use of technology supporting learning outcomes and transforming the way we challenge our students.
Design Thinking
Design challenges uses the design thinking process to find a solution to a challenge. Design thinking takes on a problem solving mindset. Design challenges create real world opportunities for students be innovative and creative while using their higher order thinking and 21st century learning skills. Design thinking and challenges provides a student centric learning experience to happen in the classroom.
Design Challenge Ideas for the Classroom:
- How might we create ways for younger students to better understand how important digital citizenship is?
- Create an app that would help you solve a problem you encounter daily?
- Knex: Design Challenge
- Design a clothing product that allows for heating and cooling of materials for different sports. (Example of standards based Design Challenge - Science: 5.P.3)
Other resources on Design Thinking and Challenges:
Museum of Science, Boston Design Challenges
Design Challenge Lessons from The Tech Museum: Museum of Innovation
A Design Challenge to Students: Solve a Real-World Problem!
Design Squad - PBS (Great for 3-8th graders)
Real World Design Challenges (HS Level)
Threadless Design Challenge - Real world application
K12 Lab Wiki for Design Challenges
Great article by Forbes: Design Thinking: A Unified Framework for Innovation
Empathy Through Design Thinking