Mr. B EdTech Blog

https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/school-its-nature-sedentary-and-so-far-ed-tech-has-only-reinforced

Check it out at: http://classtechtips.com/2016/05/14/how-to-start-a-backchannel-in-your-classroom/ A backchannel provides a space for people to chat about a shared experience in the moment. Twitter is used as a backchannel during popular events like the Superbowl or the season finale of a favorite television. In this instance everyone tweets using a hashtag as they watch a live event and you can see what other people are saying. In the classroom, a backchannel can be used for students to have conversations, share an idea, or pose questions about a topic. You could watch a BrainPOP video with your class and pause every minute or so to have students jot down a question or respond to a quick prompt using a backchannel.

Learn more at: http://www.aschoenbart.com/2016/03/when-lesson-fails-and-rethinking-lesson.html

Read the article at:   http://www.aschoenbart.com/2016/04/teaching-students-to-conduct-action.html Some of my favorite lessons I have taught involved action research. I feel that this adds a level of relevance and purpose to student work that may otherwise be lacking.

Read the article at: https://medium.com/modern-learning/if-engagement-is-the-problem-technology-is-not-the-answer-4d374cf813a3#.89zd75flv This article brings up some good points. “Long gone are the days when computer labs in schools were only used for research and testing, when students’ classroom tools consisted only of textbooks, pencils and papers.” Um, no, actually. Those days are not long gone. In fact, in lots of places, that’s still SOP when it comes to technology. Engagement and motivation problems don’t stem from the lack of technology as much as the lack of relevance and agency over learning provided to the learner.

Listen at: http://www.techlearning.com/blogentry/10702

Check out the article at:  http://www.aschoenbart.com/2016/05/creating-video-arguments-sharing.html

Did you know that 3 U.S. Presidents have died on July 4th? We really should celebrate July 2nd (not the 4th)? July 4th is one of the 4 federal holidays that are celebrate on the same day every year. See more at:  http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/july-4th From Wikipedia.org During the American Revolution , the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule. [5] [6] After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence , a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five , with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. Read More at:  https://en.wikipedi