Second Life in Education: Using a Virtual World as a Teaching Tool
Second Life is a very large virtual world made up of people of many different beliefs, compositions, forms and expressions.
The Second Life is a shared simulation. It provides a unique and flexible environment for educators interested in distance learning, computer supported cooperative work, simulation, new media studies, and corporate training.
The advantage of using […]
Benefits of Formative Assessment in the Classroom
According to Lang, et al (2008), the formative assessment process came from educators working on ways to accelerate student achievement and help predict how students will perform on standards-based statewide tests.
The benefits of formative assessment is obvious in the classroom. The usage of formative assessments in class as a way to guide instruction […]
Definition of Formative Assessment
For years, the main reason students were given tests was to understand what they have learned and to grade them. However in the 21st Century, tests took on a new role – to determine what a student has mastered and to reshape instruction. Less emphasis was laid on determining a student’s grade.
The use […]
Understanding the Development of Language in a Child: Research
Research has proved that there is a connection between language exposure and the reading abilities of a child.
In a longitudinal study conducted at the University of Kansas, 6 month old babies were observed until they were three years old. Researchers recorded what occurred around the baby for one hour each month. These results […]
Learning Disabilities and IQ Testing
Intelligence tests measure a variety of mental skills, which are lumped together and called “intelligence”. The result is an IQ score. This number is supposed to be a measurement of a child’s general ability. But this score doesn’t consider factors like learning disabilities.
Learning disabilities and IQ are often not taken into account at […]
Understanding Learning Styles
Our learning types or styles are our “preferences” in the way we think or do things. Different people have different styles and these styles affect how we work and what we like to do. Every student is different and the way they respond to a particular style of teaching is different. Understanding learning […]
Getting Started with English Language Learners
The first step in getting started with English Language Learners (ELLs) from diverse backgrounds is to create an environment of acceptance so that all students feel welcome, empowered, and ready to learn. Some of the small things that educators do to reach out to students who are ELLs can make a big difference […]
Why Implement Standards in Schools?
Often the importance of setting realistic and achievable standards in schools are underestimated. One doesn’t realize the role that it plays in ensuring efficient student development.
Some of the positives of setting standards are:
Accountability
Standards hold teachers, schools and the districts responsible for what goes on in classrooms. It helps to generate a process […]
Understanding BICS and CALP
Teachers who work with English Language Learners (ELL) are often puzzled by the differences that they see between different language skill areas. For example, a teacher may observe that an ELL speaks easily with his peers about lunch, music, video games and what he did on the weekend, but may struggle a lot […]
Creating Effective Literacy Instruction: An Expert Opinion
Researcher and teacher educator, Donna Alvermann wrote a white paper on ‘Effective Literacy Instruction for Adolescents’ that says that students’ needs and interests must be at the forefront when designing any type of literacy instruction. Effective literacy instruction builds on elements of both formal and informal literacies. Alvermann challenges teachers to critically examine […]
