Showing posts with label inspire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspire. Show all posts
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Your Top 10 Videos That Inspire Us To Rethink The Way We Learn
- Starting point - 80+ Videos for Tech. & Media Literacy
- My Top 10 List (Vote or rearrange according to...)
I was last night exploring Dr. Alec Couros amazing list of videos for Tech. & Media Literacy, and then an idea popped in my wondering mind.
Ironically and sadly, many of us are still trying to persuade our dear fellow educators to rethink the way we educate and learn (even until today! Believe it or not!), but often fall short for one reason or the other. Lets face it, not all of us can inspire like Obama.
Ironically and sadly, many of us are still trying to persuade our dear fellow educators to rethink the way we educate and learn (even until today! Believe it or not!), but often fall short for one reason or the other. Lets face it, not all of us can inspire like Obama.
However, if we cant personally inspire mindset change, others perhaps can. Personally, I always use videos (usually short ones. 3-10 minutes) in my presentations to spark or inspire participants to think about, or rethink the way we learn and teach in the 21st century (It is already 2009!). Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. But, overall participants get excited and appreciate whenever I have infused a relevant video or two in my presentations.
However, the real challenge is to choose the appropriate video(s) for the learning event, while taking into consideration all the racial, cultural or religious challenges it might cause. But before even getting there, we need to discover excellent videos. Dr. Alec Couros has done the world a great favor by sharing with us his amazing list. Thank you!
However, the real challenge is to choose the appropriate video(s) for the learning event, while taking into consideration all the racial, cultural or religious challenges it might cause. But before even getting there, we need to discover excellent videos. Dr. Alec Couros has done the world a great favor by sharing with us his amazing list. Thank you!
OBJECTIVE
Wouldnt it be nice if other learning professionals (or anyone for that sake!) shared their list of favorite learning videos with the rest of us. Lets virally share our favorite videos, enabling those that struggle to find such videos, find them more conveniently.
To be a bit more instructionally sound, lets create an objective for this video discovering event:
To be a bit more instructionally sound, lets create an objective for this video discovering event:
- To list and share our top 10 favorite videos that inspire us to rethink the way we learn and educate in the 21st century.
Besides the title, author and link (URL) to the video, please add a short description and why you selected that particular one (if possible).
MY TOP 10 LIST
Here is my current top 10 list of videos that inspire us to rethink the way we learn and educate:
- A Vision of Students Today (Michael Wesch)
Created to inspire teachers to use technology in engaging ways to help students develop higher level thinking skills. Equally important, it serves to motivate district level leaders to provide teachers with the tools and training to do so. - Do Schools Kill Creativity? (Ken Robinson)
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. - Did You Know? 3.0 (Created by Karl Fisch, and modified by Scott McLeod)
"Widely viewed video by Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod that gives light to the changes imminent in our emerging knowledge-based society. This is an excellent video for framing and introducing the new reality to students, teachers, faculty, and administrators." - Dr. Alec Couros - The Machine is Us/ing Us (Michael Wesch)
"Web 2.0" in just under 5 minutes. - Five Minute University (Father Guido Sarducci)
Father Guido Sarducci teaches what an average college graduate knows after five years from graduation in five minutes. The video gives humorous critique to learning in higher education. - Pay Attention (Darren Draper)
This presentation, simply entitled Pay Attention, was created by Darren Draper in an effort to motivate teachers to more effectively use technology in their teaching. - Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding (Claus Brabrand and Jacob Andersen)A 19-minute award-winning short-film about teaching at the University. It shows examples of good and bad teaching, and promotes constructive alignment learning approach using Solo Taxonomy to test students level of understanding (deep understanding?).
- Brain Rules (Dr. John Medina)
How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget--and so important to repeat new information? Is it true that men and women have different brains? In Brain Rules, molecular biologist Dr. John Medina shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule - what scientists know for sure about how our brains work - and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. - Debunks Myths about the so-called "Developing World" (Hans Rosling)Youve never seen data presented like this. With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, statistics guru Hans Rosling debunks myths about the so-called "developing world." Yes, we could learn a few tricks from him on how to inspire students to learn our topic for the day.
- PowerPoint Extreme Makeover (Dean Shareski)
How do you use PowerPoint effectively? Using Camtasia studio, Dean Shareski shows you what you can do to make your PowerPoint presentation more attractive, engaging and effective. - A Brave New World-Wide Web (David Truss)I know it is a top 10 list, but I just discovered this excellent learning video, and want to include it here (so I dont ever forget it!). It makes you reflect about how technology is changing the way we learn and teach, and is a great video to kick-start a discussion on using technology to facilitate learning.
YOUR TOP 10 LIST?
Wouldnt it be cool if we could do something similar to Jane Harts Top 10 Tools Lists of Learning Professionals 2009 for inspiring learning videos, and then do the top 100 and hoopla, hoopla, hoopla...! Jane, if you are reading this post, I would recommend that you take charge (seriously!) of this project (no money involved, just 1000s of more hits!). We could replicate, or reuse your template for learning tools, and do one for videos, too.
If not, we could use a wiki. If anyone has already posted their 10 top videos (or whatever list), please feel free to share it with us (in the comments section).
In short, I believe this inspiring project in the making could be really helpful to many enlightened and inspired educators (but perhaps not inspiring to others) out there that are looking for sparks (e.g. learning videos) that could inspire their fellow educators to rethink the way they educate and learn.
Educators who have shared their top 10 lists, or favorite learning videos (until now):
Lets get busy sharing our favorite learning videos with the rest of the learning world :)
If not, we could use a wiki. If anyone has already posted their 10 top videos (or whatever list), please feel free to share it with us (in the comments section).
In short, I believe this inspiring project in the making could be really helpful to many enlightened and inspired educators (but perhaps not inspiring to others) out there that are looking for sparks (e.g. learning videos) that could inspire their fellow educators to rethink the way they educate and learn.
Educators who have shared their top 10 lists, or favorite learning videos (until now):
- DigiZen
- Alfredo Calderón
- Tracey Mollins
Lets get busy sharing our favorite learning videos with the rest of the learning world :)
Teaching Habits That Inspire You Out of Learning Part 1
- Link to ZaidLearns Del.icio.us Teaching Links
“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” - William Arthur Ward
Can anyone become a great educator (teacher or lecturer)? Or is it gift that we are born with (Nature)? Or can we become a great educator through learning, practice, feedback, reflection, etc. (Nurture)? Or perhaps it is a combination of Nature and Nurture? Or perhaps it is neither? What are the characteristics of a great educator anyway?
WHAT GOOD TEACHERS SAY ABOUT TEACHING?
"At the University of California at Berkeley, the Distinguished Teaching Award was instituted in 1959 to recognize and reward excellence in teaching. Since the inception of the award, over 150 faculty in forty-eight departments have been honored...although these essays (by the award winners) were prepared independently over a number of years, there are striking similarities about what good teachers say about teaching. On at least ten propositions, the contributors are in near or total agreement (Source):
"At the University of California at Berkeley, the Distinguished Teaching Award was instituted in 1959 to recognize and reward excellence in teaching. Since the inception of the award, over 150 faculty in forty-eight departments have been honored...although these essays (by the award winners) were prepared independently over a number of years, there are striking similarities about what good teachers say about teaching. On at least ten propositions, the contributors are in near or total agreement (Source):
- The teachers main task is to guide students through the learning process, not to dispense information.
- The goal of teaching is to help students read, speak, write, and think critically—and to expect students to do these things.
- Learning is a "messy" process, and the search for truth and knowledge is open-ended.
- Good teachers love their subject matter.
- Good research and good teaching go hand in hand. Students engagement with the subject is enhanced by knowing about the teachers own research, and the interaction with students often provides new insights into the research.
- The best teachers genuinely respect students and their intellectual capabilities.
- Good teachers are rarely satisfied with their teaching. They constantly evaluate and modify what they do.
- Good teachers usually had good teachers, and they see themselves as passing on their own teachers gifts to a new generation of students.
- Good teachers treasure the small moments of discovery in the classroom and the more enduring effect they have on students lives.
- Good teachers do not see teaching as separate from other activities; rather, they see their lives as remarkably integrated."
The interesting thing today, is that we increasingly have access (if we have Internet!) to all sorts of content about the art of excellent teaching (A short list). In addition, we can also study and reflect amazing lecturers through video lectures and podcasts from many of the most respected Universities around the world, including MIT, Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge (YouTube Channels, Podcasts and OpenCourseWare).
So, why cant we inspire all our students to learn (if you can, please share your secret!)? That is a tough question beyond my intellect, knowledge and experience (I suppose because it needs two to tango)! However, lets play a bit with this question, and instead ask, "what were the least inspiring teachers we experienced during our student days?" Or more specifically, "What were the teaching habits that inspired us out of learning?"
5-PART SERIES?In this 5-part series (which might evolve into a 10-part series!), I will reflect specific teaching habits practiced by some educators that I experienced personally during my 20 years career as a student (I suppose when I do my PhD I can add another 3-4 years). I am not interested in witch hunting any particular educator (I am really bad with names anyway, so that is not a problem!). Instead, I am trying to reflect back and learn from their teaching habits (and perhaps avoid them!) that made me wonder: Are you kidding me? Is this guy for real? This guy needs a life! What is wrong with him? Cant he see that we are sleeping! Dont teachers undergo training on how to teach and facilitate learning? Perhaps he doesnt care!
Since I have had the privilege to experience educators from every major continent of the world during my 20-year career as a student, I suppose I will have some very interesting teaching habits to share with all of you. Whether they are bad teaching habits or not, I will leave that for you to decide. But one thing is for sure, these teaching habits certainly inspired me out of learning.
Finally, before we begin this unlearning journey, I have to admit I have never been an easy student to deal with. During my primary and secondary school I was rude, noisy, and spent a lot of time in detention. I literally slept through high-school, and just managed to scrape through. Once, one lecturer threatened to kick me out of class if I didnt stop sleeping, and even placed me in the front row to ensure that I didnt sleep. It didnt help much! When you are tired, and have to sit through a boring lecture, what do you expect! I suppose if I had taken more vitamin supplements, given up on football, stopped having fun, and slept earlier, things would have been different. I suppose it is a learning process!
Then I moved to Malaysia, and the power of faith (Islam) brought the passion back to learn in me. During my undergraduate and graduate days, I forced myself to sit in the front row until it became a habit I am proud of. Not only did I sit in front, I also become the ultimate annoying student that always asked questions. I became the kind of smart-aleck I used to despise in my younger days. In a nutshell, that is my story as a student. Now, lets move on to the real point of this 5-part series.
WHITEBOARD AND I ARE ONE!
During my undergraduate studies, I had a very interesting statistics lecturer, which I will name Dr. Woody (woodpecker) for the name protection sake. Dr. Woody was a multimedia encyclopedia of statistics, and he certainly did not need to refer to any book or notes during his lectures. He had perfected every lecture he conducted. In addition, he was a caring guy and always smiled. So, what is the problem! Yeah! Hmm, got a point there!Interestingly, I had two different statistics (cant remember the names!) subjects with Dr. Woody that semester, and we only had a 10-minute break in-between the two 90-minute sessions twice a week (6 hours a week with Dr. Woody).
Dr. Woody was always punctual and so was I. I remember, he would always be stressed at the beginning of each class and would be eager to start as fast as possible, so that we could complete the syllabus on time. As soon as he began teaching, he would face the whiteboard with his markers, and begin the magic statistics writing adventure. And you know what, he would just go on, and on, and on, and on, like a dog hunting a fox. His urgency to do his thing (teach!), gave him no time to turn back and assist the helpless students in shock! We managed to complete 50% of the syllabus within the first 3 weeks of a 14-week semester. Of course it was impressive to see Dr. Woody practically write the book on the whiteboard, doing it at a speed that even Ferrari would not be able to match.
My fingers (and brain) used to be really exhausted after two consecutive 90-minute sessions (twice week) of nonstop writing (15-25 pages of notes each time!), trying to capture everything that Dr. Woody wrote on the whiteboard. Thank GOD many lecturers today use PowerPoint, or provide some form of course notes. However, we have to keep in mind that taking notes itself, is a skill that all students should master. Because in most working environments, there probably wont be any books or notes to rescue us, and solve all our problems.
REFLECTIONIt was only after I discovered notes taken from his previous students that I realized how amazing Dr. Woodys memory was. It was as if he had imprinted the notes and formulas in his brain, and simply repeated it again and again every semester. Even a photocopy machine would be proud of such perfection. Although, we got to experience him do his thing (process flow!), it was kind of overwhelming, and I believe most of us had problems dealing with the information overload. I suppose if we could replay the lecture in slow motion (many times!), it would be more useful.
Interestingly, when I revised the notes I had taken from Dr. Woodys lectures, I couldnt even remember that I had written them. Did I really write that! I suppose I had no time to think while taking the notes.
Overall, Dr. Woody was knowledgeable, skillful, caring, experienced, and an expert in his subject area. However, I am not sure I learned much about statistics from him. Actually, I didnt! Though, since I had the passion to do well, I managed to do quite well anyway.
But, what is important to keep in mind here, is that being an authority in a knowledge domain, does not mean that we are fit to educate and facilitate learning. Even worse, some educators have an amazing ability to make you sick of a subject (They might argue that it is self-inflicted!). Is that a natural gift, too?
Although, it is important to learn new ways to improve our teaching, it is also important to reflect our own existing teaching methods, and perhaps unlearn those that really inspire people out of learning.
Until Part II, lets explore our own teaching, and try to point out to ourselves (at least!) a few habits that might turn students off learning.
"That student is an idiot! I have told him a 100 times and he still doesnt get it!" :)
5-PART SERIES
- Part 1 - Whiteboard And I Are One!
- Part 2 - I Have Bragging Rights, Because I Am …
- Part 3 - Is PowerPoint Evil?
- Part 4 - No Stupid Questions! I am Serious!
- Part 5 - Show Up to Throw Up! 21st Century Thinking?
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