June 2009 Blog Posts (11)

Media Literacy Embedded in New P21 Curriculum Maps

Media literacy is embedded in the new Science & Geography curriculum maps released today by P21 at NECC. According to the press release: "The 21st Century Skills and Science and Geography Maps demonstrate how the integration of 21st century skills into science and geography classes support teaching and prepare students to become effective and productive citizens."

Note: the press release, surprisingly does not provide links to these documents, and finding them on the P21C website… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 30, 2009 at 1:43pm — No Comments

Detroit on the Horizon!

Hey there,

So, as I'm on AIM with one of my Detroit project super-stars, emailing someone about our lodging, and working on updating the Ning we started, I'm feeling the tangible taste of this adventure. Backing up a bit, this is a trip that I conceived in my head before I ever taught at BK. I have attended the Allied Media Conference in Detroit for a few years now, and also the first ever conference, called the Bowling Green Zine Conference, in 1999 on the campus of BGSU, in Ohio. I… Continue

Added by Lauren Fardig on June 22, 2009 at 9:43pm — No Comments

Julia's ABC Song Finds Its First Images

Find more videos like this on Making Curriculum Pop

As a special education teacher, I need to modify instructions to fit different students' needs. Creating a new version of the ABC song was also started because of one of the students I worked for a couple of months.

Joe enrolled in kindergarten in the middle of January. He was developmentally delayed along with other… Continue

Added by Julia Kim on June 21, 2009 at 5:00pm — 4 Comments

The Music Instinct: Science & Song (PBS Special)

National Broadcast day/time: Wednesday June 24, 9-11pm (check your local PBS listings)

Title: The Music Instinct: Science & Song

Description: This documentary provides a groundbreaking exploration into how and why the human organism is moved by music. New work in neuroscience is giving us clues to the mysteries of how and why music penetrates the brain and the emotions. The program follows visionary researchers and accomplished musicians to the crossroads of science and… Continue

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 17, 2009 at 12:51pm — 2 Comments

We Need Music to Survive

“My parents love music, but at the time they were unclear about its value. The confusion is understandable: We put music in the ‘arts and entertainment’ section of the newspaper. But music often has little to do with entertainment. Quite the opposite." Read the remainder of this essay.

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 13, 2009 at 3:16pm — No Comments

Media That Matters: Tools for Change

Media That Matters: Tools for Change

The Media That Matters film resources illustrate the use of short films on community transformation projects and as vehicles of self-determination. The presentation we received in class was one of the more powerful sessions we had (for me), as it showed how a) the accessibility of new media technology, b) grant resources for traveling and filming, and c) short films that explicitly expose details on community development, contribute to d) media as… Continue

Added by Raven on June 4, 2009 at 1:55pm — No Comments

How Twitter Will Change The Way We Live (TIME magazine essay)

Excerpt: "Put those three elements together - social networks, live searching and link-sharing - and you have a cocktail that poses what may amount to the most interesting alternative to Google's near monopoly in searching." Read Steven Johnson's essay here.

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 4, 2009 at 10:14am — No Comments

SAT Scoring for Pearson

Hey is anyone out there an SAT scorer (current or former) for Pearson? I'm wondering what they pay, and what you think of the opportunity. I've applied.

Added by Lori Rogalski on June 3, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Teaching Copyright: New Resource

“Kids are bombarded with messages that using new technology is illegal,” said Electronic Frontier Foundation activist Richard Esguerra. “Instead of approaching the issues from a position of fear, “Teaching Copyright” encourages inquiry and greater understanding. This is a balanced curriculum, asking students to think about their role in the online world and to make informed choices about their behavior.”

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 2, 2009 at 8:41pm — No Comments

Game Theory: Video Games for Social Change

CGW (Computer Graphics World magazine) carried this piece recently about engaging young people with video games for social causes. Here it is.

Added by Frank W. Baker on June 2, 2009 at 3:46pm — No Comments

Need help with my master's project: your experiences using popular culture in the English classroom

Much like many of you here, I am a life-long devotee of popular culture. I have nightmares about my iPod dying, I can relate nearly any mundane occurrence in life to a Simpsons episode and I restlessly await the next opportunity to be completely baffled by a new David Lynch film. Unsurprisingly, when I decided to become a teacher, I envisioned a classroom that embraced popular culture as a means of facilitating critical thought. I wanted to create a learning environment that engaged… Continue

Added by Bryan Stevens on June 2, 2009 at 12:00am — 2 Comments