Learners today are different – fundamentally different – neurologically different. They’re different not because of the clothes they wear or the music they listen to or the things they say or how they act. Because of digital bombardment and the emergence of the new digital landscape, today’s youth process information and communicate in fundamentally different ways than any previous generation before them. This presentation provides a comprehensive profile of nine core learning attributes of digital learners and identifies the principles and processes we can use to teach effectively in the Digital Age.
Kids today live in a digitally connected world. Digital games are everywhere in 21st-century culture. In short order, they have evolved from being childhood hobbies to powerful tools for learning in every aspect of our lives. How do we harness the power of gaming to bring excitement and engagement to our schools by transforming learning into truly unique adventures for students? Prepare your students for the new digital landscape by leveraging the technology they love and understand best. Based upon the latest research and time honored instructional practices, this presentation helps you build 21st-century skills using digital video games. Participants will learn how to find, evaluate and integrate digital games into existing lesson plans or to completely redesign the classroom.
There is no shortage of apps, resources and devices for teachers and students of all ages to choose from. The key is how to effectively use these tools to cultivate critical thinking and problem solving skills, increase teacher and student productivity, spark innovation and creativity, encourage positive collaboration, and develop the essential communication skills needed by students, teachers and parents alike. This presentation identifies a series of pressure-tested free and inexpensive digital tools to utilize for powerful learning experiences in modern classroom environments. Participants will come away with a clear understanding of tools that are the new basics for teaching, learning and assessment in the digital world.
Over the course of the past 25 years, almost everything we have come to believe in about learning since we were young has gone under the microscope – how we teach, how we test, and even how we perceive education. Is this really necessary? Are we better off continuing to do what our personal experiences tell us is the best way? It’s much easier to just keep going in the same direction than it is to stop and re-evaluate our beliefs and daily practices. Are our beliefs fact or fiction? With humour and urgency, this presentation debunks many of the longstanding myths and misconceptions that have been traditionally accepted in education, and considers how we can re-imagine an education liberated from these assumptions.