Exploring Learning

If anyone read my article in The Guardian about paper blogging, you will know I am a fan of teaching digital skills using analogue methods. True to form, I discovered another 'blend': using story cubes to teach 21st century skills. No computer or Internet required. http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/4csposter.pdf The Partnership for 21st Century Skills  identify the four big Cs of skills that are essential for today's learners. These are communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity . Generally, I address these skills through digital rather than traditional learning such as  blogging or connecting with other classes.  However, I believe that some simple cubes can also be used to address these important areas. My Year 10 second language learners undertake all the regular aspects that I deem important for all my learners, such as silent sustained reading and free writing, every lesson. However, some of the free writing prompts are not alw...

Creating and sharing books using iPads Literacy today is more than reading and writing. Reading today is more than print. Writing today is more than ink. To engage my second language learners, I developed a blended learning unit on picture books that  utilised   both traditional and new literacies, and both analogue and digital tools. The whole unit was delivered via Edmodo  and Google Sites . Edmodo.com I booked out a selection of picture books from the library, including classics such as ‘ The Giving Tree ’ and ‘ Green Eggs and Ham ’. We began with traditional literacy in the form of analytical skills, such as examining sentence structure, and identifying language patterns such as rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and onomatopoeia. We explored characterisation , and developed visual literacy by analysing   how the images enhanced and helped the text. We also looked at the cover, the style of illustration, the page turners, the main ...