My #edtech Video Links

There have been many videos that I reference folks too during my professional development sessions and conversations with teachers. I am finally coming around to compiling a list for my own reference, as well as those who need a central location for sharing video links related to #edtech and 21st century learning.

• CoSN Learning to Change – Changing to Learn 
• Learning to Change/Changing to Learn Student Voices
• Conrad Wolfram: Teaching kids real math with computers
• Hip-Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education
• Salman Khan: Let’s use video to reinvent education
• Teach Education and 21st Century Skills
• Education for Uncertain Futures
• Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students’ Digital Smarts
• Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of Sixth Sense Technology
• Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover
• Will Richardson: The intersection of social networks and education
• Greg Whitby: 21st Century Pedagogy
• Jeff Monday: Disruptive Innovation
• Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education
• Luis von Ahn: Harnesses Brainpower
• Digital Media – New Learners of the 21st Century
• PBS Frontline: Digital Nation
• Teaching without Words in Math
• Let’s start a learning revolution
• Reed Hastings: ASU Education Innovation Keynote
• RSA Animate: Changing Educaton Paradigms
• RSA Animate: 21st Century Enlightenment
• RSA Animate: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
• RSA Animate: The Internet in Society: Empowering or Censoring Citizens?

Can Edmodo Be The Web 2.0 Hub For Education?

The more I use Edmodo with my students, and the more I am finding new web 2.0 apps that can be embedded into Edmodo, I could envision the website as the hub for digital learning in the K12 market. As of today, I have been able to embed YouTube, MyStudiyo, SlideRocket, & Slideshare into Edmodo. The ability to embed HTML coding from other web apps really provides a unique opportunity to bring the best of the web into Edmodo. If more websites provide the embedding code such as the apps above, Edmodo could become the forum to post all my projects. My students could create and complete all their assignments with other apps such as SlideRocket, and then embed the presentation into Edmodo. The collaboration and communication provided on Edmodo could really enhance the experience of all the other apps. The combination of the private communication platform and the ability to embed third party apps into program has some interesting potential for Edmodo. Lets hope Edmodo continues the good work and more importantly, lets hope more web 2.0 companies provide their code to allow us to embed it into Edmodo.

Classical Learning Meets Web 2.0

According to Wikipedia, “The Socratic Method (or Method of Elenchus or Socratic Debate), named after the Classical Greek philosopherSocrates, is a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate rational thinking and to illuminate ideas.”

When using this classical method of teaching, the student takes initiative to drive the conversation to stimulate divergent thoughts on various topics. In my classrooms, I often use the Socratic Method to create a safe forum for students to bring out their ideas through guided questioning. When I present an idea or question, I typically stay out of the conversation and simply take notes without expressing any approval or disapproval. Often when teachers intervene in conversation, the student ends up following the thoughts of the teacher authority (soldier mentality). One of the natural outcomes of the Socratic Method is to encourage risk taking, critical thinking, and problem solving. All skills in developing leaders, not soldiers (the paper pushing worksheet teacher). The students are situated in a circle with me deliberately sitting outside it. I simply state my thought or question, and then the students take over. Obviously, it requires scaffolding and modeling at first, but when the students understand the Socratic process, the conversations go beyond any textbook, video or worksheet on the same topic. I have always preached the Apple motto of “Think Different,” and have based most of my teaching with that in mind.

Then the idea came to me that fit naturally together, the marriage between classical learning of Socrates and the collaborative real time environment of web 2.0. Hence, my name Socratech on Twitter. I began thinking how my traditional classroom setup using the Socratic Method can be integrated using educational technologies. A flurry of ideas came to me when thinking how web 2.0 is the 21st century version of the Socratic Method, where we encourage risk taking, divergent ideas, and an open forum to express our thoughts. Now I just needed to implement a lesson with middle school students that exemplifies the almost eerie similarities between Socrates and web 2.0.

One such example that has successfully remixed the Socratic Method with web 2.0 is when I hold virtual Socratic Seminars in Edmodo. Edmodo is a private social communication platform where I allow my students to converse on various topics guided by me or another student. The beauty of Edmodo is that the conversation provides real time threading with multimedia capabilities to enhance the experience. I held a Socratic Seminar using the Did You Know YouTube video. I guided the conversation by asking questions related to video that stimulated debate and other questions about technology and the Internet. The ideas expressed was beyond any teacher lead discussion on the same subject.

Its no wonder why History was my favorite subject in school. Now it is making sense…

*It is important to note that academic language is strictly enforced in any online or oral Socratic Seminar to mirror the scholarly language of classical Greece. I tell my students to use starter sentences such as “I agree” or “contrary” backing it up with always a support (because) statement.

For more information on the Socratech Seminar Method of learning, feel free to contact me.