The Caffeinated Carbivore

Despite my recent blog entry about Cyber Bullying , there is still so much more to say about the topic. As we educate our students on the benefits of social media, we should also alert them to the dangers. There are various approaches to cel phones in schools . As Wes points out , labeling is an important part of image. If the phone is to be used for education, it is called a "mobile learning device" to emphasize its educational importance. However, students, parents, and teachers should be aware of the technology's dark side. As exemplified in the case of the cel phone's educational name, "mobile learning device", parents should be aware of the differences between "bullies" and "Cyber bullies". The many phases of bullying. 1.Olden days: Size: large, often older or taller than the average kid. Skills: Cruel nicknames, stealing lunch money, extreme snowball accuracy. 2. New Wave Size: varied Skills: everything nice, note encoding 3. Cyb...

If your voice is gone after a day of teaching, you're talking too much. Our students are vivacious and lively-why not let them lead the discussion? Students who speak up in class are 1. More likely to retain knowledge 2. Spark conversation and ideas in others 3. Learn how to interact with others 4. Build social skills So how exactly do you spark an organic student discussion? Try a Socratic Circle! Here's our old buddy Socrates himself to introduce us: The Question: A Socratic Seminar opens with a question (posed by the leader). An opening question shouldn't have an obvious right answer-we want discussion! A good opening question helps participants think back to a text as they speculate, evaluate, define, and clarify all the issues involved. Move the group forward by asking more questions-playing devil's advocate. The Leader: The leader plays a dual role as leader and participant-keeping the discussion focused on the text, asking follow-up questions, helping p...