TechPudding
Archive for March 2011
From Scroll to Book to Internet: Educational Technology Changes Everything
New technologies can change everything–what and how we learn, know, understand, communicate, socialize, and think. Many people have enjoyed the video called Help Desk, posted by Zauron3ooo, that hilariously depicts an interaction between two monks as they try to figure out how to use the new technology of the book, as opposed to the old way … Continue reading
Glass Walls, Carpentry, and Design: Authentic Learning at High Tech High
The web is full of inspirational, mind-blowing ideas. This post is a follow-up to my last entry that examined the studio approach, used for years in post-secondary multimedia, design, and architecture schools to make learning truly authentic, deeply collaborative, and highly rigorous. Today I watched the following video presented by The Pearson Foundation and the Mobile Learning Institute, highlighting the … Continue reading
The Studio Model: Collaborative, Real-World Learning
I am currently in the process of re-designing a high school Innovative Technology (IT) course with a group of incredible teachers, and have been documenting highlights of my work here on TechPudding. My first post about the course re-design gave an overview of our move from basic how-tos of Microsoft Office applications, to a dynamic approach to … Continue reading
Let’s Chat: Discussion-Stimulating Videos on Ed Tech & Change
My brain is getting tired since spring break is just over a week away and my city has experienced enough snow and -30-something degree (celsius) temperatures to last the entire year–in the last few weeks. So I went in search of something both light and thought-provoking in the form of short videos of high interest, design, and accessibility, … Continue reading
Usability and Visual Design: 3 Tools that Have it All
(Check the actual thing out at http://www.wix.com/techpudding/techpudding) Greetings! Today I’d like to showcase two free web 2.0 tools that are both easy to use and look incredibly professional. They are both great tools to create widgets for websites, wikis, or blogs. Unlike many free web 2.0 tools available, their designers thought hard about creating clean and simple user … Continue reading
Tech Changes Practice; Practice Changes Tech
Which came first? What changes what? I’m not referring to chickens or eggs, but what I mean is, does technology change teaching practice, or does teaching practice change technology? I believe that it works both ways, but that new innovations can be powerful catalysts for change if we examine our interactions with them closely. In the … Continue reading
“I’m using technology…what more do you want?”
“You say that these students want to use technology, but I am giving an online test this week and they all say they’d rather do a regular test in class.” This is a statement that a teacher at my school said to me last week. In thinking about this statement, I realized that my colleague had implied … Continue reading
Computational Thinking: A 21st Century Skill
Today I researched a number of articles about a skill called computational thinking or CT. The term computational thinking was coined in 2006 by Jeannette Wing, a compter science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Wing argued in her article Computational Thinking, that CT is a fundamental skill for everyone living in the 21st century. Since then, there has been … Continue reading
The Role of Followers in the Diffusion of Innovations
Many people have heard of sociologist and communications theorist Everett Rogers’ famous work that he published in 1962. Diffusion of Innovations was Rogers’ explanation of how people adopt new ideas and technologies. I wanted to pick up on a different facet of a post of mine that examined how to be an early adopter of technology. First, I … Continue reading
Bite Sized Tech Pudding – Tip #1: Title Your Tables
I clearly remember the last time I prepared instant noodles, but was too hungry to wait for the water to boil completely before adding them. The result was soggy noodles, which equalled diminished enjoyment of a sacred comfort food experience. This is an example of a time when I learned something that was supposed to be simple, yet … Continue reading
