Active learning

ACTIVE LEARNING

Many college teachers today want to move past passive learning to active learning, to find better ways of engaging students in the learning process. But many teachers feel a need for help in imagining what to do, in or out of class that would constitute a meaningful set of active learning activities. The model below offers a way of conceptualizing the learning process in a way that may assist teachers in identifying meaningful forms of active learning.

A Model of Active Learning

Explanation of the Components This model suggests that all learning activities involve some kind of experience or some kind of dialogue. The two main kinds of dialogue are "Dialogue with Self" and "Dialogue with Others." The two main kinds of experience are "Observing" and "Doing." Dialogue with Self: This is what happens when a learner thinks reflectively about a topic, i.e., they ask themselves what they think or should think what they feel about the topic, etc. This is "thinking about my own thinking," but it addresses a broader array of questions than just cognitive concerns. A teacher can ask students, on a small scale, to keep a journal for a course, or, on a larger scale, to develop a learning portfolio. In either case, students could write about what they are learning, how they are learning, what role this knowledge or learning plays in their own life, how this makes them feel, etc. Dialogue with Others: This can and does come in many forms. In traditional teaching, when students read a textbook or listen to a lecture, they are "listening to" another person (teacher, book author). This can perhaps be viewed as "partial dialogue" but it is limited because there is no back-and-forth exchange. A much more dynamic and active form of dialogue occurs when a teacher creates an intense small group discussion on a topic. Sometimes teachers can also find creative ways to involve students in dialogue situations with people other than students (e.g., practitioners, experts), either in class or outside of class. Whoever the dialogue is with, it might be done live, in writing, or by email. Observing: This occurs whenever a learner watches or listens to someone else "Doing" something that is related to what they are learning about. This might be such things as observing one's teacher do something (e.g., "This is how I critique a novel."), listening to other professionals perform (e.g., musicians), or observing the phenomena being studied (natural, social, or cultural). The act of observing may be "direct" or "vicarious." A direct observation means the learner is observing the real action, directly; a vicarious observation is observing a simulation of the real action. For example, a direct observation of poverty might be for the learner to actually go to where low income people are living and working, and spend some time observing life there. A vicarious or indirect observation of the same topic might be to watch a movie involving poor people or to read stories written by or about them. Doing: This refers to any learning activity where the learner actually does something: design a reservoir dam (engineering), conduct a high school band (music education), design and/or conduct an experiment (natural and social sciences), critique an argument or piece of writing (the humanities), investigate local historical resources(history), make an oral presentation (communication), etc. Again, "Doing" may be direct or vicarious. Case studies, role-playing and simulation activities offer ways of vicariously engaging students in the "Doing" process. To take one example mentioned above, if one is trying to learn how to conduct a high school band, direct "Doing" would be to actually go to a high school and direct the students there. A vicarious "Doing" for the same purpose would be to simulate this by having the student conduct a band composed of fellow college students who were acting like (i.e., role playing) high school students. Or, in business courses, doing case studies is, in essence, a simulation of the decision making process that many courses are aimed at teaching.

Implementing This Model of Active Learning

So, what can a teacher do who wants to use this model to incorporate more active learning into his/her teaching? I would recommend the following three suggestions, each of which involves a more advanced use of active learning. Expand the Kinds of Learning Experiences You Create. The most traditional teaching consists of little more than having students read a text and listen to a lecture, a very limited and limiting form of Dialogue with Others. Consider using more dynamic forms of Dialogue with Others and the other three modes of learning. For example: Create small groups of students and have them make a decision or answer a focused question periodically, Find ways for students to engage in authentic dialogue with people other than fellow classmates who know something about the subject (on the web, by email, or live), Have students keep a journal or build a "learning portfolio" about their own thoughts, learning, feelings, etc., Find ways of helping students observe (directly or vicariously) the subject or action they are trying to learn, and/or Find ways to allow students to actually do (directly, or vicariously with case studies, simulation or role play) that which they need to learn to do. Take Advantage of the "Power of Interaction." Each of the four modes of learning has its own value, and just using more of them should add variety and thereby be more interesting for the learner. However, when properly connected, the various learning activities can have an impact that is more than additive or cumulative; they can be interactive and thereby multiply the educational impact. For example, if students write their own thoughts on a topic (Dialogue with Self) before they engage in small group discussion (Dialogue with Others), the group discussion should be richer and more engaging. If they can do both of these and then observe the phenomena or action (Observation), the observation should be richer and again more engaging. Then, if this is followed by having the students engage in the action itself (Doing), they will have a better sense of what they need to do and what they need to learn during doing. Finally if, after Doing, the learners process this experience by writing about it (Dialogue with Self) and/or discussing it with others (Dialogue with Others), this will add further insight. Such a sequence of learning activities will give the teacher and learners the advantage of the Power of Interaction. Alternatively, advocates of Problem-Based Learning would suggest that a teacher start with "Doing" by posing a real problem for students to work on, and then having students consult with each other (Dialogue with Others) on how best to proceed in order to find a solution to the problem. The learners will likely use a variety of learning options, including Dialogue with Self and Observing. Create Dialectic Between Experience and Dialogue. One refinement of the Interaction Principle described above is simply to create dialectic between the two principle components of this Model of Active Learning: Experience and Dialogue. New experiences (whether of Doing or Observing) have the potential to give learners a new perspective on what is true (beliefs) and/or what is good (values) in the world. Dialogue (whether with Self or with Others) has the potential to help learners construct the many possible meanings of experience and the insights that come from them. A teacher who can creatively set up a dialectic of learning activities in which students move back and forth between having rich new experiences and engaging in deep, meaningful dialogue, can maximize the likelihood that the learners will experience significant and meaningful learning.

What is definition of activity based curriculum?

“Why use an Activity or Task based approach?”
The principles behind the activity based approach is that children are “doers” and learn language primarily because they need it and remember new language better because they have encountered and used it in a realistic situation.

Activity based learning recognizes that young children are physical, tactile and use all their senses. It aims to teach language and address a child’s linguistic intelligence while at the same time, developing a child’s other intelligences [Gardner, 1988]

Activity Based Instruction

Inquiry Oriented Lessons

· Meets the learning style of the student

· More hands-on

· More active participation

· Emphasizes cognitive thinking skills

Cooperative Learning

· Jigsaw Model where each member of the group learns a portion of the material and then teaches it to

   the rest of the group.

· Full Option Science System (FOSS) model for mixed ability groups.

· Cooperative learning activity involves 4 students working together and taking turns with the following

   roles.

1. Reader: this student reads all print directions.

2. Recorder: this student records data, observations, predictions and estimations.

3. Getter: this student assembles all of the necessary materials.

4. Starter: this student oversees manipulations or the materials and ensures that all members have

equal opportunity at using the hands-on materials.

http://www.nwrel.org/msec/pub.html Download It's Just Good Teaching: Mathematics and Science

Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities. Scoring guides using rubrics are also available online.

See The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists for "teamwork" roles and checklist.

Integrated Units

· Students prefer working on a project for longer periods of time rather than stopping and starting

several short lessons.

· Connects student to real world situations.

· Student able to generalize knowledge.

· Increases time on task.

· Increases creativity on the part of the teacher and the students.

· Increases teacher enthusiasm.

· Use video presentations to meet objectives of the unit.

· Assessments can reflect student work rather than the textbook's paper and pencil tests.

See The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists.

Class wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT)

· Practical and easy to use.

· Students learn more by doing/teaching.

· Students prefer working with other students.

· Increases time on task.

· Allows teacher to observe and help all students, not just focusing on 1 or 2 students in need.

· Promotes social and academic skills.

· Improves performance on standardized tests.

· Allows students to respond and receive immediate feedback regarding their performance.

· Increases student learning opportunities.

· The use of "Tutor and Tutee" checklists makes the students more accountable and helps the teacher

monitor student performance.

Games

See The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists for a variety of educational games.

Hands-on Activities

See The Big Book of Books and Activities for ideas on how to create books, posters and bulletin

boards with simple resources from your classroom.

Use Make Intelligence Visible: Display Learning from the Center for Urban Education.

'The Mother of All Questions'

Ma’am, what in the world is Akash doing? What is the purpose of this activity? What is inside that skull of yours anyway? What would happen if that lizard came to sit on your table?

The ‘what’ questions are perhaps the easiest to find answers to, requiring a basic knowledge, not even much of understanding.  Lower Order Thinking Skills, you know, if you are technically inclined. You don’t really have to engage your mental gears at all to be able to respond. These are usually the inane questions, the answers to which the questioner already knows or can find out with minimum effort. They are generally used by children to express amazement, disgust, frustration, and least often, genuine curiosity.

But ‘How do you know what the purpose of this activity is’ is another level of questioning that needs some comprehension and turning of the wheels in the brain. ‘How do you know what is the purpose of your life’ is far more complex a query than the mere ‘what is the purpose of your life’. What is inside that skull of yours is a rhetorical question, the answer to which may vary from ‘a brain’, ‘loads of ideas’, ‘a monster in dormant mode’, ‘an inflated sense of self’, to ‘me’, ‘a psychopath’, ‘thoughts’, or ‘the universe’ depending on how the answerer thinks and whether he is in a contemplative mood, smart ass mood, wicked mood, depressed mood or simply bored, whereas “‘How’ do you know what is inside that skull of yours anyway?” would require deep contemplation, balancing of positive and negative forces, comprehension of the self, and images and feelings that you’d have to grapple with in order to admit they’re inside your skull. See the increasing complexity of the question stem? This is just from What to How. Even so, technically you are still in the LOTS (Lower Order Thinking Skills).

You see, the Howes are definitely much more of thinking people than the Watts in class. (Standing joke from some smart kids even though I never had Howes and Watts in my class, but rather had Mishras, Sharmas and Nairs among others.)

Of course, questions that begin with When and Where are no-brainers. I don’t think there is much skill – lower or higher – involved in answering those.

The question that is most dreadful to answer in class is the Why question. It requires investing the brain in the process of thinking, analysing, evaluating, and synthesising information and thought before an answer can be arrived at. These are the Higher Order Thinking Skills or HOTS, for short. (You’re expected to not only have the HOTS in class, but also to help develop them in the kids! Sacrilege and OMG!) And then, you have to be able to use language to express exactly what you mean to say without stumbling, stuttering or rambling. Oh yes, you have to be good if you are to respond to a Why question.

And the most confounding answer to a Why question is, of course, ‘Why not?’ The sages of yore knew that they would be stumped if someone came up with a difficult why question, so they, in their sagacity and wisdom, invented its sure-shot counter –  ‘Why not?’

Why is Akash doing what he is doing? Why not? Why are we doing this activity? Why not? Why is there a brain inside the skull? Why not? Why would that lizard ever think of coming down to sit on your table? Why not?

Notice that you cannot use this strategy with the other question stems like what, how, when and where without sounding crazy (What not? How not? When not? Where not?). However, a ‘why not’ sounds a lot more intelligent and profound and is therefore a safe option to use if you wish to sound intellectual, superior, artsy or smart.  It’s like one of those modern paintings – the artist makes an intriguing pattern of colours or shapes and the rest of the world endows it with profound or fantastical meaning which is unique to each person…and which the artist probably never intended. But then, that is good art; each viewer experiences it at the personal level irrespective of what the artist meant – ‘Oh! I had these weird muscular spams while doing that piece; though the results look deeply stimulating, don’t you think?’

Here is one from a babe’s mouth that had me resort to the age old wisdom of those ancient sages:

Why do we go to school?

Innumerable reasons pulled out from their parking spots in the recesses of my brain and rushed to my tongue, but it was difficult to articulate any for the four year old child. ‘It builds…’, ‘you learn…’, ‘it helps…’ – three false starts later, inspiration hit me, ‘Why not?!’

P. S: ‘Whys’ might be the most important questions the kids would ever ask you.

Your ‘why not’ will invariably lead them to answer the why themselves with a little help!

'Simple but Effective Ways to be a Great Teacher'

Looking to really connect with your students?

• A Great Teacher Will Always Be There- If you are not in your classroom, you are not teaching. Yes, teachers must take days off occasionally, but do not make it a habit. If you are feeling a little sick, unless it is serious, show up! A sick regular teacher is ten times better for his or her students than a healthy sub is. Regular attendance is a must. Be proud to have a perfect attendance record.
•  A Great Teacher is Accessible- You need to help your students at all times. That means before school, during lunch, and after school. No, you do not have to do it all the time. Start out with something like two days a week before school, lunch, and after school. You are the best tutor your students can get. Teach them!
•  Great Teachers Know Their Students on a Personal Basis- Talk to them during lessons. What is their favorite music? TV? Movies? Talk to them in the hallways. The more you know, the more you can adapt. It is easy to converse during class time. Little comments between concepts can go a long way. If some show up early for class, you can really get personal. No class time? Pass out a questionnaire. Above all, learn their names quickly!
•  A Great Teacher Knows Many Parents- Get phone numbers. Make two calls a day to parents. If you can, make more. They do not need to be long. Just a short hello and that you are interested in their child. In just a short time, you can indeed make contact to at least one parent of each student. Parents can be your biggest ally. Students will perform and behave better if they know you are talking to their parents.
• A Great Teacher Knows What They are Teaching- If you do not know what you are doing, how can you teach? This involves complete preparation.
•  A Great Teacher Attends school events- Make yourself seen at school sports and performances. Being seen in this setting shows students you care about them and support them.
•  A Great Teacher Lives in or Visits the Neighborhood- If you do not live in the same place as your school, make some visits on weekends. Go to a local place to eat. Shop at a local store. Many of your students may have parents who own local businesses. Patronize them. Visit a church. The more your students see you, the more they will be willing to behave in class. They will see you as someone who is willing to be on their level.
•  A Great Teacher Eats Lunch on Campus- Wander around at lunch and sit at a student table. Buy a school lunch and join them. Many students help sell food. Make a point to buy something.
•  A Great Teacher is Always Fair- Expect the best, but be flexible. Fairness does not have to mean leniency It simply means to grade your students on a balanced scale.
•  Great Teachers Never lose Their Cool- Bite your tongue. All things will pass. Never carry a grudge. Things in your classroom will happen. This goes hand in hand with being professional. Acting like a raving lunatic is a sure way to shorten your career.

'Effective Teaching'

Do you want to be an effective teacher? If so, you have to follow the routine set by most effective teachers.

First, you must review the previous lesson. Reviewing frequently will strengthen learning. Spend between 5 and 10 minutes at the start of each class reviewing. The method is of your choosing. Either oral or written.

When teaching new material, go slow. That is, stop after each step and check for class comprehension. It is best to present small steps at a time, rather than one complete big concept. Our brains can only grasp a few things at a time fully. Help your students succeed by using this teaching concept.

Always ask questions of your students. You need to know right away how many are getting the material. Asking questions frequently keeps your students engaged and actively learning.

You as the teacher are the expert. You must model the behavior desired. Do as many detailed examples as you can. Again, always asking for feedback and comprehension. Remember, the best one to help your students grasp the material is you!

Students must be allowed to do independent practice. Students need to work alone. But this doesn’t mean you always need to leave them dangling without a life line. Leave examples on the board. Give hints as you walk around the room, Encourage the students. You can even leave written notes and prompts on the board. With independent practice, a guide is always needed. That guide is you, the teacher. Try and visit each student and check where they are going wrong or right. Steer them in the correct direction.

The smaller the steps you give and ask for practice, the better the overall understanding will be. Students will build, sometimes refered to as “scaffolding,” to the next level.

Veteran teachers know the mistakes their students will make. An effective teacher will point these out as they present the material. When you come across a part where many students go wrong, point out things to watch out for. Anticipate where your students will make errors.

As bad as it sounds, practicing something is the only way to get good at it. The best place to practice is in your classroom. So, when you assign homework, beware of this fact and do not give homework that requires an expert on the first day.

The last part of an effective teacher, but not the least, is by checking for mastery. This must be done on a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly basis. It comes in the forms of quizzes and exams.

The above steps are not hard for any teacher. Be determined to be the most effective teacher you can be!

'The 100 Best Video Sites For Educators'

Bringing multimedia into the classroom is a great way to engage students in learning. Supplementing lessons, opening up new interests, and offering inspiration, online videos make for an incredible teaching tool. In 2010, we covered our favorite 100 video sites for educators, and we’ve now updated our list for 2012 with more than 100 resources and more than 25 brand new entries. Read on, and you’ll be able to check out the very best sources for educational videos on the web.

Specifically designed for education, these collections make it easy to find video learning resources.

1. TeacherTube: This YouTube for teachers is an amazing resource for finding educationally-focused videos to share with your classroom. You can find videos uploaded by other teachers or share your own.
2. Edutopia: An awesome place to find learning ideas and resources, Edutopia has videos, blogs, and more, all sorted into grade levels.
3. YouTube EDU: A YouTube channel just for education, you can find primary and secondary education, university-level videos, and even lifelong learning.
4. Classroom Clips: Classroom Clips offers media for educators and students alike, including video and audio in a browseable format.
5. neoK12: Find science videos and more for school kids in K-12 on neoK12.
6. OV Guide: Find education videos on this site, featuring author readings and instructional videos.
7. CosmoLearning: This free educational website has videos in 36 different academic subjects.
8. Google Educational Videos: Cool Cat Teacher offers this excellent tutorial for finding the best of Google’s educational videos.
9. Brightstorm: On Brightstorm, students can find homework help in math and science, even test prep, too.
10. Explore.org: Explore.org shares live animal cams, films, educational channels, and more for your classroom to explore.
11. UWTV: Offered by the University of Washington, UWTV has videos in the arts, K-12, social sciences, health, and more.
12. Videolectures.net: With Videolectures.net, you’ll get access to browseable lectures designed for the exchange of ideas and knowledge, offering videos in architecture, business, technology, and many more categories.
13. TED-Ed: From a site that’s long been known for big ideas, you’ll find TED-Ed, videos specifically designed to act as highly engaging and fun lessons.
14. Zane Education: Zane Education offers resources for visual learning, including the very popular on demand subtitled videos.
15. Backpack TV: In this educational video library, you’ll find a special interest in math, science, and other academic subjects.
16. MentorMob: Featuring learning playlists, MentorMob is a great place to find lessons you want to teach.
17. Disney Educational Productions: This resource from Disney is a great place to find videos for students at the K-12 level.

General Video Collections

Network TV, inspiring talks, and more are all available in these collections. Check out special categories and searches to find videos that will work in your classroom.

18. Hulu: A great place to find the latest TV shows, Hulu is also a source of educational videos. Documentaries, PBS, even Discovery videos are all available on the site.
19. Internet Archive: Find so much more than videos in the Internet Archive. Images, live music, audio, texts, and yes, historical and educational videos are all available on Archive.org.
20. TED: Share seemingly endless inspiration with your students through TED, a fountain of talks based on compelling ideas.
21. MIT Video: Online education giant MIT has an incredible video collection, offering more than 10,000 videos for science, technology, and more.
22. TVO: TVO is a really fun and useful online TV station, with great ways for kids, parents, and educators to learn about the world.
23. Big Think: Much like TED, Big Think offers videos (and more) from some of the world’s top thinkers and learners.
24. @Google Talks: On this YouTube channel, you’ll find talks from creators: authors, musicians, innovators, and speakers, all discussing their latest creations.
25. Metacafe: Find free video clips from just about anywhere, offering educational videos, documentaries, and more.
26. Link TV: On Link TV, you’ll find videos and broadcasts meant to connect you and your students to the greater world through documentaries and cultural programs.

Teacher Education

Featuring higher-level learning, these video sites are great resources for finding education that’s fit for teachers.

27. Academic Earth: Learn about science, justice, economics, and more from some of the world’s great universities. You can even earn a degree from this site!
28. Teacher Training Videos: Specifically created to teach educators, Teacher Training Videos is a great place to find online tutorials for technology in education.
29. Classroom 2.0: Check out Classroom 2.0?s videos to learn about Web 2.0, social media, and more.
30. Atomic Learning: Visit Atomic Learning to find resources for K-12 professional development.
31. iTunesU: Find university-level learning and more from iTunesU.
32. Videos for Professional Development: An excellent collection of professional development videos, Wesley Fryer’s post shares some of the best teacher videos available.
33. Learner.org: Annenberg Learner offers excellent teacher professional development and classroom resources for just about every curriculum available.
34. MIT Open CourseWare: The leader in Open CourseWare, MIT has free lectures and videos in 2,100 courses.

Lesson Planning

Put together your lesson plans with the help of these useful video sites.

35. Teachers’ Domain: Join the Teachers’ Domain, and you’ll get access to educational media from public broadcasting and its partners, featuring media from the arts, math, science, and more.
36. Meet Me at the Corner: A great place for younger kids to visit, Meet Me At the Corner has educational videos, and kid-friendly episodes, including virtual field trips and video book reviews by kids, for kids.
37. WatchKnowLearn: WatchKnowLearn is an incredible resource for finding educational videos in an organized repository. Sorted by age and category, it’s always easy to find what you’re looking for.
38. BrainPOP: On this education site for kids, you’ll find animated educational videos, graphics, and more, plus a special section for BrainPOP educators.
39. The KidsKnowIt Network: Education is fun and free on this children’s learning network full of free educational movies and video podcasts.
40. Khan Academy: With more than 3,200 videos, Khan Academy is the place to learn almost anything. Whether you’re seeking physics, finance, or history, you’ll find a lesson on it through Khan Academy.
41. Awesome Stories: Students can learn the stories of the world on this site, with videos explaining what it was like to break ranks within the Women’s Movement, the life of emperor penguins, and even Martin Luther King, Jr’s “We Shall Overcome” speech.
42. Nobelprize: Cap off lessons about Nobel Prize winners with videos explaining their work and life, direct from the source on Nobelprize.org.
43. JohnLocker: JohnLocker is full of educational videos and free documentaries, including Yogis of Tibet andUnderstanding the Universe.

Science, Math, and Technology

You’ll find special attention for STEM subjects on these video sites.

44. Green Energy TV: On Green Energy TV, you’ll find learning resources and videos for the green movement, including a video version of the children’s book Living Green: A Turtle’s Quest for a Cleaner Planet.
45. BioInteractive: Find free videos and other resources for teaching “ahead of the textbook” from BioInteractive, part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
46. ARKive: Share images and videos of the world’s most endangered species with your students, thanks to ARKive. These wildlife films and photos are from some of the world’s best filmmakers and photographers, sharing stunning images that everyone can appreciate.
47. MathTV: Students who need extra help with math can find support on MathTV. This site offers videos explaining everything from basic mathematics all the way to trigonometry and calculus.
48. The Vega Science Trust: A project of Florida State University, The Vega Science Trust shares lectures, documentaries, interviews, and more for students to enjoy and learn from.
49. The Science Network: Check out The Science Network, where you’ll find the world’s leading scientists explaining concepts including viruses and the birth of neurons.
50. PopTech: Bringing together a global community of innovators, PopTech has videos explaining economics, water, and plant-based fuels.
51. PsychCentral: Students can learn about what makes people tick through PsychCentral’s brain and behavior videos.
52. How Stuff Works: The video channel from How Stuff Works offers an in-depth look at adventure, animals, food, science, and much more.
53. Science Stage: Find science videos, tutorials, courses, and more streaming knowledge on Science Stage.
54. Exploratorium TV: Allow students to explore science and beyond with Exploratorium TV’s videos, webcasts, podcasts, and slideshows.
55. SciVee: SciVee makes science visible, allowing searchable video content on health, biology, and more.
56. The Futures Channel: Visit the Futures Channel to find educational videos and activities for hands-on, real world math and science in the classroom.
57. All Things Science: For just about any science video you can imagine, All Things Science has it, whether it’s about life after death or space elevators.
58. ATETV: Check out Advanced Technological Education Television (ATETV) to find videos exploring careers in the field of technology.

History, Arts, and Social Sciences

Explore history and more in these interesting video collections.

59. The Kennedy Center: Find beautiful performances from The Kennedy Center’s Performance Archive.
60. The Archaeology Channel: Students can explore human cultural heritage through streaming media on The Archaeology Channel.
61. Web of Stories: On Web of Stories, people share their life stories, including Stan Lee, writer, Mike Bayon, WWII veteran, and Donald Knuth, computer scientist.
62. Stephen Spielberg Film and Video Archive: In this archive, you’ll find films and videos relating to the Holocaust, including the Nuremberg Trials and Hitler speeches.
63. Culture Catch: Students can tune into culture with Dusty Wright’s Culture Catch.
64. Folkstreams: On Folkstream.net, a national preserve of documentary films about American roots cultures, you’ll find the best of American folklore films.
65. Digital History: A project of the University of Houston, Digital History uses new technology, including video, to enhance teaching and research in history.
66. History Matters: Another university project, this one is from George Mason University. Sharing primary documents, images, audio, and more, there’s plenty of historic multimedia to go around on this site.
67. Social Studies Video Dictionary: Make definitions visual with this video dictionary for social studies.
68. The Living Room Candidate: From the Museum of the Moving Image, The Living Room Candidate features presidential campaign commercials from 1952 to 2008.
69. Video Active: Find Europe’s TV heritage through Video Active, a collection of TV programs and stills from European audiovisual archives.
70. Media Education Foundation: The Media Education Foundation offers documentary films and other challenging media for teaching media literacy and media studies.

Video Tools

Make it easy to find, share, and view videos with these tools.

71. DropShots: On DropShots, you’ll find free, private, and secure storage and sharing for video and photos.
72. Muvee: Using Muvee, you can create your own photo and video “muvees” to share privately with your class.
73. Tonido: Tonido makes it possible to run your own personal cloud, accessing video files on your computer from anywhere, even your phone.
74. Vidique: On Vidique, you’ll find a video syndication system where you can create your own channel of curated content for the classroom.
75. SchoolTube: On SchoolTube, you’ll find video sharing for both students and teachers, highlighting the best videos from schools everywhere.

Network and Program Videos

Check out these sites to find public broadcasting and other educational programs.

76. PBS Video: Watch and share PBS videos online with this site.
77. National Geographic: Find some of the world’s most amazing videos of natural life on National Geographic’s online video home.
78. NOVA Teachers: NOVA shares highly organized videos for teachers, with 1-3 hour programs divided into chapters, plus short 5-15 minute segments from NOVA scienceNOW.
79. Discovery Education: Use Discovery Education’s videos to inspire curiosity, bringing the Discovery channel into your classroom.
80. C-SPAN Video Library: Find Congressional and other political programs and clips in this digital archive from C-SPAN.
81. NBC Learn: Check out NBC Learn to find excellent resources for learning from NBC, including the science behind just about everything from the summer Olympics to hockey.
82. History.com: Watch full episodes, clips, and videos from the History channel.
83. Biography: Get the true story behind peoples’ lives from these videos from the Biography channel.
84. BBC Learning: BBC offers an excellent learning site, including learning resources for schools, parents, and teachers. One of BBC’s most impressive resources is a live volcano conversation discussing the world’s most active volcano in Hawaii.

Free Movies and Clips

Documentaries and other educational movies and clips are available on these sites.

85. Free Documentaries: On Free Documentaries, “the truth is free,” with a variety of documentary films available for streaming.
86. SnagFilms: On SnagFilms, you can watch free movies and documentaries online, with more than 3,000 available right now.
87. Top Documentary Films: Watch free documentaries online in this great collection of documentary movies.
88. TV Documentaries: This Australian site has excellent documentaries about child growth, historic events, and even animations about classical Greek mythology.

How-Tos

Satisfy students’ desire for knowledge and hands-on learning by sharing how-to videos from these sites.

89. 5min: If you’ve got five minutes, you can learn how to do something on this site. Check it out to find instructional videos and DIY projects.
90. Wonder How To: Learn everything about anything from Wonder How To’s show and tell videos.
91. Instructables: This community of doers shares instructions (often, video) for doing just about anything, from making secret doors to tiny origami.
92. Howcast: Find some of the best how-to videos online with Howcast.
93. MindBites: Check out MindBites to find thousands of video lessons, how-tos, and tutorials.
94. W3Schools: Through W3Schools’ web tutorials (video and otherwise), you can learn how to create your own websites.
95. Videojug: Videojug encourages users to “get good at life” by watching more than 60,000 available how-to videos and guides.

Government and Organizations

Offered as a service from government organizations and other groups, these are great places to find top-notch educational videos and often, historical treasures.

96. US National Archives: Explore US history in this YouTube channel from the US National Archives.
97. National Science Foundation: From the National Science Foundation, you’ll find a wealth of multimedia, including instructional and educational videos.
98. NASA eClips: NASA offers a great way for students and educators to learn about space exploration, with clips divided by grade level.
99. NASA TV: Tune in to NASA TV to watch launches, talks, even space station viewing.
100. Library of Congress: Through the Library of Congress, you can find videos and other classroom materials for learning about American history.
101. American Memory Collections: Search America’s collective memory to find videos and other multimedia from the American past, including film and sound recordings from the Edison Companies and 50 years of Coca-Cola TV ads.
102. Canadian National Film Bureau: Check out the Canadian National Film bureau to find hundreds of documentaries and animated films available online

The Power of Authentic Learning

A group of impassioned, budding environmentalists debates the pros and cons of clearing trees from the rain forest. They note the many resources that these massive forest areas provide to humans and discuss how cutting down the trees could affect the environment—the trees supply oxygen, for example. During the conversation, all group members are eager to share their opinions. The issue affects them and, indeed, all life on Earth.

Another group discusses organ donation. They talk about the specific health problems of patients waiting to receive organs and the urgent need for donors. This topic is especially relevant to the group because one of its members has a relative who is on the list to receive a kidney transplant.

What is unusual about these two groups of people is that they are not made up of scientists or doctors. Rather, they are elementary and middle school students trying to determine which real-world issue will serve as a research topic for a school project. These students are engaging in what is known as “authentic learning.”

Creating Authentic Learning Experiences

My first recognition that this was an ideal approach to teaching and learning came when I taught gifted elementary and middle school students in a pull-out program. Students spent one day each week with me learning about topics they chose. They would eagerly enter my classroom because they had control of the “what” and “how” of their learning. The assignments had meaning to them, and they had a vested interest in achieving their learning goals. As a result, the students worked much harder and longer than they might have if I had assigned the topics to them.

The 6th grade students who were interested in learning more about organ donation programs demonstrated that same enthusiasm. The five students began by brainstorming everything they knew collectively and then set out to research the subject. They spent many hours surfing the Web and perusing documents in the library. Students learned and practiced skills such as word processing and videotaping. They recorded the new information they acquired and logged questions they had. Then, we heard about a local man who had recently received a kidney that had been donated from another local man he knew. We arranged for students to interview the organ donor and recipient so that the students could learn first-hand about this issue.

Students created the plan for their investigation. They listed everything they had learned through research and identified what they still needed to learn, as well as what resources they would need. The students also determined what their final “real-world” product would be and how that product would be evaluated.

Because authentic learning spans disciplines, students would learn about science and language and gain other skills through this project. Students realized that they needed to learn how to conduct an interview, for example. After reviewing videos and how-to books on the subject, students began writing possible questions and holding mock interviews. As they practiced, they became more confident of their scientific knowledge about kidney transplants and more at ease with asking questions.

At last the big day came. Students videotaped the interview, which was held in the boardroom where the organ recipient worked. They asked about the surgical procedures, the recovery time, the physical maintenance after surgery, the dialysis process, the deepened friendship between the two men, their opinions of the positive and negative aspects of donation, and their emotional reactions. The students’ professionalism was impressive, and it was evident that they gained knowledge, skills, and a deep understanding of the subject matter.

Adult Roles in Authentic Learning

When students are actively involved in planning and executing their own authentic learning experiences, the teacher’s role becomes that of the primary support person—guiding students’ thinking and gathering resources. The teacher must be enthusiastic about learning and provide encouragement.

School administrators can assist teachers by supporting their innovative methods and by supplying funds to purchase necessary materials. Administrators need to become familiar with how authentic learning boosts students’ learning and achievement, and they need to lead the search for fresh and authentic ways to feed their students’ minds.

Parents can also assist in the authentic learning process, and teachers should work to facilitate their involvement. Many times, I would hold evening events (in the classroom, at the park, or wherever the project was taking place) so that parents could visit when students were making presentations. Other times, I would ask parents to help supply materials or provide transportation to visit experts on field trips. Finally, parents need to support the efforts of authentic learning practices and communicate the effectiveness to school administrators, teachers, and boards of education.

Taking on the World

Through authentic learning tasks, I have seen students of all ages become critical and creative thinkers, risk takers, and problem finders. They tackle large problems—problems that, like real-world issues, are messy and have more than one solution. Such genuine scenarios require that students use analytical decision-making processes and justify their choices.

Throughout the years, my students have completed many authentic learning projects, exploring topics that range from aviation to zoology. They have participated in many service projects to help solve community-based and worldwide problems. Students organized efforts to send money, food, and clothing to the poor in Honduras. They have tutored students and participated in community beautification and clean-up efforts. Through these activities, students also learned citizenship skills by taking responsibility for being productive members of our society.

At a young age, students enter school with a desire to learn. Authentic learning experiences fuel that motivation. What students learn, therefore, becomes all the more meaningful. Through authentic learning experiences, students don’t simply receive knowledge; they attain it.