Sometimes you gotta see it to learn it

Humans are hard-wired to respond to images...

From the beginning of time, humans have used pictures and symbols to communicate and record ideas. There are likely few of us fluent in ancient languages, but we are comfortable interpreting IMAGES...

Fast forward to the 21st century...

The rise of electronic media and the "flattening" of the world has changed the way we communicate as humans... lucky for us, we went the "picture" route- the bathroom sign in China looks like the bathroom sign in Little Rock ( I know this from experience)

WHICH BRINGS ME TO "VISUAL THINKING" (sometimes lumped with "visual note taking" and "visual facilitation")

it is NOT necessary to be an "artist" or an "ar-teest" to do it!!!

Here's a link to "Sketchnotes 101" one person's explanation on how, you too, can learn to listen and respond in images- regardless of your art skills!!!

Here are some introductory thoughts:
http://www.core77.com/blog/sketchnotes/sketchnotes_101_visual_thinking_19518.asp

Some "nuts and bolts" for sketchnoting:
http://www.core77.com/blog/sketchnotes/sketchnotes_101_the_basics_of_visual_note-taking_19678.asp


There are also many resources for using visual tools with groups of learners (kids and grown people)

You Tube resource- Intro to Graphic Facilitation by Brandy Agerbeck (attended a session she conducted at the International Facilitators conference- she's great and shares great ideas and resources)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzfsCtOnERc


Book-
Visual Meetings by David Sibbet


SO consider the "visual"- even if it isn't your learning style, chances are at least some of the "learners" you work with think and respond in IMAGES

As always, share any resources you find or ways you use these ideas with student and adult learning in the COMMENTS section of this post!!!

More Resources for Your Summer Do-Over

If you aren't already checking out Edutopia.org on a regular basis, I encourage you to sign up to receive their emails. Edutopia is a rich resource for all things related to teaching and learning.

Here's a sample:

2011 Summer Rejuvenation Guide for Teachers
http://www.edutopia.org/summer-rejuvenation-classroom-resource-guide/?download=yes&subscribe=yes


Summer Professional Development Blog Series
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/professional-development-series


80 recommended resources for teachers
(this is filed under "high school", but the resources- many of which you smart Arkansas Teacher Leadership Institute teachers are already using- seem to work for any grade level)

http://www.edutopia.org/groups/technology-integration-high-school/57108


A few suggestions for managing your digital resources- some of them you probably know (Delicious, Diigo) and some you may not know. I would also suggest looking at Simbaloo.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/tools-manage-digital-resources-mary-beth-hertz

As usual, please share what you learn and continue to add resources by posting in the COMMENT SECTION!!!

As you think about next year...

Which is weird because it's _not_ "next year" at all- it's like almost next month that we'll be cranking up for another run at this school thing... For the few moments we have to dream about our annual "do-over" for teaching and learning, here are a few things that might be cool to think about for "next year"-

The Third Teacher- a site devoted to "collaborative exploration of ways design can transform teaching and learning"
http://www.thethirdteacher.com/

You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. They send out really great information and resources via Facebook. If after poking around their website you dig what you are seeing, "like" them on Facebook.

Here are a couple of interesting things from their recent Facebook postings:

Sketchnotes 101: The basics of visual note-taking
http://www.core77.com/blog/sketchnotes/sketchnotes_101_the_basics_of_visual_note-taking_19678.asp

Maybe Cornell notetaking isn't for everyone???

3-D Thinking with Paperfolding
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1664114/paper-punk-teaches-3-d-thinking-with-folding-paper-building-blocks

Turns out "thinking with your hands" is a good skill to posess.

What cool resources have you added to your "Personal Learning Network" lately?

Please share in the comments section!!! (especially those of you going to great conferences and workshops this summer- let the rest of us stuck here in the Arkansas heat live through your learning experiences)

A new invention

If it was possible to make "mid-year resolutions"- like New Year's, but in June,  I'd resolve to be better about updating this blog... I think I will invent mid-year resolutions- right now... they now exist.

So, as my first official act of the mid-year, I recommend giving a look to this guy's work

Cal Newport
www.calnewport.com

I recently read an interview with him regarding his new book:

How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Withouth Burning Out)

These three points- particularly the last one- caught my attention:

• Why doing less is the foundation for becoming more impressive, and scheduling free time is critical to success.
• Why demonstrating passion is meaningless, but being interesting is crucial.
• Why accomplishments that are hard to explain are better than accomplishments that are hard to do.

Even if you aren't a high school teacher, what if we considered these ideas and worked backwards to consider how we approach teaching and learning from the time children begin learning- formally or informally?

How do these ideas influence the "messages" we communicate to students, concerned family members, community, etc. regarding how we structure the learning experience, in and out of the classroom?