Are ‘Learning Styles’ a Symptom of Education’s Ills?

Shocker Alert! 

The NY Times reveals "learning styles" as a largely baseless theory.

"Do [your students] like to learn by seeing, hearing or doing?

"According to some education researchers, it may not matter. They say the idea of teaching according to students’ “preferred learning styles” — auditory, visual or kinesthetic — has little to no empirical backing. But although criticism may be denting the idea’s popularity, it still persists — which may say something larger about the way teachers today are trained."

Read here for the full article. 

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Wordle be gone?

Wordle has been a popular way to illustrate an idea with words for several years. Butler Online instructors who have taken INTON may remember using it as part of their final project. They may possibly include its use in their own courses as well. 

Sadly, it appears that this free tool is longer supported and may disappear altogether. Never fear, there are a number of other tools that produce similar results. Check these out if you are a Wordle fan or just curious - and let us know what you think.

http://www.edudemic.com/9-word-cloud-generators-that-arent-wordle/

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An Infographic on the Benefits of Online Learning.

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Google Tools for the Classroom!

I've been very interested in Google tools as of late.  One of our online instructors, Susan Wrampe, shared this document with me.  I found it to be extremely helpful in terms of how to integrate Google Apps in the Classroom, compliments to the creator, Becky Evans!  Enjoy!

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Have an iPad? Love Google Drive? Read this!

So, you have an iPad now.  And, you've been using Google Drive on your work and home computer but are unsure of just how to use it on the iPad.  Have no fear.  Read this short guide on how to use Google Drive on your iPad, and you'll be off and running in no time!

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Butler Online Advent Calendar

Butler Online is celebrating Advent with 25 days of tech tips for you to try out and use! In addition, we have added a comment each day about unique and fun features of Canvas to get our instructors a little "sneak peak" of the new LMS. Enjoy!

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Project Based Learning Versus "Doing Projects"

Are you wanting to create a Project Based Learning activity in your course but want to make sure it doesn't fall into the category of just another project?  I found a helpful chart on Amy Mayer's blog that breaks down the differences between Project Based Learning and "Doing Projects".  It is downloadable to your Google Drive account.

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MOOC talk

One of my favorite listens on my iPhone is the podcast American RadioWorks. Recently they featured a series on Keyboard College . As the title infers, it is a look at the future of online education. This link is an article from their website on MOOCs or Massive Open Online Courses. They aren't new. However, MOOCs are being examined in a new light for their value in face of rising costs in education, and their increasing accessibility via mobile devices.
The entire documentary is worth checking out as it brings some interesting perspectives on the challenges and promise of online education from within and without the field of education.

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Thinglink for Multiple Intelligence

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, proposed by Howard Gardner, that suggests that all people have multiple intelligences and we all learn best through particular methods. By varying your teaching style and methods, you can help all of your students succeed.
Check out this Thinglink to get some ideas for tapping into your students' preferred learning styles and intelligences.

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The Perpetual Learner

Today, the Huffington Post posted an article from the blog of Tom Teicholz about the ways Online Learning is empowering people to become perpetual learners at any age. I love the idea of this, not just because I am admittedly biased, but because it opens so many possibilities for so many. Personally, I would love to take more Art Appreciation courses for fun. I teach business courses, which I love, but a big reason for that is that I have no apparent artistic skills. But I loved my Art History courses in college and go to every major art museum in range when I travel. I also plan to brush up on some of my outdated technical skills since every job needs them these days. Now that I work at Butler Online and get to see all that is available to me, I have started a little "bucket list" of courses I would love to take.  

What courses do you want to take?

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iPad Apps for Educators!

I recently got an iPad. I love it. I have visions of all the wonderful things I will do with my iPad, but searching for apps takes time. So that is why I am a teeny bit addicted to articles that tell me about great apps because it saves me some disappointment. This morning I found an article that highlights great apps for educators, so I wanted to share this knowledge with you!

Also, if you know of some great educational apps, we would love to hear from you. Has anyting particularly helped you with teaching online or are you excited about trying something new this fall?

Great iPad apps:

• 20 Apps for Educators
• 10 Apps for Teachers AND Students
• 6 Apps for Business (the business teachers out there might want to utilize these!)

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I've FLIPPED 4 UDL!

As I read through a magazine with the words "FLIP IT" on the cover, I got so excited about the concepts inside, that I had to share! You've probably heard about "flipping your classroom", but if not, take a few minutes and check into it. There's a ton of information but here are a few sites I liked:

• http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/the-flipped-class-conversation-689.php
• http://janediner.blogspot.com/2012/05/udl-science-and-flipping.html
• http://www.emergingedtech.com/2011/09/7-stories-from-educators-about-teaching-in-the-flipped-classroom/

In a nutshell, teachers have discovered that students are often more engaged, more active, and learn more in a flipped classroom environment than in a traditional one. By having students watch videos, read articles, or study on their own time, they can use classroom time for things like group projects, discussions, experiments, or practice work. Imagine actually being able to help them with the math problem they were stuck on?! Or watching them work it out with a peer?!


And the super cool part of this concept? It totally embraces UDL (Universal Design for Learning)! Many of our students need a little more time to process or digest the information, or watch the video/read the material/etc. multiple times, taking as much time as they need. How great is that?  If you decide you're ready to FLIP, let us know! We'd be happy to help and cheer you on!

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Thousands of videos are available to enrich your course at C-Span Video. You can find videos on the most current topics as well as historical events. Many of the videos are long but you can select the portion of the video that is pertinent to your topic. The site even provides a timeline so it is easy for you to zero in on the segment of the video you wish to use.

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Web 2.0 Research Tools: A Quick Guide

You may wish to share some of the tools in the book, Web 2.0 Research Tools: A Quick Guide, with your students. It is packed with Web 2.0 tools, suggestions for their use (especially for research), and clear instructions for beginning users. We have presented many of the tools in this blog but Web 2.0 Research Tools: A Quick Guide is a great compilation and does include some tools we have not mentioned. The tutorials are well made and quite useful. A PDF version of the book is available for free download.

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Ted-Ed Announcement

We have previously posted in this blog about TED, the global nonprofit organization whose mission is “Ideas Worth Spreading". Their short videos are inspiring and informative.

On March 13 Ted announced TED-Ed. TED-Ed will launch with a dozen videos aimed at teachers and high school students. Chris Anderson, TED curator, stated that the goal is to eventually add one video per day. The first 12 TED-Ed videos can all be viewed on TED-Ed’s YouTube Channel. Perhaps you can find something useful for your class.

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Online Resources for YOU!

80 Online Tools, References, and Resources

We all know that teachers are always looking for tools, references, and resources for classrooms. Well, here's 80 "must see" trial, free, and paid websites recommended by Edutopia community members. Keep this list in your back pocket! It might come in handy. (The list is not ranked and listed in any order.) =)

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Mobile App

Do you have an Apple phone or iPad?   Consider using this app called OMJS Learning Structures 
The site touts:

Teachers and trainers are always looking for new ways to organize their lessons or meetings in an inspiring way and it is well known that the use of different learning structures contribute to the learning fun and learning efficiency.

But, where do you discover another new learning structure and what is a suitable form that contributes to the purpose of your lessons? This application has the answer! A simple menu helps you to find the right learning structure for your lessons.

The application contains over 40 different learning structures and another 10 for getting your students acquainted.

In for a surprise? Shake your iPhone and get a random suggestion.

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Future of Engineering

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come visited me last night (these ghosts have no respect for the sleeping!) and told me that I need to pay more attention to the future. He was rambling on and on about death and so forth, but then he mentioned something about the future of engineering and how it is my duty to pass on the word. So, here it goes.

eGFI is a great site that focuses on the field of engineering. This site is primarily devoted to K-12 students, but it explores many topics that would be of interest to college age students. There is a link to the eGFI magazine, and the site has a lot of detailed information about topics such as how to choose a college or how to be a successful engineering student.I want to thank the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for passing on this valuable resource, but next time I want him to call before popping in!

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Top 100 Web 2.0 Tools by Edudemic

Here is the list of the 100 Best Web 2.0 Tools  by Edudemic.   We have posted several of these in the past...but there are many new ones to explore.   Give a few a try...and let us know what you think.   We would love to have you review one of these tools and post it to the blog.

The EdTech Toolbox also has a list of Top 100 Tools for Learning.  So when you have some free time this week, take a look!

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Graphic Short Stories

The Observer/Cape Graphic Short Story Prize winners for 2011 have not yet been chosen, but the site has previous winners listed. Here you can view the winning graphic short stories from 2007-2011.

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