Asides

Many Voices for Darfur

Published by Arthus Erea on March 7, 2008 in Asides. 0 Comments

George Mayo, of Many Voices fame, has started a revolutionary new project centered around the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan. Starting at midnight yesterday, students from around the globe have been commenting in response to one of three prompts:

  1. If you could visit the camps in Chad and sit down one-on-one with a refugee who is your age, how would you explain what you or others are doing in your country to spread awareness and make a difference?
  2. Write an open letter to Omar al-Bashir pleading your case for the Darfur region of Sudan.
  3. Write an open letter to leaders in your country to make a case for government support of international efforts in Darfur.

Together, over 650 students have responded in a great example of how the web can unite people around a common cause. If you aren’t familiar with the Darfur conflict, the student-created video below can help you out. I encourage all teachers and students to take Many Voices for Darfur both for their own classes and as an example of the power of web for voice and change.

Learning Through Tests

Published by Anthony Chivetta on January 5, 2008 in Asides. 2 Comments

Cognitive Daily has a summary of a study (PDF) on the connection between different types of practice tests and performance on a final test. The conclusion (as reported by Cognitive Daily) shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to seasoned teachers:

more elaborate retrieval processes during practice tests lead to better results on final tests

While the researchers looked at a much simpler form of learning (memorization of lists of words) than we strive for in our classrooms, the applicability of their results is easy to see: make students think. The study would seem to support the idea that when we force students to use their knowledge in elaborate ways, such as class discussions, presenting projects, or defending a thesis in an essay, they will be able to better recall the information in the final test—whether it be an exam, or life.

Interview with Steve Hargadon

Published by Arthus Erea on December 18, 2007 in Asides. 4 Comments

Steve Hargadon conducted an interview with Students 2.0 authors Kevin, Lindsea, and Sean last Friday. They discussed the Internet, its uses in the classroom, as well as the launch and reactions to the blog. If you would like to hear the voices of three articulate students two articulate students and a Scotsman, this interview is well worth a listen. Thanks, Steve!

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported