Comments for EdTechSwami http://www.edtechswami.com Not another expensive paperweight Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:25:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Dark Souls Has Me Thinking… About Education by Chris http://www.edtechswami.com/dark-souls-has-me-thinking-about-education/comment-page-1/#comment-915 Chris Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:25:29 +0000 http://www.edtechswami.com/?p=664#comment-915 Thanks for the comment Clare. I must admit I was thinking of the effects of failure on middle and high school students rather than younger ones. Your comment made me think of when I play Chutes and Ladders with my four year old. If I win he won't want to play anymore and he will be morose and sulk for a while, but if he wins he wants to play again right away. Of course there is no skill at all involved in the outcome of that game but the effects of winning or losing are interesting to me. I wonder when the brain is capable of making the switch to learning from failure? Thanks for the comment Clare. I must admit I was thinking of the effects of failure on middle and high school students rather than younger ones. Your comment made me think of when I play Chutes and Ladders with my four year old. If I win he won’t want to play anymore and he will be morose and sulk for a while, but if he wins he wants to play again right away. Of course there is no skill at all involved in the outcome of that game but the effects of winning or losing are interesting to me. I wonder when the brain is capable of making the switch to learning from failure?

]]> Comment on Dark Souls Has Me Thinking… About Education by Clare Johnson http://www.edtechswami.com/dark-souls-has-me-thinking-about-education/comment-page-1/#comment-913 Clare Johnson Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:56:49 +0000 http://www.edtechswami.com/?p=664#comment-913 What at interesting post. My seven year old son plays a lot of games, and gets incredibly frustrated when he 'dies', or if he fails at any point. I have struggled to get him to embrace the concept of dying as a means for progressing, and it has caused me some concern in the past as I wonder how he will cope with the inevitable failures he will face as he grows up (though I have never thought of it quite so eloquently as this!). At the moment, I don't believe his young mind is capable of accepting failure in this way, but hopefully, at some point, he will realise the value of it. Personally, whilst I do remember my successes, I take much more pleasure in achieving something after a struggle. What at interesting post. My seven year old son plays a lot of games, and gets incredibly frustrated when he ‘dies’, or if he fails at any point. I have struggled to get him to embrace the concept of dying as a means for progressing, and it has caused me some concern in the past as I wonder how he will cope with the inevitable failures he will face as he grows up (though I have never thought of it quite so eloquently as this!). At the moment, I don’t believe his young mind is capable of accepting failure in this way, but hopefully, at some point, he will realise the value of it. Personally, whilst I do remember my successes, I take much more pleasure in achieving something after a struggle.

]]> Comment on Help Me With My Parent Outreach Program by Chris http://www.edtechswami.com/help-me-with-my-parent-outreach-program/comment-page-1/#comment-904 Chris Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:02:14 +0000 http://www.edtechswami.com/?p=604#comment-904 Thanks John. I'm going to sign up to try your product. Thanks John. I’m going to sign up to try your product.

]]> Comment on Help Me With My Parent Outreach Program by John Halloran http://www.edtechswami.com/help-me-with-my-parent-outreach-program/comment-page-1/#comment-903 John Halloran Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:59:14 +0000 http://www.edtechswami.com/?p=604#comment-903 Some great ideas here, and a valuable conversation. The folks at TeachHub were kind enough to post my thoughts on creating a parent communication strategy here: http://bit.ly/peF0OL, which I hope you don't mind me linking to. The main takeaway from that piece is the importance of thinking through and implementing robust plan rather than executing tactics on a one-off basis. Incidentally, if you're looking for tools to help you communicate with parents, only a part, but an important part of such a plan, check out www.snappschool.com. Our beta is still open and will be free for the school year. Some great ideas here, and a valuable conversation.

The folks at TeachHub were kind enough to post my thoughts on creating a parent communication strategy here: http://bit.ly/peF0OL, which I hope you don’t mind me linking to. The main takeaway from that piece is the importance of thinking through and implementing robust plan rather than executing tactics on a one-off basis.

Incidentally, if you’re looking for tools to help you communicate with parents, only a part, but an important part of such a plan, check out http://www.snappschool.com. Our beta is still open and will be free for the school year.

]]> Comment on The Power of People: An RSCON Reflection by Mark Barnes http://www.edtechswami.com/the-power-of-people-an-rscon-reflection/comment-page-1/#comment-891 Mark Barnes Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:49:19 +0000 http://www.edtechswami.com/?p=635#comment-891 RSCON3 was a transformative experience for me -- as an organizer, presenter and participant. Thanks for a powerful reflection, Chris, and thanks for all you did to make the event a success. RSCON3 was a transformative experience for me — as an organizer, presenter and participant. Thanks for a powerful reflection, Chris, and thanks for all you did to make the event a success.

]]> Comment on The Power of People: An RSCON Reflection by Melissa Tran http://www.edtechswami.com/the-power-of-people-an-rscon-reflection/comment-page-1/#comment-884 Melissa Tran Wed, 03 Aug 2011 07:10:24 +0000 http://www.edtechswami.com/?p=635#comment-884 Couldn't agree more and this piece made my day! Now, more than ever it is so important that we give our energy and direct our resources to support what we value. That's far more effective (and way more fun!) than shouting into the abyss, and really, that's what Rscon is about to me. I value optimism, courage, compassion, hope. I believe in possibilities and responsibility and that every day, we all get to choose what kind of person we want to be when we grow up... I also believe that it takes courage and strength and commitment to constant, deliberate practice to actually become that type of person. Rscon is part of that deliberate practice for me. It's impossible to be surrounded by (virtually or otherwise) so many brilliant, passionate, and committed people and not grow exponentially. Thank YOU for helping me grow, and thanks so much for your kind thoughts and inspiring words! Till next time... very best regards! Couldn’t agree more and this piece made my day! Now, more than ever it is so important that we give our energy and direct our resources to support what we value. That’s far more effective (and way more fun!) than shouting into the abyss, and really, that’s what Rscon is about to me.

I value optimism, courage, compassion, hope. I believe in possibilities and responsibility and that every day, we all get to choose what kind of person we want to be when we grow up… I also believe that it takes courage and strength and commitment to constant, deliberate practice to actually become that type of person.

Rscon is part of that deliberate practice for me. It’s impossible to be surrounded by (virtually or otherwise) so many brilliant, passionate, and committed people and not grow exponentially. Thank YOU for helping me grow, and thanks so much for your kind thoughts and inspiring words!

Till next time… very best regards!

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