Archive for 'Education'
The CLEP Test: How to Get College Credit From Anywhere
Posted on02. Dec, 2009 by Cap'n Ko.
Why hasn’t anyone told me about the CLEP test before? After finding about more about it, and reading article after article of “Best Kept Secret in education,” I realized that there wasn’t much out there in terms of telling people why they should consider CLEP Tests. No matter who you are, as long as you’re interested in college, there’s no excuse not to take a look. First, let’s talk about CLEP and what CLEP is. [...]
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Why teaching needs to be a form of entertainment
Posted on24. Jun, 2009 by Cap'n Ko.
I know right off the bat that 99% of teachers are going to disagree with everything I have to say. That’s why they’re not pirating education. That’s why they’re not swashbuckling the old-school ways. That’s also why their students don’t learn as much. It’s a bold piratey claim, but I believe in this 100%: Teaching needs to become a form of entertainment. And guess who’s responsibility that is? The teacher.
Why do I want to see this happen? There’s plenty of reasons. [...]
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Creating “Flashbulb Memories” in your Teaching
Posted on09. Apr, 2009 by Cap'n Ko.
There’s a good reason why great teachers have students that learn more. First of all, they’re great, and that’s a given. Secondly, they create flashbulb memories for their students, which makes them remember more vividly what’s being taught.
Flashbulb memories are normally associated with really big events: 9/11, the Kennedy Assassination, when Bambi’s mom died… But did you know they can be used to your advantage in everyday life as well? [...]
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Demand-Driven Teaching on Twitter [#teach-me]
Posted on30. Mar, 2009 by Cap'n Ko.
If you haven’t read it yet, there’s a post on this over on the eduFire blog that’s very similar to this one, but I’m going to go into my own opinion a little bit more here on eduPirate.
The #teach-me Twitter revolution has been kicked off today, which I believe will be the first step towards “demand-driven” teaching, where the student asks to be taught something, and it’s easy for teachers to find them (or friends to refer good teachers). The first thing that’s making this all possible is the Internet. If it wasn’t for live video learning sites like eduFire, there would be no way for that Russian Underwater Basket Weaving master to get in contact with that student in Mexico who wants nothing more than to weave baskets and get his hands wet. Secondly, Twitter is becoming a widely used tool, and will be a great jumping off point for this revolution. Here’s how it works. [...]
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The Future of Textbooks is Online [e-Textbooks]
Posted on25. Mar, 2009 by Cap'n Ko.
Traditional textbooks are heading for the gallows. They’re heavy, expensive, and difficult to update across the board. Sure, people will hang on because it’s “easier to read” or “feels good in their hands,” but that won’t last long. Digital and online textbooks are where the future’s heading, I guarantee it. Want to know why? Here’s what I see for our textbook future. [...]
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The Idea of an “Open Credit” System
Posted on02. Mar, 2009 by Cap'n Ko.
I was talking with Jon Bischke today on the telephone, and an idea came up regarding the concept of “open credits.” Call me an idealist. Tell me my cup is half full. Call me an education pirate (yarr). But I think I have something here. The idea is in its infant stages right now, but I’m going to tell you a bit about it anyways, to hopefully get a good discussion started. Really, that right there’s the spirit of “open.” Everyone helps by contributing, and the end product is something driven by the people!
What is an “Open Credit”
Everyone remember going to school and having to get credits so you could graduate? Only accredited institutions can give out credits (which makes sense, since you don’t want every Tom, Dick, and Jane getting degrees), and you take certain classes to receive these credits. [...]
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6 Ways the Internet will Change Home Schooling Forever
Posted on21. Feb, 2009 by Cap'n Ko.
Now, I’m no home schooler, but I am an expert in online education, so you’ll have to meet me halfway, here. I do know that a lot is about to change in the home schooling world, thanks to resources and possibilities available via the Internet. Gen-Y kids are getting to the age where they’ll start having children, and believe me, those kids will live and breathe technology, even more than their parents. This is going to show in homeschooling, too. Here are six ways I think we’ll see homeschooling change in the near future, all because of the web: [...]
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