A New Look at Maslow's Hierarchy

Photo appears courtesy of Abraham-Maslow.com

I read a thought-provoking article in Education Week that I wanted to share with you entitled, "Maslow's Hierarchy Hits Home" by David Ginsburg.

We are taught Maslow's Hierarchy in college, in what seems like class after class, and we are all familiar with it's concept, but Ginsburg asks you to compare where you are at vs. where you think an individual student is at in the hierarchy. Sometimes we think we know why a particular student acts in a certain way, but did we honestly try and figure out "why" they are acting that way? Do we then try and help the student develop a plan to overcome that issue?

Here's what Ginsgurg wrote about his early struggles as an urban teacher:

Just six weeks in, and with my classroom already up for grabs, insult and injury came when I was decked by a stray elbow while trying to break up a fight in class. As it turned out, though, this physical blow was far less staggering than the emotional one I sustained just five minutes later. On my way downstairs for an icepack, I looked out the window and saw a young man's body in a pool of blood. I never felt more hopeless.

The big question, then: How did I restore hope? And the answer begins with Abraham Maslow. More specifically, his hierarchy of needs, which comes up in one education course after another. But did you ever think it would have real implications for you in the classroom? I didn't--until I told a colleague how hopeless I felt, and he replied, "Maslow's hierarchy." (Please read the rest of the article by clicking HERE)

Reflecting upon Maslow's Hierarchy will help you consider how a student's needs and lives differ from your own and how this is the beginning step in addressing their needs. As the author thinks of Maslow's Hierarchy from an instructional point of view, I hope you will also think of it from an assessment point of view. Establishing rapport with examinees will help you understand their needs and to allow them to perform at their highest level. Take the time to talk to examinees and ask how their day is going. If you have concerns, postpone the assesment and talk with instructors to discuss the best time for testing.

Also read:
"Establishing Rapport with Examinees"
"Tips on Building a Successful Testing Program" 
"Test Anxiety"

2012 Horizon Report: Emerging Technologies to Watch for in 2012 and Beyond

The 2012 Horizon Report has just been released and it provides a glimpse into the future of classrooms and educational technology. I think that all educators and administrators should use the report as a resource when planning for a student's current and future needs. (The Horizon Report has been published since 2002 and is the result of collaborative effort fostered by NMC (New Media Consortium).)

The three main areas to the Horizon Report are:

1. Technology Trends and Timeline

2. Key Trends
3. Challenges

This year’s Horizon Report identifies mobile apps and tablet computing as technologies expected to enter mainstream use in the first horizon of one year or less. Game-based learning and learning analytics are seen in the second horizon of two to three years; gesture-based computing and the Internet of Things are seen emerging in the third horizon of four to five years. (Please read the report in it's entirety by clicking HERE)

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less

• Mobile Apps
• Tablet Computing

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years

• Game-Based Learning
• Learning Analytics

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years

• Gesture-Based Computing
• Internet of Things

Key Trends Role of Educators is undergoing change in light of an abundance of resources and relationships

• Blended learning via online programs, hybrid learning and collaborative models are taking hold
• Working and Learning are anytime, anywhere activities
• Cloud computing is becoming more common and IT decentralized
• Classroom learning is becoming more active and challenge based
• Student work is becoming more collaborative as work and learning organizations are moving to collaborative and collective models of work

Significant Challenges

• New Metrics for evaluation are needed in a web centric classroom
• Digital Media literacy is an important skill in all professions
• Traditional models of education are giving way to new modes due to economic pressures and student need
• Resistance to change and new technology by educational institutions
• New publishing modes such as social networks are challenging traditional research and scholarly resources putting pressure on libraries and schools to support new modes of curating scholarship

I hope you will read the 2012 Horizon Report and let us know your thoughts!

Is it Time for #CTEchat?

Is it time for a #CTEchat on Twitter?

Would educators, administrators, and other stakeholders in career and technical education find value in a weekly #CTEchat on CTE issues? 

If you aren't familiar with what I am suggesting, Twitter chats are a great way to stay connected with people with similar interests. These are people that you follow or are followed by on Twitter and they become the foundation of your personal learning network (PLN).

There are numerous education chats that you can join to find out about new methods for teaching, tech resources, and even jobs for teachers. Most chats are held on a weekly basis and they provide an opportunity to converse and shared with like-minded educators. I frequently follow the #edchat discussion as well as #lrnchat. Another great issue with Twitter chats is that you can always go back and review the transcript of a chat if you miss the regularly scheduled time (Twitter keeps the discussion there just like an archive)

Check out the following collection created on the Online Colleges Blog to find a list of Twitter chats that are great for all kinds of educators (just not any for CTE education):

20 Terrific Twitter Chats for Every Kind of Educator

I also hope that you will follow us on Twitter: @CareerTechTest

The "Power" of a Teacher

I found an article, written by Lauren Delgado, in the Jackson County Floridian that I wanted to share with you. It demonstrates the lifelong effect that one teacher can have on a student. It's not just about the reading, writing, and math, but those moments that we can influence an individual in a positive way. I hope you will read the article in its entirety:

Student Thanks Teacher Decades Later

About 31 years ago, a first-grade student decided to cheat on her spelling test. The “why” behind that decision was complicated. Her parents had been arguing back then and eventually divorced. She felt she hadn’t studied enough, so she put a list of the words on her lap.

The test began. The teacher began walking around the room, and on one of those rounds, the little slip of paper fell to the ground.

Instead of severely punishing the girl (corporal punishment was legal back then), the teacher sat her down while the other kids went to recess and had a long “adult” conversation about doing the right thing.

(Click HERE to read the rest of the article)

Have you thanked a teacher lately?

Reinventing Education...The Khan Academy and Stanford University's Artificial Intelligence Class

You've probably already heard plenty about the Khan Academy, which has contributed to the online education of millions, as well as the free online courses being run by faculty at Stanford University, Peter Norvig and Sebastian Thrun. An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence attracted some 160,000 inquiries, of which 25,000 or more have made it through to its conclusion. If you are not familiar with these projects, you can see Khan, Norvig and Thrun discussing the implications of their work in Reinventing Education - a thought-provoking forty-five minute YouTube video.

I think they demonstrate the incredible progress that has been made toward massively scalable education. I am a believer that you can teach math and science to millions at practically no cost using videos and quizzes (and a hybrid approach would be my preferred avenue), but can we make similar gains in the teaching of other skills? Could a hybrid approach also work in some CTE courses?

Watch Reinventing Education below: