Learning in the 21st Century

I always find that keeping prolonged attention in the classroom is a difficult task. One of the best tools I have found for keeping classes engaged over extended periods of time is the concept of a break break. Brain Breaks are simple 1-2 minute mind and body challenges that release focus for a short period time to allow for longer more productive periods of learning. Credit to the Website  http://brainbreaks.blogspot.co.za/  as a lot of the material below is just reinterpreted for my context. Pen Flipping Brain Break: Use the following steps: 1. Stand Up. 2. Take a pen and flip it ONE REVOLUTION. (Imagine a piece of tape on one end of the pen, then throw the pen from the tape side. Have the pen go one full turn around to get to the tape side again) 3. Now do the same thing with your other hand. 4. Now get a pen for both hands and try to do both pens at the same time. 5. If you really are good at that, then try to throw the pens up into the air and catch them...

Introduction Recently I came across an  awesome tool  that google released to assist in creating the world’s largest doodling data set of common objects. I used it in a weekly ICT lesson with Grade 8’s & 9’s and was surprised by how much they enjoyed it. We also managed to have a brief discussion of what a neural network is and how researchers  are trying to use them to teach computers to recognise common objects. Neural Network – “A computer system modelled on the human brain and nervous system.” Outline of Lesson Begin the lesson by asking the class if they know what a neural network is? They probably wont, then ask if they have ever heard of AI? Most will have, and some will even want to tell an interesting story about what they’ve heard. Explain how one of the challenges for AI is getting computers to recognise common objects. One type of solution is to have a massive human generated Database to compare things to. And today we are going to make ou...