MAKING IT EASIER TO BE A BETTER TEACHER

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NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Here’s our weekly roundup of interesting education stories from around the world. Click each link to dive deeper:

• Handwriting in schools is cool again - at least in South Korea.

• World Book Day? More like World MATH Day!

• Are teachers just gig-workers now according to the British government?

TECH TALK

These essays are suspiciously polished these days

You know the struggle - one day a student submits a draft full of rough ideas, and the next it's a near-perfect essay.

While we want to believe in overnight breakthroughs, sometimes it raises concerns about academic honesty or external help.

The Solution: Revision History

Revision History is a Chrome extension that offers a clearer, more detailed way to track changes in Google Docs.

It builds on Google Docs’ standard version history but displays edits in a streamlined timeline format, with color-coded highlights showing exactly what was added, removed, or modified - and by whom.

For teachers, this tool makes it easier to:

• Spot unusual leaps in quality: With Revision History, you can quickly compare two points in the writing process to see what changes occurred - like entire paragraphs appearing out of nowhere.

• Monitor authentic growth: Tracking steady improvements helps teachers provide better feedback. For example, if a student adds evidence to support their argument over multiple drafts, you can commend their progress and guide them further.

How About YOUR Classroom?

Catching academic dishonesty is important, but this tool is equally powerful for promoting honest learning and improving your own feedback process.

Here are some strategies to try with Revision History this week:

Strategies

• Feedback that builds on progress: Use Revision History to comment on specific changes a student made, reinforcing positive improvements and guiding the next steps.

• Prevent plagiarism concerns upfront: Encourage students to share their writing process by highlighting key moments in their draft history.

• Group project tracking: Easily see who contributed what in shared documents, ensuring fair credit and spotting students who may need additional support.

It used to be 100% free, but with over 100k teachers using this tool, they now have a ‘freemium’ model, with 25 free credits per month (which is more than enough to test this out!).

With Revision History, teachers can foster a classroom culture of growth, accountability, and honesty - while also saving you time navigating endless drafts.

BRAINY BITS

Is VR really the next step for our classrooms?

If the mobile device is actually dead, is VR really the next replacement for the classroom?

This week, we look at a study that examines some of the challenges of implementing VR in the one class that will arguably be the hardest to use it in - gym.

The Study: What Researchers Discovered About VR in PE

Researchers explored how VR could enhance physical education by combining it with the usual practical teaching styles. 

Seven VR-experienced researchers recorded their experiences through diaries and focus groups across multiple secondary physical education classes, revealing key insights about VR's potential and pitfalls.

These classes and teachers were tasked with finding ways to successfully use VR headsets.

The Results:

Although each class showed its own successes (and struggles), here are what the researchers all agreed on when it came to witnessing VR in PE:

• Data collection struggles: Logistical issues, test setup, and student movement patterns created lots of confusion for students and teachers.

• Classroom chaos: Noise distractions, connectivity issues with VR controllers, and limited space led to disruptions, making structured learning difficult.

• Time management: Limited VR devices meant shorter, rushed sessions that frustrated students, teachers, and researchers.

In Your Classroom:

If you’re thinking about using VR in your PE class, this study suggests it’s no simple fix. VR might enhance learning, but requires thoughtful planning and clear role assignments to manage the inevitable chaos if it’s going to replace all classroom devices.

Here’s how this research impacts your classroom:

Strategies

• VR is coming - but it’s not here yet: Even if Zuck is right, adoption of VR in the classroom will most likely take even longer than the iPad revolution.

• Data is going to be hard to find: Given the messy, moving nature of these tools, don’t expect straightforward educational data on these for a while.

• Dodgeball is still king: Researchers noted that any rise in engagement might just be the novelty of the new device, where as classic PE activities tend to last.

For now, VR won't replace your cones and hurdles, but if you're willing to troubleshoot technical hiccups and manage group dynamics, it could become a powerful teaching tool in the future. 

The key for those with school budgets brave enough? Start small, test the waters, and stay flexible.

REFERENCES

This week’s issue adapts information from the following sources:

Tech Talk:

Revision History. (2023). How does it work? Retrieved from https://www.revisionhistory.com/ 

Brainy Bits:

Bores-García, D., Cano-de-la-Cuerda, R., Espada, M., Romero-Parra, N., Fernández-Vázquez, D., Delfa-De-La-Morena, J.M., Navarro-López, V., Palacios-Ceña, D. (2024). Educational Research on the Use of Virtual Reality Combined with a Practice Teaching Style in Physical Education: A Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Researchers. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 291. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14030291