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"Today, technology is becoming more and more prevalent in education, and that means students are losing the ability to create and invent with their hands because they now have technology such as iPads that do all the creative work for them. Makerspaces are popping up in schools for just that reason - to help students learn by creating and inventing their own learning!"

"The rapid development of information and communication technology over the last few years has affected most, if not all, areas of our lives. Its influence is particularly apparent in the education sector. Students today usually don't visit libraries to conduct their research or write essays by hand. Pens and papers have been replaced by computer programs like Microsoft Office, the most popular option for students and educators. Luckily for you, our team has compiled this excellent cheat sheet for Microsoft Office. We've gathered the most useful tips and keyboard shortcuts for the various Microsoft programs. With their help, you'll be able to use Microsoft Office in your studies without any issues."

"Think back to 2005. Since the dot-com bust, there had been a steep and steady decline in undergraduate enrollments in computer science, with no end in sight. The computer science community was wringing its hands, worried about the survival of their departments on campuses. Unlike many of my colleagues, I saw a different, much rosier future for computer science. I saw that computing was going to be everywhere. I argued that the use of computational concepts, methods and tools would transform the very conduct of every discipline, profession and sector. Someone with the ability to use computation effectively would have an edge over someone without. So, I saw a great opportunity for the computer science community to teach future generations how computer scientists think. Hence "computational thinking." I must admit, I am surprised and gratified by how much progress we have made in achieving this vision: Computational thinking will be a fundamental skill used by everyone in the world by the middle of the 21st century. By fundamental, I mean as fundamental as reading, writing and arithmetic."

"Benefits of Coding At the heart of computational thinking - and mathematics - is abstraction. When children write code, they come to… understand in a tangible way the abstractions that lie at the heart of  mathematics, dynamically model mathematics concepts and relationships, gain confidence in their own ability and agency as mathematics learners. Computer coding is creating a buzz in education. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently said, "We need to do a lot better job of getting young people to understand what coding is and how it's important, how to program, how to problem solve, how to create the most elegant algorithm possible."1 BC recently announced that computer coding will be added to all grades of the K-12 curriculum, and Nova Scotia has made a similar announcement. The trend of adding some form of computer coding to curriculum is an international phenomenon; in 2014, England mandated a coding curriculum for all K-12 students."

"Jeopardy! has been on the air, in one form or another, since the 1960s. The modern Alex Trebek-hosted incarnation of the show-whose famous theme song is now in your head (sorry!)-began in 1984 and still airs about 230 episodes every year. There is an art to a Jeopardy! clue. Its answers-in-search-of-questions exude a certain tone and tenor that's different from trivia offerings from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, HQ, The Weakest Link, or even a throwback like You Bet Your Life. But the writer's room is also a factory, one that must churn out 61 clues per episode, which adds up to hundreds of thousands of clues aired during the show's long run."

"About a week ago I was asked if I could write a post about tools for making infographics with students. A well constructed infographic can convey a lot of information in a compact, visually-pleasing manner. The process of creating a good infographic requires students to analyze and succinctly summarize data and facts that they've gathered through research. Here are some good tools that students can use to create infographics."

"The Foos is part of a trend toward increasing emphasis on code as a fundamental literacy. You may have heard about the Hour of Code nonprofit initiative, which claims tens of millions of student participants; or New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio's recent announcement that he intends to require teaching of computer science in all grades for all students. "A computer science education is literacy for the 21st century," the mayor said at the announcement. Educators, researchers and entrepreneurs like Hosford are taking that analogy very seriously. They're arguing that the basic skills of coding, such as sequencing, pattern recognition and if/then conditional logic, should be introduced alongside or even before traditional reading, writing and math."

"The Managing Complex Change model puts language to that which makes some schools successful while others struggle. The model looks at five components necessary to create a desired environment. These include vision, skills, incentives, resources, action plan. If any one piece is missing the model indicates results schools will experience including change, confusion, anxiety, gradual change, frustration, and a false start. When thinking of successful schools such as Science Leadership Academy, The MET, The Island School, The iSchool, you will find they have all those components in place. On the other hand, when I hear teachers lamenting about their school failures, the model brings clarity to the fact that one or more of these components are missing. Below is the chart that lays this out. Following the chart, I'll take a look at what each missing component might look like in a school environment. As you read, consider which, if any are components, are missing at your school. save image Lack of Vision = Confusion When I hear exasperated teachers spinning their wheels, working so hard to get ready for all the various mandates and requirements, but never feeling a sense of accomplishment, it is clear there is not a tangible school vision that has been communicated. In some cases this is because what is being imposed does or can not reconcile with what the school wanted for their vision. Skill Deficit = Anxiety My heart goes out to those with a skill deficit. They are required to implement a curriculum they are not trained in using or being evaluated via measures with which they are not familiar. Or…they are put into a position they were not trained for or prepared to embrace. Social media provides a great medium for helping these teachers get up to speed, but when the outreach occurs, the anxiety is abundantly clear. Lack of Incentives = Gradual Change It is not unusual for innovative educators to feel like and be perceived as misfits. Islands onto their own

"The students had been researching Ellis Island in Social Studies and were finding out how it became a famous gateway for millions of immigrants entering the United States. They wanted to represent that information visually, so they took all that they learned in class and turned it into a news report. The script took some time to write but with Google Docs they could all collaborate on the same document at home or at school in order to get the job done. When the script was finished, they were ready to record their video. I set up the green screen, put the iPad on a tripod, and gave the students some basics on what they would need to know in order to make a successful green screen movie on the iPad. They were up and running in no time and filmed their own video whenever they weren't all on screen at the same time! We used the Teleprompter Pro Lite app to scroll their script in front of them, just like the professionals do. "

"Augmented Reality is a hugely engaging phenomenon that has never been more accessible. Explaining what Augmented Reality is, is a bit like trying to describe the difference between a 3D shape and a 2D shape. Seeing it and using it will give you a much better understanding of what it is. Essentially, augmented reality creates a three dimensional animation that can be viewed through the iPad's camera. This creates the effect of the animation being a physical structure in the room with you that you can interact with through an app. Again, to show is much easier than to describe, and so this blog will do just that. Before I dive in to my personal favourites, I feel that it is important to highlight the educational implications of augmented reality apps. Yes, the ability to use this kind of technology is impressive and engaging, but what does it bring to teaching and learning? Well, there are a number of ways that it can help to spur on creativity, story writing, research, computing skills and so on. I will explain each app's potential and educational impact as we go along…"

Creating podcasts in the classroom has many educational benefits, including strengthening skills in research, writing, and collaboration - and podcasting is easy to do. This article walks you through the steps of preproduction, recording, postproduction, and publishing.

Like Wikipedia without the anonymity, Google Knol is turning into an excellent resource for both researchers and experts alike. It offers information consumers a platform for finding encyclopedia-like articles written by experts, and a place for these experts to write said articles. Read on to learn how you can make the most of this useful new tool.

"In my last post I talked about the ability to transform what we do in the classroom using technology as opposed to simply substituting what we do as teachers in the classroom. Of course, students can use a word processor instead of writing out by hand, or they can use email to submit work or they can do their research using google or safari instead of a book. This is the first level where technology can play a part. However, technology can do more than just substitute and in order for it to impact more effectively we must look at how technology can augment, modify and redefine tasks in the classroom. The top level of the SAMR model calls for redesigning tasks where what can be achieved goes beyond traditional and takes tasks to a new level allowing students to go further in their studies and thought processes. The other key, in my opinion, is to remember that technology is not the star of the show but is there to enable teachers to move learning on beyond traditional expectations and help students construct knowledge in a way that they might not have been able to before."