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"Regardless of whether you think every infant needs an iPad, I think we can all agree that technology has changed education for the better. Today's learners now enjoy easier, more efficient access to information; opportunities for extended and mobile learning; the ability to give and receive immediate feedback; and greater motivation to learn and engage. We now have programs and platforms that can transform learners into globally active citizens, opening up countless avenues for communication and impact. Thousands of educational apps have been designed to enhance interest and participation. Course management systems and learning analytics have streamlined the education process and allowed for quality online delivery. But if we had to pick the top ten, most influential ways technology has transformed education, what would the list look like? The following things have been identified by educational researchers and teachers alike as the most powerful uses of technology for learning. Take a look. 1. Critical Thinking In Meaningful Learning With Technology, David H. Jonassen and his co-authors argue that students do not learn from teachers or from technologies. Rather, students learn from thinking-thinking about what they are doing or what they did, thinking about what they believe, thinking about what others have done and believe, thinking about the thinking processes they use-just thinking and reasoning. Thinking mediates learning. Learning results from thinking. So what kinds of thinking are fostered when learning with technologies? Analogical If you distill cognitive psychology into a single principle, it would be to use analogies to convey and understand new ideas. That is, understanding a new idea is best accomplished by comparing and contrasting it to an idea that is already understood. In an analogy, the properties or attributes of one idea (the analogue) are mapped or transferred to another (the source or target). Single analogies are also known as sy

"Welcome to the weekly edition of The Edtech Smackdown-a collection of digital resources containing a few of my most favorite activities, tools and articles curated from various social media spaces throughout the past week. Check out some super cool edtech gems right here, right now and get ready to use these ideas to support learning and to engage students in your classroom!"

"Thanks to OnlineUniversities for this list of the Best Pinterest Boards in Educational Technology. Blogs and Twitter aren't the only social tools out there that can help you keep up with the latest and greatest developments in educational technology. Pinterest is rapidly becoming a favorite tool of educators all over the nation, and many have amassed some pretty great collections of edtech-related pins that teachers and students alike can use to explore new ways to learn, share, teach, and grow. While it would be nearly impossible to highlight every edtech pinboard out there, we've shared some of the boards we think stand out among the crowd here. Many are maintained by major educational websites, key figures in edtech, and well-known bloggers, but others were created by teachers just like you who simply want to share resources and tips with others in education."

"Fast forward to today… Even though there are always new edtech trends emerging, I no longer find myself having those yikes moments when I read about them on Twitter or hear about them on a TEDx Talk. However, as I assist colleagues in the classroom, facilitate PD, and collaborate with a team of administrators and teachers to develop a new K-12 tech plan, I am finding that many of the individuals I encounter throughout my work day are currently experiencing what I did eight years ago-that same what the what feeling that often creates anxiety and doubt. That said, I did some surfing to try to locate a reference guide that could quickly (and visually) help my co-workers get a better grasp on some of the latest edtech buzzwords. Here is one of the resources I am sharing with them-and you. Hopefully it will help to eliminate some of that app-prehension you might have as you try to choose the best tools or ways to incorporate technology into your classroom!"

"It appears that confidence is still a major barrier that prevents some teachers from using EdTech to its full potential to really enhance both teaching and learning in their classrooms. I'm a fan of quotes and I feel this one is appropriate as it sums up the impact action can have on confidence: "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie It goes without saying that the he more often you do something, the quicker you will become more confident in doing it. Trialling something new can be daunting at first for many. However, the more often you do this, the less fearful you will be. In fact, you may even find trying new things more exciting, particularly when you see spectacular results! You may be able to place yourself in one of the following categories based on your confidence in using technology in the classroom:"

"It's no secret that we're big fans of maker education. So during this official National Week of Making 2016, we share with you stories around all types of making-from making updates to apps supporting education to making a difference through funding edtech startups, this week's edition celebrates many who are making a positive impact on the world of education. Want to read more about makered? We have a few blogs that might interest you:"

"Looking for direction in the ever-expanding world of education technology? You don't have to look hard to find education bloggers. But who are the true trend setters? EdTech is proud to spotlight some of the education industry's most influential thought-leaders in our latest crop of the top K-12 IT bloggers. These 50 blogs include veterans from years past, fresh picks from our editorial staff and nominations from our readers. This year, we've tried something new - dividing each blog into one of four categories to focus on where the bloggers' expertise lies."

"Today, February 5th, 2014, is Digital Learning Day. According to its website, the focus of this awareness campaign is "about giving every child the opportunity to learn in a robust digital environment everyday, with the goal of success in college and a career." To celebrate, here are 5 of the best, must-follow #edtech curators on Scoop.it."

"Starting to integrate technology can be intimidating.  So many choices, new ideas being shared all of the time through social media, blogs, books, Teacher Professional Development, and more. I find the best time to walk away with new ideas is right after a big event dedicated to edtech. With conference season upon us, maybe you recently attended a conference or edcamp or read something and now have a long list of new ideas which can be overwhelming. Or maybe you just are looking for something to change in your classroom or school and need some quick ideas for new, engaging elements to implement in your classroom or with your faculty even for professional development."

"Technology isn't automatically valuable for teachers. Tech tools, ranging from student community platforms to online reading logs, become integral to classroom instruction when you create a culture around effective and educational use of technology with your students. This requires you and your students to consistently evaluate and adapt while being purposeful with the tools you choose and the lessons you pair them with. Here are three different ways to ensure that you're cultivating an effective EdTech culture in your classroom-one that promotes both education and fun learning opportunities for your students."

"If you're a teacher, or teaching assistant there are plenty of great blogs out there to help you with everything from coming up with teaching plans, to implementing technology in the classroom. Where to start though? The internet is crowded with blogs. We decided to go through some of them for you, so that you can find the blog(s) covering the topics you're looking for and be sure it's quality content. Generally, there are four key qualities of a good teaching & learning blog: Activity (25%). Information should be updated regularly Originality (25%). It should add value with content that's different from all the other blogs out there Helpfulness (25%). A good teaching & Learning blog should teach you a new skill, direct you to a useful resource, or at least get you to think in a new way about something Authority (25%). The author/authors have the authority and credentials to blog about the topic of teaching & learning Each category was assigned an equal weight in our evaluation. They were averaged together to determine the final score in order to come up with our list of the top 68."

"Welcome to this week's edition of Treasure Chest-98 EdTech Resources You May Have Missed."

"Welcome to this week's edition of Treasure Chest-91 EdTech Resources You May Have Missed."

"Welcome to this week's edition of Treasure Chest-73 EdTech Resources You May Have Missed. It's really difficult to keep up with all that happens in educational technology. This is my attempt to make it just a little easier. I post a Treasure Chest every Sunday!"

"Treasure Chest of EdTech Resources for November 28, 2010"

"EdTech is certainly becoming more and more popular in classrooms around the world. There are many different methods of implementation, including schemes like bring your own device (BYOD), bookable class sets or a set number of devices in each classroom. For greatest impact on both teaching and learning, more devices is better: 1:1 allows learning to be more personalised and provides opportunities for teachers to transform their teaching with the aid of technology. However, due to many factors, this is not possible in every school. If you as a teacher own a tablet, can it alone have an impact in the classroom? Here I'll look to share 10 simple, yet effective ways you can make the most of having just one iPad in your classroom."

"The 2013 Honor Roll: EdTech's Must-Read K-12 IT Blogs"

"THAT #EDTECH GUY'S BLOG"