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"A recent report  from Adrian F. Ward, Kristen Duke, Ayelet Gneezy, and Maarten W. Bos at the University of Texas at Austin has me questioning my professional decision last year to allow students to bring their cell phones to my classroom."

"Though purists may say nothing can replace a printed topographic map, the world's leading smartphone apps are getting close. Technology is making it easier than ever to get lost in an adventure without getting lost in the wilderness, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy these benefits even when you've ventured to signal-free zones. Try one of these useful off-line apps on your next remote mountain trek, camping trip, or deep-sea dive to stay connected and informed without an internet connection."

Next week is set to be an exciting week of learning and sharing as teachers from across the globe make their way to Miami for the International Conference on Thinking (ICOT). 

It is tempting to make predictions of the skills that our students will need beyond their time at school. Such wondering can be a useful guide as we contemplate what we shall focus on with our curriculum. Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of predictions for future skillsets published by educators, economists and analysts. What might we learn from such lists, and how should education systems respond?

"Coding or computer programming in schools is becoming a big push in schools around the world. Political leaders have been looking at statistics and realised that technology fields will employ a growing number of citizens in the future."

As children, we ask "Why?" a lot. It is a part of childhood, that special time when the many forces acting upon our cognitive development converge around a singular desire to ask "Why". It becomes the central focus of our conversational style, an incessant exclamation into the void which tests the patience of any nearby adult. But asking "Why" offers so much more.

"A matchbox-sized, programmable device launches in the US and Canada today, aimed at offering children a gentle introduction to the world of computers. Already used in schools across the UK, the BBC micro:bit is designed to make it easy for kids to write simple programs to control the board's hardware, with creations to date including basic games and animations. The device packs a 25 LED matrix display, a motion sensor, accelerometer and two buttons onto a tiny 4cmx5cm board. It can be programmed using easy-to-grasp tools, such as the drag-and-drop programming environment Scratch, or if the user is more confident, by coding in a variety of languages, including JavaScript or MicroPython."

"Pick a color, literally any color. Search engines come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Now there's one for those of us who are lovers (or seekers) of color. Simple and elegant and particularly speedy, Picular returns results in swatches. a palette of colors associated with your search terms. Select one of the swatches and you immediately copy the RGB color code to your clipboard."

For schools in Australia and many parts of the world, we are heading towards the end of another school term and year. That means report writing season. For the next few weeks, teachers across the country will be huddled in front of computer screens, writing reflections on the progress their learners have made. Mark books will be opened, assessments consulted, work samples will be reviewed. All so that in the first week of the long Summer vacation students can sit and read their report and make plans for how they will enhance their learning in the coming year.

"Best Seller Publishing announces the release of Sean Thompson's new book, "Creativity is Everything: Rethinking Technology, Schools & Humanity." It will be available for free download in the Amazon Kindle Store on January 13th. Creativity really is everything. "