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Is technology changing our brains? A new study by UCLA neuroscientist Gary Small adds to a growing body of research that says it is. And according to Small's new book, "iBRAIN: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind," a dramatic shift in how we gather information and communicate with one another has touched off an era of rapid evolution that may ultimately change the human brain as we know it.

One night each month is "CopyNight", when advocates of protectint the public interest in copyright law gather together to meet, socialize, discuss issues, and build social capital. If you want to host an event in your area, email info@copynight.org and we'll add you to our site.

"Today while browsing @tonyvincent 's blog I noticed a cool tool that he was using to share his favorite IOS apps. Appsfire is a place for you to create a list of your favorite apps as well as find other apps that you may like. Appsfire also allows you to "Follow" a search term for updates in the future. You can also limit your search to free only apps. Another great feature of the site is the ability to share your "Device" on social networks. You can also add your device to your blog."

Last fall I asked readers to contribute to a list of tips for new teachers. I compiled that list and put it together as a Google Docs presentation of 131 tips. This year, I would like to expand the list with more tips from you. If you have a helpful tip for new teachers, be it technology related or not, please consider leaving a comment on this post and I will add it to the presentation. Last year's list is embedded below.

Interesting conversation developing on how to assess iPad fluency with your students. Please add your thoughts- http://t.co/amRBOiFU

"The handy graphic below synthesizes the overwhelming to-do list of flipping your classroom into 6 easy steps that make the whole process a little less daunting. The big take home: Start small. Flip one lesson to start. Learn from what you've done, and go from there if you want to (or need to) keep trying. Once you've got the basics, there are so many resources you can draw from to refine the flipped classroom experience and add and modulate the nuances of this type of learning experience."

"For an entire school year Hillsborough, New Jersey, educators undertook an experiment, asking: Is the iPad really the best device for interactive learning? It's a question that has been on many minds since 2010, when Apple released the iPad and schools began experimenting with it. The devices came along at a time when many school reformers were advocating to replace textbooks with online curricula and add creative apps to lessons. Some teachers welcomed the shift, which allowed their students to replace old poster-board presentations with narrated screencasts and review teacher-produced video lessons at any time."

"When it comes to brain development, time in the classroom may be less important than time on the playground. "The experience of play changes the connections of the neurons at the front end of your brain," says Sergio Pellis, a researcher at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada. "And without play experience, those neurons aren't changed," he says. It is those changes in the prefrontal cortex during childhood that help wire up the brain's executive control center, which has a critical role in regulating emotions, making plans and solving problems, Pellis says. So play, he adds, is what prepares a young brain for life, love and even schoolwork."

"Looking for some resources on inspirational quotes to use in class? Here are a few of my favourite Pinterest boards where you can have access to a wide collection of quotes and visuals that inspire a love of teaching and learning. Browse through the different materials provided there and you will definitely find some to use with your students in class. If you know about other resources to add to the list, please share with us in the comment form below. Enjoy "

"I spent sometime this weekend curating and working on the list of iPad apps below. These are apps that students can use to create beautiful cartoons to use in their multimedia projects or in activities that involve comic strips, digital storytelling, presentations and many more. All of these apps are easy to use and do not require any advanced technical skill. Some of the things students can do with these apps include: take pictures and turn them into cartoons, capture cartoon videos, draw cartoon sketches, customize and add different effects to pictures, convert photos into cartoon avatars, and many more."

February is Black History Month. Here's a word list to add to your lesson plans! This list can be used to play all of the games and activities on our site. http://www.spellingcity.com/view-spelling-list.html?listId=2851114

Here is good news for Facebook lovers. If you are a Mozilla Firefox user and spend most of your time on Facebook then the latest Firefox version is coming with a new feature called "Social API" which is helpful in accessing social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc. As per this new feature, you can add social network buttons and sidebars in Firefox window so as to chat with your friends, checking messages, notifications, etc. get quick and easy.

"I have been slowly working through a number of different tools and processes to nail down a productivity workflow on my iPad that would actually make me more productive, organized and wouldn't add any additional steps.  I think I have finally found the solution and it is working perfectly.  To make the process even more worthwhile, the entire workflow process transfers and syncs seamlessly with my MacBook which is a basic requirement of any workflow process."