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Why allow ed-tech access? 'We owe it to our students' For improving the learning climate with the help of technology, NMHS is our 'eSchool of the Month' for November/December

"How to make "bring your own device" programs work for your schools, and how to assess your students' reading skills without losing valuable instructional time to testing: These are among the best practices in educational technology use featured in the November/December 2012 edition of eSchool News."

"In the last few years iPads and Chromebooks have both seen astronomical growth in education becoming two of the most popular devices for classrooms and one-to-one programs. In light of that it's only natural that power users and fans will compare and contrast their merits, given that so many schools have limited funds for devices. That's basically the setup for this spirited debate by Jennifer Gibson, CEO of PD Learning Network and an iPad connoisseur and Rich Dixon, vice president of professional learning and a devoted Chromebook user. "Sometimes you're forced to have one or the other," Gibson said. Together the pair dissect everything from price - $400-$600 for an iPad mini; $250 for Rich's basic Chromebook - to mobility, weight, screen resolution, apps, and camera quality."

"10 questions to ask when choosing education technology"

"It seems tablets are in more classrooms, in more districts, each day. But as experience shows, simply purchasing and distributing tablets doesn't mean students will be more engaged with their learning, and it doesn't guarantee teachers will embrace tech-enabled instruction. Implementing tablets and leveraging the tools to support teaching and learning goals might be easier with the right approach, according to Doug Fisher, professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and teacher leader at Health Sciences High; Nancy Frey, professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and teacher leader at Health Sciences High; and Alex Gonzales, technology leader at Health Sciences High. These three educators have devised a model they call the gradual release of responsibility (GRR) model, which imparts both instructional strategies and technology tips for educators planning for, deploying, and integrating tablets into classrooms."

"With the popular explosion of Minecraft among middle schoolers and beyond, it's worth noting that it isn't the only open world virtual environment with educational value. Nor is it always the most ideal game for teaching every concept, leading other games to pick up the slack. As a result, inspired educators and students are taking notice and branching out."

"Like myself, other students with learning difficulties-from dysgraphia (a difficulty with writing, mainly in spelling) and attention disorders like ADD and ADHD-respond well to visual or tactile learning and activities that allow physical participation, according to the U.S. Department of Education. And these learning impediments are not as uncommon as you might imagine. In the US alone, approximately eight percent of children were identified by a health professional as having a learning disorder, according to a 2014 study. As these types of difficulties become more recognized every day, the importance of adjusting teaching methods has started to increase accordingly."