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""Our teachers hopefully have hours and hours of support and training for integrating [technology] into the classroom, but what help are parents getting?" This is an important question posed in Educating Parents in the Siri Generation, a blog post by Carl Hooker that explores how "analog parents" can rise to meet the challenges of their "digital kids." It's this exact problem-the difference the learning environments that most parents experienced versus the ones in which their children are learning in-that formed the basis of our Smart Parents series and culminating book project (launching in August 2015). If you've been around the edu-innovation space for awhile, you've probably come across Carl Hooker-or @MrHooker as many of us know him. With a title like Director of Innovation and Digital Learning (Eanes ISD, Texas), he knows a thing or two about the next generation of teaching and learning. Here are some pearls of wisdom from his perspective as a parent and an administrator in a one-to-one mobile device district."

"According to Google Trends (see photo), a new term came into existence and quickly became synonymous with progressive education and a resurgence of STEAM education in America. That term is maker education, or makered for short, and can be seen in the graph as "born" according to google searches, around September of 2004. Although the exact number of makered programs is not currently known, schools that employ a progressive pedagogy (insert the word innovative for those working in the 21st century) or schools that make claims regarding the importance of differentiation, constructivism or experiential learning have built or are building makered programs. At first these programs seemed to be dependent on having state of the art Maker Spaces or FabLabs and high-tech tools, as most were found in well-funded private schools. That picture has changed rapidly in the past ten years since the makered movement has gained popularity, however. More and more public/charter schools and nonprofit programs are building programs for the average American child, that rival many private school programs. In fact, programs with limited budgets and space have reminded us that scarcity or "disability," are invaluable teachers in any good maker culture, as they breed creativity and self-reliance. Many of the makered programs serving lower income communities have access to mentors who never stopped working with their hands, even when it fell out of status in a consumer driven America in the 1980's (Curtis 2002). While lower income mentors may not know Python or what an Arduino is, they are skilled carpenters, mechanics, seamstresses, cooks and know what it means to be resourceful. "

"Innovation: Google may know your desires before you do "

News-Basics.com is for students and adults who want to quickly learn the background behind major news stories. Each article covers the key facts you need to know, describes conflicting opinions, and leads you to sources of more detailed information. You may be confused about globalization when you start reading, but you'll know more than most people when you finish.

In "Grown Up Digital" he uses the results to paint a portrait of this generation that is entertaining, optimistic and convincing. The problem, he suspects, is not the net generation but befuddled baby-boomers, who once sang along with Bob Dylan that "something is happening here, but you don't know what it is", yet now find that they are clueless about the revolutionary changes taking place among the young.

far as your students are concerned, you know everything. Name Pronunciation Guide Have you ever picked up the phone to call someone, only to realize that you didn't know how to pronounce that person's name? Have you ever read a name but had no clue how to say it? Is your name commonly mispronounced? If you have ever been in any of these situations, we have the solution for you.

Social media. Web 2.0. You know what these things are and you take advantage of them every day on the net. Whether you're socializing on Facebook, updating Twitter, or just adding a new bookmark to Ma.gnolia, social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. However, that doesn't mean that it's something that everyone innately understands or knows how to use - especially when it comes to using it for marketing, PR, or other business-related purposes. That's why many of today's colleges and universities are now offering "social media" classes as an option for their students.

I am often asked as I travel to various places to present why I would spend so much time talking about technology knowing that with outsourcing and such that I am undermining job security in that computers could replace teachers. To that I respond, If you can be replaced by a computer then you probably should be! The truth is that technology will never replace teachers, however teachers who know how to use technology effectively to help their students connect and collaborate together online will replace those who do not.

Principles for Evaluating WebsitesBy Stephen Downes How do you know whether something you read on the web is true? You can't know, at least, not for sure. This makes it important to read carefully and to evaluate what you read. This guide will tell you how.

How can your learning network help you? By helping you to sift through all the data to identify the information that will be most useful to you. By helping you to identify learning resources and opportunities. By coaching you and answering your questions as you try to apply your learning to your work. By sharing their wisdom with you through dialogue. Building a personal learning network is requires that you not only seek to learn from others, but also that you also help others in the network learn. Even when you are a novice in a field of learning, you can still make contributions. Did you read an article that might be of interest to others? Then distribute it to other in your network with a short note that you thought they might find it interesting. Did you hear of a conference on the subject? Let others know about the program and speakers and, if you attend, circulate your notes and papers you collect to other network members. A personal learning network can be your most powerful learning tool no matter what the subject.

The Money Belt is your gateway to financial learning. Here, you can build your knowledge and confidence in handling finances and situations involving decisions about money. It's the place to get practical tips and test what you know - and don't know - about managing money without the risks and consequences you would encounter in real life. Created by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, The Money Belt is dedicated to teaching financial life skills - the basics about money and the financial world in an easy-to-understand way that is relevant to you.

"Wordle, Prezi, VoiceThread & More - These Educators Know It All!"

"Top 100 little-known sites Everyone should know about"

"You don't know me, but I know you..." Smokescreen is a cutting-edge game about life online. We all use Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and MSN to keep up with our mates - and we've all heard the stories about parties on Facebook being mobbed, or people getting stalked on MSN. The question is, what would you do if it happened to you? Over 13 missions, Smokescreen follows the story of Max Winston and Cal Godfrey, two mates who've set up an exclusive social network called White Smoke. After Cal's involved in a car accident and falls into a coma, White Smoke becomes huge - and starts attracting huge problems. Each mission sees you explore the world of White Smoke, and find out who you can trust - and who you can't.

"Do you know a teacher who just always seems to know about the latest technology, and makes it look so easy to produce cool content that students find fun and engaging? Maybe you are one of these teachers? It's doesn't have to be hard to use slick tech tools in the classroom. There are so many free, easy to use tools out there. Here are five of my favorites to recommend."

"We all know and love Google Maps. But did you know that the Street View Pegman has few more tricks up his sleeve? Google Street Views takes some of the most amazing Street View imagery, as well as user submitted photography, and turns it into a unique platform where students can explore every corner of the Earth in full panoramic glory. From the top of the world's tallest buildings to the depths of the ocean floors, it really is an immersive and awe-inspiring experience."

"Some writing teachers are a whole lot better writers than they are listeners. The more experience I gain as a teacher of writing, the less confident I am about what I think I know. If someone had clued me into this reality when I began teaching over twenty years ago, I might have been discouraged. Now I know enough to embrace the uncertainty and to listen to my students. This revelation humbles me in ways that keep me young, and it ignites my curiosities as well. I'll never be an expert, but I'm learning how to seek them out, and the discoveries I'm making have a profound effect on my teaching. Following are the five most powerful things I've been told about my practice by the only experts I've ever met in the field: the writers I strive to teach. These statements have made me ponder the impact students can have on all writing teachers, if we just ask them what they think."

"You keep hearing about this hour of code thing, but you're not a "hacker," and aren't real comfortable with teaching what you don't know. Especially when it relates to technology and its fundamental programming. You know this is some kind of "coding week." You've seen our tips for integrating coding into the classroom. Now what to do? Turn students loose with Scratch or Codea or Kahn Academy? Well, maybe. Self-Directed Learning is a core learning fluency in an age of access."

"You think you want your news pinged to you on an app, delivered by tweets, foisted on you by posts. But you don't. Not really. You just think you do. You want to be seen as modern. In reality, you want to browse, to take it at a leisurely pace, to absorb it. You want it delivered on the age-old technology of your forefathers. You want it by email. No matter what you think, email, good old email, is still a reliable, portable, readable way of getting your news. Curated by someone who knows more than you, with content written by people who know much more than you. So forget your high-tech snobbery and sign up for these - the best EdTech email newsletters to subscribe to:"

"e first few days of school are a vital time to set the right tone for the rest of the year. Many teachers focus on important things like getting to know their students, building relationships and making sure students know what the classroom procedures will be. While those things are important, Alan November, a former teacher-turned-author and lecturer says the most important ideas to hammer home will help students learn on their own for the rest of the year."