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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

"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."

"Educators facilitate others' learning experiences, but their own learning experiences are far from over. Through podcasts, educators can learn even more about their field and the forces impacting it - especially education technology. Apple's iTunes store has an entire page devoted to edtech podcasts. Sorting out the best listens can be a daunting task, so to make things easier, we've compiled a list of our favorites you should check out today."

"Spread the love As an educational professional, the best way to learn about new learning experiences is to hear about them firsthand from other educators. While this can be a challenge for some busy professionals, podcasts provide a convenient, approachable way for educators to learn about the latest in education technology. While websites such as Spotify and iTunes host booming marketplaces for purchasing these podcasts, sifting through the best can be a challenge. Luckily, we've rounded up some suggestions of the best podcasts for you to put on the top of your To Do list."

"But using technology in the classroom-and using it effectively-might require some slight adjustments on the part of the teacher to sustain the effort, creative problem-solving, and innovation required to actually improve learning through the use of technology. (And great administrators, too.) This occurs at the belief level-what teachers believe about technology, education, and their own abilities to manage technology. Looking at the characteristics of teachers that effectively use technology in the classroom, then, can be useful to create an "edtech" mindset-one that believes in purpose, adaptation, change, and meaningful planning. If you spend your time planning at the upper limits of the SAMR model, this graphic may simply work as a quick reminder of how edtech can work-and work well-at the teacher-human-belief level. For everyone else, it's a a beautiful starting point to frame your thinking about education technology in general."

"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."

"STEM education is "an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, and the global enterprise enabling the development of STEM literacy and with it the ability to compete in the new economy. (Tsupros, Kohler, & Hallinen, 2009) Not coincidentally, several other trends in learning-from mobile learning and tablets in the classroom, to personalized learning and adaptive learning apps-are all at least somewhat connected to STEM education, which makes the following collection of STEM iPad apps for learning from Listly user Randy Yerrick helpful."

"Edtech has created learning opportunities for kids to gain valuable experiences through a teaching style that speaks their language as digital learners. Many districts are embracing a non-traditional approach to educating children through the infusion of technology--and parents are expressing a mix of emotions."

"Find the right tools for you and your classroom. Don't dive into the world of becoming an edtech teacher just because your students have smartphones or you got a budget approval for an iPad. Use education technology as a learning tool, not as the entire toolkit. After all, you got into teaching not to just be the person handing out iPads and letting others do the teaching."

"iPads are amazing learning instruments that can improve instruction and student engagement dramatically. Those of us privileged enough to work in 1:1 iPad classrooms can attest to that. But lets be realistic: most classrooms around the world do not have access to the funds and resources necessary to equip a full classroom with iPads for each student. There are numerous teachers who have access to only one iPad at school, or they just own an iPad and think it would be a great idea to be able to use in the classroom. Luckily, there are several EdTech tools teachers can use in the One iPad Classroom in order to create lessons that are exciting, and provide unique educational experiences for all students."

"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."

"Welcome to the third post in this series. I cant't think of a better thin then summer to check out some new edtech tools and possibilities. I have a goal every summer to bring you at least 40 new tools… maybe more… that you may not know about.  I am sending out ten new ones in each post. Remember, I am picking these from thousands and I am trying to find those sites that are up and coming and might just be the next big edtech hit. You might also notice I am also including a few sites that have been around for awhile.  They include ones that I feel educators might want to be a little more aware of. I hope you enjoy and try some of these out during the summer months. It is my way of saying happy summer!   First, t"

"Welcome to the second post in this series. Summer is a great time to check out some new edtech tools and possibilities. My goal every summer is to bring you at least 40 new tools… maybe more… that you may not know about.  I am sending out ten new ones in each post. Remember I am picking these from thousands and I am trying to find those sites that are up and coming and might just be the next big edtech hit. You might also notice I am also including a few sites that have been around for awhile.  They include ones that I feel educators might want to be a little more aware of. I hope you enjoy and try some of these out during the summer months. It is my way of saying happy summer!   "

"As the new school year begins, it's already time to start mapping our your professional development for the 2013-2014 school year. While the traditional pillars of curriculum, assessment, and instruction get the lion's share of attention in professional growth plans, education technology-or #edtech-is increasingly common in PD as experienced teachers seek to integrate it more deeply, new teachers see what's out there, and skeptical teachers can stand on the periphery and evaluate what they see."

"Lately I've found myself squinting a bit at some of the practices and structures in teaching and learning. This squinting is less about efficiency or performance, but rather what effect each piece has-a kind of causal analysis. This is the cause, and it might have this effect. In trying to imagine what would be different if we did this instead of that, I was surprised at how education has settled one a small handful of models in light of so much possibility. Was it because we've found the magic formula, and in 2014 we're in an era of simple refinement? That we know "what works," and now it's all a matter of tweaks? That if teachers just listened and did what they were told and used #edtech and stuck to the script and if parents just read to kids and if poverty wasn't an issue and if classrooms were more inviting and we just used the data that is staring us in the face that it'd all somehow coalesce? So, this list. Other ideas for learning. I'm not saying any of these ideas are good-or even the least bit viable. I'm not saying they wouldn't be downright destructive, curiosity-snuffing intellectual abominations that'd take education back to the dark ages. I'm just wondering what would happen."

"Manipulatives are objects that allow learners to interact with mathematical concepts. The learner changes the manipulative in some way, and the manipulative provides informative feedback. Research suggests that using maniuplatives (physical or virtual) has a positive effect on student achievement.  Check out how ST Math educators incorporate physical manipulatives with education technology to provide different ways to explore math concepts and facilitate deeper learning:"

"Digital citizenship has stepped into the forefront of a modern-day education. Experts indicate that as schools roll out tech, they also need to be rolling out digital citizenship education. Tech giant Google heeded that call and partnered with experts to launch Be Internet Awesome, an interactive campaign that educates students on how best to act on the internet. One part of this Google campaign is Interland, a game that has students travel an imaginary world where they need to fight hackers, phishers, oversharers and bullies with digital citizenship skills. While game-based learning can be effective, educators also need to be armed with skills to teach their students to be citizens of the web. This month, Google extended its Be Internet Awesome program to include a free online training course to help educators establish foundational skills needed to teach their students to have a safe and positive experience online."

"Below is a collection of some new educational websites we unearthed from the accumulated  piles of emails in our inbox. These are tools that you can use for a variety of educational purposes including: provide students with engaging arithmetic exercises to practice multiplication tables, easily create animated and explainer videos to share with students, develop educational apps appropriate for your own students or kids, upload and share large files, enhance students critical thinking and spacial awareness skills using a number of challenging puzzle games, and many more."

"The end of the academic year is approaching, as is summer break. But learning doesn't have to end on the last day of school--neither for the student, nor for the teacher. To that end, we've compiled a selection of resources and opportunities for teachers (click here for our educator list) and students (click here for our student summer opportunities list) to prevent that tired ol' "summer slide" and make this "summer of learning" the best one yet."