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"Two years ago, my school obtained a grant from the Sphero Robotics company that brought 10 Sphero Robots to our school. At first, we used them in math and science. However, this year, we expanded our use of robotics and acquired Ozobots, SPRKS, bb8s, and BeeBots. My elementary faculty impressed me with their ability to use these 21st-century robots in a variety of subject areas including language arts and humanities. Here are four examples of how A. Harry Moore teachers used robots to teach lessons in English, Language Arts, and Humanities classes."

"If you have opened Google Forms lately, you've probably noticed that things are looking a little different! Don't worry, this Google Forms does everything the older version did… and a few more cool things! If you get a little annoyed with it, you can always go back to the old version. Just click the little the man in the bottom left corner and you will be back in your familiar territory. However, if you're feeling creative, check out the new tools! Here are five of my favorites!"

"The source for innovative or creative thinking is as much as mystery as that of curiosity or particular genius. In a traditional classroom, "having a good idea" is strangely not valued as much as the ability to demonstrate proficiency with a specific assessment form. In fact, "good ideas" can often be disruptive to a tightly-sequenced and outcomes-based learning process."

"So this collection wasn't as easy to curate as it'd seem. It wasn't a matter of simply choosing the best apps across content areas-math, science, social studies, etc. The title says "every iPad," which seems to imply universal needs. Every. iPad. Same with age and grade level, reading level, and gender. So we took at look at apps that could be used in any content area, and at (almost) any grade level K-5. (Phonics Genius likely wouldn't be as necessary in later elementary grades as it might in K-3, for example.) The focus is on literacy, content, and play. An argument could be made that elementary school students may be better served with an Encyclopedia app rather than Google Search. You almost may want something with a subscription as Brainpop has, or a slightly more child-friendly word processor than Pages. Substitute away!"

"Mathematicians tend to conjure images of ill-fitting pants and pen protectors, but one fashionable genius is changing that equation, at the same time his theories are adding efficiency to global industries. Cédric Villani is among the modern world's greatest mathematical minds. But he makes a point of dressing like a 19th-century aristocrat. Think three-piece suits, frilly shirts and ribbon-like cravats. His style, combined with his long hair; tall, rake-thin frame and collection of giant spider brooches have earned him the moniker "The Lady Gaga of mathematics."

"Everyone uses Google for random queries, but it's way more powerful than a traditional search engine. Check out these Google tips and tricks that'll change the way you look for stuff online for good."

"The new school term is well under way and the early efficiencies are slipping and bad habits are slipping in. Homework is already being completed late and stuffed into heavy schoolbags before the kids stagger off again. In my own case, I seem to spend way too much time each day trying to persuade my son to take a day's worth of kit to school, rather than a week's. The problem is that the sanctions that come with forgetting sports kit or books is worse, in a child's mind, than the possibility, long hence, of back pain. But there's things that parents and teachers could do, which help take those damaging decisions out of the childrens' hands:"

"I've often heard LinkedIn referred to the 'overlooked' social network/blogging platform/engagement goldmine/career resource. LinkedIn can be a very robust professional resource if you know how to use it properly. The basics of LinkedIn, from my point of view, include letting my retired mother know she doesn't need to connect with me (or anyone else) on the network - Facebook works best for her needs. In short: know how it can work for you. But if you want to better know what it can do for you (and how to get there), we've put together some of the most important things to know about LinkedIn on the handy graphic below."

"Are you looking for the most impactful, the most inspiring, the most beneficial books that will help you succeed in the classroom? Perhaps you need ways to improve the way in which you motivate students. Perhaps you want to build a better classroom culture. Need new ways to teach reading and writing across the curriculum? Or, you might be curious about trends like Genius Hour and project-based learning. Boy, do I have a list for you."

"Research by the Penn Graduate School of Education (from the University of Pennsylvania), looking at 1 million students on 16 courses run through Coursera, showed that only half of those enrolled look at a single lecture and an average of 4% completed the course. Let's assume that there's nothing wrong with the product, and nothing wrong with the theory that easier access to education is No Bad Thing. It's something else. It's a commitment thing. It's too much to ask, too big a shift in 'consumer' behaviour, from directed learning to self-directed. So perhaps we should get used to this new style of learning in easier ways. Self-direction without the pressures. Accessing some of the finest academic minds, but because you want to, not because it's a compulsory step in your education paperchase. And if its education for its own sake, then look at these as a starting point. Six of the best/most intriguing free online courses focusing on science, from some of the best boffins around. Dip in, get used to the idea, and follow the video trails they offer til you find what you're intrigued and interested in. So dive in, make yourself clever…"

"Editing images is often imperative in order to achieve the perfect results from your efforts. There are a number of amazing photo editing programs available for you to use through your desktop, but it is not always ideal or even possible for you to sit down in front of your computer to edit images. When you need to edit a photo in the fastest and most convenient way possible, using a online editing tool through the browser in your tablet or smart phone is a better solution. There are some great browser-based options available for you to choose from. You can easily sort through some of the online editing tools now so that you have them downloaded and ready to use when you need them."

"At first, I was not sure how to introduce elements of the Maker philosophy into my English classroom. Much of the conversation around this movement focuses on technology and STEM subjects, but I see value in getting students to design and create in all subject areas. Since I don't have any actual technology in my classroom, I had to get creative in my approach. We were reading (performing is more accurate) Shakespeare's play, Othello. I usually do a mini-lesson on the Globe Theatre to introduce its design, layout, symbolic spaces, and genius construction. That's when I had an idea! Why not ask students to build replicas of the Globe Theatre? To build a model of the Globe, they would have to complete research, get creative with their materials and work collaboratively in groups. I realized that through the act of making their replicas they would probably learn more and have more fun."

"The Maker Movement has crept into the consciousness of schools in the past few years. For some, it's a wake up call that over-tested, over-scheduled young people are not going to become the creative, enthusiastic learners we all hope to nurture. For others, it's a personal reconnection to our collective, deeply-felt human impulses to create, invent, and shape the world. Makerspaces, genius hour, design thinking, and other frameworks can help make these ideas come to life in classrooms, libraries, museums, and community centers. But are these innovations accessible to everyone, to every child?"

"If you work in education, then the chances are you work with a number of people yet you're never in the same room. It might be because your fellow educators are in classrooms and otherwise engaged; you might work with a large, disparate group of people, spread across the city, the country or across timezones, or you might be trying to coral together a bunch of parents, students or community workers. It could be anything - how am I supposed to know? But what is known is that there's a whole bunch of tools which help you organise, talk to, share with and otherwise connect with people in ways which would have been utterly impossible even 2 or 3 years ago. So have a look at some of the better ones."

"I first heard about the maker movement last summer. I initially thought that this was a direct arm of the STEAM movement to incorporate arts into science, technology, engineering and math. It has been part of my own genius hour to continue to explore and learn more about the maker movement. Here's a little about the path that I've followed so far..."