ABCICT

"What is SOPA and how does it work? The Stop Online Piracy Act explained"

"On the 18th January 2012, hundreds if not thousands of sites/online services are going offline in protest of SOPA. Underneath you can find a list of the more major websites which are said to be going offline (not all will be confirmed, but a majority will be). This will be updated as the intentions of other sites become clear."

"So you want to pop your filter bubble - to see the neutral, un-filtered, un-personalized web. How do you go about it? Unfortunately, there are no magic bullets: The ad companies and personal data vendors that power and profit from personalization are far more technologically advanced than most of the tools for controlling your personal data. That's why The Filter Bubble calls on companies and governments to change the rules they operate by - without those changes, it's simply not possible to escape targeting and personalization entirely. But that doesn't mean all is lost. Here are 10 simple steps you can take to de-personalize your web experience. They won't work forever, but for now they'll take you out of your own personal echo chamber."

Some very good advice here to try out. Check out the links.

"Popular file-hosting site Megaupload, probably known to our readers for a variety of reasons, has been taken down after the FBI charged some of its staff with copyright infringement and "conspiracy to commit racketeering." Seven people have been charged, and four arrested (in New Zealand), and the site itself appears to be down as authorities around the world closed in on the site's resources."

"Anonymous' devious and speedy campaign to undermine the defenders of copyright yesterday served both as revenge for the loss of Megaupload and a demonstration of the futility of trying to police the Wild West of the Internet. Within minutes of the Justice Department's triumphant announcement about the seizing of the massive file-sharing site, their own website was taken offline by a massive denial of service attack. The Web presences of the FBI, the MPAA, the RIAA, and several entertainment corporations involved in the case soon followed, as those tasked with protecting the Web from piracy were once again unable to protect themselves. "

"When you see as many apps as we do at RWW, you begin to feel like it's all been done. So many of the everyday jobs for apps to do can already be done by at least one app (if not dozens). How many ways can you share photos with your friends? How many social networks and check-ins and restaurant-discovery services do we need? Lately, we've started to see a new class of app emerge just for managing these tasks across their various apps. The idea of apps for our apps sounds ridiculous, but some of them are neat, and some are downright lifesavers. Here's a round-up of apps you should use if you want to bring your many social networks into one dedicated place."

an ebook about web tools

"Connecting your class Education 2.0 social network for your class"

Interesting if perhaps a bit naive when it comes to using cell phones to access outside internet providers. How on Earth would you monitor this. I know that that isn't the point, there is a certain expectation and students need to live up to it.

"The "Google in Education: A New & Open World for Learning" booklet provides more information on how Google and its users are impacting education. Read and print the pages most relevant to you: Full booklet Pages about primary and secondary education only Pages about higher education only"

Grockit is very easy to use and has a user friendly interface. It lets its users search for a YouTube video and once found, they can then both watch the video and use the right side panel to write their questions or comments. They can then share this page using a generated URL with their students or colleagues.

"App Inventor for Android is a programming tool that makes it easy for anyone - programmers and non-programmers, adults and kids - to create mobile applications for the Android phone. "

Howard Rheingold 03 Feb 12 10:09:30 Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck conducted the groundbreaking research showing that praise intended to raise young people's self-esteem can seriously backfire. When we tell children, "You're so smart," we communicate the message that they'd better not take risks or make mistakes, lest they reveal that they're not so smart after all. Dweck calls this cautious attitude the "fixed mindset," and she's found that it's associated with greater anxiety and reduced achievement. Students with a "growth mindset," on the other hand, believe that intelligence can be expanded with hard work and persistence, and they view challenges as invigorating and even fun. They're more resilient in the face of setbacks, and they do better academically. Now Dweck has designed a program, called Brainology, which aims to help students develop a growth mindset. Its website explains: "Brainology makes this happen by teaching students how the brain functions, learns, and remembers, and how it changes in a physical way when we exercise it. Brainology shows students that they are in control of their brain and its development." That's a crucial message to pass on to children, and it's not just empty words of encouragement-it's supported by cutting-edge research on neuroplasticity, which shows that the brain changes and grows when we learn new things. You, and your child, can learn to be smarter.

"I've always wanted a document camera in my classroom, so yesterday I made my own - using my iPad. Here's a quick rundown of how to do this:"

" These "recipe cards" for Project/Problem Based Learning are intended for teachers to use with K12 students in groups, as well as individual students. Each card creates student learning categorized as TimeTravelers, Artists & Inventors, Historian Challenges, StoryTellers, ProblemSolvers, Scientist Challenges, Career & Tech Ed."

this looks promising

"About KidsRuby makes it fun and easy to learn how to program. Download Now or check out the code on Github."

"The Challenge My challenge to teachers is to create assignments, projects and techniques to capture your students' attention. Projects should be technology-rich, highly engaging, and fun learning experiences that reflect real-world skills. How will you know if the exercise reached your students? One indicator of success will be how your students respond to their parents' typical daily question: "What did you do in school today?" Will they get the usual response ("Nothing")? Or will they hear something new, maybe something along the lines of, "OMG, I can't believe what we got to do today?""

"Score another win for the iPad, quite literally. Educational courseware provider Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) is touting the results of a yearlong pilot program that indicates the company's HMH Fuse Algebra 1 program improved student's test scores. "