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From the summary: " The NETP presents a model of 21st century learning powered by technology, with goals and recommendations in five essential areas: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. The plan also identifies far-reaching "grand challenge problems" that should be funded and coordinated at a national level."

Outstanding stuff, Dan! Thanks for sharing this with us.

Regarding what's missing from the Core Common Standards -- new texts, new media, viewing...  Where does "complexity" of new media text get taught? How will teachers learn to parse it?  Is new media analysis and production a discipline?  Yes in my opinion.  Is it interdisciplinary? Yes.  Media related to various content areas have their own criteria.  Video, photography, blogs, social networks and the systems that deliver them are, in a way, their own languages. They are increasingly dominating how our society functions, informs and represents itself.  HOW can this still be an afterthought for educators?  Fear?  Uncertainty on how to proceed?  Because it's not tested? The text landscape is more complex than the textbook.  

Shmoop is a research resource, learning guide and much more. It will engage students and provide teachers with quality material that can make learning fun.

This is an exciting new tool that secondary teachers will love. The creators of Shmoop have put together great information, resources, learning guides, and more. The writers have a sense of humor and the material is on target. Definitely a must share Web 2.0 tool. Check it out!!

Pixar University's Randy Nelson on Learning and Working in the Collaborative Age The Dean of Pixar University explains what schools must do to prepare students (and themselves) for new models in the workplace. This is a fascinating look at what the Pixar workplace is like, and the skills and experiences Randy Nelson sees as vital to develop in students. Some high points; Four main areas- Breadth of experience, Depth of knowledge, Communication, Collaboration. The core skill of innovators is error recovery, not failure avoidance. Employers would rather see the proof of a portfolio versus the promise of a resume. Employers need people who are more interested than interesting. See communication as a destination, not as a source - you aren't the judge of your communication skills - your audience is. Collaboration is amplification, not cooperation.

This would be a great article to share with resistant teachers to help them see the need in moving forward as 21st century educators.

A thought provoking piece on the power collaborative learning apps, specifically focused on Google Docs.

The leadership group comes together regularly for in-depth discussions about topics such as project learning, technology integration, and authentic-assessment strategies. Then they take ideas back home to share with their colleagues

Earlier this year, the National Staff Development Council released a report, "Professional Learning in the Learning Profession." As the report points out, the United States "is far behind in providing public school teachers with opportunities to participate in extended learning opportunities and productive collaborative communities."

I recently attended a session by Al Doyle at ED Camp NYC on game design. "We play, design, and we share," said Al. This is a powerful tool that pushes students critical thinking and promotes collaborative social learning experiences.

This is a great resource to share with teachers

Significant research has been done on the cognitive and academic outcomes of older-younger and peer-peer student relationships. Whether in a one-on-one setting or a setting in which responsibility for teaching is shared among members of a collaborative group, well-planned, well-organized, and well-executed student-student interactions have repeatedly shown positive evidence of student progress and learning This action research project differentiates itself from previous research in several ways because it focuses on motivational and attitudinal outcomes when every student in a classroom of eighth graders serves as a teacher of "new-to-everyone" content for three classes of younger students.

A former teacher and education-technology consultant says today's professional development needs to immerse educators in experiences that promote reflection and relationship-building.

On this site, you can see the ways fellow teachers are solving problems, leave a comment, recommend an idea, share inventive things you've done, and take on meaningful professional learning challenges.

Good for us all to think about.  And good to know about an article like this.  I'm seeing a little backlash against "technology"  like this in various articles.  I'll try to gather them up.  

Thanks for sharing this, Rhys. I agree -- this is an important article for all of us to read.

Wow, what an interesting perspective. I'm inclined to believe some of those high-performing schools are excelling *despite* the lack of technology, but I definitely sensed the author's bias here...it almost seemed like she wanted to prove that 'fancy equipment' detracts from real learning.

Check out this online book about Google. You'll be able to share from the last page.

An easy read that can serve to introduce people to some of the technical aspects of the web and the foundations of cloud computing

Authors say these applications are, "technology every educator should know." Some new applications... I was impressed that the authors include alignment to NETS-T for each tool. We can share the NETS alignment along with the tool.

Excellent! Takes a while to search through, but there is something for everyone here and it's a good resource for us to find good new tools to use for in-school PD sessions. It's one of those sites you need to revisit every few months.

Blended Model Must Have: 1) Development of Cohesive Learning Communities - early & recurring face-to-face must occur - Initial meetings must emphasize "reflective dialogues" and "interactive activities" for bonding & buy-in. - participants must effective use early sessions for "curriculum planning" and "new pedagogical techniques." - Large Video Conferencing Does Not Work! (- but a webinar can engaged many people with buddy groups.) 2) Project Portal Must be Reliable and Simple - video conferencing is OK 3) Administrative Support is Crucial. 4) Facilitators are Essential. 5) Critical Component is the Ongoing Monitoring of Participant's Needs. - through surveys, evaluations, informal feedback, etc... 6) Successful Practices Structure Opportunities to Share and Discuss Teaching Practices. 7) Teacher "Risk-Taking" can be Increased - - for trying new technologies in the context of curriculum writing, 8) Effective Initiatives Build a A Critical Mass 9) True Transformation Requires Time

Excellent analysis of the countries who are succeeding in education, and the lessons that can be taken from them.

Thanks for sharing this, Renee. I wrote a short post about this on my blog: dstorchan.com