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An honest assessment from a teacher integrating iPads into her classroom. A MUST read for ALL teachers.

Any time we talk about Evernote, a good number of you say the same thing: you've tried it time and time again, but you could never really "get into it." I was in the same camp, but after reading the other side's experiences in this article and its comments, I decided to give it another shot. If you're like I was and haven't yet experienced the greatness of Evernote, here are some things you should try.

Google Reader is shutting down in a couple weeks. As of July 1, 2013, the popular online reading platform is closing its virtual doors. There are a lot of other options out there and the race to fill the void is moving along at a blistering pace. There's Reeder, Pocket, Feedly, and News360 (less known but gaining popularity among teachers & students) to name just a few. I'd recommend you check out all three as they all have their pros and cons. But surely there must be something better? Something with some big money behind it. Some sort of 'perfect' Google Reader alternatives that will make your life a bit less worrisome.

Funny, they say "popular" but yet they are shutting it down!

Gmail has changed so much in the past two years that referring to it simply as an "email client" doesn't do it justice. This manual is not for new Gmail users, but for those of you who already use Gmail as an email client and want to take advantage of its many features. Those of you who are new should probably read The Ultimate Guide to Gmail first, which will give you an introduction to the service and how to use its most important features.

Worth reading!

"Chatting with students in Pakistan, reporting high school football on the fly, and supplementing classroom discussion are just a few of the great ways high schools have made use of Twitter. Read on, and we'll explore 20 innovative ways high schools are making use of this great social media tool."

Some great titles here, but unfortunately not all books are available in iTunes Australia

" 375 Free eBooks: Download to Kindle, iPad/iPhone & Nook This collection features free e-books, mostly classics, that you can read on your iPad/iPhone (purchase), Kindle (purchase), Nook (purchase) or other devices. It includes great works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. To learn how to load books to your Kindle using the links below, please watch this video. This other video explains how to upload epub files to a Nook."

"A Personal Learning Network (commonly referred to as a PLN) is one of the most popular ways for modern teachers to reach out and get connected to other educators, whether this means keeping in touch with colleagues and friends or making new connections with other talented teachers across the globe. The very best PLNs facilitate wonderful information sharing, learning opportunities and gateways to collaboration between classrooms. Read our recipe for the perfect PLN and start cooking yours up today!"

"Today, the use of e-books and iPads in the classroom are taking reading to a "whole new level," according to Diane Darrow"

There are a growing number of online tools to support students in need of literacy support. This new series from Catherine Hainstock talks about how text-to-speech programs can support students' reading online.

"The new building blocks for learning in a complex world This important resource introduces a framework for 21st Century learning that maps out the skills needed to survive and thrive in a complex and connected world. 21st Century content includes the basic core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic-but also emphasizes global awareness, financial/economic literacy, and health issues. The skills fall into three categories: learning and innovations skills; digital literacy skills; and life and career skills. This book is filled with vignettes, international examples, and classroom samples that help illustrate the framework and provide an exciting view of twenty-first century teaching and learning. Explores the three main categories of 21st Century Skills: learning and innovations skills; digital literacy skills; and life and career skills Addresses timely issues such as the rapid advance of technology and increased economic competition Based on a framework developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) The book contains a DVD with video clips of classroom teaching. For more information on the book visit www.21stcenturyskillsbook.com."

"SAN ANTONIO - Several Texas A&M professors know something that generations of teachers could only hope to guess: whether students are reading their textbooks." They know when students are skipping pages, failing to highlight significant passages, not bothering to take notes - or simply not opening the book at all.

If Wikipedia were made into a book, it would contain over 2.25 MILLION PAGES!! It would take almost 123 years to read and would be around 180 Meters high!!!

I was re-reading the Horizon Report the other day when it occurred to me that it could be easily summarised. This has helped me consolidate the main elements of the article in my own mind. It is always interesting to reflect on where your school or region is at in this whole process. I hope this is helpful for you too. Please feel free to use and share.

TeachingACEnglish is a rich, practical and contemporary professional resource to support teachers and school leaders implementing the Australian Curriculum: English from Foundation to year 10. This collection of video snapshots - or vignettes - illustrates ideas, approaches and strategies for teaching, learning and assessment. The vignettes demonstrate approaches to differentiation and aspects of explicit teaching about a select group of content descriptions for reading, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

In a recent webinar, more than 90% of school leaders responded that they were leading an innovative school as a result of the implementation of technology. At the end of the webinar, when polled again, only one leader claimed to be leading an innovative school. The complete reversal was due to a presentation of the Six Questions that you will read about in this article.   This list of questions was developed to help educators be clear about the unique added value of a digital learning environment.

"The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education helps educators gain confidence about their rights to use copyrighted materials in developing students' critical thinking and communication skills. These slides accompany the book, Copyright Clarity: How Fair Use Supports Digital Learning by Renee Hobbs. You can offer a staff development program using the materials in the book, plus these slides, to introduce your colleagues to the power of the Code. Use the lessons below, which are complete with multimedia, readings, discussion questions, activities and hands-on production projects to help you teach about copyright and fair use."

I've been thinking a lot lately about how much time I spend on the Internet, and worrying that it's too much.

books and stories by kids, for kids