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Interesting article on how Facebook permeates daily life and online interactions

"...for the most part, schools have incorporated these 21st century instructional techniques and tools as add-ons to the teacher-centric 19th century classroom structure, in which the majority of the curriculum is pulled from a textbook, and, despite best intentions, most students learn the same thing in the same way at the same time. Enter personalized learning, a student-centered teaching and learning model that acknowledges and accommodates the range of abilities, prior experiences, needs, and interests of each student--with the goal of moving every student to a higher standard of achievement. It's not a particularly new theory (versions of it have been around since the 19th century), but it has gained currency among many of today's education thought leaders, particularly because technology seems to be ready to do its part to provide a more personalized learning environment for every student."

From the article: But South Korea, among the world's most wired nations, has also seen its plan to digitize elementary, middle and high school classrooms by 2015 collide with a trend it didn't anticipate: Education leaders here worry that digital devices are too pervasive and that this young generation of tablet-carrying, smartphone-obsessed students might benefit from less exposure to gadgets, not more.

From the blog post: It is not so much about the tool and what it can do, but more about the purpose for using the tool. Obviously, if students want to share pictures of a project they are working on, a digital camera and a blog make a lot more sense than a flipbook. Still, don't count out older technologies just because you are trying to be a "21st Century Educator." Sometimes a dry erase marker and a wipe-off slate will do the job just fine.

From the article: South Forsyth High School in Georgia made the leap to BYOT in 2009 and saw the number of discipline referrals for technology abuse drop dramatically, principal Jason Branch said. In its first year of BYOT, the school had four discipline referrals for technology abuse, after amassing 400 over the previous two years. Instead of working to subvert tech barriers, students were protecting their privilege with what Branch called a "mutual respect and instructional understanding between teachers and students." Sion made its leap trusting students - and trusting teachers. "We have to change the way we teach," said Sion world history teacher Beth Ingram. "Our concept of what knowledge is is changing.

From the article: " the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation said it is creating a $100,000 competition for software that can 'reliably automate' grading essays on state tests." Very interesting idea; is it feasible?

Great example of how PBL and technology fit together.  Technology wasn't replacing another tool here, but being used as a tool to do completely unique and different things not otherwise possible WITHOUT it.

"How are we supposed to use technology responsibly if we don't use it at all?"

From the article: "Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said, "Google will remain a place where you can do anonymous searches. We're very committed to having you have control over the information we have about you. So, for example, if you want to continue to use Google and don't log in, and don't tell us who you are, that will continue to be true forever." Mr. Schmidt's statement would remain true for people who aren't logged into a Gmail, Google+, YouTube, Android phone or any other Google account. But as Google's services become more ubiquitous and deeply linked, it could become more difficult for users to take Google up on that promise of anonymity."

Teachers in digital classrooms have become learning coaches, moving around the room and giving students more one-on-one instruction. Educators who have embraced this approach said it better prepares students for the interactive environments they'll encounter in their college and professional lives.

"Three days a week, as the school day draws to a close, the children in Ms. Aaron's class sit down to compose a message about what they have been doing all day. They then send it out to their parents and relatives through Twitter, the stamping grounds of celebrities and politicians, where few kindergartners have been known to venture."

Kids from the UK surveyed about search habits - researchers found: 54 percent of those surveyed admitted that Google is now their first point of call when they need to answer a question or find information for research purposes. 91 percent of the children asked use Google; Almost half - 47 percent - use the service at least 5 times per day; 18 percent said they use the search engine ten times or more each day.

Blog post on ZDNET on the One Laptop Per Child program in Peru, and how it is not achieving the results desired/expected. From the article: "Why such results? The IDB concluded that OLPC does not provide enough guidance for teachers to show students how to effectively use the computers in class - and so the next item on the agenda should be improving teacher training"

While this focus is iPads, it is applicable to any 1:1 device roll-out.  Ideas to keep in mind if/when Clarkston is able to go 1:global.

Online video creation tool - described as "Movie Maker + Google Docs"

From the article: With 33 years of experience as a school librarian under her belt, Snyder said getting adults to understand the changing role and "look" of the library is an ongoing battle. "A lot of people still think of the library as a warehouse where you go to get a book or a magazine," she said. "To deal with it we just strive to be a model for helping people understand that a media center is a lot more than just a place for physical books."

App created for school updates - although how it was created, and how much support was received from an app developer is somewhat nebulous.

Responds to the questions of: "How do I find apps for education? How will I know it the app is a "good" app? How do I use the app after it's loaded? Can I track my student's progress?  Where can I learn more about apps for students with special needs?"

While this article doesn't answer if the iPad is the correct tool to aid learning in education, it represents two sides of the debate.