Group items tagged

Interesting and seemingly thoughtful model of iPad distribution at the high school level

ESRC report on Generation Y's use of technology - they assert that the "net generation" moniker is a misnomer and doesn't represent the different levels of ability and technology use seen in this generation.

interesting advent in the digital textbook market - Discovery's Techbooks. iBooks competitor? From the article: Discovery's Techbook series is cloud-based, meaning students can access the materials from wherever they have an internet connection; the company says that's because not all school districts have the funds to give every student his or her own device. The Techbooks are also platform-agnostic to work with whatever hardware a district or student might have-iPads, tablets, mobile devices, laptops, or desktops.

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium New Hardware Purchasing Guidelines

From the article: "Still, students have had to learn to think of the iPads primarily as a learning tool, not a toy. Teachers and administrators have developed new strategies to deal with some apps' inherent distractions. And, perhaps most significantly, the use of iPads as a take-home device has raised questions about Internet safety: Who's responsible for a student's online behavior once they leave school?"

From the post: "One challenge teachers face is requiring and enabling every student an equal opportunity to ask and respond to questions during class. A new web-based classroom tool called GoSoapBox is one possible solution to this problem. With GoSoapBox, students can simultaneously interact with the class in real time as well as participating with any Internet connected device. I am currently accessing GoSoapBox with my classroom set of iPod Touches; however, the app will run on laptops, notebooks, iPads or other mobile devices."

Article about how Eric Sheninger, principal of New Milford High School, uses Twitter and technology tools in education

One district's model to integrate the most appropriate technologies into their classrooms - ask teachers to test different products to determine what works, and what doesn't.  Also note: this district underwent an infrastructure upgrade before introducing new devices.

Interesting new tablet development out of Intel - the "studybook"

A convertible ultrabook - like the Classmate PC, only a bit less rugged

Interesting article on how Facebook permeates daily life and online interactions

DIY.org - a site for students to safely create digital portfolios, where others can give comments and feedback.  This looks perfect for K-7 students

From the article: "Teens lag behind all other age groups in e-book adoption. Sixty-six percent of 13- to 17-year olds say they prefer print books to e-books, 26 percent say they have no preference and only 8 percent prefer e-books.  One reason for this resistance: Teens like using social technology to discuss and share things with their friends, and e-books at this point are not a social technology."

Elementary- and middle-school teachers who help raise their students' standardized-test scores seem to have a wide-ranging, lasting positive effect on those students' lives beyond academics, including lower teenage-pregnancy rates and greater college matriculation and adult earnings, according to a new study that tracked 2.5 million students over 20 years.

"...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."

Tutorials, tips, and news about using Google Sites to build a web page.  Great collection of tutorials to really customize your site.  Tips on designing a web site.

From the article: "Given that schools have embraced technology, what is the real impact on learning? Take away the term, technology, and think of it as a tool - not a magic bullet."