Group items tagged

Interesting article on how Facebook permeates daily life and online interactions

useful information on WHY go to the cloud... i found the cost-savings numbers to be surprising, and i think this kind of info is what needs to be shared with others when asking to shift from a program like Word to Google Docs.  has real, definable, quantifiable meaning

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."

"...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: "The problem, I began to realize, was my own understanding of how the iPads should be utilized in the classroom. I had seen them as a supplement to my pre-existing curriculum, trying to fit them into the structure of what I'd always done. This was the wrong approach: To truly change how my classroom worked, I needed a technology-based redefinition of my practice."  Interesting to think about going forward.

To watch web videos without the comments and crap, just drag the button below to your browser's bookmarks bar. On any of the supported video pages, click the bookmark button to watch in peace. You can then make short URLs too, to send the quietube version to your friends. Easy as.

"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."

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.

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: 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."

"Those pursuing online learning will see that, though there is no 'silver bullet' solution, there is evidence to suggest that virtual learning (both part-time and full-time) can provide significant opportunity to save money," the report said. "Future innovation should include careful tracking of quality and outcomes to continue to provide more robust options for those experimenting with lower-cost delivery of instruction."

From the article: "Why not let kids use the tech tools they're already familiar with to enhance their learning? But as schools try to figure out the best way of transitioning to this new world, some thorny issues must first be sorted out. How do teachers and school systems prepare for all the different platforms, when some kids are bringing in tablets, others are bringing their parents' old laptops, and the remainder are on mobile phones? And what effect does this change have on the dynamics of a classroom?"

Listing of grants for education. GetEdFunding is a curated collection of more than 600 active grants and awards that will grow by the day, all selected through the prism of relevance to today's educational institutions. Although thousands of generous corporate contributors, foundations and other organizations recognize the need to support education, not all of them are included in this resource. In an effort to save educators time and frustration, a minimum requirement of inclusion in the collection is the willingness to accept Letters of Inquiry and unsolicited applications.

The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is a national consortium of states that have been working collaboratively since December 2009 to develop a student assessment system aligned to a common core of academic content standards to apply for a Race-to-the-Top Assessment grant.

iTunes U - a powerful distribution system for everything from lectures to language lessons, films to labs, audiobooks to tours - is an innovative way to get educational content into the hands of students.

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

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?"

This is a great site with an online one-to-one readiness survey.  It looks like this company partners with CDWG for planning and implementation of one-to-one programs.