Blog of apps for Android devices

Use Quixley to find apps based on what you want to do or accomplish.  Not just apps for a tablet or other hand-held device, but applications for computers and even Internet browsers

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.

Steps and advice on how to create your own textbook, with free resources included

Chromebooks beginning to break into the educational market???

Interesting article about a Google data center in Finland and, more broadly, how Google and other Internet giants build and create the environments that house the cloud data.

Who's responsible for online activity on school-issued devices once they leave the filtered safety of the campus?

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."

From the article: "while more than 9 in 10 teachers who responded to a national survey said they have access to computers in classrooms, more than 4 in 5 said that technology access falls short of their needs."

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 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."

Excellent information on how to maximize the technology dollar.  Some insights here about the future of technology in schools put into very clear terms.

Using the technology students are already using - like Twitter, Facebook, and cell phones - to extend educational opportunities.  A few good ideas for teachers who are just dipping their toes into the "technology" water, like "low-tech tweeting" and "physical Facebook walls."

Designing classrooms for today's learners requires a different approach than what's been traditionally employed in K-12 settings," said Herskowitz. Six design principles that 21st century classrooms should include.

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?"