Connected Leadership

Keynote, Power Presenter, 2Screens Presentation Expert, mbPointerHD, Quickoffice, GoDocs, Sadun's Whiteboard, Idea Boards, Corkulous, Penultimate, & Instaviz

A best practices example of how to use smartphones in a parent meeting.

"Principals are finding social media platforms to be great sources of professional development."

So what does a mobile devices environment look like? How will the students and teachers react? Is it the right direction to go? Five steps to keep in mind as we implement the Connected Learning Community Initiative - an education, not technologies initiative.

If you think that iPods are used just for listening to music, you obviously haven't been keeping up with the latest technology. The Apple-developed music player now features all kinds of accessories to help you study better, and now other companies are in a rush to get their designs in sync with the iPod. Pre-teens, college kids and even adults are taking advantage of the educational benefits an iPod affords them. From downloadable podcasts to just-for-iPod study guides and applications, learning on the go has never been easier. To find out about the many different ways you can transform your iPod into a learning device, check out our list below.

lexicon to understand mobile learning

This could be used in a Wordle or Glogster page

Mobile digital devices rocketed to popularity around 10 years ago with the release of the iPod. Mobile computing went mainstream with the release of the iPhone in 2007. With the release of the iPad just one year ago, we are now seeing a significant shift in the dynamics of computer purchase and practice - moving away from desktops and laptops to iPads and other mobile devices. Their cost relative to laptops along with the promise of mobile computing has raised tremendous interest in iPad use in education.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school.

This is in the beginning stages but here is my offer to the staff of Kent (2nd version, thanks to Jeff Utecht): * I will provide you with an extra prep per week ("A Fed Ex Prep") for 6 straight weeks. This would be prep-free for you as I would prep whichever subject the you would like. The time is also negotiable (ie. if you would rather have 2 periods a week for 3 weeks). * This time will be self-directed to ANYTHING you want with the only goal that you must DELIVER your ideas. * I also encourage you to use one of your professional days to provide further time (teachers in our district, under their contract are provided with a few extra pro-d days to use if they wish). What this is NOT: * time for marking, prepping current curricula, refining current projects/units/program This will be presented to my staff Tuesday. I will let you know how teachers respond and what comes out of this. I encourage others to comment with any feedback on how we can improve on this "FedEx or Innovative Prep" initiative. If you are doing something similar in your school, I would loved to hear about it.

The director of MIT's Comparative Media Studies Program encourages parents to be open minded and willing to learn from their kids.

Make video and photo sharing easy while keeping those treasures private and safe.

How to explain social bookmarking to faculty, parents, students

Online Resources for Parents & Educators. Learn how to be a better parent, teacher or caregiver to the "digital natives" in your life and gain the knowledge and skills for understanding, analyzing and participating in our technology-infused world. Learn how to be a better parent, teacher or caregiver to the "digital natives" in your life and gain the knowledge and skills for understanding, analyzing and participating in our technology-infused world.

Mimi Ito of the University of California, Irvine, describes how new media practices are transforming the ways that young people interact, play, collaborate and learn outside of school.

Henry Jenkins, a leading media scholar at the University of Southern California, describes digital media's role in creating greater opportunities for creativity, civic engagement and political participation.

Describes the importance of play, tinkering, and the new role that collaboration and collective expertise - all made possible by digital media - will have in solving complex problems in a constantly changing world.

Describes the importance of designing games as a way to engage students in the exploration of systems.

Nichole Pinkard, founder of the Digital Youth Network describes the importance of media literacy as an essential component of a 21st century education.

Describes the role that digital media can play in helping young people explore their interests especially when deployed at informal learning environments like museums and libraries.