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Four Ways to Differentiate Instruction: Differentiation can occur in the content, process, product or environment in the classroom. 1. Differentiating the Content/Topic 2. Differentiating the Process/Activities 3. Differentiating the Product 4. Diffferentiating By Manipulating The Environment or Through Accommodating Individual Learning Styles

While some professors seek to exclude the devices from the classroom, others are creating multimedia-rich curricula in which students can draw on online resources and interact with each other. Banning laptops is just plain wrong, according to Don Krug, associate professor at UBC's department of curriculum studies. He says students are adults, and the best a professor can hope for is a "respectful learning environment," where students limit their own behaviour. "If they really want to learn the information, they will. They're paying a lot of money," he says. "We're better off teaching them how to be responsible learners." Shows two polar solutions to laptop problems: total ban & adapting curricula to include multi-media interaction. Also presents respectful learning environment as best course for students who are adults. - comment by Kent Gerber

Backchannel tool geared to provide more student interaction during lecture and direct instruction. Has profanity filters for those concerned about student comments in an open environment. Provides instructors immediate feedback and students engagement in a uni-directional teaching environment. 

Great article by Julie Lindsey and Vicki Davis about working with students in the digital environment, the opportunities it presents for customization, and the requirements it places on teachers to monitor, develop student understanding of the process, and support students in engaging with others. 

Interesting classroom management software that is using the social networking model to make classroom commnications stronger. It is in Beta, so I encourage teachers to check it out to see if it adds anything to your classroom environment. 

Nice little PP for thinking about different ways of using a Virtual Learning Environment in your school, classroom, or PLC.

The website says: "THE Place For Educational Games!Our research-based and standards-aligned free educational math games and language arts games will engage, motivate, and help teach students. Click a button below to play our free multi-player and single-player games! In the future we'll add features enabling you to save records, tailor content for differentiated instruction, and pinpoint student problem areas." I think using the games in conjunction with a holistic approach to developing skills would make for a great way of getting students to practices some skills. Let students play, set goals, monitor those goals, reflect on their progress, and apply strategies/heuristics to specific problems they struggle with would create an environment in the classroom where learning was fun, self-monitored, and successful. 

Over 50.000 teachers and students all over the world are using SymbalooEDU as a PLE tool. Check out the following videos to see how SymbalooEDU is being used in education as personal learning environment.

If working in the virtual environment with students, you are likely aware that embedding video and other resources into pages/posts is an important aspect of online literacy. This site gives the user an enhanced interface. Good for more advanced users or for presentations that you want more control over. 

Very easy to use

iCue is a free collaborative learning environment which includes hundreds of current and historic videos from NBC News, fun games and activities, and discussion forums. Whether you are joining to improve your grades, connect with friends, or just learn new things, iCue gives you a safe, fun environment for discussion and learning.

A site produced by NBC to collect news stories, share them, and reflect and respond to the perspectives presented by the news media. (Horizon Report, 2009)

The Internet Public Library is a public service organization and a learning/teaching environment founded at the University of Michigan School of Information and hosted by Drexel University's College of Information Science & Technology.

"e 21st Century Learning Lab Designers category is aligned with National Lab Day. Winners will receive awards for learning environments and digital media-based experiences that allow young people to grapple with social challenges through activities based on the social nature, contexts, and ideas of science, technology, engineering and math. Digital media of any type (social networks, games, virtual worlds, mobile devices or others) may be used. Proposals are also encouraged for curricula or other experiences that link or connect to any game. Learning labs may be designed around new games or expand the potential of open source or commercial games."

"Welcome to RCampus RCampus is a comprehensive Education Management System and a collaborative learning environment. At RCampus, you can do all your school-related work from building personal and group websites to managing your courses, eportfolios, academic communities, and much more"

This wikispace has been designed to help mathematics teachers and teacher leaders examine effective mathematics instruction, as outlined in the book Accessible Mathematics: Ten Instructional Shifts that Raise Student Achievement by Steven Leinwand. The suggestions are intended to serve as sample activities and discussion prompts for preparing all mathematics teachers to plan, teach, assess, and promote a mathematical learning environment that is considered "Common Core-ready."

Important to always think about how to create a safe learning environment. This post is a great analysis of several inputs. Worth reading and a great resource.

A tool for looking at information differently than we've ever done so before. Next step in web browsing? Just remember that things don't always stay the same in the virtual environment.

The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) was developed to help guide the complex task of evaluating technology integration in the classroom. Basic technology skills and integration of technology into the curriculum go hand-in-hand to form teacher technology literacy. Encouraging the seamless use of technology in all curriculum areas and promoting technology literacy are both key NCLB:Title II-D/EETT program purposes. The Inventory for Teacher Technology Skills (ITTS) companion tool is designed to help districts evaluate teachers' current levels of proficiency with technology and is also used as a professional development planning and needs assessment resource. The TIM is envisioned as an EETT program resource which can help support the full integration of technology in Florida schools. What is in each cell? Each cell in the matrix will have a video (or several videos) which illustrate the integration of technology in classrooms where only a few computers are available and/or classrooms where every student has access to a laptop computer. Transformation The teacher creates a rich learning environment in which students regularly engage in activities that would have been impossible to achieve without technology. Active Indicator: Given ongoing access to online resources, students actively select and pursue topics beyond the limitations of even the best school library. Collaborative Indicator: Technology enables students to collaborate with peers and experts irrespective of time zone or physical distances. Constructive Indicator: Students use technology to construct, share, and publish knowledge to a worldwide audience. Authentic Indicator: By means of technology tools, students participate in outside-of-school projects and problem-solving activities that have meaning for the students and the community. Goal Directed Indicator: Students engage in ongoing metacognative activities at a level that would be unattainable without the support of technol

Great new mapping tool from National Goegraphic. It's in BETA, but already very good tool. 

I like the focus on instructional routines that promote problem solving/creative thinking as the focus not the technology. It's a belief that I continue to espouse, but as usual David says it more eloquently (and succinctly) than I do.