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This article provides a compelling infograph showing how important individualized learning can be and its impact, not only to the student but to our country, financially. Just imagine, if we raised our students' math scores to the level of Canada's students' math scores, we would increase our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $77 trillion over 80 years, which is the equivalent of raising everyone's paycheck by 20% every year. 1) How could we implement personalized learning in today's educational system? 2) Are there variations of personalized learning that we could implement today without radically overhauling our current system? 3) Does knowing how higher math scores can dramatically improve a student's wage earning ability, and dramatically improve our country financially, change your perspective on the importance of students being proficient in math?

Go Math, Go! interesting!

This article talks about reading with the common core standards of reading more difficult and non-fiction texts in schools. In one particular classroom, the teacher asks intelligent questions about a non-fiction piece of work and the students find the answers within the text, a non-fiction piece of reading. Students read the required texts together and illustrate the research that children gain the most from reading difficult texts rather than easy ones. Instead, children read texts under their reading level for fun. The required reading is both interesting and challenging enough for the higher level students. Choosing reading below level for entertainment allows the students to get a sort of brain break, and still be able to engage with a difficult text during class with a fresh perspective. I think this article demonstrates another positive view of the common core in reading and how it can improve children's reading scores. 1. What elements of common core are Nebraska teachers not benefiting from because the state has not adopted common core? 2. How can secondary language arts teachers a common core standard of reading more non-fiction into their classrooms? 3. Who is more responsible for introducing non-fiction texts? Language Arts? History? Social Sciences? Science?

Interesting article! Great questions!

A teacher edited his student's rough drafts for statewide test to make sure punctuation and capitalization were correct on their exams. She stated she felt the pressure of performing well on the exams. Other states have been found to cheat on the standard test created by No Child Left Behind. How do you feel a teacher should be punished for violating standard assessment rules for a broken system like NCLB? Do you feel NCLB standards help or hurt students? teachers? Why do they hurt and why do the help? Why do you fell there are so many scandals with teachers cheating for students? Do they not have confidence in their teaching abilities and/or their students?

Such a heartbreaking and timely article. Great summary and questions.

This article is about wanting students to move in class. Energizing Brain Breaks help students to be active in class and get refocused and refreshed. This article offers 1-2 minute brain and body breaks that are simple to implement in your classroom. They are perfect for your students as a transition exercise. What positive/negative affects can brain breaks have for the classroom? What amount of time would provide the most affective brain breaks? Why do you think that? Do you think brain breaks would be easy to implement in your classroom? Why or Why not?

This is especially important for secondary students. Good article! Good questions to consider.

This is exactly what we have been discussing in class! It lists five excellent tips for teachers to be able to manage the students' use of technology. The Tech Doesn't Always Have To Be "ON" tip is right on target!

Awesome find. It's totally right on about technology being a tool and not always being needed.

This article talks about how iPads and other tablets are a learning tool for students with disabilities, not just for novelty. Students who have trouble communicating verbally can use apps to talk to peers, teachers and parents. It allows them to be more like their peers and can spark new friendships if used in the right way. It can be used in all classes, including Math and Science, allowing students to be more independent than they have ever been.

This article sounds interesting. I wish I could have read the entire article.

This article discuses how mobile devices such as tablets are very affordable for schools, and provide a lot of different apps that can be used for classroom application. The study discussed how students can relate to what they are learning because of the practice they can do on the tablets to make a better connection. Page 12 shows some of the students thoughts towards using tablets in class; including, "We live in the technology age so using technology is important to help develop proficiency."

Thanks for sharing. I'm always interested to hear what students are saying about the technology initiatives in their classrooms.

This article describes a teaching experience in which information and communication technologies were applied in five industrial engineering courses at the Universidad de Tarapaca in Chile. The paper compares the performance and course pass rates of the e-learning platform and portable pocket PC platform with those of the same courses teaching in traditional classroom methods. Two of the courses involving 62 students used an e- learning platform and its associated pedagogical model, while the other three, covering 110 students, employed a portable Pocket PC platform and a collaborative pedagogical model. The results show that there is no statistical evidence that technology rise the students marks, but did reveal significant improvements in course pass rates.

This is really interesting as there are many people who would agree that technology does not have a significant impact in improving grades.

This article discusses how students combine multiple apps to create projects to cross disciplines and encourage higher level thinking, collaboration and innovation. This was a great activity for the students to learn how to work with apps and create projects. They also learn to work together and think as a team.

This is a good article. I really liked the concept of smashing apps. Good Job!

"Combining the arts with technology can create new and exciting ways to keep students motivated and engaged in the learning process and the world around them." Software and technology can assist all students in creative growth. Examples of sites to try for visual art include SketchUp7, Destination Modern Art, and Art Weaver.

Great article on the importance of the arts in education!

78% of K-12 teachers believe technology in the classroom makes a positive difference; however, 17% believe it does not make a difference. Students today spent a majority of their day using 21st century technologies and if teachers put them in a 19th century classroom settings, they will have a significant disconnect with their students. Technology can raise students enthusiasm for learning, as well as amplify a teacher's strengths or weaknesses.

If a teacher isn't invested or prepared, technology can definitely spotlight a teacher's weaknesses.

This article focuses on the future of the 2007 law that created the Learning Community. Recent reports have failed to show a connection between the Open Enrollment policy and student performance on Nebraska Assessments. Another area that the policy fell short on, was achieving the blended socioeconomic of students that the lawmakers wanted to see. Decisions will be made about the future of the policy at the next legislative session and these reports could drive big changes to be made. 1. What is your personal opinion on the Open Enrollment policy? 2.What changes could be made to improve the policy? 3. What ideas to you have that could improve the socioeconomic diversity of our students in our city schools?

So glad someone posted this. Interesting.

This article is about the gender inequality in those high school students who chose not to pursue PE classes once they are no longer compulsory. It states that a very high number of girls chose to not continue with physical education classes. This leads to less physical activity as they get older and an increased likelihood of obesity as an adult.

Interesting! Please make sure to include three questions.

Children who are physically fit absorb and retain new information more effectively than children who are out of shape, a new study finds, raising timely questions about the wisdom of slashing physical education programs at schools. How might you, as a teacher, incorporate physical fitness into your class, even if it is only for a couple minutes? Today, technology has become such a large portion of our life, what can be done to encourage students to become more physically active outside of school rather than play video games all night? Who would be a good resource to find out further information about types of physical activity for your students?

You only have one sentence of summary (as written). You need to have at least two or three. Great questions.

Zachary Christie, a 6-year-old first grader in Delaware brought a camping utensil along with his lunch. The tool included a folding fork. Unfortunately for Zachary, it also included a folding knife. He was sentenced to 45 days in the district's alternative school. His parents fought for this to change and it was reduced to only a 3- to 5-day suspension. The school districts policy also changed to a 3-5 day suspension for students caught with dangerous instruments, if they are in kindergarten or first grade. Parents who encounter this should not be a stranger, know the rules, prep your child(ren), speak up, and lobby against zero tolerance. 1- Why would parents allow students to bring questionable items like this to school? 2- Should schools punish students that are this young for bring something dangerous to school that parents should have stopped at home? 3- Is the new school policy fair?

So interesting! Great summary and questions.

This site shows different ways a teacher can incorporate technology in the classroom. It's aimed at teachers who are not tech savvy. Ideas include: using Webquest, creating a Class Webpage, having the students create Podcasts, having the students create blogs or wikis, having students do an email exchange and more ideas are discussed.

Teachers just need a few simple ideas to get them started with technology.

This article talks about the differences between males and females regarding this question: "Do male students have more confidence in using technology for learning than female students?" The study talked about was done in Hong Kong, this specific study found that both men and women like to learn using technology unlike in other studies done on this topic it was found that women are relatively new to the school setting and still have some of the old mindset, that women should only learn certain things and technology is more for males. Many students in Hong Kong and all over the world use technology every day, and gender doesn't matter.

I would agree that gender should not matter.

This journal covers Tessellations in the classrooms and how they can be done by pretty much any student. In the classroom, they can be used for a variety of technology educational activities, such as graphic arts like screen printing and 3D printing. These techniques can be used in practical and artistic ways with basic geometry and symmetry skills. According to their research, these tessellation activities can be successful and challenging for most students. I couldn't find this article online anywhere else other than the library at school or ebhost site. Sorry

This sounds really good and interesting that it talked about 3D printing.

This article is about the idea that adding technology into the classroom is not leveling the playing field for all students. That is a scary idea given the fact that we are integrating more and more technology into the classroom in hopes of trying to figure out how to better the education of all students. The question from here is, what can we do about this if the facts support the hypothesis presented in this article?

This is definitely something to consider. We make sure that technology is effective for all students.

This article focuses on the affect that adventure learning (or distance learning) has on motivation and learning outcomes among middle school students. This technology forum provides them with opportunities to learn about world issues as they are happening while getting to experience them online through the use of Google maps, audio recordings, and daily emails directly from their teacher. The research from this article found positive correlations between adventure learning as a form of technology in the classroom and increased student motivation.

That is really exciting as more schools are using this technology.