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"It's challenging enough to manage a traditional learning environment where the curriculum is handed to you, and meetings are set, and you're simply there to manage; adding more ingredients to the mix seems like asking for trouble. But the truth is, it's becoming increasingly difficult to educate children in the face of such radical technological and pedagogical progression. The good news is, many of the elements of a progressive learning environment-e.g., digital literacy, connectivism, and play-conveniently, and not coincidentally, work together. And better yet, collectively they can reduce the burden on those managing the learning because they place the learner at the center. While it's possible to tack these ideas on to a traditional classroom, and then sit back and wait for the clouds to part and the sun to shine brilliantly, you'll likely be waiting a while. These aren't single tools to "try," but news ways to think about how learners access media, how educators define success, and what the roles of immense digital communities should be in popularizing new learning models. None of it is really complicated-it just requires new thinking."

"If you are a student or a teacher you are probably looking to connect with experts and enhance your learning experience. To do so, your first step is to register as a member of the site. To register, scroll down to the bottom left under the Site Login area and choose "Register" beside "No account yet?" Once you register you can login to the site and access VROC's programming - located under the Programs menu. Specifically, we hope you participate in our "On The Fly" program, which connects classrooms with a live expert through videoconferencing technology. Don't forget to subscibe to the podcast by clicking on "Full Feed" under the T-WiSE Podcast menu on the right hand side of the website!"

"The Muppets is actually a movie designed around PBL! The Muppets were given a project - to save Muppet Studios from its impending destruction. They had to work both cooperatively and independently to accomplish this. Just like my students bring different talents to the table, so do the Muppets. Like Walter (a new character introduced in the film), my students need to develop skills in order to be successful. When viewed through the six steps for implementing PBL as depicted by Edutopia (Thank you for being an amazing resource!), it is apparent that Jason Segel, Muppet movie star and screenwriter, has an appreciation for PBL."

The idea behind the Pringles Challenge is simple. Your task is to design a package that will allow a single Pringles Potato Chip to be safely mailed through the US Postal Service to another location in the United States. Students will work individually or in small groups to design their packaging. The package must adhere to US Postal Service guidelines and should be shipped during the window listed below, via First Class Mail. Schools will be working with a primary partner in an effort to match up the number of packages shipped/received. The timeline for this year's Pringles Challenge is shared on this site.

"Players aged 8 and up shape the future of a new society while learning how to recognize ethical issues and deal with challenging situations in their own lives. Players lead a new human colony on a distant planet. They must make difficult decisions in which there are no clear right or wrong answers but important consequences - to themselves, to others in the colony and to the planet Braxos. Players develop skills such as critical thinking, perspective-taking and decision-making. Quandary provides a framework for how to approach ethical decision-making without telling players what to think."

"We have all seen list upon list of "cool tools," "web 2.0 websites," "educational apps." They are a great source for the latest and greatest websites/tools in education. The problem is that they all fall short when it comes to talking about technology skills. Identifying and teaching transferable technology skills are crucial for students to not only be college and career ready, but also to prepare them to lead productive lives in an increasingly global and digital world."

"If you've ever complained about the way things are in schools today, now's your chance to stop talking and start acting by participating in the Reinventing School Challenge. The challenge is a program that begins with a simple mission: Encourage life-long learning, promote alternative learning environments and equip learners with 21st Century skills. It takes a fresh and different approach to school reform in the following ways. Inviting the whole community to get involved. Giving the community a framework to collaborate and fashion solutions for their own school communities. Providing a platform to present, share and celebrate what's possible and what really works."

"Thankfully, the public understanding of science is part of the core mission for many science centers, zoos and aquaria, botanical gardens, and natural history museums. These institutions, collectively known as informal science centers, are taking a leadership role in ensuring that students get quality instruction in the sciences. Perhaps the most exciting programs coming out of these institutions are initiatives related to the professional development of new teachers (or teachers new to teaching science). These programs mentor novice science teachers in inquiry-based approaches to science learning. They also provide ongoing support and access to experts in various scientific disciplines."

"Graph Search is currently rolling out and will soon be available to all users. You and your teens may not have access to it yet, but you should have it on your radar. Graph Search can be a fun way to pursue new hobbies or find friends with similar interests, but it also raises privacy concerns for users -- especially minors. Here are six things parents need to know about Graph Search"

"This is a virtual place for folks interested in learning to "operationalize TPACK" (Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge) via curriculum-based learning activity types ('ATs') to get up-to-date information, and (more importantly) participate in the vetting and refining of the activity types in each of the curriculum areas in which activity type development is happening. The curricula in which we are developing and refining learning activity type taxonomies appear on the left. Those that have taxonomies available for your perusal have links to other pages in this wiki."

"The Educurious Expert Network (TEEN)™ connects students to pivotal role models that might be missing in their young lives. One inspirational adult can make all the difference and lead to academic and career success. Connecting kids to a future they care about. As a virtual advisor, our Experts inspire students to finish school by sharing what they do, how they work and the difference they're making in the world."

Teachers can bring Q?rius into their classrooms with Smithsonian Science How?, a new way to tap into the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Smithsonian Science How? delivers real-world science into classrooms through free, interactive, live webcasts and supporting classroom resources. The 25-minute programs feature the research and personalities of the National Museum of Natural History, providing students with positive STEM role models, information about science careers and pathways, and connections to current research. For example, students can interact with Smithsonian experts who examine bones and artifacts that are millions of years old; they can piece together forensic anthropology mysteries and dive into coral reefs. In addition, students will see how scientists and other experts use tools and technology in their work and how the science is connected to them. Browse the program schedule to plan your next journey.

"The most dreaded word in school reading for students: book reports. Teachers assign them, viewing them as a necessary component of assessing reading comprehension. Book reports can be a contributing factor to 'readicide'. "Read-i-cide n: The systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools." http://stenhouse.com/html/readicide.htm. So, how can we as teachers continue to monitor our students understanding of reading material without killing the love of reading? Enter technology. Technology can help bring some excitement and creativity to the traditional book report while still displaying students understanding of reading."

"In conversations with educators in the lower grades, I often find that there is a sense of frustration or even fear in bringing technology into the classroom. These emotions have nothing to do with a fear or frustration with technology itself. In fact, many of these educators WANT to bring technology into their classroom but are boggled by how to train or prepare 6-9 year olds to create multi-step and engaging projects."

The five Cs below will empower educators to discover how they and their students can begin building personal learning networks specific to the learner's needs extending relevant learning connections to like-interested people around the globe.

What sort of rubric do you use for blogging? How do you have students blog for homework if they do not have access to the internet or a computer (in a poor, rural area)? To moderate or not who has the time? What can we do to increase readership? How can a student blogger attract more readers?

Move beyond tool to mindset of the power of what can be done.

Here is the site for you when having studnets watch YouTube videos or other videos. You can watch video and take notes at the same time to the right of the video. All notes are synchronized to the video and save to Google Docs. Would work with YT for Education videos on student network

"The iSchool Initiative is a student-led, non-profit organization that is dedicated to revolutionizing our education system through innovative technology. Our mission is to inspire and educate students on how to become life long digital learners in the information age. We accomplish this by raising awareness for the technological needs of the classroom, providing collaborative research on the use of technology in the classroom, and guiding schools in the implementation of this technology."

Used by educators all over the world, Voxopop talkgroups are a fun, engaging and easy-to-use way to help students develop their speaking skills. They're a bit like message boards, but use voice rather than text and a have a specialised user interface. No longer confined to a physical classroom, teachers and students of oral skills can interact from home, or even from opposite sides of the planet! Anywhere. Anytime.