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FROM the Creator/Owner of WORDLE: "I'm happy to announce that from now on, the Wordle front page will never feature images or links that are inappropriate for classroom use. It's now possible to configure an institution's "site-blocking" software to keep Wordle safe for classroom use." Simply have your networking administrator block the following base URLs1: * http://www.wordle.net/gallery * http://www.wordle.net/next * http://www.wordle.net/random

The scenario: It's 2020 and the world has changed. Some say for the better, for others it is the worst. The internet, the technology that connects us, will be turned off in 60 days. The world leaders, controlled by BIG BUSINESS, have agreed that the internet is making the world worse, and is now too big and too powerful. It must be stopped. The resistance force, always on the move, known as the Wireless Underground will seek to rally others to form their own resistance groups and to eventually form a new www based on connecting rogue sites. Each group will have limited range of access but can extend through connecting with other groups. They say official orders have been given. The Internet is closing down, to be replaced by a single information service called the "Alternet". The underground predict that G8 world leaders will make an the announcement in Feburary 2021, but this could just ne a hoax ... but what if it's true? What will be your story?

Description: Wallwisher is an online post-it board. It can be used for making announcements or for posting polling questions. No user registration is required. Works like a notice board. You can choose the level of control; who can view, who can post, and authorize all posts before they go "live". Visit my wall to post your thoughts about this Web 2.0 tool. You can link your sticky notes to videos, images, and websites. http://wallwisher.com/wall/greatwebtool

Description: Wallwisher is an online post-it board. It can be used for making announcements or for posting polling questions. No user registration is required. Works like a notice board. You can choose the level of control; who can view, who can post, and authorize all posts before they go "live". Visit my wall to post your thoughts about this Web 2.0 tool. You can link your sticky notes to videos, images, and websites. http://wallwisher.com/wall/greatwebtool

I think its great for back-channelling and group brainstorm. Also, its great for feedback and for communication in staff meetings.

Communicate take home notices, announcements, homework, images, notes, videos, etc. through RSS Feeds, Facebook, Twitter, text messages and more - all in a "Green", paperless way.

Video site Vimeo announced last week the launch of Vimeo Video School, which has both instructions on how to make better videos and a directory of video tutorials. It's available at http://vimeo.com/videoschool.

Amazon has announced that Kindle books are outselling paperbacks for the first time. What implications does this have for education?

MIT recently announced a new STEM resource for high schools called BLOSSOMS. It contains online video lessons and free resources for teachers and students. There are also links to other STEM resources on the site

worth noting for volume of Twitter posts following 2011 tsunami in Japan, use of Twitter following phone outages, and sharing expected arrival time of waves in US before official government announcements

A really significant announcement came through from YouTube this past week that should make educators everywhere stand up and take notice.

Students online as announcers, cultural critics, practicing artists. What is the subject? The self alone. The evolving economy of the self-brand, self-marketed on the web in the jobless present. To understand our students' online actions, we have to confront a present without work.

Announcing open source Google spreadsheet on the integration of web technology into Judaic and secular instruction and staff development @ https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AVHRiMW9xDMfZGRycHJnaGZfODZjdzd0czlkMg&hl=en

"Conversation is key . Sawyer succinctly explains this principle: "Conversation leads to flow, and flow leads to creativity." When having students work in groups, consider what will spark rich conversation. The original researcher on flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, found that rich conversation precedes and ignites flow more than any other activity.1 Tasks that require (or force) interaction lead to richer collaborative conceptualization. Set a clear but open-ended goal . Groups produce the richest ideas when they have a goal that will focus their interaction but also has fluid enough boundaries to allow for creativity. This is a challenge we often overlook. As teachers, we often have an idea of what a group's final product should look like (or sound like, or…). If we put students into groups to produce a predetermined outcome, we prevent creative thinking from finding an entry point. Try not announcing time limits. As teachers we often use a time limit as a "motivator" that we hope will keep group work focused. In reality, this may be a major detractor from quality group work. Deadlines, according to Sawyer, tend to impede flow and produce lower quality results. Groups produce their best work in low-pressure situations. Without a need to "keep one eye on the clock," the group's focus can be fully given to the task. Do not appoint a group "leader." In research studies, supervisors, or group leaders, tend to subvert flow unless they participate as an equal, listening and allowing the group's thoughts and decisions to guide the interaction. Keep it small. Groups with the minimum number of members that are needed to accomplish a task are more efficient and effective. Consider weaving together individual and group work. For additive tasks-tasks in whicha group is expectedtoproduce a list, adding one idea to another-research suggests that better results develop

I bought this book on Saturday. It has a new theme each week, and can be used for morning announcements. Great for PBIS. It has all the common core standards alligned in the back. Going to use it the remainder of this year and for next year.

Online learning provider edX this week took a big step into the online degree space by announcing plans to launch nine low-cost, large-scale, fully online master's programs from selective institutions. The nonprofit company, one of the early providers of massive open online courses, or MOOCs, will offer the degrees from seven universities: the Georgia Institute of Technology; the University of Texas at Austin; Indiana University; the University of California, San Diego; Arizona State University and two Australian universities -- the University of Queensland and Curtin University.

"Microsoft has announced a range of learning tools products, training and research updates designed as part of a pledge to build a better future for those with dyslexia, so that every dyslexic child is understood and given the right support to realise their potential."

"We are delighted to announce the start of a series of webinar sessions, designed at supporting teachers develop skills, knowledge and resources for daily classroom practice. Through 2019, we will be releasing webinar series on a variety of essential topics for educators worldwide, and although the webinar sessions will be live, registered participants will be able to watch the replay at any time."