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"AUTHOR: ISSIE LAPOWSKY. ISSIE LAPOWSKY DATE OF PUBLICATION: 05.04.15. 05.04.15 TIME OF PUBLICATION: 7:00 AM. 7:00 AM INSIDE THE SCHOOL SILICON VALLEY THINKS WILL SAVE EDUCATION Click to Open Overlay Gallery Students in the youngest class at the Fort Mason AltSchool help their teacher, Jennifer Aguilar, compile a list of what they know and what they want to know about butterflies. CHRISTIE HEMM KLOK/WIRED SO YOU'RE A parent, thinking about sending your 7-year-old to this rogue startup of a school you heard about from your friend's neighbor's sister. It's prospective parent information day, and you make the trek to San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. You walk up to the second floor of the school, file into a glass-walled conference room overlooking a classroom, and take a seat alongside dozens of other parents who, like you, feel that public schools-with their endless bubble-filled tests, 38-kid classrooms, and antiquated approach to learning-just aren't cutting it. At the same time, you're thinking: this school is kind of weird. On one side of the glass is a cheery little scene, with two teachers leading two different middle school lessons on opposite ends of the room. But on the other side is something altogether unusual: an airy and open office with vaulted ceilings, sunlight streaming onto low-slung couches, and rows of hoodie-wearing employees typing away on their computers while munching on free snacks from the kitchen. And while you can't quite be sure, you think that might be a robot on wheels roaming about. Then there's the guy who's standing at the front of the conference room, the school's founder. Dressed in the San Francisco standard issue t-shirt and jeans, he's unlike any school administrator you've ever met. But the more he talks about how this school uses technology to enhance and individualize education, the more you start to like what he has to say. And so, if you are truly fed up with the school stat

Great list of Apps - broken into categories: General, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies & Science

Another award winning app which just might be worth the money. "Numbers Be creative and embrace the playfulness of numbers. From counting to multiplying, become the master of numbers - big or small, even or odd. As you play, pop bubbles, unleash lightning and release tornadoes to save beautiful fishes. Discover Numbers Tangram Arrange tangible puzzle pieces into matching on-screen shapes. Play with a friend or challenge yourself to more advanced levels as your handy-work lights up with each victory. Discover Tangram Words Be the first to guess and spell out the on-screen hidden word by tossing down real-life letters faster than your friends. A related picture gives the clue. Discover Words Newton Use your creative noggin and inventive objects like a hand-drawn basket, grandma's glasses, dad's keys, or anything around you to guide falling on-screen balls into targeted zones. Discover Newton Masterpiece Supercharge your drawing skills with Masterpiece! Pick any image from the camera, curated gallery, or integrated web search and Masterpiece will transform it into easy-to-follow lines and help you draw it to perfection. You can then share a magical time-lapse video of your creation with your friends and family."

"I started teaching 15 years ago and that is when I first came across this concept of a 'portfolio.' A portfolio is a storehouse for projects, writing pieces, art, and performances. It can be used by students, teachers, and parents to document what they're doing (either day-to-day things or through their best work or improvements they've made). I see portfolios as a way to hold onto and think about what you're doing."

Google Slide presentation by Sylvia Duckworth, who has mastered the art of Sketchnoting. I can see some students and teachers really taking to this.