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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

"Technology has inevitably been inserted to nearly all aspects of our lives today. First and foremost, the use of computerised cash registers have been around for a few decades now. Trying to remember cash registers which operated without a digital display might be nearly impossible. The generation which might be able to do so has been replaced with a new generation who depend on technology to a large degree. The dependence on new technology is starting to 'show signs' of the effect of converting from our analogue counterparts. Below is an example that I recently experienced the effect of technology in a transaction at a doughnut shop."

Abstract: Previously assumed to be a homogenous and highly skilled group with respect to information and communications technology, the so-called Net Generation has instead been shown to possess a diverse range of technology skills and preferences. To better understand this diversity, we subjected data from 2096 students aged between 17 and 26 from three Australian universities to a cluster analysis. Through this analysis, we identified four distinct types of technology users: power users (14% of sample), ordinary users (27%), irregular users (14%) and basic users (45%). A series of exploratory chi-square analyses revealed significant associations between the different types of technology users and the university that students attended, their gender and age and whether the student was local or international. No associations were found for analyses related discipline area, socio-economic status or rurality of residence. The findings are discussed in light of the rhetoric associated with commentaries about the Net Generation, and suggestions about their implications for teaching and learning in universities are offered.

"As a technology teacher, I always keep looking for new tools to excite my students. During parent-teacher conferences, when a parent comes and asks me how's their child doing at my subject I almost always say, "Everyone is good at technology" or "All of them love ICT lessons". But when I'm alone, I reflect on these statements many times. If everyone already loves technology and is good at it, then what am I here for? What's my role? This is a generation of digital natives. You show a two-year-old how to scroll through the camera roll of your phone once and they won't ask you again. This makes me question my validity again and again."

There are no technology shortcuts to good education. For primary and secondary schools that are underperforming or limited in resources, efforts to improve education should focus almost exclusively on better teachers and stronger administrations. Information technology, if used at all, should be targeted for certain, specific uses or limited to well-funded schools whose fundamentals are not in question.

If you want to generate teams and groups randomly (and quickly), you can't go wrong with this easy-to-use tool. Copy & paste the names of your students in one box, choose team names (optional), the number of teams you want to generate, choose your output format (HTML or Excel format), and click Generate Teams! If you don't like the teams, click Generate Teams! again. Very simple to use. And fast!

by Stevina Evuleocha, Steve Ugbah California State University Abstract The quest for an ideal medium to deliver business content to Gen Y learners has led instructors to consider the Internet, since digital content that exists in databases can be manipulated by a range of programming services (Shim et al., 2006). Shim et al., have also asserted that web development has been hampered by bandwidth and difficulties of "back end integration," consequently, impacting the presentational aspects of data and user interfaces (Yang & Tang, 2005). Innovations in computer and software technologies appear to have ameliorated the technical difficulties, resulting in the emergence of new media such as podcasting, webcasting, videostreaming, blogging, and Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) technologies (Shim, 2002). These new media streams can be integrated into traditional lectures, thus enhancing the educational environment (McLaughlin, 2006), particularly for Gen Y learners. This paper discusses the efficacy of podcasting in business education, reviews the characteristics of Generation Y (Gen Y) learners, discusses learning styles and theories that support mobile learning, reviews learning styles of Gen Y learners, and discusses whether adaptations are necessary to address the updated needs of this new generation of learners in the business communication context.

Great accessibility tool

"ReadTheWords.com is a free, web based service that assists people with written material. We do this by using TTS Technology, or Text To Speech Technology. Users of our service can generate a clear sounding audio file from almost any written material. We generate a voice that reads the words out loud, that you request us to read."

A great resource, particularly for kids who struggle with literacy. Thankyou for posting.

"When they're not listening to their "rap" music or wasting time on their "Eye-Phones," millennials are finding other ways to differentiate themselves from past generations. Members of this generation, born between the early 1980s and early 2000s, are the first generation raised in a whirlwind of technological advances. They get flack for thinking differently, maybe being a little impulsive, maybe making more money, and maybe not. So how do you fare . . . do you think like a millennial? "

David Warlick makes an association between Reynolds Presenation Zen Method v's Approach and the way we approach technology professional development

A robust rebuttal of Prensky, Tapscott, et al's assertions that contemporary generations are more technologically proficient than their predecessors. The counter-argument is that our society has become more technological and individuals are more or less well adapted to this change. The author of this rebuttal (Pontefract) makes a case based upon logic, personal experience, and several recent research studies.

Teachers in tertiary education need new strategies to communicate with students of the net generation and to shape enticing educational experiences for them. The use of new approaches such as video-recorded lectures to communicate directly and individually with all students has been the preserve of technology-savvy educators. However, a recent technological advance - the Apple iPad - has the potential to change this situation, offering access to effective and efficient pedagogy in an easy and intuitive way. This paper is a report on the use of the iPad in teaching activities over the past 15 months, showing how it can be used to enhance engagement with learning for tertiary students, both those studying live on campus and those studying at a distance.

In the greater Houston area: this is a free conference occuring in November of this year (so the warmer weather will be a nice break for out of towners) focusing on best practices in teaching and learning, and technology. Also an opportunity to meet other educators!

Learning takes place in many locations and within the context of a variety of forums. Instructors are challenged on a daily basis to find innovative ways of enhancing the Net generation of students learning experiences. Our goal is promote greater understanding of cutting-edge approaches, techniques and instructional methodologies online and in the classroom. The Teaching and Learning Technology Conference provides a forum for educators to share effective and innovative teaching and learning models. This conference will explore and showcase excellence and innovation in teaching that facilitates student learning and positively impacts student academic success.

The "Google generation" of today's students has grown up in a digital world. Most are completely au fait with the microblogging site Twitter; they organise their social lives through Facebook and MySpace; 75% of students have a profile on at least one social networking site. And they spend up to four hours a day online. Modern students are happy to share and participate but are prone to impatience - being used to quick answers - and are casual about evaluating information and attributing it, and also about legal and copyright issues. With almost weekly developments in technology and research added to increasingly web-savvy students' expectations, how are British universities keeping up? Pretty well, according to Sir David Melville, chair of Lifelong Learning UK and author of a new report into how students' use of new technologies will affect higher education.

"What is it? Here's an article by BIE, updated from its original appearance in the September 2010 issue of Educational Leadership magazine from ASCD. Good for general audiences as well as educators, it explains the essential elements that make rigorous PBL different from "doing projects." Why do we like it? This article was written because some teachers say they "do projects" already (so why learn more about PBL) and some educators and members of the general public may have negative stereotypes of PBL as merely a "fun" or "hands-on" activity. How can you use it? Share this article with anyone, from teachers to parents to administrators, to explain PBL and provide a common framework for projects. The 8 Essential Elements are the basis of BIE's Project Design Rubric and PBL 101 Workshop."