Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

Cheap Android tablets, namely from Amazon, could boost Android tablet sales numbers past the current dominating force known as the iPad, according to research firm IDC.

Hackpad is a new, simple wiki service which builds on lthe etherpad interface. Hackpad allows you to include video and images by copying and pasting links into the document. If you have Dropbox files that you want to link to, you can do that on Hackpad too. The layout options on Hackpad are limited, but you can link Hackpads to each other to form a wiki like structure.

There's been a lot of talk about a seven-inch "iPad mini" over the last 18 months or so. The rumors, while compelling to many, never really resonated with me, and I've dismissed them countless times in the past. After all, what possible strategic reason could Apple have to offer such a thing?

The educational thought experiment I wish to undertake concerns curriculum. Not the specific content of curriculum, but the idea of curriculum, what any curriculum is, regardless of subject. Like Copernicus, I propose that for the sake of better results we need to turn conventional wisdom on it is head:  let's see what results if we think of action, not knowledge, as the essence of an education; let's see what results from thinking of future ability, not knowledge of the past, as the core; let's see what follows, therefore, from thinking of content knowledge as neither the aim of curriculum nor the key building blocks of it but as the offshoot of learning to do things now and for the future.

We've discussed a few ways to record Skype calls in the past, but they tend to be pretty hit-or-miss. As long as the audio is the only part you're worried about, CallNote can record your calls and then save the audio file to your Evernote account immediately as soon as it's finished recording.

The popularity of blogging and the incredible flood of content that came with it led to a new need, with services such as Twitter allowing people to filter information and share links that might not be so easily discoverable with search engines. In the past couple of years we have seen the rise of the 'curator' and an increase in the popularity of tools that allow people to collate links.

Alvaro González-Alorda has created a powerful presentation that's a must see for any educator looking to push his or her school / classroom into the future. He talks about what the leaders of today's major schools and companies have to say about what academics will look like in the future. Basically, it's decision time for schools who have been clinging to best practices from the past and not paying enough attention to future trends. In fact, Alvaro lists more than a few trends to be on the lookout for in terms of education technology. The following presentation is on Slideshare and worth spending the next minute of your day on.

Children given iPads to use at school are more focused on learning and less likely to misbehave, research has found. University of WA education researchers have been investigating the use of iPads and other mobile devices in 12 independent schools during the past 10 months. UWA's Grace Oakley said teachers found that students were more likely to finish their homework and do a better job.

"I am still amazed at the amount of educators, who believe that Twitter holds NO VALUE for their professional learning. Many hold on to the belief that Twitter is a waste of time, used to follow celebrities, listen to gossip and bad hair day complaints. If YOU were able to get past that initial Twitter reputation, diving into the Twittersphere can be scary, OVERWHELMING and participating in this global conversation platform does not necessarily come naturally to everybody."

"As our students get older, they become more responsible...we hope. A laptop or tablet has replaced the notebook and pen over the past few years since our present technological explosion. Many students can't wait until the age that their teachers allow them to bring in their own devices. Unfortunately, no matter the level, not all students are encouraged to bring technology into the classroom. And those that are encouraged to do so, may not be doing it for the right reasons."

A decidedly low tech device, the humble pencil, is providing some tongue-in-cheek insight into current education debates via Twitter. In the past 24 hours, educators have tweeted the hashtag #pencilchat thousands of times. The tweets are undeniably witty, but they also reflect the frustration teachers feel over everything from schools' technophobia to budget cuts, which may make #pencilchat the best-and most clever-education allegory ever.

"Collect text, images, video and audio streams from the web Stop fighting with cut&paste from web pages into text docs Mix content from different pages Organize the content as you like Contextualize adding value Curate also in group to minimize the effort Publish a magazine for each topic you like to curate Share your work on blogs and social accounts Get followed and become an influencer"

"Have you heard the phrase "That's true because I saw it on TV" at some point? It was often the truth in the old days when people only had the TV or newspaper to relate to. What you saw or read was the truth, although it obviously wasn't always so. Today, thanks to the Internet, we consider ourselves much more enlightened. We can discuss and examine the source in a way that was not possible in the past. But are we really aware of all information flowing up over the net? What is really true and what's not? When someone presents a bit of loose facts on Twitter, I usually respond with something like "64% of the facts on the Internet is 48% incorrect according to 52% of respondents", completely made up numbers out of my head, but it makes people think a little extra. It is somewhat disturbing at times when the bandwagon takes of and speeds up, without people being critical. People stand up for situations that may never have happened, and spin on it which ultimately results in that it will be trated as facts, or a faktoid."

Like most people I have lost many hours to Google Earth. As a geographer and teacher I have been trying to find ways to incorporate this tool into the social studies classroom. Over a year ago I started making my own Google Earth files. Throughout the past year, my father and I have spent countless hours working through technical issues creating what you see today. There are a few more improvements that still need to be made (when in doubt refresh the browser), but it works and is there for you to enjoy. I offer this tool to all teachers who want to create cool and engaging lessons for their students. In return I would appreciate feedback on how you use this site and potential improvements. Required Resources: This site looks best with IE7 and higher, Firefox 3 ((FF4-FF7 Fix), and Google Chrome. You must install the Google Earth Plug-in (Free, but you might need your IT administrator to install) and have broadband access.

"Google Docs is a fantastic tool for professional and student collaboration. After using Google Docs for an extended period of time, it becomes evident to most Google Docs users that your inbox can become a cluttered, hectic and confusing mess. Magnify that confusion X 100 when you start to have students share their documents with you for evaluation and grading and you can have a colossal mess on your hands. Based on my experience using Google Docs for the past two years, I have come up with a strategy that I think may help anyone who plans on using Google Docs with students next year. "

"This chapter will provide an overview of the key technological developments over the past thirty years and will critique their impact on formal and informal learning." by Grainne Conole

"Middle to late in term 2 of this year we decided to survey a large cohort of our Middle Years students (Yrs. 6, 7, and 8), all of whom are involved in our 1:1 iPad Program. Over the past two years we have decided to survey our students about their iPad, or more so Mobile Technology use to assist us in gaining a slightly better understanding of their feelings and perceptions relating to the use of their devices to support their learning. I have included aspects of the completed data below. Our next step is to unpack this a little further with both teachers within their teams as well as the students themselves."

"Twitter is a fantastic resource for educators around the world and I am indebted to past, present and future folk willing to contribute, inform and debate. The common goal is to enhance learning for our students and educators on twitter are so pro-active it makes you proud to be amongst them (sobbing starts again)."

"Blogging on platforms like WordPress has become very popular over the past 10 years. This video is an introduction to blogging in plain english and was designed to give viewers a brief overview of what blogging is and how to participate. For more information on Edublogs visit: http://edublogs.org/"

"Since our founding, it's been a core mission of BetterCloud's to spread the word about Google Apps and evangelize for the platform. And after raising a Series A this past January, we've stepped up our hiring process, which has led candidates to ask why I'm betting my career and company on Google Apps. This was a question we encountered throughout the fundraising process and I'm sure it's frequently asked of other ISVs and Google Apps resellers. While I'm obviously biased towards Google Apps, I do wholeheartedly believe the platform will win."