This is an important point for us as educators. It is not about teaching our students how to use a particular application. The application is just the vehicle for the learning. We are providing them with the skills to evaluate the tools available and to use the one most appropriate for the job. We are teaching our students how to think independently, how to research cleverly, where to locate salient and reliable information, how to decode the information and then to present it in such as way that it reinterprets those elements that are the focus of our inquiry.

Old Things in Old Ways When a new technology appears, our first instinct is always to continue doing things within the technology the way we've always done it. People still illuminated the first printed Gutenberg Bibles by hand. Television pioneers set up single cameras in "great" theater seats. The result was pretty much like what came before; some elements may have been lost, but the results were certainly cheaper, and far more efficient.

Many teachers use a blog to facilitate the typical activities of the classroom: post homework, celebrate student achievements, communicate with parents, stimulate interest in subject matter, link to useful Web sites, promote writing for an authentic audience, etc. All these things are wonderful and easily accomplished by any teacher with average technical skills. The ClassPortal is a natural extension of this approach to using an online space to enhance student learning.  Quite simply, what sets it apart is that the ClassPortal focuses on a particular topic or question and uses the power of the Web to fuel this shared interest.  This one difference holds the potential to transform classroom learning from a series of engaging activities to actually building a body of knowledge and expertise. 

Information graphics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge often used to support information, strengthen it and present it within a sensitive context. They are specific, context-sensitive and often times hand-crafted. Data visualizations are visual displays of measured quantities by means of the combined use of a coordination system, points, lines, shapes, digits, letters quantified by visual attributes. They are general, context-free and often times created automatically. Both can be static, animated or interactive. So, I think the difference is more about the objective. Information graphics are used to tell a story or answer a question. Data visualizations are used to let the user find his own story or answer.