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TEacher Alfonso Gonzalez @educatoral is Using World of Warcraft in eight grade science. He's transparently sharing what they are doing and how they're doing it. I'm following what he's doing and many others are as well. I'm fascinated to see how he'll doing but if he's following Peggy Sheehy - she is the one who really knows how to use WOW with almost any subject.

Tinkering works. Read Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager's book "Invent to Learn" which talks about tinkering and how to use Maker Spaces to promote it to learn more. Great points from Lifehacker: "Research in the science of learning shows that hands-on building projects help young people conceptualize ideas and understand issues in greater depth. In an experiment described in the International Journal of Engineering Education in 2009, for example, one group of eighth-graders was taught about water resources in the traditional way: classroom lectures, handouts and worksheets. Meanwhile, a group of their classmates explored the same subject by designing and constructing a water purification device. The students in the second group learned the material better: they knew more about the importance of clean drinking water and how it is produced, and they engaged in deeper and more complex thinking in response to open-ended questions on water resources and water quality... it involves a loose process of trying things out, seeing what happens, reflecting and evaluating, and trying again."

CO14 is happening this weekend and so many great people are presenting. It runs from February 7-9 and is free. My session is sharing how writing has been reinvented as I share the 9 tools that have changed how we teach forever (a sneak preview of my book coming out in May.) If you teach writing, work with curriculum or teach, feel free to join in. The session is at 8 am EST on Saturday morning, February 8. Anyone can join. Lots of amazing presenters are speaking so check it out.

My students love the Dragon Dictation app. It is free. Learn to talk into the app and you can dictate papers and more. They were so excited when I taught them how to use this app. It is a must share because students who are more verbal often prefer to dictate papers rather than type them. When I demo this app, first I open it and dictate things - saying funny things about the class and they see the words. Then, I dictate again but start saying "period" "comma" and "new paragraph" so they see how it can add those things to the text. I always end by saying "And ____ ran out of the room today screaming quote I'm afraid of zombies exclamation point end quote." Then I stop and they see how all of the punctuation works. This is a great app and an important one for all tablet and smartphone users.

This article talks about how today's teaching is going to change the business world. Sadly, I think that much of the teaching they CLAIM happens (such as mobile learning and differentiation) may not be as widespread as they think. Either way, this generation is different and I do think they expect to be a truly mobile workforce. Of course it will be interesting to see how the kids who are lucky enough to have personalized learning feel about the workforce.

Inside the 34 page eBook you will learn: * The history of Gmail and how it began * Why you should choose Gmail over another email provider * How to use Gmail, manage and organize your emails * Getting the most out of Gmail * Instructions on how to use Gmail with other email providers * Links to best Gmail tips and hacks. * Access Gmail on a mobile device * Gmail Buzz

Featured Post Scholastic's The First Thanksgiving What it is: Scholastic has amazing resources all year long but the interactive on The First Thanksgiving is topnotch!  Students learn about how the Pilgrims reached America, and what daily life was before the First Thanksgiving.  Students can take a tour of the Mayflower, take the virtual journey to America, compare and contrast modern life with when the Pilgrims lived (housing, clothes, food, chores, school, games), and the Thanksgiving feast.  There is a great slideshow and play a webquest feature where kids can learn more about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag and the famous harvest feast.  The site includes audio for every page and activity.  This is great for younger students. How to integrate Scholastic's The First Thanksgiving into the classroom: The First Thanksgiving is a collection of great activities for students to learn about Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims.  Students can use this site independently as young as first grade because of the audio features on The First Thanksgiving.  The site can be used as a center activity that a few students can explore together, independently in the computer lab setting, or as a whole class with a projector or interactive whiteboard.  The webquest at the end of the activity checks for student understanding with a quiz.  Increase students participation further with some The First Thanksgiving bonus features and extras.  Print out a Thanksgiving Readers theater, door signs, a fact hunt, a vocabulary quiz, and some letters from historical figures.  There are also research and historical fiction journals that students can continue learning with.  These range from a Plymoth Colony research starter to Our America: Colonial period. Tips: Check out Scholastic's Teaching resources for The First Thanksgiving as well as the literature connections that are available. Leave a comment and share how you are using The First Thanksgiving  in your classroom. Read More

"Windows can be seriously annoying sometimes, but thankfully there's also usually a workaround or third-party utility that fixes the issue. We've rounded up the ten things that annoy us most, along with how to fix them."

"I've always valued problem-solving, decision-making, and higher critical thinking skills in my classes. I know that 7th graders are a bit wobbly in their emerging abstract thinking skills, but I also know that a little scaffolding and creative empowerment helps those new skills flourish! Learning how to learn and learning how to think are two of my top goals for each of my students." I love this quote from Amy Dean about what she wants for her 7th grade students. Amy has a very nice blog, reflecting pools.

Amy Dean's philosophy for her 7th graders.

tips and research about how to prepare students for conference presentations. how it connects to student voice. how to get the most out of the experience for students. special notes about "student panels"

How to apply for Google Earth Pro grants -- who is eligible. And information on how to apply.

Geography teachers see if you're eligible to apply for this grant.

The key to Twitter is to see it as our own Personal Learning Network (PLN). Everyone has the right to use it how they want. If someone doesn't like how you use twitter than they can just go ahead and unfollow. Really it's no different from writing a blog. Similar etiquete but you are more likely to share the mundane in twitter. Twitter is also more like f2f conversations - if all you do is post links or ask for help you will never make the connections that make people want to conenct with you.

# How did you get started with social media? # What was your introduction, and how did the journey unfold? # What difference has it made in your professional practice?

Tell your story and help Karyn out!

Exceptional post about why global collaborative projects are important

This student has written an exceptional post-project reflection. I hope you'll take time to read it. Here is an excerpt: "There is no doubt that this technology is dangerous. It is apparent that few people, not adults, not teenagers, truly understand how collaboration, conduct, and manners affect the internet. This project has to teach others that as well. It is necessary to know how to handle yourself on the internet. That's why Horizon Project is so important. We have to educate tomorrow's leaders how to use new technology without abusing it. The highlight of this project is the education we are giving every single person who has been a part of the Horizon Project."

A cool video from a teacher about how she is innovating in her classroom. This is an application for Google Teacher Academy and was made on Animoto and uploaded to Google Video. Great job! More applications for events and organizations are moving to the video format. Knowing how to produce compelling video will help your students get scholarships and you move ahead. Learn how to tell digital stories. Oh, and I'm so excited, it looks like I'll be at Google teacher academy in June -- it is going to be great!

Excellent video applying for Google Teacher Academy on June 25th

So can you please share with us: * Why you blog? How does it benefit you or your work? * How you use blogging with your students and how it has helped them (if applicable) * Examples of class and/or student blogs for them to check out * What are your 3 most important tips for educators, new to blogging, who would like to blog with their students?

Cell phones and what the japanese government is doing about it.

Japanese government becoming "involved" in the overuse of cell phones by japanese teenagers. This program emphasizes cell phone addiction. 1/3 of japanese 6th graders and cell phones and 2/3rds of 9th graders have them. Interestingly, one panel wants to take texting off the phones? How about using texting iN school? How about letting them define words on it instead of using a dictionary? How about letting them use it in the classroom? Seems kind of like damming up the Mississippi - it may work for a while, but eventually, the dam is going to break. Yes, this is something to talk about and discuss... internet and cell phone addiction is a real issue with many kids I talk to reporting that they literally sleep with it under their pillow. However, just getting rid of texting, I don't think that is a good idea. As with anything in human history, every tool may be used for good or bad.

Links to information on plagiarism, how to detect it, how to stop it, how to educate about it.

Been watching this group blog of students and want to share it with you. At over 1000 readers strong, this is an educational blog to watch -- students are speaking out. Who is listening? Of course, teachers IN the classroom had better be listening. I hear my students thoughts in person and on our class blog, but how many teachers truly ask and how many listen? Even more so, how many administrators or curriculum directors listen and are involved. Good teachers listen to students and know when to say yes and when to say no. However, it is great that now students can speak out!

A student website that starts on Monday launched by Artus. Cool

Use the resources on this page to learn more about how archives work, how to find and understand records, and how to look after your own records. Try our interactive tutorials on Latin and palaeography, and discover what information you can find online about us and our records.