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I have some sample "Magic erase sheets" in my classroom and LOVE THEM. You can stick them to ANY wall. They make them gridded or plain and they stick everywhere. I've been using dry erase boards but the problem was they wouldn't stick. So, now, I can use these and stick them anywhere. I love them. I'd get a box of sheets and use them in the classroom. Very cool.

MITS Freedom Stick 1.0 The MITS Freedom Stick is the result of global collaboration and the leadership of Ira Socol. The design and primary technical work was all done by the Regional Support Center - Scotland North and East. We are extremely grateful fo

Google's Cyber weekend deals are a serious reason to at least download Google Play for iOS on your ipad. I'm picking up Malcom Gladwell's book for 3.49 and reading it in the app for just this reason. Book lovers must go over this list, but the chromecast stick is worth a look as it is basically a Roku/ Apple TV on a stick for just $35.

Another useful iphone/itouch app if using with students

Memory Stick: Basic, Cheap File Storage for iPod touch For entry into the world of file storage on the iPod, the simple, inexpensive program Memory Stick is a good choice for the task. For just two dollars, this app lets you use your iPod touch for storing and viewing files as well as for transferring files between your iPod and desktop computers.

A self-paced Library 2.0 learning course

This is a clever way for librarians to "get up to speed" on web 2.0 tools. While designed for administrators it could be easily adapted for administrators or teachers. Tip of the hat to the Savvy Technologist blog for sharing this.

Stykz is the first multi-platform stick figure animation program in the world (as far as we know!), and it is COMPLETELY FREE! If you've ever used Pivot StickFigure Animator, you'll feel right at home and will appreciate the extra features that Stykz has to offer!

"What Makes a Great Teacher? Image credit: Veronika Lukasova Also in our Special Report: National: "How America Can Rise Again" Is the nation in terminal decline? Not necessarily. But securing the future will require fixing a system that has become a joke. Video: "One Nation, On Edge" James Fallows talks to Atlantic editor James Bennet about a uniquely American tradition-cycles of despair followed by triumphant rebirths. Interactive Graphic: "The State of the Union Is ..." ... thrifty, overextended, admired, twitchy, filthy, and clean: the nation in numbers. By Rachael Brown Chart: "The Happiness Index" Times were tough in 2009. But according to a cool Facebook app, people were happier. By Justin Miller On August 25, 2008, two little boys walked into public elementary schools in Southeast Washington, D.C. Both boys were African American fifth-graders. The previous spring, both had tested below grade level in math. One walked into Kimball Elementary School and climbed the stairs to Mr. William Taylor's math classroom, a tidy, powder-blue space in which neither the clocks nor most of the electrical outlets worked. The other walked into a very similar classroom a mile away at Plummer Elementary School. In both schools, more than 80 percent of the children received free or reduced-price lunches. At night, all the children went home to the same urban ecosystem, a zip code in which almost a quarter of the families lived below the poverty line and a police district in which somebody was murdered every week or so. Video: Four teachers in Four different classrooms demonstrate methods that work (Courtesy of Teach for America's video archive, available in February at teachingasleadership.org) At the end of the school year, both little boys took the same standardized test given at all D.C. public schools-not a perfect test of their learning, to be sure, but a relatively objective one (and, it's worth noting, not a very hard one). After a year in Mr. Taylo

Alec Couros ~ short video about the frustrations of working with school filters and how to circumvent in using what Alec calls "freedom sticks." AKA - programs on USB drives. Alec acknowledges how any/most students can and do find their way around the filter, anyway.

IN her final set of reflections, Sandy uses a new feature, that of Google plus tagging in a blogger blog, which is how I found what she wrote! IF you use blogger, use the plus and tag people and we'll find you more easily than the traffic type things. Finally an advantage for being on blogger besides just tight integration with Google. I love how her work with edtech and ipads is part of what she's done. With all she's been through: layoffs, cancer, adding onto her house - I think I've found a new hero and definitely someone I"ve added to my PLN. I've known of her work, but now I"m a fan. Sometimes, when you open up, share and reflect, you connect on a deeper, more personal level than if you pretend like life is perfect. TEachers, lets stick together and encourage each other.

This infographic is an impactful one helping school boards and IT departments understand the important of BYOD environments. In 2011 70% of the workforce between 22-34 used tablets and globally 46% of the mobile workforce has a smartphone. Using, managing, and maximizing these tools is an important part of modern life. Perhaps today's issues are helping students learn to focus, but keeping them out of school is shortsighted decision that will be looked back upon as a lack of vision... that is if you can help kids focus and help teachers encourage the use of them effectively. "Smartphones and Tablet sales will soon take over laptop and desktop computer sales: Don't stick just to books - why not let students use the technology they'll need in the future?"

Leo Babauta gives great advice on forming new habits. As you think about the habits that need to change in your life, read this thought provoking post. "Here's the process: Start small. What's the smallest increment you can do? Do this for at least 3 days, preferably 4-5. Get started. Starting the change each day is the most important thing. Want to run? Just get out the door. Want to meditate? Just get on the cushion. Enjoy the change. Don't look at this as a sacrifice. It's fun, it's learning, it's a challenge. Stick to the change. Notice your urge to quit. Don't act on it. Keep going. Adjust again. When the change becomes normal, make another small adjustment. This is the process of creating a new normal. It's beautiful and simple."

Interesting article in Journal of Higher Ed with Many Great Points "The real obstacle in education remains student motivation. Especially in an age of informational abundance, getting access to knowledge isn't the bottleneck, mustering the will to master it is. And there, for good or ill, the main carrot of a college education is the certified degree and transcript, and the main stick is social pressure. Most students are seeking credentials that graduate schools and employers will take seriously and an environment in which they're prodded to do the work. But neither of these things is cheaply available online. Arizona State University's recent partnership with edX to offer MOOCs is an attempt to do this, but if its student assessments fall short (or aren't tied to verified identities), other universities and employers won't accept them. And if the program doesn't establish genuine rapport with students, then it won't have the standing to issue credible nudges. (Automated text-message reminders to study will quickly become so much spam.) For technological amplification to lower the costs of higher education, it has to build on student motivation, and that motivation is tied not to content availability but to credentialing and social encouragement. The Law of Amplification's least appreciated consequence, however, is that technology on its own amplifies underlying socioeconomic inequalities.

"This checklist includes all the important aspects of an Outstanding Lesson Plan Template, but in a checklist format so that you can make sure every aspect is covered, but write your plan in your own format, e.g. chronological. I stick this above my desk so I can refer to it when planning."

My favorite graphics for classroom rules are from Pinterest! There are some ideas for class voting, etc. but some very nice photos and graphics. I see some ideas here. One that I'm pinning to my board says "stick together" and I like that.

While perusing Larry's back posts, I came across very cool website that lets you animate with stick figures. Definitely one I'm taking back to my students over break.

Coding is set to become a basic skill in future years. This site gives you everything you need to begin coding. Stick with it and you will be making your own educational apps in no time. You might even invent the next big thing! http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools

Volkskwagen agrees to turn of blackberries after hours as part of a union agreement. While I don't know a lot of teachers connected via blackberries,I do personally know the complexities of global collaboration in schools. We must learn to balance work and home and know when to disconnect but then again, a work environment can become so fast paced that everyone seems to expect the others that they should work 24/7. Yet another reason to advocate checking email 2-3 times a day - let everyone know when you will be available and stick to the schedule.

Gamification is one response. By embedding diverse achievements into activities and assessments, learning progress can be refracted infinitely. These systems would be able to more flexibly respond to unique learner pathways and abilities, and would further serve as encouragement mechanics -- instead of one carrot stick, there are hundreds. And not just carrots, but every fruit and vegetable imaginable.

More and more people are throwing away their USB memory sticks (but probably just losing them down the back of the sofa) in favour of cloud storage. This is a wonderful storage site, download and multi-platform app which is very similar to Dropbox. A synced folder sits on you devices and can be updated and accessed from any device. You can generating a url to share folders or files with other people. It works just fine on a computer with Dropbox already installed and the free account gives you 15GB of storage. That's enough storage where 'tidy' filing schools might begin to migrate their school network storage to the cloud for free - and that's exciting. Additional storage is available for a price. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/ICT+%26+Web+Tools