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According to a survey fielded by Interactive Educational Systems Design and sponsored by Time To Know, 63 percent of administrators believe 1:1 computing classrooms are the future of education.

An interesting article that debunks certain myths like administrators and teachers having a shared understanding of technology and 21st century skills and that teachers feel prepared to use technology or teach 21st century skills after their preservice training.

I had a chance to do some research on these guys this past summer and it's pretty cool stuff. The TECHbooks (see what they did there...) are basically super intuitive tablets filled over 160,000 leveled lessons - all of which are aligned to Common Core State Standards (if you're in to that, as 45/50 states are). Combine them with a Discovery Streaming license and you get over 100,000 multimedia assets which are downloadable & accessible from anywhere. I wouldn't necessarily call it "transformative" just yet, but it presents a compelling case for digital in the print vs. digital debate.

Did some digging into the Quest for Learning school that was mentioned in the Connected Learning reading. They're about average on test scores in 2012 (found here: http://projects.nytimes.com/new-york-schools-test-scores/counties/new-york/districts/new-york-city-district-2/schools/quest-to-learn), which could be cited to support arguments on both side the 'gaming v traditional learning' coin with regards to standardized tests. It will certainly be interesting to see how their graduates fair over the next decade or so.

Well spotted, Ms. Laura. Schools like this really do take some leap of faith. Even parents/students/administrators/teachers who really believe in the ideals must realize that the students do not exist in a vacuum and that if/when their kids take the SATs, apply to college, etc., they are buying into the system that they are trying to reject/amend earlier in the students life.

A national survey, called ''Speak Up, asks K-12 students, parents, teachers and administrators about their ed-tech experiences: ''there seems to be a disconnect between how students say they want to learn and how they're actually learning in the classroom''

"Twelve emerging technologies are identified across three adoption horizons over the next one to five years, as well as key trends and challenges expected to continue over the same period, giving educators, administrators, and policymakers a valuable guide for strategic technology planning across STEM+ education. The addition of the "+" in the acronym incorporates communication and digital media technologies in the traditional four areas of study." Curious what others will think about these predictions.

As I chew through the Visions 2020 readings, I can't help my skepticism...and not due to the seamless integration of emerging ed technology. Alas, PEOPLE and the existing power structure of schools (reform) are not guided by a mission to reinvent, but to move the goal posts on ed standards around so as to insulate and protect the paradigm. Read on...

ISTE educational technology conference is a great way to learn about the recent developments in educational technology and a great way to meet other teachers and educators and to share and exchange ideas for professional growth. ISTE 2011 will be held in Philadelphia, PA, USA, with a theme of "Unlocking Potential." More than 18,000 education professionals and technology industry reps are expected to attend June 26-29, 2011.

I did not buy the article to get the details, but this paper seems pertinent to this course.

A whole new meaning to the term "disruptive technology"? A group of students uses Facebook to plot a classroom disturbance by saying the (non)word "meep." Administration responds with old-fashioned methods--suspension threats for saying "meep." Is this an instance where the grownups's most effective course of action would be using the same technology as the kids to curb incidents like this? I'm picturing the principal posting a "nice try" message on the troublemaker's wall.

"President Obama will launch the "Educate to Innovate" campaign, a nationwide effort to help reach the administration's goal of moving American students from the middle of the pack to the front in science and math achievement over the next decade. The President will announce a series of partnerships involving leading companies, universities, foundations, non-profits, and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers that will motivate and inspire young people across the country to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)."