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Dropping a whole bunch of technology, or the hottest device on the planet into the laps of teachers or kids isn't necessarily a plan for success either. All that seems fairly obvious, but if it is, why do we still see only the simplest of lesson plans for technology, as well as disjointed, fragmented lessons in most classes today?

A few people posted about using Skype in the classroom. Thought I would add to that especially since this article reminded me of the virtual session we had on Monday when HGSE had cancelled classes due to weather conditions.

A teacher's perspective on the issue: http://gazette.teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/steve-sherman/innovation-10-reasons-google-skype-should-be-used-in-the-classroom-a-teachers-view/

This looks promising. If Skype/Google Hangout add a few more features to their interface, it could render obsolete Blackboard and other paid software for video conferencing and online classes. I think the engineers at Google and Microsoft have the skills to put together a better product than what's currently out there. It's just a matter of whether they seize the opportunity.

Tapping into the Internet and using several iPads as video cameras, Sandel, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government, connected his Harvard students in Sanders Theatre on Friday with students in Japan, China, Brazil, and India for a wide-ranging discussion that explored the complicated question of the ethics of solidarity and the dilemmas associated with patriotism, membership, and collective responsibility.

Microsoft recognized three U.S. schools at its Global Forum Educator awards last week. I didn't find two of them terribly intriguing, but the third, LYNCing Distance Learning Math Classes to Blind and Visually Impaired Students, was a great example of how technology can be used to link educators with special skills and students with special needs how may not otherwise have access to a qualified instructor.

"This would be a big change, acknowledging that colleges aren't the only ones who can offer college courses," said Burck Smith, the founder of Straighterline. "It means rethinking what a college is."

"Omnihours enables you to schedule video-chat meetings with students in your MOOC class. A Linkedin account is required for registration."

The Knight Center's MOOC on data visualization was a bit smaller than traditional MOOCs (it actually capped enrollment at 2000), but the second version of the same class already has 4000 students registered. It sounds like the professor gave a lot of attention to the students and the projects, and the fact that the numbers went up is a good sign.

Ted talks are interesting and useful at times in the classroom but will students automatically make connections to class content?  This annotating tool enables either instructors or students to make explicit connections or commentary and share the end product.  

nice podcast this morning. 'teaching character skills more imp than raising test scores'. Not really about technology but relates to several classes i shopped (and i liked) yesterday. fyi. 

Mooc class on "learning creative learning" by mit media lab. Mimi talks briefly about motivation at ariund 36min,

This is a great snapshot of the direction that curriculum design can move in with the availability of mobile technology in classrooms. The article discusses the ability to mix and match objectives and choose content that is relevant to the particular students in the class by creating digital content and eBooks. This is great for differentiation. One concern mentioned is the availability of the digital content to all students as not all schools have implemented mobile learning environments, where all students have access.

This article describes the efforts that individual teachers in Utah are making to rewrite textbooks to be aligned to the standards that they are teaching in class. These teachers are writing eBooks and getting a lot of positive feedback from state officials because of the use of technology to meet student needs. They did not have a textbook that fit their integrated approach to teaching math, which they aligned to CCSS, so they took the matter of creating a textbook into their own hands. I think this is a prelude to how textbook creation is changing as a result of technology. Teachers are now able to construct books in a way that fit exactly the objectives they are covering and meeting there students where they are at.

A recent study found that undergraduate students actually want more technology-use in classes, such as e-textbooks, game-based learning, videos, etc.

This new paper talks about the need for a "learner profile" that can help teachers adjust at the beginning of the year for each student. This would save them time and effort in personalizing to the needs of each student

A push for electronic portfolios of student work that follows the student from year to year and from class to class. Analogous to the increasing use of electronic health records?

Illustrates the equity concerns we discussed in class

somewhat related to class discussion (not emerging tech related but thought I would highlight)

Western Governors University (WGU) is a hybrid inputs/outcomes model on online education. Each student has an adviser; competency is assessed initially; students can exit classes when ready; you pay one price ($5K/half year), and may consume as many classes in that period as desired.