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"It should not surprise us that countries that provide equitable funding to their students, use high-quality instructional systems, and invest heavily in their teachers outperform those that do not."

Using Podcast and Youtube as a method for instructing students has picked up a lot of attention among teachers. But, as our conversation with the School of One shows, the methods for demonstrating the effectiveness of this teaching tool needs a lot of work. This article discuss some of the potential issues with using technology resources to create lessons for students as oppose to traditional teacher lecture.

I applaud this article and its poignant way of explaining how this model defeats the best practices of interactive classrooms and takes us BACKWARDS in our thinking rather than forward.

Interesting article about why other education systems work and how/why the US's might consider changing.

how one school is creating digital culture - cool 4 min video

A principal at one southern public high school discusses the place technology holds in the everyday lives of students, and how teachers, parents, and administrators need to honor this place.

Cell phones are banned in NYC public schools, but it is the norm for students who attend schools without metal detectors to bring their phones anyway. If caught teachers are confiscating phones for up to a week, or longer, at their discretion. At schools with metal detectors small businesses have popped up around schools, storing students' phones for the school day for a small fee, similar to a coat check system. Instead of harnessing the power of mobile phones that almost every student already has, they are punishing them and/or causing them to pay money to keep them stored for the school day so that they can have them before and after school. I think this is a missed opportunity for the NYC school system not only because they are missing out on mobile learning opportunities with technology the district doesn't have to buy, but they could also be teaching the students responsible and appropriate use of mobile phones in public spaces.