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Teens today say that the ability to freely use Facebook and Twitter at work could influence their decision to accept a job

Schools throughout the country are experiencing the same teacher-driven adoption of technology tools. Internet-savvy teachers are increasingly finding tools to use in the classroom on their own, and lower business-startup costs mean the tools are more readily available. In response, many education companies are changing how they market and sell their products. Nationwide sales teams and central-office visits are giving way to word-of-mouth and sophisticated business-intelligence software as preferred methods for pushing adoption. Companies offer free products to teachers with the goal of influencing districtwide purchases of more-robust versions-known as the "freemium" pricing model. But in most sectors of the existing K-12 system-with its various stakeholders, budgetary restrictions, and procurement regulations- the so-called "consumerization" of education faces many barriers, experts say, making it difficult to find the right balance between selling directly to teachers and addressing the needs of central-office administrators.

This article highlights 9 essential characteristics of 21st Century Learning. Diagram shows the sphere of influence of each of them.

This shows the influence the Horizon Report has on practice and on vendors

Influence of Politics and business on education with Florida as a case in point. What is Good for Business, may not necessarily good for education. Interesting article with interactive maps.

A follow up on the discussion of the influence of MOOCs in today's session. This is a research on online algebra courses. It examines 6 providers of online algebra courses and finds room for improvement. It suggests there is truly a lot to be improved about online courses. Online courses are designed to offer much more than they are offering now.

Will Ping influence the Apple-Facebook Friction?

This article contains excerpts from a new book called "The Master Switch", Wu presents the stories of five men who disproportionately influenced the shape of the American information industries in the 20th and 21st centuries. Interesting context given our recent discussion on information...

Khan Academy's influence 

About the power of social networks, and how they influence our behavior. No doubt social networks can be a powerful tool for education and learning as well!

Many of the schools with which I come in to contact- including mine- reinvent the wheel when it comes to acceptable use policy at great expense of time and often little influence of "best practice." Why not make use of the good work and attention that has been deliberated by other educators who have already wrestled through the problem.

I just found a current MOOC, highly relevant to the conversation in class today. --free and accepting new participants now. "Weekly Topics: Change pressures: What is influencing higher education? (Oct 8-14) Net pedagogies: New models of teaching and learning (Oct 15-21) Entrepreneurship and commercial activity in education (Oct 22-28) Big data and Analytics (Oct 29-Nov 4) Leadership in Education (Nov 4-11) Distributed Research: new models of inquiry (Nov 12- 18)"

"Technology in education is one of the "prominent technology trends expected to influence the consumer electronics (CE) industry in the years ahead," according to the 2013 edition of "Five Technology Trends to Watch," a report released this week by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The other four tech trends identified were the future of 3D printing, next-generation TVs and displays, the evolution of the audio market, and the mobile revolution in Africa." Basically goes on to state that parents and students support more ed tech (which I think has come up in a couple other articles, too).

In the US, 250000 students are enrolled in full-time public virtual schools in 30 states, according to Susan Patrick of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a trade association. Although that's just a fraction of the country's 50 million students, it has grown 30% each year. Some schools in Michigan already shown the advantage of digital learning.

This is an interesting article. I am just concerned that it is not unbiased or driven by an agenda other than improving education. I found this information about the Mackinac Center online: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/mackinac-center-public-policy I am starting to realize that a lot of the technology in schools rhetoric is driven by corporate and political interests, and as the industry becomes ever more profitable, I'm worried that companies are going to jump in and try to influence policy, rushing through the movement toward the wrong kind of technology in schools- i.e. sacking half of the teaching staff and replacing them with cheap computers. I think one of our most important jobs as Harvard TIE students is to education the public about the right ways to adapt technology in the classroom, and the important role that teachers will continue to play in this movement.

This is a Facebook page started by parents at our local Elementary school about school.

Much of the conversation seems reasonable enough but it will be interesting to see how adults can model public conversation. I'm not comfortable with having adult conversation displayed for kids within the school environment. I think that this is the equivalent of parents fighting in front of their children. Kids don't process it in a healthy manner and adults who do it I think do so for their own convenience and at the peril of kids. I think if adult in this community can be disciplined in their comments and stick strictly to logistical information with the understanding that kids are watching (FB will never replace parent oversight), it may be a useful tool. I also think the only way teachers can influence this page is by jumping on and using it to communicate because it seems to me that is the real "ask" in establishing the page.

Technology instead of hand writing? ok.

I think handwriting is already a lost art, but I'm sad to see it go. Perhaps teaching handwriting can go by way of the art teachers, and we'll be able to save it in schools as an art form.

Here is an entertaining talk about how everyday objects can be used for science education. We are all aware / starting to better appreciate that "it definitely ain't about the technology", but what conceptual understanding the technology can effect. Personally, I see two advantages of such low cost technologies: 1. They increase access to interesting learning materials for all - quickly. 2. They can serve as the kernels of ideas for influencing emerging technologies. ( Like in out class discussion : models are still expensive but they can guide / inspie Do share your thoughts.

"School of One uses technology to develop a unique learning path for each student and to provide a significant portion of the instruction that is both individualized and differentiated." I liked the definitions of individualized (pacing), differentiated (learning preferences/methods), and personalized (pacing, preferences, and content/objectives).

A fascinating description about how corporate pressures can undermine the "crowdsourcing" model

Article written for mashable by our own classmate Dave Chen. Good work!