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"Teachers and students have access to an impressive set of tools for sharing ideas and making thinking visible. The old model of calling out answers to questions has certain limitations and while it remains the mainstay of many classrooms new options allow for a mix of options. Some of our goals are to provide our students with appropriate wait time or think time and to ensure the voice of even our most introverted students is heard. It would also be nice to have a record of our students thinking and a way to easily see patterns of thinking across a group of students."

Scratch is a media creation tool which allows students to easily create animations, stories, and interactive games. At its core, Scratch is a programming environment which sidesteps learning the syntax required in programming by using Lego-like blocks. This constructionist approach in learning supports critical thinking and problem solving through the creative process when students create, enhance, or troubleshoot their projects.

Critical thinking skills are what we want our students to develop. Without these skills we can not guarantee a sound and effective education that will enable our kids to seamlessly blend in tomorrow 's  job market. Therefore, it is our responsibility as teachers and educators to fully understand the components of this set of skills in order to better focus on them in our instruction.

When most of us think of Pinterest, we probably think about a bunch of young people sharing links to web pages, photos and videos with their friends. It is just another social network for people to show off what is going on in their lives, such as a recent crush, an outstanding outfit that has just been purchased, or a fresh new look. But how often do we consider Pinterest as a tool to aid in teaching and learning? Here are a few ways in which Pinterest can play role in class.

Google Forms isn't the first thing you think of when you think of assessment. It's not especially elegant, it won't wow students, and the learning curve isn't as mild as it might be. But with a little bit of work on the front-end, Google Forms can return the favor in spades on the back-end in the form of self-grading assessments. While there isn't an app (yet) that can uncover the true nuance of understanding, if you're using multiple-choice assessments-even just as pre and summative assessments-this trick can save you time, allowing the real potential of assessment to shine through in consistently extracting data to revise planned instruction.

The current state of technology in the classroom is somewhere between its infancy and bold experimentation. For every 1:1 tablet program or BYOD-pioneering district, there is a teacher in a poor urban district struggling to get her "smart" board thinking again, or another in a rural district dancing a little dance for his new document camera. The infographic below illustrates this point by offering statistics on what how many teachers are using what, and how they feel about it all. One interesting stat? 65% of teachers say technology let's them demonstrate things they could not show any other way. That one makes sense, though I'd think it might be closer to 100%.

"There are a couple dozen ways to 'use' technology in education. There are also a couple dozen ways to integrate technology in education. Think those two things are the same? Think that throwing a few iPads and a few Edudemic blog posts into a classroom is the best way to launch a 1:1 initiative? In case you couldn't guess, it's not. "

Discover how technology may help meet the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy in your classroom and how Web Apps may elevate your student's thinking to a higher level. This wiki showcases examples of ways educators in Frisco ISD have integrated technology into their curriculum to encompass all levels of the Bloom's Digital Taxonomy thinking skills.

"We hear a lot about what things are popular in terms of technology, the cool new devices that are coming out, and trends that are happening with classroom technology integration. But just because something is a trend (or even a requirement) doesn't that it is popular or liked. It doesn't mean you won't hear people grumbling about it. Often times, trends become trends because a lot of people like them, but in the case of education, trends can happen easily in the following scenario: administrators like the idea and think it is great, and teachers have to implement said idea regardless of if it is a great fit with their classroom and students. So what common education technology trends are really supported and loved by teachers, and which ones make them want to bang their heads on their chalkboards/desks/smartboards/laptops? The handy infographic below brings together data from European and North American teachers to get their points of view on the subject"

RT @NMHS_Principal: Young People Are Not as Digitally Native as You Think http://t.co/9evJAQ90JM

They may look like jumbled and messy flowcharts for the insane, but mind maps are actually extremely useful and perfect tools for brainstorming. You essentially take a flow of ideas and translate them into interconnected webs designed to help clarify your thinking (or mind, as it were). I love mind maps and am always impressed at the amount of care that goes into the creation of one. They truly resemble the crazy way our brains work as we link together somewhat illogical thoughts to form a cohesive idea. In other words, these following mind maps are actually how are brains all work whether you like it or not. There are thousands of mind maps out there and even some snazzy tools to help you make your own. The following maps are some of my favorites and hopefully won't scare you too much. Hopefully they'll inspire and educate!

"Wikibrains is a neat website designed to help you brainstorm in a web format. When you brainstorm on Wikibrains you're also performing a basic Internet search at the same time. To create a brainstorm web on Wikibrains start by entering one word or phrase. When you enter a word you will be prompted to add more words by completing the phrase, "Makes me think off..." Each new word or phrase that you enter will be added to your web. As you enter words on the right side of the screen you will see links to search results about each word."

While I'm strongly in the camp of 'everyone should use Twitter because we all use it in a different way,' this humorous Twitter flowchart was just too interesting to not post. It's basically a visualization that helps you critically think about why you should or shouldn't use Twitter.

In 2013, you don't need to find a radio to listen in on quality broadcast programming. A laptop, MP3 player, tablet, or even a smartphone will work just as well. Even better, there is a wealth of content out there that's both educational and entertaining, including some pretty amazing shows on scientific topics that are equally interesting to the layman and the professional. Whether you're just getting into listening to science podcasts or are looking for a few new shows to add to your weekly collection, we've highlighted what we think are some of the best science podcasts out there right now. They're informative, compelling, and even, at times, pretty darn funny, so make sure to check out one, two, or even all of these great science programs the next time you're looking for a little edutainment.

A common question that we get with regard to technology projects is "how do I grade it?" The 21st-century communication and collaboration skills which are used with most technology based projects are, in many ways, real-world problem-solving skills. The standard, multiple-choice type tests simply are not going to be able to assess students' learning. Instead of thinking of the assessment itself as the measurement, we are going to need to examine our students' performances of understanding. In other words, the assessment is the tool through which we can gauge how much our students have learned.

"I recently discovered this map of the internet through Stephen Downes' newsletter, OLDaily. Downes says, "It's mostly eye-candy, but it's good eye-candy". I prefer to think of it as "interesting" eye-candy. It's visually attractive, but what I find interesting is the fact that the descriptions are not necessarily value-free."