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I have practiced highlighting in this little STEM article from Education Week. How can we ignite science and math for a broader range of kids so that they can fix and shape the world in the 21st century?

The reason I selected this article to share is that I think it's important to know what critics are saying about this important education reform so that we can counter with facts and solutions. I will say, however, that the author does point out two real challenges to successful implementation of 21st Century Skills reform- simultaneous implementation across the education strata, and a lack of adequately trained teachers (and administrators).

Resource link regarding the use of technology in education. There are a number of articles relating to classroom applications, the internet, virtual/augmented reality, multimedia, and beyond the classroom.

Resource link regarding the use of technology in education. There are a number of articles relating to classroom applications, the internet, virtual/augmented reality, multimedia, and even technology beyond the classroom.

On page 56, Schrum talks about the explosion of Web 2.0 tools. Here's one more interesting one.

Interesting that an organization like this exsists and I had never heard of it! Patty

Interesting speakers from TED conferences. Sir Ken Robinson is especially entertaining and thought provoking. Looking at the value of creativity in education.

Sir Ken Robinson was entertaining and provided a much needed look at what we value in education. We all need to see intelligence as diverse, dynamic, and distinct. I think more subjects need to have intentional ties to the arts - Science and Art / Writing and Art / Math and Art - all need to be valued, taught, and encouraged.

Conspiracy Code is an adventure thriller designed to teach a full couse in American History. It is being developed hand in hand with K-12 educators, and will be available to all schools as an online course..

This is a perfect example of a way students might be immersed in a online educational experience. That relates to our reading assignment because it highlights Web 2.0 use with students.

In the manner of a friend having a conversation, Prof. Stephen Heppell relates past learning projects and what they indicated about the power of new methods of learning. He reflects on the impact of technology on education and towards the end of the "conversation" he says "this is the death of education, ...but wonderfully the dawn of learning".

In talking about a project and how it wouldn't have had the same impact without the teachers, he said they weren't there to provide the learning, but rather to provoke it.

This book promotion highlights an issue that came up in class Friday. It ignited quite a bit of sidebar discussion during the breaks and in the ensuing days. (The Davidson Institute, by the way, is one of the few organizations in this country that focus on profound giftedness and on how to develop that talent. Their work looks at an educational culture that focuses on differentiation for struggling learners, but not so much for learners who need more, deeper, swifter). Our sidebar discussions sprang from the action research article about the teacher who apparently let much of the class languish while concentrating efforts on the group of below-proficient math students. Someone noted that it looked as if the proficient kids were left hanging for weeks while the others caught up. You can't re-capture lost instructional time. The notable thing for me is how many passionate views and personal stories came out of this. Many people have experienced first-hand--as teachers, curriculum specialists, and parents--that we really only differentiate "down." Differentiation "down" or "up" is hard work, but . . . With all the talk for excellence, many people in the field still believe that we aim for mediocrity--this is what many are seeing, but are afraid to shout out. Then you get into he interesting conversation about the strain in American society that fears intellectual achievement and cries "elitism." It seems to be a form of populism. At the same time, if we repress or under-serve our best and brightest, "Good luck finding those scientists who will make alternative energy, those researchers who will cure cancer, those thinkers who will solve the health care crisis, or those artists and writers who will polish the mirror of human experience for us." This is just one facet of an endlessly interesting conversation!

This article seems to be very germane to our current discussions about technology infusion. Interesting to see a study that also looks at educational outcomes in conjunction with usage. The ramifications are certainly farther reaching than what appears on the surface. I hope you find it interesting. Sandy

On page 9 of our text, Principal Dave Meister was quoted as saying, "In the typical classroom, the pedagogies of years gone by are still the status quo. In this typical classroom, the average student is unengaged and bored. In my opinion, schools had better catch up or become irrelevant." I linked to a NYTimes blog that summarized a 93-page study by the U.S. Dept. of Education. Although most of the chapter talked in general references to Web 2.0 tools, I thought the quote also applied well to online courses. We really need to rethink our pedagogical approaches for the Net Generation (Millennials). I also liked Prensky's lament about students needing to "power down" when they go to school. (pg 28 of text)

At this site, you can access a teacher's guide to "Google Tools for Your Classroom." You can also see examples of innovative ways that other educators are using these tools in the classroom.

Why this hit me like a ton of bricks: This feels exactly like what I am experiencing at the schools I am working at. A few teachers are motivated and interested in technology and consciously apply it toward student learning. These teachers are excited about new applications of technology and diligently scrutinize student data to track student achievement. Often though, teachers think of technology as "one more thing I must do". I have been thinking about how I can best support teachers, including those teachers who are resistant to change. This article gave me some good ideas and some inspiration. I particularly appreciated the mention of school culture and passivity, that it is something that must be addressed. In order for technology to truly be integrated, we must have a paradigm shift in the way we view technology within teaching.

kids are different and the web will provide the necessary tools to interest and educate today's students.

Don Tapscott cites research that supports the idea that traditional classroom strategies are proving ineffective with today's students and points to the web and a source for an interactive learning environment. This supports the discussion of web 2.0 tools cited in Leading the 21st Century Schools

"Teachers in every strata of education are increasingly dealing with a student population that is not only more wired than they are but also grew up in a techno-drenched atmosphere that has trained them to absorb and process information in fundamentally different ways." This quote from the article sums up the dilemma we are faced with.. I think Edutopia is a terrific resource! I have highlightes more examples in the article that popped out at me that deal with the learning environment and why it needs to change..

Thanks, Jason. Found some interesting apps.

American Education in the Age of Globalization. Dr. Zhao describes what works and what doesn't in an educational system that is being dramatically transformed by globalization and digital technology. http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=109076

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Manor New Tech, built on the New Technology Foundation model of project-based learning, is strikingly different from what is found in traditional secondary education classroom settings.

One of the high schools featured at the T + L conference. Worth checking out!