"Two years of survey data from the 128 eighth graders revealed that over 90 percent of students felt Twitter enabled them to follow real science in real time and to interact with others outside of class. This also helped them to make connections between science and their lives and personal interests. Clearly, we need a lot more research on the use of social media in middle and high schools to better understand its ultimate potential for promoting learning. But in the meantime, in this media-saturated era, teens can benefit from the opportunity to experience the power of promising digital technologies alongside knowledgeable adults."

"I spent the day working with educators who are developing their own learning portfolios, before we embark on a journey of students going through the same process. I truly believe that why digital portfolios have failed in so many places is that we are encouraging educators to teach them without learning how to do them first. This, to me, is the equivalent of someone teaching math who has never learned math. Though this process might be slower and not have students going through the process as quickly, it is the idea of going slow to move fast. The depth of this project can be much deeper if educators think of the process from the point of the view of a learner, not the teacher."

"Welcome to the brave new world of teacher "micro-credentialing," an effort to make professional development more personalized, engaging, and relevant to teachers. All in all, the two Wisconsin teachers say, it's a lot more focused and practical than the stereotypical continuing-education class."

Transformation requires a journey for teachers toward great educational rewards for students. Knowing how to craft learning experiences that meld technology with the curriculum is key to crafting digital-age lessons. As digital tools are integrated seamlessly with sound pedagogical practice, a new classroom culture emerges. This is a culture focused on student-centered, personalized learning and shifting away from traditional teacher-centered classrooms. The digitally-rich lesson format below has evolved as technology has been infused into these lesson components: Whole-group instruction Guided practice Independent practice Reflection

"Augmented reality experiences are generally triggered by geographic location or image recognition. In the latter case, apps can be programmed to recognize specific images and then take a series of actions when those image are encountered. For example, when looking at a car engine an augmented reality app may identify where and how to top up fluid levels. Of course that trigger image can also be a printed image in a book or on a wall. Imagine walking around an art museum and pointing your device at a painting on the wall. A video pops up immediately displaying an interview with the artist and explaining the nuances of the painting. Tap on the screen and it shows you other works by the same artist. Another tap and you can order a print. The art becomes a digital doorway to an augmented experience that enables you to explore and learn more. Now consider a similar scenario with a printed image in a book."

"Sprinkled throughout the newly reauthorized version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act are references to an instructional strategy that supporters think has enormous potential for reaching learners with diverse needs. The next thing to do, those proponents say, is getting more educators to understand just what it means. Called universal design for learning, or UDL for short, the strategy encompasses a wide set of teaching techniques, allowing multiple ways for teachers to present information and for students to engage in lessons and demonstrate what they know.

"That may partly be the result of a lack of constructive collaboration opportunities, however. For example, the study finds that less than 7 percent of the teachers had opportunities to observe other teachers. Other recent research has found that observations of other teachers can be an especially effective method of professional learning."

Perfect for Documenting OF/FOR/AS Learning experiences! "To earn a micro-credential, an educator can select either a single micro-credential or a stack that is aligned with his or her interests or students' needs, collect the required evidence to demonstrate competency, and submit it online for assessment. For example, if an educator wants to earn a micro-credential in Wait Time-asking a question and then waiting 5-8 seconds before following up-she would select that micro-credential, access any resources or further information she needs to develop that skill, and submit a video of herself demonstrating wait time during instruction, as well as some context and a reflection, via the micro-credential platform. An assessor will download the video, and evaluate it through the publicly available rubric. If successful, he or she will earn the micro-credential in the form of a shareable digital badge. Micro-credentials can be posted on social media, shared with administrators or colleagues, or published on profiles and resumes."

Designing and delivering excellent professional development for our educational leaders will require that consideration is given to the realities our educational leaders face. The following are four considerations to inform the design and

"One small change in the classroom can make a big difference. And the same is true when it comes to professional development. In the past year, the switch to visual note taking has impacted my thinking. Visual note taking, also known as sketch noting, is taking down notes and information using both words and pictures. When listening to a speaker or reading text, we naturally form mental images. In sketch noting, the note taker captures those images and creates sketches and doodles on paper or a digital device, such as a tablet."

"As a reader of my blog, you have followed my journey into exploring Sketchnoting since April 2014. I have come a long way by studying and learning from other sketchnoters: their techniques, their tools, their thinking process, their signature people, objects and metaphors."

Includes Slide Show with steps for creating sketch note

Using for first sketchnoting project with Chic Foote

"The sketchnotes I created for the recent UX Australia and Swipe conferences have generated a lot of interest, and I've received a number of questions via email and Twitter about how I go about creating them. While it isn't strictly related to UX Design, Jared Spool counts sketching as one of 5 indispensable skills that user experience designers should focus on, so it's certainly a skill you should consider developing."

Live Binder focusing on Twitter for Educational Uses that included tutorials, connections, resources, and much more.

Live Binder created my Mike Fisher dedicated to the use of iPads in Schools with tabs including students, teachers, administrators, special education, and more

Live Binder focusing on Social Bookmarking including tools, tutorials, visual bookmarking, and resources.

Live Binder focused on the positive uses of cell phones, Smart phones, phone apps, and more in the classroom.

Live Binder created by Mike Fisher featuring links and suggestions (including Silvia Tolisano's langwitches Web site links) to globally connect students and educators around the world.