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"If you're going to do something like this, you have to be as good as the book in a lot of respects," says Bezos. "But we also have to look for things that ordinary books can't do."

First, it must project an aura of bookishness;

E-book devices like the Kindle allow you to change the font size: aging baby boomers will appreciate that every book can instantly be a large-type edition. The handheld device can also hold several shelves' worth of books: 200 of them onboard, hundreds more on a memory card and a limitless amount in virtual library stacks maintained by Amazon. Also, the Kindle allows you to search within the book for a phrase or name.

using interactive whiteboards was associated with a 16 percentile point gain in student achievement.

the use of graphics and other visuals to represent information

Some teachers such as Tahoma physical educator instructors Jeana Haag and Tracy Krause are helping to define how new technology can affect classrooms. Jeana Haag and Krause, who use an iPad 2 for their P.E. classes, recently gave presentations at the Seattle's Best West Conference on the use of iPads in physical education. "Really, because of the mobile situation, it's perfect for us," Jeana Haag said. "Aside from the daily stuff, it's right there in our hands. We can have student scores at any time." At Glacier Park Elementary fifth grade science and social studies teacher Brandon Betlach was able to obtain iPads for the students in his classroom due to a grant proposal he promoted. He began teaching the students how to use them in late September and now uses them as a part of science experiments. Among the most noticeable changes technology has brought to the classroom has been in communication and organization. Rather than have to spend hours transcribing the grades of pencil-written homework assignments or test results onto a computer, netbooks and laptops, in addition to online assignments, enable teachers to spend more time teaching. Mercer said that it also allows teachers to direct their students from home if needed due to an emergency or illness as long as they have Internet access. In Jeana Haag's P.E. classes, the iPad, with its Internet access, can provide video instructions for various activities out on the track, or record a student's test to show their form or posture. The teacher can also immediately record their times and statistics on the spot, which aids in accuracy. "From the teacher's side, management and presentation are easier," Jeana Haag said. "We don't have to worry about getting grades in, getting things down from our clipboards. It's a big time saver for us."

“When I went to school, computers were put in a room called The Lab,” Bellow said. “‘What are they experimenting with in there, I thought.’ Technology wasn’t built into what we were doing. It was farmed off in a room, like it was special.

The inspiration for this project came from a blog post by Chris Webb of Minot Public Schools in Minot, North Dakota. He wrote about how his colleague, Pat Gerding, used TodaysMeet.com in his middle school social studies classroom.

You can view the article right here (on the web) entire issue here online (it’s pretty slick – a ‘virtual PDF’ that gives you tons of viewing options) or just read our article here (4.4 mb .PDF).

8. Participate in After-School Activities This could be anything from coaching to attending as a spectator. I coach varsity cross-country, and beyond adoring my engagement with students in a non-academic setting -- which has a host of benefits unto itself -- I enjoy interacting with parents on a daily basis. We speak not only about how their child is doing athletically, but emotionally and academically as well. I can't express how often this rapport has helped me realize how to communicate more effectively with teens, both on the field and inside the classroom. How should teachers effectively communicate with parents, and involve them in their child's education? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. David Cutler's Profile Sign in or register to post Sign in to vote! (2) Learn More About Home-to-School Connections Latest Social Media in Education: Resource Toolkit "It's Not What's Wrong With the Children, It's What's Happened to Them" PBL Pilot: Matching PBL With Traditional Grading The Beginners' Guide to Connecting Home and School Listening to Parents: What It Means to Be an Ally David Cutler High School History, Government and Journalism teacher from Boston follow: https://www.facebook.com/SpinEdu?ref=hlhttps://twitter.com/spineduhttp://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=187650844&goback=.nmp_%2A1_%2A1_%2A1_%2A...http://pinterest.com/spinedu/ Related Tags: Home-to-School ConnectionsParent PartnershipAll Grades Comments

othing spells "unprofessional" more than a messy-looking teacher,

Just bringing new technology in your classroom and working it into day-to-day routines isn’t enough.

Here are five lessons I’ve learned about redefining classroom instruction with technology—whether iPads or other tools.

Of those classrooms employing the boards and using the voting technology, there was an immediate increase of 17 percent in scores.

He also found that if a teacher had been given 20-30 months to hone his or her skills, there was an average 20 percentile gain.