PSU LIB 510

DyKnow is a company that offers products for managing and enhancing technology in computer-based classrooms. They recently posted an article on their blog that links to the top read articles they've published over the last year. Many of these articles touch on challenges in technology based education, digital citizenship, and helpful tips for an edtech classroom.

I've been reading a little about Bob Sprankle. If you don't already know of him he is a really involved technology learning leader. He has podcasts, blogs, and is a contributor on many resources. I'm sure Collette knows a lot about him. If you have time check him out. I believe he is ill right now and recently had surgery. Wish him the best.

Ever need help finding a book for someone? Try out Library Things book suggester. You do not need an account to use this tool. Say a student just read The Hunger Games and wants another series that is like it. Try 'book suggester' and get some ideas on similar books for them. In that case also for yourself!

Tagxedo is a fun way to create word pictures for your projects. It is like a Wordle but you can be a little more creative with your design. It is another way to draw your students in and add a little fun to your project.

Wallwisher is a collaborative tool where students can post thoughts on a subject. It can create a wall of post it notes in real time. You and your students can make connections on your topic or project. Very fun and visual.

This is the first of six issues that examine how schools can encourage collaboration by using different technologies. Benefits and challenges will be discussed.

iPads have exploded throughout schools and classrooms. Their flexibility, versatility, and mobility make them a phenomenal learning tool. As teachers seek ways to integrate these devices, we recommend focusing on specific learning goals that promote critical-thinking, creativity, collaboration, and the creation of student-centric learning environments. Below, you will find a list of objectives, each one connecting to recommended apps and tools.

Dropbox is a robust independent file syncing tool (which Apple once tried to buy) that recently hit the 100m user milestone. It's arguably the most popular cloud service around, and for good reason. One of the key advantages of Dropbox is that it's so easy to use-you simply set it up and then forget about it - but if you dig a bit deeper into the application you'll find that it has more strings to its bow than you might have realized.

Here's a page with links to many more ways to use Twitter. I thought this was a good extension from the article we read by Steven Anderson early in the term (though he isn't referenced in this one).

Social Bookmarking

Sir Ken Robinson's inspirational talk on education.

Even better than power point!

Looks like a great resource for teachers on a variety of subjects.

For the innovation economy, dispositions come into play: readiness to collaborate, attention to multiple perspectives, initiative, persistence, and curiosity. While the content of any learning experience is important, the particular content is irrelevant. What really matters is how students react to it, shape it, or apply it. The purpose of learning in this century is not simply to recite inert knowledge, but, rather, to transform it.1 It is time to change the subject.

A project is meaningful if it fulfills two criteria. First, students must perceive it as personally meaningful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a meaningful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented Project Based Learning (PBL) is meaningful in both ways.

Teachers start by defining cooperative grouping jobs for peer editing that are appropriate for the the level and needs of the learners in the class. While students are writing drafts, teachers take advantage of opportunities to work with small instructional groups to focus on specific job-related writing tasks to prepare students to put their new skills to work and contribute to the peer editing process. Here is an overview of some of the integrated writing supports available in Google Docs to include in small group instruction to that will empower students and help redefine the writing process. Peer Editing Job ideas: Word Smith, Big Picture Person, Tense Tracker, Fact Checker, Punctuation Person

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