"Text Help has made a new toolbar available for free for anyone who uses Google Docs and the Chrome Browser. What is now possible is dual highlighted (two colors) text to speech in Google Docs! This is huge, an amazing benefit for our struggling readers, writers and researchers."
"In a public service campaign that launched Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment is highlighting the experiences of seven Americans with varying disabilities who've excelled at work, sports and in life because of the support of others."
"A paper published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest has evaluated ten techniques for improving learning, ranging from mnemonics to highlighting and came to some surprising conclusions.
The report is quite a heavy document so I've summarised the techniques below based on the conclusions of the report regarding effectiveness of each technique"
"Where the customization comes in, is the fact, that you not only can enter you own text, then record your own voice (in any language of course) AND have individual words highlighted as it is being read!
(Imagine the possibilities in the foreign language classroom…using subtitle text in one language to trick your brain into understanding the spoken word- a trick that helped me tremendously as I was learning Spanish as a teenager in Argentina.)"
"Welcome! This is the place to find 'best of class' ed tech to integrate in Common Core curriculum.
We'll identify web resources and tablet apps that students can use to demonstrate deep knowledge in creative and engaging ways.
We'll also highlight information from other ed tech blogs, and provide a way to communicate about "Common Core ed tech.""
"Following on the heels of the massive update that was iOS 5, iOS 6 might seem like merely a modest update. But that doesn't make it insignificant by any means: A key app has received a substantial overhaul in this latest update, Apple has added an intriguing new-if yet unproven-built-in app, and the company has even, for the first time, removed a piece of software present since the iPhone's launch. "
"Out of Print highlights the sea change underway in the multi-billion dollar U.S. K-12 instructional materials market enabled by recent technology and intellectual property rights innovations. With a focus on the ultimate impact on student learning, the report provides examples of lessons learned from recent digital and open (OER) content initiatives by leading states and school districts and offers comprehensive recommendations for government, industry, and educators to ensure that the inevitable shift to digital instructional materials improves student achievement and engagement and efficiently uses scarce resources."
"Here's a rundown of the best s'cool tools from the first quarter of 2013. These are the tools that had you clicking, sharing, and tweeting away. Per the usual, we're only highlighting those tools that are free to use (in some capacity) or currently in beta"
"Rewordify.com is powerful, free, online reading comprehension software. It helps people understand difficult English faster, and helps them learn words in new ways.
See the yellow box at the top of the page? Just paste in a difficult English sentence, paragraph, or more, or enter a web page URL and click the button. You'll instantly see an easier version, for fast understanding now. No dictionary needed! Plus, the easier version is specially highlighted to help build vocabulary."
"This book highlights Mrs. LaCrosse's fifth graders trip this fall to Stone Lab! Collaboratively written by the students, it is all them!"
Local classroom
Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) is a national K-8 center providing academic and behavioral support to promote the learning and academic achievement of all students, including those with the most extensive needs.
SWIFT advances equity and excellence for ALL through the promotion of five core domain areas to support grade level academic and social learning:
Administrative Leadership
Family and Community Partnership
Inclusive Education Framework
Inclusive Policy Structure and Practice.
Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
One of six nationally recognized SWIFT Knowledge Development Sites, the Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Dorchester, MA, is featured in this film and highlights some of the SWIFT domains and accompanying features.
"ewordify.com is powerful, free, online reading comprehension and vocabulary development software. It helps people understand difficult English faster, helps them learn words in new ways, and helps teachers create high-interest learning materials from any English text passage.
See the yellow box at the top of the page? Just paste in a difficult English sentence, paragraph, or more, or enter a web page URL and click the button. You'll instantly see an easier version, for fast understanding now. No dictionary needed! Plus, the easier version is specially highlighted to help build vocabulary."
"The webinar highlights strategies for writing for authentic audiences and purposes, reading for enjoyment and understanding, embedding professional literacy communities into the daily life of the school, reducing the need for intervention, and connecting to Common Core State Standards' priorities."
"Too Small to Fail worked with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education (ED) on a suite of resources that can help enrich children's early language experiences beginning from birth. There are tip sheets for families, preschool teachers, and infant/toddler teachers and caregivers, as well as a fact sheet that highlights the evidence behind the benefits of being bilingual and embracing children's home languages."
This Brief highlights federal policies for family engagement; describes examples of
policy actions by the state of Massachusetts; and illustrates local policies and practices at the
Dr. William W. Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Dorchester, MA, a SWIFT
knowledge development site. To guide SWIFT Center technical assistance on the Family and
Community Engagement Domain in participating states and districts, we suggest four ways
to weave family engagement policies and practices into the SWIFT framework.
"Education leadership has been called the "critical "bridge" that can unite the many different school reform approaches in ways that practically nothing else can. This was the central theme of The Wallace Foundation's national education conference held in October 2007, at which more than 400 leaders and experts gathered to share practical lessons and experiences about how states, districts and universities are going about the tough work of ensuring that all schools have well-trained, well-supported leadership. This special post-conference report opens with a commentary by Wallace President M. Christine DeVita on the progress and key lessons emerging from the Foundation's education leadership initiative. Richard L. Colvin, director of the Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media, provides detailed highlights of the gathering. Stanford University Professor Linda Darling-Hammond, a conference keynote speaker, discusses the key elements of effective leadership training. Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust, another keynote speaker, offers vivid examples of how strong leadership made the critical difference in previously-failing schools and urban districts"
Ohio schools are moving toward online assessments for their students which include interactive assessment items. These interactive assessment items have been enhanced by technology and in order for students to successfully complete these online assessments, they will need to be able to perform many technology tasks including:
click/tap, scroll, plot points, drag/drop, type with text editor, select object, select text, use video player, select area, drag/slide, deselect, highlight, use ruler, use calculator, use protractor....