I often find myself in conversations with teachers and students about Internet search strategies. Often times the conversation reminds me that what's obvious to me is amazing to someone else. Last week I had that very experience as I taught a couple of teachers some search techniques that they are going to pass along to their students.

Teacher Donalyn Miller earned the nickname The Book Whisperer" because of her almost mystical success getting kids to read -- a lot. Allowing children to choose books, and providing reading role models and time to read are among her strategies. Included: Reading tips and resources from The Book Whisperer."

Waterbury, Connecticut, middle-schoolers cant wait for PE so they can run through the world's cities, race mountain bikes, and ride skateboards and snowboards. The district's new virtual exercise equipment is getting gamers off the couch and into the fitness room. Included: Descriptions of new fitness technology.

Plinkoball Helps Students Exercise Math Skills In search of a way to liven up the playground, elementary principal Sam Slarskey came up with Plinkoball, a game in which kids launch balls at funnels and calculate their scores based on where they were standing and the balls path to the ground.

Two veteran educators from Fairfax County, V.A. are in the process of writing a book using anecdotal data from their experiences on how they believe the introduction of smart phones has severely decreased critical thinking and engaged learning in their respective classrooms. Joe Clement and Matt Miles "say the free periods that are part of their school schedule have deteriorated from lively talk among students and teachers to silent screen reading, each student in a little world," according to The Washington Post.

There are methods and models for implementing blended learning -- from the flipped classroom, to the flex model. All of them are on the continuum of just how much time is spent online and in the online classroom.

Alternative Teaching Strategy Center is a non-profit agency that provides Visual Communication Anlysis services for children with autism. We also provide support for parents of children with autism.