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This app lets kids access purchased databases and will also let users know available sources within 10 miles of there location. I think this app has the potential of combining 21st century informational literacy skills with "classic" literacy skill.

Students with the "Access My Library School Edition" app for their iPhone can search for their school library, enter a password and then access the Gale Databases . WPS has free access to the Gale Databases through the Massachusetts Library System. It is available online from the school computer network or online. See your school librarian for details.

An Iphone Ap for kids to let them access online data held in a library within 10 miles radius of them.

This article puts forth the premise that if student transgressions with technology are handled early on with an open school, parent, and student communication loop - then there will be a decreased likelihood of a major transgression later on in life.

After reading the article and as a parent myself. I tend to disagree with this article. Students learn by reading, seeing and applying. It's great to be book smart, but you need to know how to apply the smarts. I love my classes and the project based learning. I think that's all I do the majority of the day. It's great to be a teacher and facilitator at the same time. All students are different.

This article introduces a contest which promotes reading and media skills that began in 2008. It is sponsored by major publishers such as Simon and Schuster and Scholastic and 5 regional libraries, The contest is for students in grades 1-6. The students need to create a storytube on a book they have read. It is important to point out that teachers are not replacing a written report or are using this to enhance the report. I reviewed some of the winners and it is so great to see kids excited about what they read and using technology so easily. With students creating video media at such an early age and being so comfortable doing it only leads me to believe that when these students reach high school the work that they will create will be fantastic.

This article originally appeared in SLJ’s Extra Helping. Sign up now! By Jennifer Pinkowski -- School Library Journal, 07/09/2008 Funny accents, strange wigs, and spoiler-free plot summaries are the common elements in the winning videos made by contestants in StoryTubes, a new contest for kids that promotes reading-and new media skills-by capitalizing on the popularity of YouTube.

This link explains how libraries are using the power and popularity of YouTube to promote learning, literacy, creativity and technology. StoryTube is a great project idea that uses the power of the contest as a wonderful motivator.

A great article that discusses some of the potential uses for technology and communication beyond the walls of the classroom. Through the use of the internet, online programs, and direct communications like Skype, Edmodo, and other instant messaging, students can attend the classroom, even if they can't get to the school on days of weather inconvenience. Snow, Water damage, bomb scares, you name it. Provided that the students could access the internet and had power, the school could exist for that day. Part of the issue is getting kids to realize that the learning can occur outside of the classroom. Another part is that sometimes snow days occur at very inopportune time, like right before benchmark/standardized tests. But, it appears that for the most part the article discusses saving money and keeping the schooling going, when the weather won't allow it. Not sure how many snow days your school has but... not the biggest issue for me. But then there is the other side of this issue. Some parents, and myself included, agree that there just isn't enough time off in the winter. Go to school in the dark, leave in the dark, creates no time for play, no time for a mental break from the classroom. And in a world where students have been accused of not spending enough time outside being kids, I would have a difficult time as a teacher expecting to see them sign in to my classroom, when I was also outside playing on one of those mythical "Snow Days."

This article explains how technology has introduced tools that can facilitate communication with learning disabled children.

Children are being invited to a Defcon conference in Las Vega, this August 2011, to learn how to become hackers. A major emphasis of the event is the use of hacking skills for positive purposes. The children will be encouraged to put their knowledge to good use and avoid the temptations of becoming a black hat hacker. Apparently the US authorities, intelligence officials and security officers will be attending to keep an eye out for promising hackers who can be hired to help fight cybercrime. How's that for open communication! The Inquirer - Computer hardware news and downloads. Visit the download store today.

Instead of grades, we should use a progress bar. How gaming techniques should b e brought into education.

I love the idea of using Video Calls to teach. It allows students to have real-world meaning behind their learning since they are responsible for presenting and teaching what they have learned to other students.

Collaboration with skype and google chat, what a great way for kids from Alaska to communicate with kids from Maine. Simple and easy way to collaborate across the nation.

This article discusses WikiTrust, a tool that students can use to evaluate the trustworthiness of information posted online. As educators, we need to teach kids how to use the Internet wisely and how to gain valid information.

This blog emphasizes the importance of stressing being a "good citizen" when using the Internet with our students. A week was spent with the following learning objective: "A renewed focus on the choices we make and how they affect us, specifically about balance, responsibility and safety." Each day time was spent on some aspect of this objective. As a culminating activity, students were invited to an assembly where the theme was " Digital Citizenship mean..... to me" Students were able to share what they learned throughout the week.

Michele I had read this article when reviewing them for our assignment. It was great to see all of the topics touched upon, especially about balancing on and off line activities. Love that they stressed being a good digital citizen just as we stress being a good citizen in general. I think we forget to stress some of these points with our students and that they are important in our online life even outside of school. The kids and adults alike.

A new tool discovery! Looks like an interesting combination of some apps we just "mastered"

We use it with 5th and 6th grade! The only drawback that I see is that it connects to Flickr for images and not google which limits that feature. It does also connect to You Tube for educational videos, however. The kids use it quite easily. I like it.

Old article, but you haven't read it, it's quite interesting.

Back in 1958, Ted Schwarzrock was an 8-year-old third grader when he became one of the "Torrance kids," a group of nearly 400 Minneapolis children who completed a series of creativity tasks newly designed by professor E. Paul Torrance.

This really is eye-opening and makes me want to do whatever I can to nurture creativity in my classroom.

Interesting commentary

This TedTalk presenter shares experiences in teaching kids that "we don't need to know the answer, and it's possible there isn't just one answer", but rather to inquire and learn through the inquiry. She encourages teachers to create opportunities for authentic experiences for students. Teaching is about: "experiential learning, empowering student voic, and embracing failure"

This article is looking at how schools can involve parents in schools better. It asks schools to think about how welcoming their school really is to parents.

Parent participation is sooo important to student success. When the parents are involved, students tend to be motivated and engaged. It is our job as educators to keep the parents connected. They have to feel welcomed to participate.

Merits of Project-Based Learning. This is where I want my teaching to head back to. In career and technical education I did a lot of projects with my kids. Not so much lately and really want to move back to this because I really believe that it works!

It made me want to do more than I do. I cannot afford to use "time" as an excuse. Good learning from PBL's takes time and there are many benefits including providing applications to the teaching and answering the question "why do we need to learn about this?"