A Principal's Reflections
FEBRUARY 20, 2011
'I don''t know about all of you, but I am really getting tired about the relentless attacks on teachers as states grapple with their budgets. Are they kidding me? Really, educators and other state workers are to blame for out of control costs and spending? As long as I can remember anyone that went into the field of education was ridiculed for the main reason that the profession makes no money.
The Web20Classroom
FEBRUARY 9, 2011
'Over the weekend my good friend Gwyneth Jones tweeted about an interesting search engine called Heapr. I am all about search engines so of course I had give it a go. Basically Heapr is a quad search engine. With one search you get results for 4 different searches all on one screen. While built using Google search you also get returned results from Wikipeda related searches, WolframAlpha search and Twitter instant results.
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The 21st Century Principal
FEBRUARY 14, 2011
'At the top of the 2011 Horizon Report’s technology adoption list is electronic books. This is not surprising since more and more people are turning to reading electronic books. A BISG (Book Industry Study Group) survey in 2010 stated that “E-book sales grew exponentially in first quarter 2010 jumping from 1.5% of total US book sales in 2009 to 5% of the market in first quarter of 2010.
EdTechSandyK
FEBRUARY 20, 2011
'Letting Your Voice Be Heard ?With so much information crossing my screen on the Texas Education Budget Crisis, I thought it would be useful to pull together a few places where folks can stay up to date. I hope you do more with this information than stay "in the know" though. I hope you take this knowledge and use it to write and phone your legislators and let them know how you feel about what they are doing to our schools if they pass their currently proposed budgets.
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wwwatanabe
FEBRUARY 6, 2011
'A project may look appealing, but is it project-based learning? My answer to that without hesitation is no. The focus of a project is the product , while the focus of project-based learning is the learning that occurs through the development of the project. If that just sounds like pitter-patter , then let''s just focus on the quality of the project or project-based learning.
The Electric Educator
FEBRUARY 4, 2011
'This past week I started to train my 9th grade students to use Google Docs, part of the Google Apps for Education suite. One of the assignments that we did together was a collaborative class story. Here are the rules: 1. I wrote the first sentence to get things going. 2. Every student adds one sentence to the story. 3. Students were not allowed to change anything that someone else had written (with the exception of spelling) My class of 18 was in our media center working on individual desktops.
EdTech Update brings together the best content for education technology professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Web20Classroom
FEBRUARY 17, 2011
'It has been an interesting past few weeks around the world. First the govenerment in Tunisia was brought down. Then a similar situation in Egypt. And now people are taking to the streets in Bahrain , Iran and other places. For whatever the reason the people in these countries were upset with their government and protest to the point where they brought down governments, some that had been in place for 30+ years.
The 21st Century Principal
FEBRUARY 22, 2011
'One of the documents I would recommend as a “must-read” for administrators is the annual Horizon Report, developed ever year by the New Media Consortium. While this report is not predictive, it does provide valuable information that administrators can use to develop a vision for technology’s role in their schools or districts. It’s three main sections provide specific kinds of information useful for technology leaders.
EdTechSandyK
FEBRUARY 22, 2011
'I am home today with a sick pet. While she rests and we wait to go to the vet, I have been reading up on the latest information to cross my screen regarding the Texas education budget crisis. I am not glad my pet is sick, but I''m very glad I came across a Tweet from MrDW30 which linked to an article from the Center for Public Policy Priorities regarding the origin of the Texas Rainy Day Fund, examples of how it has been used in the past, and why it makes sense to use it in the financial situat
The Learning Revolution Has Begun
FEBRUARY 21, 2011
'Join me Tuesday, February 22nd, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with John Seely Brown, co-author of A New Culture of Learning. The 21st century, he and Douglas Thomas state, is a world in constant change, and the book pursues "an understanding of how the forces of change, and emerging waves of interest associated with these forces, inspire and invite us to imagine a future of learning that is as powerful as it is optimistic.
Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape
The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.
Connecting 2 the World
FEBRUARY 28, 2011
I currently am working on the theme that knowledge and expertise is used as currency within the workplace (as part of my dissertation). As I have been analyzing the data from my study, I realized that knowledge and expertise used as currency needs to be identifiable. This got me to thinking about "identifiable knowledge." Notice I don't say tacit or explicit knowledge.
A Principal's Reflections
FEBRUARY 18, 2011
'The following guest post was submitted by April Davis. Schooling is as much about learning as it is about testing how much we’ve learned. Benchmark assessments are testing tools that are used throughout the year, as opposed to final examinations, which are taken at the end of each school year. Also, benchmark assessments test much more than academic knowledge – most of them test skills and knowledge in subjects like Reading and Mathematics, and some even test proficiency in oral and written com
The Web20Classroom
FEBRUARY 1, 2011
'This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend Educon 2.3 in Philadelphia. For those who don''t know, Educon is an educational conference that us put on by the students and staff of the Science Leadership Academy , lead by Chris Lehmann. Really, it is more the students who do everything. From running the live streaming to the EduConcierge who would tell you the best place to eat and print your boarding passes for you, kids were everywhere doing any number of jobs.
The 21st Century Principal
FEBRUARY 25, 2011
'In an earlier post, entitled “Giving Students Wireless Access to Use Personal Computing Devices,” I described our procedure for providing wireless access for students to use their own personal computing devices. Our school has been experimenting with providing our students with WiFi for about three weeks now. All around our school and in our classes students are using their own laptops, netbooks, and smartphones to access the Internet for instructional purposes.
This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.
EdTechSandyK
FEBRUARY 13, 2011
'I spent the week of February 7-11 attending the 2011 TCEA Convention and Exposition in Austin, Texas. The theme for this year''s gathering was "No LimITs", and it was an appropriate theme for my biggest takeaways from the conference. For years I have been hearing and reading about the need to open up Web 2.0 tools for student and teacher use in schools as well as moving toward 1:1 computer/device access for students.
The Daring Librarian
FEBRUARY 3, 2011
'Shamelessly I will report on this - Why S hameless ? (capitol S) Because, of course, this is the answer to my every fevered redheaded dream to be nominated for a special Superhero lunchbox ! So just even reporting it makes me feel all squirmy & excited & dreaming of it! And of course if any of my dear gentle good readers think.no.even I can''t go that far!
The Electric Educator
FEBRUARY 7, 2011
'Note: This is the fourth part in my series "5 things to watch in 2011" Future installments will include: Five companies to watch in 2011 Five trends to watch in 2011 Five people to follow in 201 1 Next Monday: Five technologies to watch in 2011 Here are five blogs that I''m reading in 2011: The EdReach Network (Collaborative) I''m excited to announce the launch of a new collaborative blog dedicated to giving education a BIG voice.
A Principal's Reflections
FEBRUARY 12, 2011
'Earlier this year NMHS had the opportunity to take the new InFocus IN3916 projector for a test drive. Vikki Smith, a science teacher, utilized the device in her chemistry and integrated science courses. The following is her review of the projector. The InFocus IN3916 projector is an interactive projector that allows a teacher to change her regular whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard.
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The Web20Classroom
FEBRUARY 28, 2011
'So, I just realized this is my 400th post. Neat! Thanks for reading and all your support over the past 2 years! This is a post that has been brewing for a while now. But after a conversation I had this weekend I think it''s time to get some of my thoughts out there for reflection. I totally get passion in education. And really can you be an educator and not have passion for education?
The 21st Century Principal
FEBRUARY 6, 2011
'One of the questions that face those with a growing Professional Learning Network is: How can you effectively manage the flow of information? Also, a related question is: With all of the information available at any given moment on the Web, how can I possibly hope to keep abreast of the cutting edges issues in education? One of these information management tools for me is Google Reader.
EdTechSandyK
FEBRUARY 26, 2011
'Because Texas school districts are already announcing layoffs and program cuts, I think there is a perception among the general public that the state budget is a done deal and there is nothing they can do. That''s far from the truth. The budget won''t be finalized until the end of the summer; unfortunately, districts have to begin planning now for the worst case scenario.
SpeechTechie
FEBRUARY 7, 2011
'I found this resource on Karen Ogen''s awesome blog, InTec Insights. Thanks, Karen! Be sure to visit her blog for more Valentine''s ideas. Games such as the classic Lemonade Stand involve a lot of language and executive functioning: planning, ability to modify a plan, etc. My Money Valentine is a version of this game, but involves running a Valentine-themed store, where you sell candy, cards, teddy bears, etc.
Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions
There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.
The Electric Educator
FEBRUARY 16, 2011
'The use of technology in the classroom provides a great way to increase student understanding, encourage collaboration, and provide an authentic way for students to share their knowledge with others. Effective use of technology takes carefully planning and execution. This week I was asked to be a guest lecturer in a teaching methods course at the University of Detroit, Mercy where I shared "the Good, the Bad, and the ugly" of classroom tech integration and my suggestions on "classroom technolog
The Innovative Educator
FEBRUARY 8, 2011
The only useful class I remember taking in school was typing. I was 13 and I took the class from Miss Web, long before the Web was anything more than what spiders wove. Back then, typing meant taking something written somewhere else and then typing it on your own paper complete with erase tape, that you used on mistakes, and that bar that you hit to put the typing carriage back to where you started.
The Web20Classroom
FEBRUARY 24, 2011
'QR Codes In The Mainstream tags: qrcode favorite A Step-by-Step Guide to Global Collaborations tags: collaboration favorite iPads for Education | Victoria, Australia tags: iPad favorite What is a QR Code? tags: qrcode favorite Creating Content with iPads tags: iPad favorite Student Learning with Diigo tags: diigo favorite 5 Tips For Assessing What Students Know tags: assessment favorite Defining Professional Learning Communities (PLC) tags: plc favorite Posted from Diigo.
The 21st Century Principal
FEBRUARY 25, 2011
'Here’s an interesting story I stumbled upon while reading the site charlotteobserver.com entitled “Insulting Email and Vanishing Comments.” Apparently, a school board member responded to a constituent by email and violated the important rule of “reading your response from the perspective of the recipient.” Now, that school board member is having to endure a situation where the parent is sharing the email with everyone.
Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions
The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.
EdTechSandyK
FEBRUARY 7, 2011
'Notes from a breakout session at TCEA 2011 Google Academy A Day in the Life - Google Apps for Teachers Julia Stiglitz - Business Development Manager Google Apps for Education 50 Ways to Use Google Apps in the Classroom - Great presentation with links to many of the examples! Google Moderator Site for this Presentation: [link] GOOGLE DOCS IDEAS Collaborative Writing with Google Docs - Teacher can review revision history to see the writing process of students and which student contributed to each
SpeechTechie
FEBRUARY 3, 2011
'I recently received a great email from Jen, a reader, that can serve as a post all on its own. I asked her if it was OK for me to post it as such, and she said yes, so here it is! Hi Sean, I''m a new follower of your blog (on Facebook too!) and I thought I''d send you a quick e-mail about a neat use for Scratch (which you probably already know about - from the MIT Media Lab - a programming language for kids that allows them to make interactive projects).
wwwatanabe
FEBRUARY 25, 2011
'We have entered the Edublogs Challenge , and set up a class blog. I am so excited to be part of this 4th grade team-teaching experience! Wordle Today, we are focusing on introducing the students to why we are setting up a class blog, digital citizenship, and Internet safety. Purpose of Our Blog : T he purpose of this blog is to learn the art of writing and lessons of language arts through a real world experience with a real audience.
The Learning Revolution Has Begun
FEBRUARY 14, 2011
'Join me Monday, March 7th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with Kevin Kelly, author of What Technology Wants. Date : Monday, March 7th, 2011 (rescheduled from February 17th, 2011) Time : 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 1am GMT (next day-- international times here ) Duration : 1 hour Location : In Elluminate. Log in at [link]. The Elluminate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early.
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