December, 2013

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World Of Difference

A Principal's Reflections

'I n my opinion one of the most important roles in any school is that of Media Specialist. Over the years I have longed to create a position that would serve a multi-faceted role of librarian, media specialist, and educational technologist. The challenge for me though was that Shannon Miller''s , Joyce Valenza''s , and Gwyneth Jones''s don''t grow on trees.

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The Obsolete Tech Director

Tom Murray

'The role of the typical school district technology director has become obsolete. Speak with your average teacher in many school districts in the U.S., and you’ll find the technology department is better known for getting in the way than for serving the educational needs of both staff and students. Many technology departments, led by obsolete tech directors, are inadvertently inhibiting learning.

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Why You Should Give @ThingLink A Try

The Web20Classroom

'I regularly use images in presentations. Pictures can be a great way to share a particular message, or can be used to create the imagery I am trying convey. But sometimes I want my images to have a little extra umph. I want to be able to use one image and have it contain lots of information. Enter ThingLink. Thinglink allows you to upload an image, grab one from Facebook, import from Flickr or use a picture from the web.

Edmodo 241
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Tips on getting started with Evernote

Educational Technology Guy

'Evernote is my main tool for work and home. I''ve been using it for 5 years and love it. It can be tough for someone new to Evernote to get started with it. Here is a great article by an on-line friend of mine, Tim Stiffler-Dean, about how Evernote can be a little overwhelming at first and how to get over that. Here is also a great article, and video, from Evernote on getting started and my main Evernote page has ideas on getting started.

Twitter 227
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Quickly Create Personalized Learning Experiences that Work

How can we actively engage learners 24/7, on their level and according to their interests, while respecting their learning styles? It’s not impossible. In this guide: Explore how to transform traditional, one-way videos into two-way interactive learning experiences Understand different types of artificial intelligence (AI), including - Generative vs.

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#CEL13: Connections

Baker's B.Y.O.D.

'I couldn''t afford the cost of attending the entire NCTE conference this year in Boston, but I was able to attend and present at the Conference on English Leadership , an intimate conference tied to the main NCTE event that was held November 24-26. The 2013 CEL convention focused on the theme of Transformative Literary Leadership and Learning, and my session was STOP BLEEDING RED INK: Using Paper and Online tools to assist in evaluating student work.

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9 Education Reform Fallacies Held to Be True by Current Education Reformers

The 21st Century Principal

'"Since the formation of the United States of America, there has been debate over the roles and purposes of education." Christopher Tienken & Donald Orlich, The School Reform Landscape: Fraud, Myth, and Lies Because educational policymakers were so successful in using the Sputnik incident in promoting new education policy and change, it seems we have a new "Sputnik-moment" every 10 years or so, and with Arne Duncan, we seem to have one every time the latest round of PISA scores are released.

Education 110

More Trending

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Professional Development Reform: 8 Steps to Make it Happen

Tom Murray

'Every year, school districts around the country waste a tremendous amount of time and money on ineffective professional development. The traditional model of “sit and get,” where a one-size-fits-all approach is utilized, yields abhorrent results. Ask teachers from typical school districts in America their thoughts on traditional in-service time, and the feedback won’t be pretty.

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Reflections On 2013-This Year's Most Popular Posts

The Web20Classroom

'As 2013 comes to a close let''s take a quick look at the most popular posts here over the course of the last year. It seems the voices, both for and against the Common Core State Standards got louder over the past year. Wherever you come down on the debate I hope we can all agree that, in most cases, summative assessments have their place. But in day-to-day learning in the classroom formative assessments give us a truer picture of how are kids are learning and how our teaching needs to adapt.

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My Workflow as CIO - includes heavy use of Evernote

Educational Technology Guy

'I am the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for an urban public school district. We have over 21,000 students, 3500 faculty and staff, 40 buildings, 15,000 devices, a full data center and fiber network, and an IT department staff of 15. We manage multiple large IT projects at once, including desktops, Chromebooks, Smartboards, network upgrades, Kronos, printers, new school construction, multiple network applications and software, and also consult on all technology issues and purchases in the distr

Software 215
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SAMR and coffee

Kathy Schrock

'Since this blog IS the Kaffeeklatsch, I thought I should share some of the ways people have been using coffee analogies to explain the SAMR model. I cannot vouch for the analogies, but thought it was interesting this seems to be a common practice! The SAMR Model The image below was created by Jonathan Brubaker and appeared in a blog post here. SAMR Model and Starbuck''s Coffee SAMR vs.

Education 105
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Can Brain Science Actually Help Make Your Training & Teaching Stick?

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.

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How to Stop Those Unwanted Auto Audio and Video Ads From Playing While Web Browsing

The 21st Century Principal

'If your web experience has been like mine lately, you have probably noticed more auto audio and video ads playing as you access web pages. These auto-audio ads can really be a nuisance. Of course you can turn your Volume off, but every time you need the volume, you must turn it on again. I explored the web forums just a bit, and I think I have found a solution for Chrome Browser users.

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Making to Learn

A Principal's Reflections

'The following post was written by Laura Fleming who is the Media Specialist at my school. It is also cross-posted at her blog Worlds of Learning. Here Laura describes our philosophy and journey to create a Makerspace for our students. Setting up a Makerspace has been a priority of mine from the moment I started here at New Milford High School , and it’s already well on its way to being achieved.

Learning 295
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Utilizing Twitter Chats for Professional Development

Tom Murray

'Each week, educators from around the world take part in various conversations on Twitter known as “chats.” These conversations have become an excellent way for educators to connect on relevant topics, share resources and best practices, all while challenging each other’s thinking. The premise of a Twitter chat is simple. Each lasts for 60 minutes, moderators pose questions on a predetermined topic, and participants use a consistent hashtag (#) to communicate.

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So, you have an iPad.now what?

The Mobile Native

'Using iPads in the Classroom 1. Only One iPad in the Classroom? 2. iPad Apps Separated by Subject Area 3. iPad and iPod Resources 4. The 55 Best Free Educational Apps for iPad 5. 15 Literacy Apps to Create Books on the iPad 6. 23 Ways to Use the iPad in a PBL Classroom 7. Middle School iPad Apps 8. Interesting Ways to Use iPads in the Classroom 9. 39 Sites for Using iPads in the Classroom 10. 50 Resources for Using iPads in the Classroom 11. iPad Resources Worth Exploring 12.

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Reimagining Chickering & Gamson's Principles Post-Pandemic: Technology's Central Role in Modern Edu

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.

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Google Apps for Edu: Learning the Ropes - guest post

Educational Technology Guy

'By: Rob May, CEO, Backupify More and more schools today are moving their data to the cloud, and more specifically to Google Apps. In the past two years, there has been a 100 percent increase in the number of students using Google Apps for Education – with 72 of the top 100 Universities (based on US News & World Report) using Google Apps and saving upwards of $1.5M annually.

Google 189
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NYC blazes trails to prepare students for success with new social media guidelines

The Innovative Educator

'While some school districts have banned the use of social media because of fears of inappropriate use and distracting students, in an unprecedented move, the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) has reached out to students, teachers, and parents as partners to create guidelines for the appropriate use of social media for personal and academic purposes.

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New Year's Resolutions? How About Using That Twitter or Facebook Account to Connect?

The 21st Century Principal

'"In a linked world and a relationship economy, isolation costs too much," writes Jeff Jarvis in his book Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live. Jarvis''s argument is clear: In today''s digital world, the cost of not being connected is too great. We live in what he also refers to as a "relationship economy" where value is derived from the quality of our relationships, and these relationships come from our sharing of ourselves with others on the web.

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series: Student Engagement and Learning

A Principal's Reflections

'This post is the fifth in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership , a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professiona

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Behind the Bell: The Underlying Impact of Tardiness in K-12 Schools

Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t

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Professional Learning Networks (PLN)

Tom Murray

'Recently, I had the opportunity to record a Google Hangout with four connected educators on “Growing Your PLN.” Lyn Hilt (@l_hilt), Nick Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher), Lisa Dabbs (@teachingwthsoul) and Patrick Larkin (@patrickmlarkin) joined the conversation and shared a wealth of advice on how educators can develop a strong personal learning network.

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Resolve to Promote Truth

EdTechSandyK

'Photo courtesy photos-public-domain.com OK educators. It''s time to put the skills you have to work with ALL of the people in your lives, not just the ones you call your students. This may also include yourselves. It''s time to promote self-restraint. And critical thinking. And research skills. It''s time to be OK with gently correcting even the adults in your life.

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Google Tips - quick, easy tips for using Google products

Educational Technology Guy

'Google has just released Google Tips , quick, easy tips for using Google Products. It is setup in a card format, using simple, easy terms (not tech-speak). You can see them all, mobile, home, office, or by product. Click on the card to get more info. Most have some kind of video to show you how to do it, or very simple instructions. This is a great resource for anyone, especially schools using Google apps.

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Create Certificates with Autocrat

Baker's B.Y.O.D.

'Autocrat is a versatile mail merge script created by Andrew Stillman that can be used to generate and send documents to recipients. You can send letters, assignments , grades & comments , lesson plans , and more with Autocrat. Big thanks to Cheryl Morris for teaching me about Autocrat for assignment delivery ! General Steps: 1. Create master template Google document that includes the mail merge tags: > 2.

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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

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.

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Merit Pay Once Again Proven to Be A Wash Out According to New Research Study

The 21st Century Principal

'For those still holding out hope for that merit pay will be the salvation of public education, here''s yet another study that points out that such practices are a waste of time. Roland Fryer from Harvard University and the National Bureau of Economic Research, has a study entitled "Teacher Incentives and Student Achievement: Evidence from New York City Public Schools" that is to be published in The Journal of Labor Economics.

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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series: Rethinking Learning Spaces and Environments

A Principal's Reflections

'This post is the sixth in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership , a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professiona

Learning 288
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Building a Positive School Culture

Tom Murray

'Schools around the country are being cleaned, waxed, and made to look their best in preparation for another year. It’s about this time when principals begin planning for the new year. Data is analyzed, goals are formed, schedules reworked, communication to parents planned, etc. But where does school culture fit into planning for next year? What steps can principals take to build a positive school culture and strong team?

Data 271
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Teen @CGressmanTHS builds a PLN to spread ideas about the key to giving the gift of learning

The Innovative Educator

'High school student Courtney Gressman made a powerful public service announcement as part of her social studies class titled “ Learning is NATURAL. The Way We Learn Should Be OPTIONAL.” Unlike most high school students, however, her work didn’t stay locked in the walls of the classroom. Gressman explains, “Our class is a very opinionated group of independent, connected learners.

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The Roses and Thorns of an LMS Strategy: How to Flourish with the Right LMS

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.

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SLPs Make Great Showing (AGAIN) among 2013 Edublog Finalists- VOTE!

SpeechTechie

'The finalists for the 2013 Edublog Awards were just announced, and voting is now open. The Edublog Awards is an annual initiative to promote the value of social media in education and share some great resources. Speech-language-related blogs and resources again are well-represented among this year''s finalists, so I would encourage you to go explore and vote.

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Excited to Join the Digital Citizenship Chat Team in 2014! #digcit

EdTechSandyK

'Digital citizenship is a topic that has become increasingly important in recent years as young people and adults alike negotiate what it means to be a participant in the largely public and searchable online world. Hardly a day goes by where we don''t hear a story in the news about someone making a misstep in the digital realm that translates into consequences for them and those around them.

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OpenEd: Free, Open Source EdTech Video and Games Resource for Teachers

The 21st Century Principal

'OpenEd is a free service that offers users what it terms "the largest educational resource catalog with over a quarter of a million Common Core-aligned videos, games, and assessments." Users can do anyone of the following: Search for video and games by keyword or directory subject. Create online courses, allowing for class management, and OpenEd provides resource recommendations according to topics.

EdTech 91
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Pillars of Digital Leadership Series - Branding

A Principal's Reflections

'This post is the third in a series that will outline the foundational elements of my new book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times. It is set to be published by Corwin Press on January 14, 2014. Currently there is a pre-publication discount of 15% for any orders before this date. Over the next couple of weeks I will introduce what I have come to identify as the Pillars of Digital Leadership , a conceptual framework for leaders to begin thinking about changes to professiona

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Building the Foundation for a Modern K-12 Classroom

K-12 looks different these days. But one thing remains the same: you need a reliable learning platform that serves as the foundation for teaching and learning––for all students, in a variety of learning experiences. Discover how the Instructure Learning Platform supports today's K-12 classroom through: A central, consistent, connected hub of the digital learning environment.