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How Educators Teach Geography with Tech Tools In 2006, the National Geographic-Roper literacy survey showed that only 37 percent of college-age students could identify Iraq on a map of the Middle East. But U.S. troops had been in Iraq since 2003. And last week, student scores on the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress were released in a report on geography. Between 2001 and 2010, average scores for fourth-graders moved from 208 to 213 out of a possible 500. "One of the challenges you see reflected in the NAEP data is the lack of attention to geography at the postsecondary level," said William Gaudelli, associate professor of social studies and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Few colleges have geography departments, and the ones that do are often land grant universities like Penn State. With each survey and report on geography that comes out, we talk about it for a few weeks, and then geography disappears from the spotlight. The quest for relevant geography education Students live geography.

Twitter as a Mobile Learning Platform It’s been almost 5 years since Twitter came into existence and it has become quite the versatile platform. I remember when I first joined Twitter 4 years ago, there were heckling comments abound about ‘tweeting’ and how people didn’t care to know someone’s ever movement. Since then, and resulting from a series of key improvements to the service, we have a tool that can be shaped and molded to whatever the need may be. In the case of teacher PD, Twitter can be used as: - a networking tool to link with other educators to discuss ideas and issues with like minded colleagues around the world - an information gateway where teachers can stay current with the cutting edge as it happens and is discussed In the case of school communication, Twitter can be used: - as a communication gateway for teachers and school administrators looking to communicate with their parent community in a new and mobile way - a place to provide parents with links to resources or supports for their children

Embracing Continuous Improvement with EdTech If you are a connected, networked educator (or even if you're not), it's easy to begin comparing yourself to all those online examples of excellence in ed tech. "Look at the way so-and-so is using blogging with his or her second graders!" or "I love how this person uses Skype to bring experts into their classroom!" It's easy to be humbled by what you "see" others doing in your virtual network. Sometimes it's humbling to see what your colleagues are doing in their own classrooms in your school! What's important to remember is that your colleagues did not get there overnight. Most people who successfully integrate technology into their classrooms on a daily basis have not always had success. Successful, effective and meaningful tech integration is basically a bumpy road, like anything new we try in our practice. Some things I keep in mind: Be transparent: It's OK to say, "I'm trying something new -- I'm not sure if it's going to work out the way I expect." see more see less

My Wish List for Education in 2012 I’ve been blessed to be in a school district that has embraced technology, provided our staff with Macbooks and Smartboards, and just approved a Netbook 1-to-1 initiative. I’ve worked with fantastic educators in my school and abroad. My students have been a part of such global projects as ‘The Flat Classroom Project”, “Net Gen Ed”, and “Project: Global Inform”. We’ve used Microsoft’s OneNote product to produce ePortfolios (I love it), Apple’s iMovie to create documentaries, and Google’s collaboration tools for a variety of project-based learning initiatives. It wasn’t just a good year for education in my classroom, the “EdTech” scene exploded in the past 12 months, with hundreds of new apps for learning and teacher collaboration (check out EdSurge). This is the most important time to be in education. Now, more than any other time in the past 100 years, education seems on the verge of a paradigm shift. 1. It’s no longer okay to do every project within the confines of a classroom. 2. 3.

10 Ways to Enable Student Collaboration Well, another semester has come and gone. As always, I’ve learned so much from my students. One of the things I have started doing in my classes (remember, I teach online) is to make just about every activity and assignment collaborative. That means that students sometimes work together, view each others’ work, and/or are included in all class conversations. Google Docs: ( Yeah, by now you are probably using Google Docs a lot. What are some collaborative tools you use in your online courses? Like this: Like Loading... 11 Tech Factors That Changed Education in 2011 Michael Staton is the founder of Inigral, which develops social software for student recruitment and higher education retention. Inigral recently brought on the first PRI as a venture investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and has been named one of the top 10 innovative companies in education by Fast Company. In 2011, entrepreneurs and startup activity sprouted up everywhere. Not coincidentally, the Bay Area, New York, Boston, Austin, Portland and every college town from Abilene to Gainesville is fostering young, eager minds. Trends like these are quickly impacting how young people relate to and absorb education. 1. Former CEO of PayPal and venture capitalist Peter Thiel maintains that entrepreneurship is best learned outside of higher education, through real-world experience. One of the recipients, Dale Stephens, is writing a book and speaks about the idea that college isn't the only pathway to success. 2. 3. 4. 5. Providence Equity acquired Blackboard for $1.6 billion.

Another Year Gone By Wow, another year has gone by and we’re already three days into 2012! With the start of a new year, I wanted to take some time to reflect back on 2011 and things that I learned, accomplished, and hope to carry with me into the new year. I think one of the most memorable things of 2011 will always be my first trip to Africa. As part of one of my master’s courses at American University, I traveled to Nigeria for two weeks in May to conduct research on the early childhood education available in the small town of Yola. Aside from my international travels, I had some great developments in my professional life in 2011. Earlier this fall, I was able to start working as an Education and Technology Consultant, which has allowed me to learn a lot about webinar management, utilize more of my tech skills, and be more active in the field of early childhood. I also grew a lot as a learner and educator in 2011 through my master’s courses. All in all, it was a pretty great year! Like this: Related

New Course-Management Software Promises Facebook-Like Experience - Wired Campus Three University of Pennsylvania students who recently dropped out to start an upstart course-management system today unveiled their software, called Coursekit, after having raised more than $1-million in venture capital. The trio, frustrated with the systems offered by universities, such as Blackboard, decided to team up and design their own online course platform, which emphasizes social networking and an easy-to-use interface. By May, the founders, Joesph Cohen, Dan Getelman, and Jim Grandpre, had raised so much start-up cash, from sources including the Founder Collective and IA Ventures, that they decided to quit school to focus on developing Coursekit. Thirty universities tested Coursekit this fall, including Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania. Coursekit offers a platform for hosting discussions, posting grades and syllabi, sharing calendars and links, and creating student profiles. Return to Top

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