One-to-one computing programs only as effective as their teachers » Print Experts say 1-to-1 computing research needs to focus more on classroom practices—and less on equipment By Meris Stansbury, Associate Editor Read more by Meris Stansbury February 16th, 2010 Studies show that 1:1 success depends more on teachers than on the equipment itself. A compilation of four new studies of one-to-one computing projects in K-12 schools identifies several factors that are key to the projects’ success, including adequate planning, stakeholder buy-in, and strong school or district leadership. The studies were published in January by the Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, a peer-reviewed online journal from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education. Despite growing interest in school 1-to-1 computing programs, “little published research has focused on teaching and learning in these intensive computing environments,” say editors Damian Bebell, an assistant research professor at BC’s education school, and Laura O’Dwyer, an assistant professor of education.

Wiki pedagogy This article endeavours to denote and promote pedagogical experimentations concerning a Free/Open technology called a "Wiki". An intensely simple, accessible and collaborative hypertext tool Wiki software challenges and complexifies traditional notions of - as well as access to - authorship, editing, and publishing. Usurping official authorizing practices in the public domain poses fundamental - if not radical - questions for both academic theory and pedagogical practice. The particular pedagogical challenge is one of control: wikis work most effectively when students can assert meaningful autonomy over the process. This involves not just adjusting the technical configuration and delivery; it involves challenging the social norms and practices of the course as well (Lamb, 2004). Cet article décrit et promeut des expériences pédagogiques qui ont recours à une technologie libre et ouverte désignée sous le terme «wiki».

How Twitter in the Classroom is Boosting Student Engagement Professors who wish to engage students during large lectures face an uphill battle. Not only is it a logistical impossibility for 200+ students to actively participate in a 90 minute lecture, but the downward sloping cone-shape of a lecture hall induces a one-to-many conversation. This problem is compounded by the recent budget cuts that have squeezed ever more students into each room. Fortunately, educators (including myself) have found that Twitter is an effective way to broaden participation in lecture. Increased Participation Classroom shyness is like a blackhole: Once silence takes over, it never lets go. That's why, Dr. During lecture, students tweet comments or questions via laptop or cell phone, while the TA and Dr. Students in another Twitter-friendly classroom at Purdue University agree that digital communication helps overcome the shyness barrier. A Community of Learners Conclusion More social media resources from Mashable: Image courtesy of iStockphoto, lisapics

How to use a wiki to facilitate learning - OpenContent Wiki File:Screen close.jpg You've started blogging and occasionally podcasting, but you're still requiring students to waste trees to hand in their homework? Encourage collaboration in the classroom with a Wiki! Join the 21st Century Watch the video entitled Wikis in Education. File:Westwoodschools.jpg Wikis in Education Sources Ways to Use Wikis in Education Easily create simple Web sites. This video provides some helpful ways to use wiki's in the classroom Pedagogical Potential Wikis... maximize interplay are democratic work in real time are text-based permit public document construction or distributed authorship promote negotiation permit collaborative document editing work on volunteer collaboration[2] Problem Potential complicate the instructor evaluation of individual student writing, although you can view contributions made by logged-in users. are prone to vandalism. Wiki Culture Cite your sources. Example Wiki Pages Return to the Main Page Using Blogs and Wikis in Education.

3 Ways Educators Are Embracing Social Technology The modern American school faces rough challenges. Budget cuts have caused ballooning class sizes, many teachers struggle with poorly motivated students, and in many schools a war is being waged on distracting technologies. In response, innovative educators are embracing social media to fight back against the onslaught of problems. Technologies such as Twitter and Skype offer ideal solutions as inexpensive tools of team-based education. Skype and Language Learning Why force students to yawn over a textbook when a real-life native speaker is only a Skype call away? "I absolutely fell in love with this program," wrote one student. Perhaps the greatest benefit of using Skype is the radical increase in motivation. Mobile Phones While many schools around the country have declared all-out war on mobile devices, Wiregrass High School took a decidedly different approach, integrating cell phones into the entire educational experience. Twitter Conclusion More social media resources from Mashable:

Wikis with students: what I've learned about managing files and folders It’s funny but even though I work with data on a regular basis, I can’t always predict the best way to manage data until I have my own data to manage. My classroom wiki site is no exception. Now, that I’ve been seriously using a wiki with my class, I’ve found that I should have set a few things up a bit differently. Technorati Tags: teaching, teaching technology, wikis, wiki, science education” The biggest challenge has been making sure that the right people can do the right things – or who gets to see what and upload what where. Not knowing what methods would turn out to be useful, I originally set up my class wiki with a folder called “students,” used templates to make copies of worksheets for each student, then made each student a writer for their worksheet. But, I found that it was challenging for students to upload files. It also turned out that giving each individual student permission to work on a file turned out to be a royal pain and too much work. What I did What I should have done

Edmodo:The Total Classroom Solution In a digital world where we can easily "find an app for that" to help solve many problems, rarely do teachers have a one stop shopping place for all their classroom digital needs. There are many individual tools that can aid a teacher in retrieving student's digital work, polling/quizzing students or assigning work, but each of these tools usually requires a separate account. However, there is one, free, Web 2.0 app that brings everything together that you need for your classroom, including a social learning environment. The app that does all of this is called Edmodo. Here are just a few features that make Edmodo so great for teachers and students: A place to assign and turn in work: The teacher can attach any file they may need for an assignment (rubric, worksheet, etc.) and students can upload any file to turn in their work. Although, there are a lot more features to discuss, these are the cornerstone of what makes Edmodo so great for the classroom! Resources:

Education Technology Grants and Other Funding for Classroom Technology Keeping up with all the possible grants for K-12 schools that might be out there is a BIG job, so why not let Grant Wrangler do it for you? This website is an incredible starting point for finding available grants specifically targeted to your focus! Find Grant Templates for CPS and the Mobi View, a list of private and federal-funded grants, and information on federal funding sources. In addition, as eInstruction by Turning Technologies, even more support is available to assist you by providing free support and advice for funding efforts through an experienced and knowledgeable Funding Specialist. Educational Technology Tools Home - Educational Technology Tools