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.

20 tips and resources for using learning technology in higher education | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional Allison Littlejohn, director of the Caledonian Academy, Glasgow Caledonian University Blended learning should transform learning, not just replicate teaching: Companies want graduates who can source, filter and use existing knowledge to create new knowledge, and the university is key to equipping students with these skills. Yet we seldom see technology tools being used in radically new ways in HE. They are usually used to replicate lectures - think of websites or podcasts - rather than enabling students to learn in new ways. Massive Open Online Course is one example of transformational learning. Learn from industry: There are lots of examples of collaborative and collective learning in industry. Other useful examples: • iSpot, UK Open University - where students, experts and members of the public share ideas on botany Ben Scoble, learning development specialist, Staffordshire University Experiment with Screencast: Many lecturers I have worked with have found this an amazing tool. Resources:

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

Weavly: Create Mashup Videos With Ease! I stumbled across Weavly the other day and was astonished by the simplicity and creativity it allowed. It is fun, fast, and requires no downloading or uploading of files. Plus, the interface is simple and user-friendly, as you can see from the screenshot below: Best of all – it’s very easy to use! Just search for videos, sounds and animated GIFs directly through Weavly. Once you find a video or audio file you like, you can drag-and-drop it into the timeline and adjust the length of the clip. There are a couple of different options for publishing the video. Weavly would be a great creativity tool for students, who could practice editing video and audio to create their own masterpieces. Happy remixing, y’all! Like this: Like Loading...

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:

A teacher’s complete guide to using Google Voice to collect classwork and homework This entry will guide you through the process of setting up and using a Google Voice account for the purpose of collecting spoken homework, such as for a language class. After reading this guide, you will be ready to configure your Google Voice account and collect your first round of homework. The focus of this entry is not to give an exhaustive list of all the contexts and ways in which Google Voice can be used in education, however! Use your creativity and share your ideas in the comments. Google Voice is a completely free service which gives you a local telephone number with voicemail service. Students can call your Google Voice number from their own phones, be directly connected to voicemail, and record messages up to three minutes long. To create an account: Go to into a Google account. To set up your outgoing voicemail message: To share recordings with your students: Things to consider when implementing Google Voice in a language course: Further Reading:

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:

50 Popular iPad Apps For Struggling Readers & Writers Whether you’re the parent of a child with a reading disability or an educator that works with learning disabled students on a daily basis, you’re undoubtedly always looking for new tools to help these bright young kids meet their potential and work through their disability. While there are numerous technologies out there that can help, perhaps one of the richest is the iPad, which offers dozens of applications designed to meet the needs of learning disabled kids and beginning readers alike. Here, we highlight just a few of the amazing apps out there that can help students with a reading disability improve their skills not only in reading, writing, and spelling, but also get a boost in confidence and learn to see school as a fun, engaging activity, not a struggle. Note: See also 15 Of The Best Educational Apps For Improved Reading Comprehension & 20 iPad Apps To Teach Elementary Reading Helpful Tools Speak It! Fundamentals Reading Writing Spelling

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.