100 Top Experts in #eLearning and #EdTech | Best College Rankings The integration of education and technology has been an exciting field for decades, but the recent explosion of mobile consumer devices and wide availability of broadband Internet connections has rocketed the fields of eLearning and education technology into a new era. Smartphones, tablets, and cheap laptops have helped millions of people connect with educational opportunities and tools for self-teaching. There is a rich conversation surrounding the topics of education technology going on all over the Internet, especially on Twitter, where many of the field experts interact and share their knowledge and links to their writing on the subject. We believe in technology’s ability to empower people to find educational opportunities and steer themselves towards success.
Jonathan Mugan | Kids, Technology, and Fallible Brains 6 Characteristics Of Tomorrow's Classroom Technology Predicting the growth of technology is impossible–in both rate and direction. The same likely applies to learning. Combine them and you’ve got even greater uncertainty, but that’s what Michell Zappa and the folks over at Envisioningtech.com did in creating the following massive concept map. In the visual there are three distinct domains/learning spaces: Classroom, Studio, and Virtual. Within these domains are 6 sub-domains that represent both areas of growth and characteristics of how learning might change when fused with emerging technologies. 1. 2. Examples: reactive materials, reactive furniture, 3D printers, digitally intermediated field trips 3. Examples: student developed apps, educational games, educational programming tools, achievement badges, self-paced learning 4. Examples: eyewear/HUDs, retinal screens, holography, neuroinfomatics, immersive virtual reality 5. 6. From the graphic: “Education lies at a peculiar crossroad in society. A pdf version of the visual can be found here.
faq.essaytagger.com The only other limitation is that iOS devices (iPad, iPhone) do not support Flash and therefore the grading app will not function on iOS. An internet connection is required. How do I get my students' papers into the system? Teacher batch uploads: The most basic method is to have teachers upload the essays themselves. This places the burden on the teacher, but makes sense for those teachers who have a "hand-in" folder on the school network or who receive their assignments via email. Students upload to an assignment link: No logins are required. Other options We have a number of other possibilities for getting essays into the system that have not yet been implemented. Students have their own logins: This is how all of the online learning environments work (e.g. Moodle integration: Link your EssayTagger.com account to your school's moodle server so that we can copy the submitted essays from moodle and import them for you. Sakai integration: Same as moodle integration, but a lower priority.
Connected Educators | Strengthening connected online communities of practice in education The Administrators Toolkit Updated and Refreshed I originally wrote this post way back in 2009. Lots has changed since then. So let's dust it off and do some updating. Most schools and districts spend lot of time and effort trying to get their teachers up to speed on technology and its use/place in the classroom. And honestly that is where a majority of effort should be spent; working with those on the frontlines of instruction. I have put together what I am calling The Administrators Technology Toolkit. Tool 1-Twitter Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big advocate for Educators to use Twitter for Professional Development and growth. Update: Check out this site for tons of resources on getting started and find a several lists of Twittering Administrators and other Education Professionals. Tool 2-Google Docs/Forms Its time to go paperless. Part of Google Docs is a great feature called Forms. Check out this site for some great information on Google Docs. Tool 3-Social BookmarkingI crave resources. So how do you get started?
Middle School Moment | Dropout Nation | FRONTLINE Middle School Moment is part of FRONTLINE’s Dropout Nation community engagement campaign supported by American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities across America identify and implement solutions to address the dropout crisis. Learn more about how to participate. Download the Discussion Guide (PDF) What Is the Middle School Moment? Johns Hopkins researcher Dr. Robert Balfanz has uncovered a series of indicators that he says can predict how likely a student is to drop out of high school: attendance, behavior and course performance, which he describes as the “ABCs.” In high-poverty schools, if a sixth grade child attends less than 80 percent of the time, receives an unsatisfactory behavior grade in a core course, or fails math or English, there is a 75 percent chance that they will later drop out of high school — absent effective intervention. Why Middle School? How Does the Model Work? Transcript
State Alliances: Rhode Island History Formed in 2007 as a state Learning First Alliance Mission Statement Mission Statement: The Learning First Alliance / Rhode Island is dedicated to improving student learning in Rhode Island's public schools. "Rhode Island Schools' Performance: Here's the Rest of the Story": The Learning First Alliance/Rhode Island released a report in November 2007 detailing widespread improvement in the performance of Rhode Island's public schools. Members For more information, contact The Learning First Alliance/Rhode Island Chair: Chairperson: Raymond J. RPouliot@nea.org
6 positive effects of blogging in kindergarten SmartBlogs As a kindergarten teacher, I have a unique opportunity to educate, share, engage, enhance and model ways that a variety of technological tools can help my students, their families and others make connections globally in regards to learning. I have been blogging for four years now with 5- and 6-year-old children. I manage four blogs: a classroom blog, life science blog, summer blog and a WordPress blog where I reflect on my teaching. I am also in my third year of using Kidblog. This way my students are able to create and design their own blog posts in regards to what they are learning and exploring in kindergarten. Blogging has been both inspirational and rewarding. Relationships: My students have strong relationships with each other and their families. These are just some of the many reasons I blog, and blog with my 5- and 6-year-old students.
21 Reasons to Stop Saying "21st Century Teacher" This afternoon I saw a blog post titled 27 Ways To Be A 21st Century Teacher. 22 of the 27 items in that list could have been 50 years ago. And 24 of the 27 items are things that I did as a sixth grade student in 1990 (yes, I coded thanks to Logo Writer). Because of this I Tweeted the following in response to seeing the list; A couple of people asked me about this Tweet so please allow me to elaborate on why I'm tired of people saying "21st Century Teacher" as if it means something. 1. We live in the 21st Century. If you're teaching today, you're a 21st Century teacher. 2. Before you jump in with your angry comment, remember this is mostly tongue-in-cheek.
10 Techy Icebreakers for The 21st Century Teacher Here are some great icebreakers you can work on using technology : 1- Self PortraitHave your students draw themselves. After they have done this, collect the papers and hang them up for the whole class to see. Now have students try to guess who the artists was for each picture. Here are the web tools to do that : 2- Video/ audio introductions Encourage students to record a short video clip in which they introduce themselves to their peers. The teacher generates a list of words related to a topic to be taught. 5- Prior Knowledge check Giving multiple choice tests or true and false quizzes before introducing a topic or reading engages students, activates a student’s prior knowledge, and will encourage the sharing of information and resources. 6- Personalize it Teacher writes the topic to be taught on the board and then talks about how the topic relates to them by using a personal reference or story.
A Question of Trust: Predictive Conditions for Adaptive and Technical Leadership in Educational Contexts | Alan Daly D o w n l o a d e d B y : [ C D L J o u r n a l s A c c o u n t ] A t : 2 2 : 1 3 1 4 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 7 A Question of Trust Adaptive Leadership, or second-order change, is most often associated with creating the conditions for individuals to confront existing values andnorms. Heifetz (1994) relates that adaptive leadership is required when boththe problem definition and solution involve learning, not the mere applicationof a “quick fix.” The Importance of Trust to School Improvement One condition is the understudied construct of trust in relation to schoolsoutlined by Bryk and Schneider (2002), Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (2000),Uline, Miller, and Tschannen-Moran (1998), and Hoy and Tschannen-Moran(1999). the extent to which one engages a relationship and is willing to be vulnerable (willingness to risk) to another based on communication and the confidence that the latter party will possess: (a) benevolence, (b) reliability, (c) compe-tence, (d) integrity, (e) openness, and (f) respect
Dissolving Barriers To Adopting Technology In The Classroom Dissolving Barriers To Adopting Technology In The Classroom How the Other Half Lives: A Report from the 2013 Highlander Institute Blended Learning Conference by Dawn Casey-Rowe, Social Studies & Educational Technology Last weekend, the Second Annual Highlander Institute Blended Learning Conference took place on the campus of Rhode Island College. The event tripled in size from last year, showing the demand for professional development and discussion around concepts of technology and blended learning. But there was another group. I introduced myself to one teacher, and we began to talk. “Yeah,” she said, “All this is…overwhelming.” “Overwhelming because you would like some help planning technology for your classroom, or overwhelming for some other reason?” “I’m not allowed to use this.” The teacher to whom I was talking was nowhere near this, I got the impression. The conference’s keynote speaker, Jean Tower is somewhat of an expert on this subject. Policies must be updated. Conclusion
The Complete Educator’s Guide to Using Skype effectively in the classroom Increasingly, educators globally are transforming their classroom using Skype to create powerful, authentic, motivating learning experiences for their students. From connecting with classrooms in other locations to learning about each others’ culture to connecting with content experts – educators are extending learning beyond classroom walls. So how do you use Skype effectively with your class? Hopefully this will help! Here’s our educator’s guide on every thing you need to know about Skype from…… 1. A. 2. A. 3. A. Alternatively, here’s The Complete Educator’s Guide to Using Skype effectively in the classroom PDF version — for you to download and print off. About Skype Skype is a free application that allows you to call people from all over the world using the Internet. When you contact another person that uses Skype you talk or chat for free. Best of all you can tell when another user is online and what their status is so you know if they are available. Setting up your Skype account: A. 1. 4.