DEBORAH AUGHEY | 11/27/2011

Just before graduation in 1983, the journalism teacher of my sleepy southwest Florida high school brought a few editors into the backroom of the library to crowd around the school’s first desktop computer, an Apple 2E. We watched in bemused wonder as he typed a few sentences. He proudly bragged that this computer — that could underline, bold and even italicize words — was going to change the world. It did. Flash forward to 2011, and my convergence journalism class seamlessly integrates and manipulates a bevy of software programs, smart phone apps and digital media to support our paperless classroom where we publish nine online editions and f... Read More...

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LARRY BIDDLE | 11/27/2011

This simple formula enables all of us to focus on the vital balance so necessary in each of our institutions. With the tsunami of information and technology coming at us 24/7/366—next year is leap year—keeping it all in perspective is of the utmost importance. Technology is revolutionizing the world of education – replacing familiar classroom tools and changing the way we learn. MindShift explores the future of learning in all its dimensions – covering cultural and technology trends, groundbreaking research, education policy and more. The blog site is curated by Tina Barseghian, a journalist and mother of a grade-schooler. She cites The Scie... Read More...

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Dr. Ruth Herman Wells, M.S. | 11/27/2011

What do well-dressed teachers wear to professional development training? Anything they want — even pajamas. No, it’s not an ultra-casual Friday; it’s the new wired world of teacher professional development. Today’s teachers can upgrade their skills while wearing a bathrobe, commuting to work, or running on a treadmill. Every educator with a smart phone, laptop, tablet, computer, DVD player, or PDA now has access to a universe of affordable, high quality, 24/7 professional development training. There are many types of new distance learning options that can solve classroom problems while offering educators the college credit and clock hours the... Read More...

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SUSAN BROOKS-YOUNG | 11/27/2011

The general public loves mobile technology. As of June 2011, 28 million iPads have been sold and 130 million Android devices — mostly smart phones — have been activated (ZDNet , http://zd.net/n5wu07 ). By 2015, International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that more people in the United States will access the Internet using some type of mobile device than will get online using a wired connection (Worldwide New Media Market Model report, http://idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23028711 ). Read More...

Relevant Tags: Technology and Learning, mobile, technology, students, devices, school, education, learning, mobile technologies, mobile devices, digitally deprived

JULIE SMITH | 11/27/2011

In three years, sales of tablet computers will grow tenfold — from 20 to 208 million, according to research by Gartner. Mobile computing is not just a technology trend — it is a paradigm shift in the way we communicate and collaborate. And, whether education embraces it or not, the shift will impact the classroom. Read More...

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MARILYN GRADY | 11/27/2011

“To be a principal in the 21st century school demands leadership of technology. To be a leader of technology requires a willingness to learn, flexibility, and the capacity to accept change as a constant factor. Adaptability and acceptance of ambiguity are essential. Because technology changes continuously, there is no menu of technology must dos and must haves. Instead, leaders of technology must be lifelong learners and explorers of the new, the exciting, and the useful in technology.” – A principal This statement by a principal captures the spirit of interviews conducted with principals, technology specialists, librarians, media specialists... Read More...

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WILLIAM KIST | 11/27/2011

Over the last few years, I have visited classrooms throughout the United States and Canada to watch some of the most visionary teachers who were immersed not only in educational technology, but also in the implications of using these new media in their classrooms. I interviewed dozens of these teachers and collected their ideas in a book, “The Socially Networked Classroom: Teaching in the New Media Age,” published by Corwin Press. Their experiences with technology covered a wide range of examples, from social networking in a low-tech environment to teaching at the most advanced levels of technological innovation. Read More...

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TOMMY WALSER | 11/27/2011

On any given school day in the U.S., more than 160,000 children call in sick or miss school because of bullying. Bullying has become an epidemic, which in recent years, has surfaced in the media through extreme cases of violence, desperation and often tragedy. Any solution to the problem starts with education of our youth. The problem is that often schools never address the topic of bullying in a meaningful way within their curricula, especially regarding abuse that occurs online or electronically known as cyberbullying. The most common forms of cyberbullying involve instant messaging, e-mail messaging and text messaging. This type of cyber ... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Cyberbullying, bullying, cyberbullying, school, education, problem, violence desperation

ALAN JACOBS | 11/27/2011

Today the vast majority of consumers own a cell phone, including millions who take it a step further with smartphones. As a result, people now have anytime, anywhere access to the Internet and e-mail, which is dramatically changing the way we work, find information, and communicate. Read More...

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SHANNON C’de BACA | 11/27/2011

Remember when you could call an office and expect a real live human being to answer? Schools were among the last hold-outs — but now many have resorted to automated systems. My school’s recorded message instructs the caller to punch several numbers indicating his or her language preference and call objective. Many parents become confused and hang up, or get the sense that our school is impersonal. Automated phone systems may be expedient technologies — but this “efficiency” comes with a social cost. Read More...

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Jennifer Barnett | 11/27/2011

Maybe your school is receiving a technological facelift. Maybe online classes are under development to give your students opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have. Time to panic about the longevity of the teaching profession? Think again. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Technology and Learning

ANGELA M. PRATHER C.P.M. and ANDREA M. SCOBIE | 11/27/2011

Advances in technology are accelerating at a pace greater than ever before. We all feel that as soon as a new device or “gadget” is plugged in and charged, it is obsolete and the next generation is already being introduced or launched. The word “cloud” no longer evokes thoughts of cirrus and cumulus. “Social media” is no longer a party for the press. Remember, it was only a few short years ago that the world did not have iPhones, iPads, iTunes, or the iMac (homage to Steve Jobs intended). Technology touches every part of our lives. It links us to our world, nationally and internationally. Read More...

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