July 2011 Blog Posts (44)

Part Two of our look into results and best practices being generated from iPad rollouts in education.

Last week we started looking at rollouts of iPads in schools by searching out, reading, and summarizing…

Every three years I force myself to do something that, although it is geared to save me money and provide for my safety, I dread it more than the possibility of Kidney Stones. New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, the DMV provides a Defensive Driving Course for drivers to complete and earn a reduction on their insurance premium, or a reduction on points on their license as a result of traffic infractions. Not wanting to suffer alone, and needing to get the highest reduction possible…

At Atomic Learning, we strive to make it easy for educators to learn new technology and encourage integration in the classroom to positively impact student achievement. We offer this free resource in support of our mission to guide educators.

Here's an excerpt from the introduction: In terms of size, Little Falls, Minnesota is a small speck on the map. With a population of just over 8,000 and a…

As I attend more and more conferences explaining the effect Social Media is having on education, the subject of Back Channeling often comes up. Educators at conferences are beginning to accept the fact that it is okay for audience members to twitter out to their followers the statements of the presenter as well as their own impressions of the speaker and topic. As I explained this to a number of people at a conference this week, I remembered the first post I did on this very…

After a wonderful experience at the ISTE11 Conference in Philadelphia, I finally made the decision to get away from any computer and get myself to the beach for a week to decompress. Of course, I have my Droid, so I am still somewhat connected, but frustratingly so. A mobile device doesn’t yet fully replace the speed and convenience of a loaded laptop or desktop. Yet, it is that very inconvenience with only a mobile phone at the beach that enables me to say to my family that I am, for the…

"The law has created dozens of ways for schools to fail and very few ways to help them succeed. We should get out of the business of labeling schools as failures and create a new law that is fair and flexible and focused on the schools and students most at risk."

U.S. Department of Education Secretary – Arne Duncan

It’s all about the test scores. …

My marathon is over....

I have been privileged of late to have time to read;  to read, to watch, to listen – and to think. Much of this precious time has been has been spent devouring material relating to school reform and exploring one simple question -  how do we respond to the challenges and opportunities provided by the digital revolution to improve our schools?  The concept of “school” as we know it is well over a century old – and was obviously developed before the digital…

A growing number of schools have launched programs to provide iPads to students. What returns is this investment yielding?

There’s no doubt the iPad is a hot topic in education technology today. Just about every week, my preconfigured Google Alerts deliver stories about schools that have decided to provide…

Location! Location! Location!

What Does Location, Location, Location Mean?

It means identical homes can increase or decrease in value due to location. It's repeated three times for emphasis, and so you will remember the phrase. It's the number one rule in real estate, and it's often the most overlooked rule. The best locations are those in…

The Alabama School Library Association (ASLA), a leader among school library associations, ventured forward into the realm of Twitter chats with it's inaugural debut using the hashtag ---> #aslachat on July 5, 2011 at 7CT/8ET.  





ASLA kicked off the chat with a quote from Springfield Township High School…

While assessment and grading are two distinct topics, they often intertwine.  Occasionally something comes along to remind us that poor grading practices can end up negating effective assessment practices.  That's why Allen Iverson is on this site - to remind us that we need to give…