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Blogs on Technology Integration

Technology Integration

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Discover fresh ideas for using technology in the classroom and at home to improve learning, encourage collaboration, and increase student engagement.

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What We Learned: A 1:1 iPad Reflection
Andrew MarcinekAugust 22, 2012
Tags 1:1 Implementation, Classroom Technology, Media Literacy, Technology Integration, High (9-12)

This past week at Burlington High School, we started rolling out iPads for incoming freshmen. During this process, I couldn't help but reflect on what had occurred over the course of a year. Around this time last summer, BHS had roughly one thousand iPads ready to roll out to all students. The anticipation was great, the waters uncharted. During the 2011-2012 school year, we, the IT department and the teachers charted a course that led us to many exciting discoveries as well as many learning experiences.

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How to Roll Out a 1:1 iPad Program
Jac de HaanAugust 15, 2012
Tags 1:1 Implementation, Classroom Technology, Mobile Learning, Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8)

When The Westside School decided to grow its established primary school into a leading middle school program, parents, teachers, students and administrators mapped out an integrated project-based learning environment designed to engage and challenge all participants. The planning team made a list of skills and tools that would support learning, and decided on a 1:1 iPad program to support their vision. I was brought on as technology coordinator to plan and support the curricular and technical deployment for the start of the 2011-12 school year.

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Connecting Educators Benefits Students
Nicholas ProvenzanoAugust 13, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Student Engagement, International

As part of Connected Educator Month, I wanted to share something about the value of being a connected educator -- the value for your students. It's great that we, as educators, are connected to one another, but what does that mean for the students?

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Six Tips for Teachers: How to Maximize Shared Resources
Mary Beth HertzAugust 2, 2012
Tags Best Practices, Classroom Technology, Technology Integration, All Grades

Despite the fact that more and more schools are investing in mobile devices and 1:1 programs, many schools are limited by cash-strapped districts and cannot afford such luxuries. As a result, many teachers are forced to share a computer lab or a laptop cart with the whole school. This can create scheduling fiascos, and it limits teachers' ability to truly integrate technology into their classrooms. For those who have access to a classroom computer or a few student desktops, I wrote a post a while back on how teachers can maximize the computer(s) in their classrooms. This time, however, I'll describe ways that teachers can get the most out of shared resources at their school.

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1
High-Impact Professional Development for Rural Schools
David MarkusJuly 25, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, Lesson Plans, Rural Schools, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Missouri

I talk with a lot of teachers about how they become fulfilled or, in too many cases, frustrated in their profession. It isn't long in these conversations before the words "professional development" come up. You can practically set your watch to it. And I've discovered that where you find enthusiastic teachers enjoying persistent classroom success, you will find sustained, collaborative, educator-directed PD programs.

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15
Ten Ideas for Teaching Teachers Technology
Monique FlickingerJuly 25, 2012
Tags Best Practices, Classroom Technology, Leadership, Professional Learning Network (PLN), Technology Integration

I had never been to an "unconference" before, but when I heard the organizer of SocialEdCon Unconference introduce the event, I knew I was in for something new:

"Write your ideas that you want to discuss on the top of the poster board. Each of you can look at all of the ideas and put check marks beside the ones that interest you, and then that will drive the topics that we discuss today."

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4
Live Stream School Events to Boost Community Outreach
Joe MazzaJuly 20, 2012
Tags Community Partnerships, Media Literacy, Parental Involvement, Technology Integration

We exist in a world where almost everything in real time is streaming online -- from concerts and sporting events to breaking world news eight time zones away. Technology has truly made the world a smaller place. Yet schools are slow to catch the technologies available for streaming, due to shrinking budgets, personnel cutbacks and training voids.

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6
Is the Cell Phone the New Pencil?
Jeff GrabillJuly 12, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, Literacy, Mobile Learning, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12), English Language Arts

It is commonplace to bemoan the poor writing skills of students today. Yes, there is no question that writing effectively is difficult. Yes, it is true that we don't provide enough high quality writing instruction (writing is known as the "forgotten R"). And yes, the demands of a knowledge economy require excellent writing abilities. But the students we teach today write more than any generation in human history, and one reason for that is the pervasiveness of writing technologies in their lives.

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Facilitating Social and Emotional Skills Through Tech
Joan YoungJuly 11, 2012
Tags Classroom Technology, , , Student Engagement, Technology Integration, All Grades

It all begins with relationship. We hear educators say this over and over, but do we really believe it? Do our actions support our words? After an unbelievable, engaging conversation I had with others at ISTE12 SocialedCon, I know that there are many passionate educators ready to go forth and make the changes we so desperately need in education.

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39
The Flipped Classroom: Pro and Con
Mary Beth HertzJuly 10, 2012
Tags Flipped Classroom, Homework, Online Learning, Technology Integration, Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

I recently attended the ISTE conference in San Diego, CA. While I was only there for about 36 hours, it was easy for me to pick up on one of the hottest topics for the three-day event. The "flipped classroom" was being discussed in social lounges, in conference sessions, on the exhibit floor, on the hashtag and even at dinner. People wanted to know what it was, what it wasn't, how it's done and why it works. Others wanted to sing its praises and often included a vignette about how it works in their classroom and how it transformed learning for their students. Still others railed that the model is nothing transformative at all and that it still emphasizes sage-on-the-stage direct instruction rather than student-centered learning. I engaged in a few of these discussions offline and online, and while I'm still on the fence about my feelings toward the model, I can offer some insight and interpretation.

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