Blogs on Classroom Technology

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Andrew MarcinekOctober 31, 2012

In my last two posts, I detailed the iPad initiatives at Burlington High School. I talked about what we learned after a year of a 1:1 iPad environment and dispelled some myths surrounding iPads in education. Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with two of my elementary teachers at Pine Glen Elementary and Francis Wyman Elementary schools. This year, four first grade classrooms will be piloting a 1:1 iPad environment. The iPads stay in the classroom and are only used during class time. Two of the teachers involved, Irene Farmer and Erin Guanci, sat down with me and answered a few questions about their expectations of the initiative, how they are using the device at the moment, and how they feel it will work in an elementary classroom.

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Andrew MillerOctober 30, 2012

Given the number of technology tools being used by educators and students, it's no wonder that mobile technologies and mobile learning are being explored in various implementations. From data collection tools to mobile phones, students are learning at school and on their own.

Remember, however, that technology is a tool for learning, so we still need to focus on models that provide engaging uses for these tools. Project-based learning can pair well with tenets and best practices for mobile learning to create intention and flexible contexts for learning.

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Nicholas ProvenzanoOctober 25, 2012

I spent some time trying to come up with a really scary post for Halloween, but I decided I would stay positive instead and share some scary good sites on educational technology. Get it? Scary? Anyway, here are four tried and true sites I always turn to when I need help with a tech tool or when I'm looking for something new. Warning: the puns you are about to read are also terrifying.

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Heather Wolpert-GawronOctober 22, 2012

It feels like we're on the precipice of a more common, universal implementation for blended learning, but for a while still, blended learning is still dependent on teachers knowing what to teach and how to teach it. It still feels still like a grassroots movement from key teachers who are looking ahead to the future. We know that being able to function online is a 21st-century skill, but for some teachers, it's still as futuristic as Logan's Run.

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Matt DavisOctober 15, 2012

To kick off this week's curation, we'll start with something we published here at Edutopia: the last video in our Tech2Learn series. The videos, which were co-produced by Teaching Channel, look at inspiring ways educators use tech tools in the classroom.

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Matt DavisOctober 8, 2012

At the first presidential debate, education made quite a stir, with both candidates talking about our nation's schools and teachers a number of times.

But education made it into the news elsewhere, too.

First, Education Secretary Arne Duncan made the case for why it's time to move to digital textbooks, and Khan Academy founder Salman Khan talked about the need for less lectures in schools. Also, a story from NPR highlighted the ongoing B.Y.O.D. trend, looking at some of the pros and cons.

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Mary Beth HertzOctober 8, 2012

I will freely admit that I can be a bit of a political junkie from time to time. I listen to the news every morning, and I love talk radio in the evenings. I try to stay abreast of the goings on in the world and in our country. That is why I can see nothing more important than taking advantage of the election to engage our students in the political process and to help them begin forming their own viewpoints on real issues.

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Andrew MarcinekOctober 5, 2012

In my last post, I shared what we learned last year during our 1:1 iPad and Google Apps for Education launches. In this post, I’d like to dispel myths about 1:1 environments. My assertions are not based on opinion, but on evidence directly observed in secondary classrooms at Burlington High School and from the students that traverse these halls daily. Our school launched 1,000-plus iPads last year, and we're starting our second year with the device in the hands of all students and teachers.

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Lisa Michelle DabbsSeptember 25, 2012

A few weeks ago I was listening to one of my favorite classical radio stations and heard the DJ mention that a famous pianist likes to say he is a "painter at the piano." I thought it was a great metaphor to describe the way many artists and professionals feel about the tools of their work. For example, a carpenter could be a painter with a hammer, a potter could be a painter with a wheel . . . I could go on and on.

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Mary Beth HertzSeptember 13, 2012

One of the most powerful moments in my teaching journey was the summer I immersed myself in feedback and checking for understanding. It forced me to ask myself what and if my students were actually learning. I learned the importance of the language I used. I also learned effective ways to track student progress toward learning goals that will inform the feedback I give students. While my effectiveness as a teacher has grown exponentially, I still have a lot to learn. Since I teach in a lab, I also have both the challenge and the perk of most student work being completed on the computer. These are some of my experiences, ideas and resources for using technology to provide meaningful feedback to students -- and making the process more streamlined for everyone.

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