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We share evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that empower you to improve education.

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Blogs on Technology Integration

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Code Literacy: A 21st-Century Requirement

Douglas RushkoffNovember 13, 2012

Tags After-School Learning, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

Ask kids what Facebook is for, and they'll tell you it's there to help them make friends. And, on the surface anyway, that's what it looks like. Of course, anyone who has poked a bit deeper or thought a bit longer about it understands that people programming Facebook aren't sitting around wondering how to foster more enduring relationships for little Johnny, Janey and their friends, but rather how to monetize their social graphs -- the trail of data the site is busy accumulating about Johnny and Janey every second of the day and night.

A Principal's Perspective: Getting The Most Out of Classroom iPads

Ben JohnsonNovember 12, 2012

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Blended Learning, Teacher Development, Technology Integration, Middle (6-8), High (9-12)

For the first two months of school, "When are the iPads going to be handed out?" was a continual mantra from students and teachers. But finally, when we were able to tell them a day, frustration turned into anticipation. Southside High School's goal was to efficiently assign an iPad to each ninth- and tenth-grader, without seriously impacting the regular instructional day. Boy, was that off target!

Learnist: A Helpful Tool on the Road to Inquiry

Hauna ZaichNovember 12, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Media Literacy, Technology Integration

The meaningful and careful use of technology is one of the most significant conversations in education today. When educators offer students greater access to knowledge through technology, and encourage them to use that knowledge to inquire about the world around them and beyond, they are providing students a chance to succeed in even the toughest conditions.

Creating Makerspaces in Schools

Mary Beth HertzNovember 6, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Student Engagement, Technology Integration, Science

Two weekends ago, I attended EdCamp NYC at The School at Columbia, an independent school on Manhattan's Upper West Side. One of the things I love about attending edcamps is that the day is always unpredictable because you don't know what will be discussed or who will be leading conversations until that morning. What ensued was an inspiring day focused on tinkering, exploration and innovation.

Teach At-Risk Students in Leadership and Language Arts with. . . World of Warcraft?

Todd FinleyNovember 2, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Dropout Prevention, Game-Based Learning, Integrated Studies, , Technology Integration

I recently talked with Lucas Gillispie, an instructional technology coordinator at Pender County Schools in Burgaw, North Carolina. Like Alex Pettyfer, Gillispie sports a beard befitting a Teutonic infantryman at the Battle of Aquae Sextiae or an avatar-warrior in World of Warcraft's (WoW) Dragonblight graveyard. Gillispie seems bemused by the acclaim he has received by incorporating Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplay Games (MMORPG) into the public school curriculum. To his credit, when I talked to him about three of his projects -- WoWinSchool (WoW used with middle school children), Minecraft (used with elementary students), and SAGA (Story and Game Academy) -- Gillispie repeatedly deflected credit from himself to his professional peers and administration. For conciseness, I edited some parts of the interview below.

Rethinking Assessment

Will RichardsonNovember 1, 2012

Tags Comprehensive Assessment, Performance Assessment, Standardized Testing, Technology Integration, High (9-12)

With few exceptions, all the things our children are using to connect and learn outside the classroom -- social media, cell phones, Internet connections -- are banned inside classrooms. In my kids' case (and they have more access than many), school is the only place in their lives where they can't use the technology they carry around in their pockets and backpacks to answer questions.

The only place. Why is that?

Teacher Experience and Expectations for the 1:1 Elementary Classroom

Andrew MarcinekOctober 31, 2012

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Classroom Technology, Media Literacy, Primary (K-2), Technology Integration

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.

Practical Tips for Mobile Learning in the PBL Classroom

Andrew MillerOctober 30, 2012

Tags Best Practices, Classroom Technology, Mobile Learning, Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration

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.

Four Scary Good Ed Tech Sites

Nicholas ProvenzanoOctober 25, 2012

Tags Classroom Technology, Media Literacy, Technology Integration

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.

A Principal's Perspective: Preparing to Distribute Student iPads?

Ben JohnsonOctober 22, 2012

Tags 1:1 Implementation, Blended Learning, Digital Divide, Leadership, Technology Integration, All Grades

Yes, let's give students iPads so they can be smarter and learn better. It sounds so easy. The reality is that there are many unknowns, like how do you hand out 800 iPads and keep track of which student has which iPad, and how do you get 800 students to register with iTunes so they can use their iPads on the school system? (The school system: How do you provide enough bandwidth for 800 iPads? That's another challenge entirely!)