The Future of Technology is Here - An Interview with Teacher Julie Garcia, Apple Distinguished Educator

Click on this link to read the article:

The Future of Technology is Here - An Interview with Teacher Julie Garcia, Apple Distinguished Educator 

Do you think Julia Garcia's approach to the integration of technology in her classroom by making her students the producers, rather than the consumers of their own knowledge is a good one? Do you feel this is a valid approach for today's teachers and one that you might use in the future? Why or why not?

Technology Integration In K12 Education/Adaptive Technology in Special Education

Use this link to find an article about adaptive technology for students with special needs: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Technology_Integration_In_K12_Education/Adaptive_Technology_in_Special_Education
This article will be helpful when integrating adaptive and assistive technology tools into planning for instruction in inclusive classrooms. What tools do you think you would use and how would you integrate them into your lesson plans and into your daily practice if you had a student with special needs?

19 Bold (Not Old) Ideas for Change

Will Richardson has some radical ideas about how we should be educating our students. Watch this video http://vimeo.com/45152953 to see his ideas for change. Do you agree with him? Which idea do you like best? How do you think you can make this idea work in your classroom or future classroom?

Lecture As Content Delivery Is Dead

Visit The Think Stick! Jeff Utecht's blog
http://www.thethinkingstick.com/lecture-as-content-delivery-is-dead/
Do you agree with the author? Do you think the other ways that Jeff discusses using lectures are more effective? Why or why not? How do or would you use lecture in your classroom?

Introducing ... The Common Core: ELA

http://prezi.com/shv1e-ig9oqr/introducing-the-common-core-ela/

Watch this Prezi created by Kevin Hodgson for a presentation at a workshop to Massachusetts teachers. It presents an overview of the ELA Common Core and explains the initiate's purpose
Introducing .. The ELA Common Core
Did the Prezi help you understand why we need the Common Core? Do you think the Common Core will change the way we educate our students? How do you think classroom instruction, homework, teaching, and learning will change? Can you embrace these changes?  Will your students and their parents embrace them?

Reverse The Presentation!

Click on the link to read the article:
http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3993
Mobile Technology and keeping it in the Clouds enables us to connect to and engage our students in new and exciting ways. This author offers some interesting solutions and gives us a practical way to flip our classrooms. Do you think you would be open to teaching this way? Why or why not?

Emerging technologies to watch 2012

http://www.schoolcio.com/Default.aspx?tabid=136&EntryId=3851

Click on the link above to read an article about the emerging trends in technologies that will be used in the classrooms of the near future from the 2012 Horizon Report. How can our schools benefit from this report?

New Teacher Academy: Delivery of Instruction

Read this article http://www.edutopia.org/blog/new-teacher-delivery-instruction-lisa-dabbs, I think you will find it helpful. Which tip did you find most useful and why? How can you incorporate some of the article's suggestion into your practice?

Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Classroom

Click on this link to read an article about using social media in the classroom: http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/19/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-classroom.aspx. Do you see a place for it in your future classroom? Why or why not? If you choose to use it, which site would you use and how would you use it? How can it be misused and even abused by students and teachers?

Apple Announces iBooks 2, A New Textbook Experience For The iPad

Click on the photo to read about the new Apple initiative to put interactive textbooks on the iPad via iBooks. Do you see this as a game changer for education? How?

Of Course iPads Belong In Classrooms — It’s All About Balance

iPads are the new educational tool being used in classrooms across the world. After reading the article, do you believe this is just a passing fad or the wave of the future? Why?

Go to this link: http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/19/of-course-ipads-belong-in-classrooms-its-all-about-balance/ to read the article.

Schools of Thought: Flipped classrooms give every student a chance to succeed

Click on the link below to read about flipped classrooms and to watch the CNN video: http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/18/my-view-flipped-classrooms-give-every-student-a-chance-to-succeed/
Do you think the "flipped classroom" is the remedy that will reduce the large failure rate in our nation's schools? Post a comment explaining why or why not you think this strategy will work?

Does Service Learning Really Help?

Read the New York Times article using the link below: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/education/edlife/03service-t.html?pagewanted=all

Have you thought about the other side of service learning? Do you think service learning hurts or helps organizations that accept student volunteers? Why? Do you think that it is important to have plans in place for both the organization and the student volunteers to optimize the learning experience? Why or why not? How is service learning a positive educational experience for students? How can it become a negative experience?