"Powered up, self-directed students" using digital tools "to lead their learning" is how Leslie Wilson, CEO of the One to One Institute describes what Digital Learning Day (today, Feb. 6) needs to be about in her commentary "Connected Students and Agency." It's that blend of agency (self-directed participation or action) and connected technology that New York Times columnist Tom Friedman says has … [Read more...] about Making Digital Learning Day meaningful
ed tech
1 iPad per student: Experiments in 2 states
Greater student engagement and higher test scores are the results teachers are reporting, since hundreds of California middle school students started using school-issued iPads, eSchool News reports. In the four-district pilot, the students are "using curriculum apps for their classwork and homework" in a variety subjects, including language arts and math. One district told eSchool News that "90.5% … [Read more...] about 1 iPad per student: Experiments in 2 states
Toward social media tools in school
You all may have noticed I'm a strong proponent of educational social media in school – in the core curriculum, pre-K-12. Why? So students can not only collaborate in basic civic engagement (the class being a tiny community in which they're engaging) and maybe broader participation beyond the classroom, but also practice media, tech, and social literacy (citizenship) while they're in core classes. … [Read more...] about Toward social media tools in school
About that NYT piece (‘Growing Up Digital’)…
The headline's same-old-same-old, but the article's really worth reading: "Growing Up digital, Wired for Distraction" in the New York Times. Don't miss it. Here's why: 1. What conclusions are we drawing? Writer Matt Richtel found an amazing student, principal, and school to feature (Vishal Singh, Mr. Reilly, and Woodside High School in northern California). Try reading Vishal's story at the … [Read more...] about About that NYT piece (‘Growing Up Digital’)…
iPads at school
It sounds like iPads-at-school isn't ready for prime time yet, but Fraser Speirs, a school tech director by day and Mac software developer by night, has successfully launched a program at his private school in Scotland and chronicled his experience here. Speirs is pioneering an iPads program at Cedars of School of Excellence, a private K-12 school in Greenock, Scotland (about 26 miles west of … [Read more...] about iPads at school