School leaders say planning is key to success of technology programs Speakers at the International Society for Technology in Education conference on Tuesday told attendees about the ways they are using education technology to improve learning. In one North Carolina district, educators are using mobile devices to further math instruction, having students complete practice problems and other work on tablets. The Chicago school system also has distributed tablet computers to fifth-grade students. School leaders' advice to attendees was that such programs can be successful as long as they are accompanied by careful planning. Education Week/Digital Education blog (6/25)
| 4 free Web 2.0 tools to improve collaborative projects Teachers often assign collaborative projects that involve poster board, glue and other tangible materials, but free online tools offer some alternatives to traditional collaborative project design, educator Julie Joyner writes in this article where she highlights four free tools. For example, Glogster allows students to add audio, video, text and other graphics to a blank canvas, and Voicethread allows for considerable feedback from peers and teachers via a Webcam, microphone, keyboard or telephone. T.H.E. Journal (6/25) How to determine if lessons align with science standards As some schools start to implement the Next Generation Science Standards, teachers will need to determine how their current lessons stack up to the standards, educators Fred Ende and Adam Percival write in this blog post. "[A]lignment to the Next Generation Science Standards is a complex topic, and will likely mean very different things to different people," they write. "However, alignment must mean more than just 'checking boxes' or a simple 'crosswalk' from old standards to new." SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (6/26) Other News | Why iPad programs don't always succeed Your school has purchased iPads for the classroom. Now what? In this commentary, Lee Badman, who works at Syracuse University as a network architect and adjunct instructor, writes about common pitfalls that can sink schools' iPad programs. Among his tips to overcoming such challenges are to define the purpose of the iPads early on, adopt one-to-one programs to help hold students' attention, ensure the focus is on quality teaching rather than using the devices and install a quality network that can handle the influx of new devices. InformationWeek (6/24)
ISTE speaker advocates for professional development Professional development is key to the success of classroom technology, according to 2013 Superintendent of the Year Mark Edwards, who spoke at the International Society for Technology in Education conference. "I've seen a lot of districts around the country that think just passing out a piece of hardware is going to make a difference," he said. "The professional development is the life blood of this," he added. The final day of the conference, Wednesday, also featured a "pitch fest," in which the top prize went to LearnZillion, a firm that provides professional development aligned with the Common Core State Standards. San Antonio Express-News (6/26) Other News | Report: U.S. spends more per student than other countries The U.S. in 2010 spent more than $11,000 per elementary-school student, more than $12,000 per high-school student and a total of about $15,171 per each young person in the educational system -- the highest spending of any developed country, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In its annual report, released Tuesday, the organization also states that novice and experienced teachers in the U.S. earn more than their peers in many other countries, though salaries in the U.S. are growing at a slower rate than those in some countries. CBS News/The Associated Press (6/25) | Can giveaways help schools gain a social media following? Suffolk University is reporting a successful initiative in which it offered students free tank tops after they signed up for one of the school's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. Following the offer, the university reported the highest gains in its Instagram followers, which increased 26%. The lowest gain was on LinkedIn, which saw an increase of less than 1% of the school's connections. BostInno (Boston) (6/26) | Nielsen: Snapchat isn't just for teens About 8 million adults use the disappearing-image sharing application Snapchat in the U.S., though they are likely still the minority, according to Nielsen data. The social net for sending photos or videos that disappear after a few seconds is widely thought to be populated by teens sending images under the presumption that those pictures won't be stored or shared later. In any case, the company's 200 million snaps a day put it in Facebook's league and justifies the company's $800 million valuation, Jennifer Van Grove writes. CNET/Internet & Media blog (6/25) |  | To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity." -- Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher | | Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions. | | Publisher, Education Group: Joe Riddle P: 202.407.7857 ext. 228 | | | | |
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