Checking for understanding in math

Checking for understanding with math concept with manipulative tools as blocks.

Charters Near Top and Bottom of California Rankings - State EdWatch - Education Week

Charters Near Top and Bottom of California Rankings - State EdWatch - Education Week

It is time we in education stop making excuses and get down to the solutions!

“Stop making excuses and start looking for solutions! There is always a way. It may not be exactly how you picture it in your head, but if you just start, you’ll get there.”―Stephenie Zamora This is a great quote, I am sure it will generate a stir with some. But it should, dropout failure rates in the 50% by a school system are not acceptably. Proficiency test scores on the state standardized test at 50% or less are not acceptable. The ethnic gap has closed in a recent report that I read from npr news. But the poverty to wealth success rate has widen no matter the ethnic group. Do you think this is what Jefferson was thinking when he fought for a free educational system? A system that allowed people of no wealth to get an education also. People have bashed the "Waiting for Superman" documentary, but the fact is no child should have to sit through a lottery system to help to seal their fate. Or if this is the case then all children rich or poor should go through this system. It reminds we of the short story,"The lottery" by Shirley Jackson where the towns people every year pick in a lottery those that would no longer be allowed to live. Yet no one stood up to say what are we doing is wrong except for a little boy. We all stand to take a little blame for this, for this is one of the greatest nations in the world. Here we set with all this technology, and ability and wealth and point fingers at the Government, Administrators,Teachers, and Parents. Well when we point fingers just remember four other ones point back at us. If we set back and watch this happen then we are as much a part of the problem. I only hope that this gets some to start to thinking about how we can fix the problems and become part of the solution. Even if it is not exactly how it needs to be. Because from that point we can continually tweak the systems to get them right.

Online Learning and Disruptive Innovation stands to revolutionize K-12 Schools

Online Learning and Disruptive Innovation stands to revolutionize K-12 Schools.


We are seeing the new trends of online learning begin to have a real impact on schools. In particular the shift from classroom-centered to student-centered learning models. What this shift means is that teachers will become facilitators of learning and organize instruction around the needs, motivations, and strengths of each child rather than only hitting some of the needs of the whole class.

As William Gibson has noted, “The future is already here — it's just not evenly distributed.” Innovative districts facing the challenges of the “new normal” will increasingly step forward to adopt some of the most promising educational technology (edtech) innovations, turning model concepts into large-scale solutions that hold promise for helping teachers to efficiently create personal learning environments for every child.

Students will increasingly direct their own learning by becoming self-starting intrinsically motivate learners. This will help to ignite their passions and interests as they chart their own learning pathways toward mastery of state standards and graduation requirements. Without a doubt personalization technologies will mature, empowering teachers to differentiate instruction down to the individual child. A child engaged and switched on to learning is a powerful force. I have experience this many times over the last 13 years while working with students as technology workers. I start by asking them the leading question of what are they interested? Is it software, hardware, or programming? We then help to build their individualized learning plan (ILP). I have seen these students go from just going through the motions of school, to becoming a very engaged learner. They have exceeded the expectations that we would have set for them by far. The final proof as they say is in the pudding. These students have all gone on to be very successful leaders in the industry of their choice.



Ultimately, this shift from nineteenth century classrooms to 21st century learning will put tremendous pressure on schools to offer more flexible instructional models — in online, blended and face-to-face instructional settings — giving students and parent greater choice for how, when and where students learn. It will change the fabric of tradition-industrialized education. It will most likely change the funding of education also. If the public educational systems want to survey paradigm shift as described in the book Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns

Clayton Christensen , Curtis W. Johnson, Michael B. Horn they will need to make great change in a short amount of time. I once heard this change described as rebuilding an airliner in flight. That would be one heck of a accomplishment. Only time will tell if we as educators have the fortitude to accomplish the task at hand or to go by the way of the east cost steel mills and the dinosaurs of becoming extinct.





Below are my top five predictions for the K-12 education sector in 2012. This is a list of predictions as released by, Compass Learning and modified by me to what changes I also see coming to a school near you.



· Personalization Hits Its Stride: As consumers experience a wider array of intelligent assistants (e.g., Siri) and recommendations engine as (e.g., Netflix) has created in the movie help selections, the demand for intelligent tutors and personalized play lists in school will grow. Innovative edtech companies will continue to work on bringing new levels of personalization to the more complex challenges of K-12 education. Early adopter schools will adapt traditional school structures to take advantage of these new personalization technologies. These schools will increasingly “go digital,” demanding new open learning environments that integrate instructional resources from multiple sources, both commercial and Open Educational Resources (OER), to support this increased personalization. As E2020, Compass learning, and Plato.



· Blended Learning Models Will Grow in Importance: Innovative districts, dioceses, and Charter Management Organizations will launch blended learning pilots within a grade level, academy, or entire school to evaluate the challenges and benefits of modifying traditional school structures to blend technology and face-to-face instruction. We’ll see schools begin to adopt staffing, scheduling and teaching delivery models that adapt to when, where and how each and every student learns. Moreover, use of online courses and instructors will continue to grow, allowing greater scheduling flexibility and choice for students and increasing access to high quality teachers and elective courses. Schools will pilot wider use of controlled social networking sites to support student collaboration, online homework help and tutoring, and online study groups.



· Teacher Effectiveness and Assessment Programs Will Mature: As teachers are the primary factor affecting student success in classrooms, districts will increasingly evaluate whether their professional development programs are helping teachers become more effective. Teacher effectiveness programs will mature, addressing concerns about validity and reliability, combining formative observations with measures of student outcomes. Innovative districts will reward highly effective teachers to keep the best teachers in the classroom.



· Technology Will Play a Major Role: As school districts look for cost-effective device strategies, tablets (BYOD) and low-cost laptops/netbooks or other 1-to-1 devices will increasingly be a part of the day-to-day solution. Moreover, as security protocols improve, districts will increasingly allow students to bring their own devices and will consider cloud-based solutions, moving instructional content, learning applications, assessment, and student work and student data to cloud-based hosting environments.





· Improved Data Interoperability Will Be Key to Achieving Next-Generation Learning Goals: Open digital learning environments, cloud-based applications, and greater personalization based on big data will require new data standards that enable applications to communicate and build on one another’s services, and enable schools, students, and parents to make sense of it all. The Gates Shared Learning Infrastructure and the IMS Instructional Innovation through Interoperability Leadership Council (I3LC) are pushing aggressively to understand these challenges and work with states, districts, and commercial developers to develop these standards.



· Budgets Will Continue to Be an Issue: State and district budgets will continue to be very tight in 2012, reflecting the new normal until the economy improves and state and local budgets improve. Districts, schools and teachers will be expected to do more with less.



This is a very stress full and exciting time for the educational sector as innovation and the move to personalized learning models really begin to take root. I tend to look at this in the light of Opportunities and Challenges, as this is all that life really can offer us. School districts will certainly be challenged to think differently in terms of how they empower teachers and design roadmaps to success for students. Those School districts that embrace change and innovation in the classroom will see the most student success and transformation in learning. As a butterfly transforms from a larva into a cocoon and then into this new amazing form of the butterfly, so could the educational system of today.

AirPlay Mirroring Demo: Apple TV Updates

Can iBooks really revolutionize the classroom?

Samsung Galaxy Note - Meet the Note

Great example of what creativity comes with a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to school.

All Kids are born geniuses,but are crushed by society itself - Michio Kaku

Scanning to email on a Konica Minolta C360/280 series copier

Finding his voice - An autistic boy finds his voice with technology.

An article on a boy with autism that had trouble communicating find his voice with modern day technology.

Click here to read the Tuscola Advertiser article.

SMARTER Balanced and PARCC to Launch New Technology Readiness Tool to Support Transition to Online Assessments Pearson to Develop and Support Open Source Tool for Evaluating School Technology and Infrastructure Readiness

SMARTER Balanced and PARCC to Launch New Technology Readiness Tool to Support Transition to Online Assessments Pearson to Develop and Support Open Source Tool for Evaluating School Technology and Infrastructure Readiness Press Release: Pearson – Tue, Jan 31, 2012 10:00 AM EST OLYMPIA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) today announced they have awarded a contract to Pearson to develop a new Technology Readiness Tool to support states as they transition to next-generation assessments. This new open source tool, with the assistance of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), will support state education agencies as they work with local education agencies to evaluate and determine needed technology and infrastructure upgrades for the new online assessments to be launched by the two consortia in the 2014-15 school year. "Online assessments offer states and school districts clear advantages, including expanded item types, timely feedback to inform instruction, and improved accommodations for students with special needs," said Joe Willhoft, Executive Director of SMARTER Balanced. "To be successful, however, careful planning and management of the transition process is a must. That’s why both consortia are working with state and local education leaders from around the country to develop this new, free tool to help states facilitate the evaluation of current technology and infrastructure for online testing." SMARTER Balanced and PARCC both received grants from the federal Race to the Top Assessment Program to work with states to create next-generation, comprehensive assessment systems. The development of the Technology Readiness Tool is one component of their initiatives to establish infrastructure and content for common online assessments. Intended to launch in spring 2012, the tool will be developed using open source technology, allowing the consortia free access to the source code. Data will be collected twice annually through 2014 to provide updated information on technology and infrastructure readiness. "Navigating any type of educational change is a complicated process and the move to online assessments brings with it great opportunities and unique challenges," said Laura Slover, Senior Vice President at Achieve, which is the project management partner for the PARCC consortium. "Both test consortia are focused on providing the tools and resources to remove any potential roadblocks for states as they move through the transition process." Both consortia are working with their member states to develop next-generation assessments that align to the new Common Core State Standards and accurately measure student progress toward college and career readiness. Use of the tool will allow local schools to capture and report key readiness indicators, including: number and type of computers; local network and bandwidth infrastructure; and local staff resources and other information needed to evaluate overall technology readiness for the coming transition to digital delivery of assessments. The consortia are collaborating with SETDA to work with Pearson to support its deployment by providing states and school districts with multiple training resources and a communications campaign. “With their investment in the development of this Technology Readiness Tool, the leaders of SMARTER Balanced and PARCC will put states and school districts on a path toward successfully implementing next-generation assessments," said Douglas Kubach, President and CEO, the Assessment and Information group of Pearson. "At Pearson we are deeply committed to contributing our vision and expertise to support the transition to online assessments.” About SMARTER Balanced The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium brings together states to create a common, innovative assessment system for mathematics and English language arts/literacy that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and helps prepare students for college and careers. The Consortium involves educators, researchers, policymakers, and community groups in a transparent and consensus-driven process to help all students thrive in a knowledge-driven global economy. The Consortium’s projects are funded through a four-year, $175 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, comprising 99 percent of activity resources, with the remaining support provided through generous contributions of charitable foundations. Membership is open to any interested U.S. state. For more information, please visit www.smarterbalanced.org. About PARCC PARCC is an alliance of states working together to develop common assessments serving nearly 25 million students. PARCC’s work is funded through a four-year, $185 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Partners include about 200 higher education institutions and systems representing hundreds of campuses across the country that will help develop the high school component of the new assessment and then put it to good use as an indicator of student readiness. PARCC is led by its member states and managed by Achieve, a nonprofit group with a 15-year track record of working with states to improve student achievement by aligning K-12 education policies with the expectations of employers and the postsecondary community. PARCC’s ultimate goal is to make sure all students graduate from high school college- and career-ready. For more information, visit www.parcconline.org About Pearson Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, has global reach and market-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing (NYSE: PSO - News). For more information about the Assessment & Information group of Pearson, visit http://www.pearsonassessments.com/. Contact: Press only: SMARTER Balanced Eddie Arnold, 202-330-6232 eddiea@ccsso.org or PARCC Chad Colby, 202-419-1570 ccolby@achieve.org or PEARSON Adam Gaber, 800-745-8489 adam.gaber@pearson.com @apgaber (twitter)

What learning must be achieved before Technology can become effective in a lesson.

What learning must be achieved 

before Technology can become effective in a lesson.

Here are four basic items that are needed to help student learn and how technology can be used to achieve these goals. If we use technology without keeping these four thing in mind when using technology, we mostly will miss the goals of students learning.

• Learning occurs in context. 
• Learning is active. 
• Learning is social. 
• Learning is reflective.

Learning Occurs in Context:

Read the following sentence: "The notes were sour because the seams split." What does it mean? Chances are that you found the sentence confusing, even though all the words are common and familiar. Now consider that the sentence is describing bagpipes and read it again. I suspect it makes much better sense now.

Without an appropriate context, comprehension and learning are difficult and unlikely to succeed very well. Keep in mind, however, that learners will attempt to make sense of anything unfamiliar, just as you attempted to make sense of that sentence. When they do so, they draw upon prior understandings and experience, but the meanings they construct may be quite different from what was intended if they cannot activate an appropriate context for learning. "Children are ignorant but not stupid: Young children lack knowledge, but they do have abilities to reason with the knowledge they understand" (National Research Council, 2000, p. 234).


Learning is Active:

Tell me, I forget.
Show me, I remember.
Involve me, I understand.
~Chinese proverb

This proverb illustrates well the importance of getting learners mentally involved in learning activities, generating connections between what they already know and what they are being asked to learn, and constructing meaning from their experiences. When students become active participants in the knowledge construction process, the focus of learning shifts from covering the curriculum to working with ideas (Scardamalia, 2002). And using technology tools "to think with" facilitates working with ideas and learning from that process.

Technology tools provide "the means through which individuals engage and manipulate both resources and their own ideas" (Hannafin, Land, Oliver, 1999, p. 128). Some kinds of technology tools can extend memory and make thinking visible. Good examples include brainstorming and concept mapping software such as Inspiration®. Others help to represent knowledge and facilitate communication. Finally, some tools enable learners to experiment with modeling complex ideas. NetLogo, for example, provides a programmable modeling environment for simulating natural and social phenomena, such as how segregated neighborhoods can arise, not from any specific bias, but from the simple desire of people to live near others who are like themselves.

Learning is Social:

Teachers have long recognized the value of having students work together in a group to accomplish some types of learning tasks. Students benefit from hearing perspectives other than their own, and they may bring different strengths to a complex and lengthy activity. 

On the other hand, a social theory of learning reflects a fundamentally different view, where knowledge "is a matter of competence with respect to valued enterprises" and knowing "is a matter of participating in the pursuit of such enterprises" (Wenger, 1998, p. 4).

Learning, then, amounts to increasing participation in and contribution to the practices of a social community. Concepts such as knowledge building, apprenticeship, and mentoring become paramount, as learners are conceived to be under the tutelage of more experienced peers or instructors.

A social view of learning focuses attention on making connections among students within a school and between students in the school and the broader community. The Internet plays a vital role in this. Students can now have "e-pals" around the world. Blogs and wikis have created enviornments for online student collaboration. With there smartphone they can video conference with tools like Skype any where in the world. The world has become a very small place. No longer do we need to get on a plane to have a face to face conversation with someone. We can do it from home or school. Learning is becoming 24 hrs a day 7 days a week,

Learning is Reflective:

we want students to experience the implications of the ideas they are studying. Thus, they might be required to work in a group, participate in a class project, contribute to a knowledge-building enterprise, and so on. We should ask students to reflect on their own learning, the functioning of their group, and the operation of the class.

Learning is facilitated when students get feedback about their thinking, whether that feedback comes from within, a teacher, or a peer. Then provided with the opportunity for revision, students can achieve at higher levels and reach deeper understandings. Technologies that promote communication within and outside the classroom make it easier for feedback, reflection, and revision to occur. Many of the technology examples presented above facilitate reflection in the dialogue that they promote among learners. Where dialogue or discussion is not inherent in the tool, teachers bear the responsibility of initiating and guiding it. Frame works of learning are important to keep the learning on track and guided.


A Few Parting Thoughts about Technology and Learning

Technology by itself does not guarantee learning. Rather, it is in how teachers and students use available technologies that determines whether transformative learning happens. Or they can explore the power of technology to help learners achieve important outcomes. Understanding principles of learning is a good way to begin. Technology needs to be integrated as a simple tool, Nothing more then a pencil. Students don't have to have a week long lecture on how to use a pencil. They pick it up and write with it. So is the same with effective technology it become so simple and integrated in to the systems that you just pick it up and use it. If it is to complex in gets in the way of the learning.

References and Further Reading

Alliance for Childhood. (2000). "Fools' Gold: A Critical Look at Computers and Childhood."

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1992). "The Jasper Experiment: An Exploration of Issues in Learning and Instructional Design." Educational Technology Research & Development, 40, 65-80.

Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1997). The Jasper Project: Lessons in Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Professional Development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Driscoll, M. P. (2000). Psychology of Learning for Instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn Bacon

Duffy, T. M., & Cunningham, D. J. (1996). "Constructivism: Implications for the Design and Delivery of Instruction." In D. H. Jonassen (Ed.), Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology. New York: Macmillan.

Hannafin, M., Land, S. Oliver, K. (1999). "Open Learning Environments: Foundations, Methods, and Models." In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory (Vol. II, pp. 115-140). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Honebein, P. C. (1996). "Seven Goals for the Design of Constructivist Learning Environments." In B. G. Wilson (Ed.), Constructivist Learning Environments: Case Studies in Instructional Design. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Jonassen, D. H., & Land, S. M. (Eds.). (2000). Theoretical Foundations of Learning Environments.Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

LaJoie, S. P. (Ed.). (2000). Computers as Cognitive Tools, Vol. II. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

National Research Council. (2000). How People Learn. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Pea, R. D., Gomez, L. M., Edelson, D.C., Fishman, B. J., Gordin, D. N., O'Neill, D. K. (1997). "Science Education as a Driver of Cyberspace Technology Development." In K. C. Cohen (Ed.) Internet Links for Science Education: Student-Scientist Partnerships (pp. 189-220). New York: Plenum.

Scardamalia, M. (April, 2002). "Creative work with ideas: A luxury?" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Can iBooks really revolutionize the classroom?

Apple takes on education with its revamped iBooks platform and iTunes U. You'll be drooling over the idea of a DVR in the Apple TV, and we check out more iPad rumors.

Who Is Responsible for Student Achievement?

Here is an interesting article from the prospective of Teacher, Parents and administrators. Who is right and maybe we all just have to start to communicate to fix the problems in education.

Who Is Responsible for Student Achievement?

Companion PowerPro PA919PS

• Use as a stand alone or support PA
• treble, bass, master volume controls
• Wired or wireless connections
• Rechargeable battery 6 hours on a single charge
• Works while recharging
• Switched/unswitched speakers out
• Recessed controls with steel skid guards
• Rugged 3.5 wheels on ¼ steel axles
• 16 channel wireless receiver in 900 MHz
• 3 lights for visual confirmation on front
• Works with Q319 & M319 wireless mics
• Signals power, RF, & AF reception
• Receives from PA919 & PA919SD

PA419 Wireless Mic and PA Operation

• First turn the unit on
• Turn on wireless mic receiver
• Mic volume set to no more than 12 o'clock
• WS-T ; 16-channel must be set to same channel as the PA
• 2nd wireless mic must be set to another channel
• WS-T; use as a wireless mic or transmit from a computer

Explorer Headphone Series

We have really like these headset and so do the student.

Explorer Headphone Series
Versatile & rugged headphone
Converts stereo/mono with cord
Cord options ¼" mono to 3.5mm stereo
Steel backed headstrap with dual headbands
Easy clean cushions and slotted earcup baffles
Ideal for stereo computer lab uses Also you can get replacement head cord for them. http://www.todaysclassroom.com/telex-ca-102-headset-replacement-cord/

iPad 3 - Next Generation

SMART Boards Why are they so easy to use?

SMART Board 8070i interactive display system for business

First steps - How to use an Interactive Whiteboard - clip 3

Annotating Images - How to use an Interactive Whiteboard - clip 6

Working with Images - How to use an Interactive Whiteboard - clip 5

The toolbox - How to use an Interactive Whiteboard - clip 4

How to use an Interactive Whiteboard

Teaching English with an IWB

Using Easiteach for Maths lessons

Easiteach Next Generation - Basic Intro

Video on what easiteach software solution is and what it can do for you.

Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemote

Low-Cost Multi-touch Whiteboard using the Wiimote

5 Tips and Tricks for the SmartBoard

Do you really need a smart board or just some good software.

TEDxManhattanBeach - Karen Hunter Quartz - Empowering the Student to be ...

Talk title: Empowering the student to be an independent learner

Every year as high school kids approach college application season, we advise them that yes, grade point averages and SAT scores are important - but what colleges really want is self-directed, passionate learners. What if we designed a school that from kindergarten showed that kids were just that? In 2009 UCLA partnered with local community groups and the Los Angeles Unified School District to create a charter-like school near downtown Los Angeles. This school combines inspired teachers who understand the community with new ePortfolio platforms that allow students to track their educational progress over time. Young people like Janice Ninez can easily fall through the cracks in huge, impersonal high schools. When she transferred to the UCLA Community School, a teacher asked Janice, "How can I make this class better for you?" and in that moment turned her from a failing student into one who was inspired to learn. Great teachers, and tools like personalized ePortfolio platforms can help students find their voice, capture their intellectual identity and direct their own learning.

Karen Quartz is the Director of Research and Communications at UCLA's Center X, and Director of Research and Development at the UCLA Community School, a K-12 public school in Local District 4 of the Los Angeles Unified School District. She earned her Ph.D. in Education from UCLA in 1994 and has served as a researcher at the University of California, San Diego and UCLA's Institute for Democracy. Karen's interests and scholarship focus on the career development and retention of urban educators, the use of research to improve practice, and the creation of small democratic schools.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxManhattanBeach, where x = independently organized TED event. At our TEDxManhattanBeach event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

Schools connecting to the Community with Internet Six Minutes with Lev Gonick

Inner city Cleveland sees 500 Mpbs of Internet to home.

Edmodo Splainers

How to create a quiz

Learn how to create quizzes on Edmodo

Edmodo at a glance

Learn how Edmodo can help make your classroom a community

Jennifer Feck: Mimio Featured Educator

Mimio is excited to feature fifth grade teacher, Jennifer Feck! We noticed Jennifer when her assistant principal tweeted about her creative use of the Mimio Recorder in her classroom. Listen to Jennifer talk about how she uses the Mimio Recorder to support absent students, involve parents, and assist substitute teachers. Thank you, Jennifer, for inspiring us with your resourcefulness!

EBeam Edge USB

The eBeam Edge system includes a sleek receiver with lightning-fast response time and pixel-perfect precision. It works with the ergonomic eBeam stylus, designed for natural and comfortable writing, drawing and computer navigation. The eBeam LiveWire adaptor with built-in software and memory storage allows any PC to operate the eBeam system without installing special software. eBeam Edge works with standard projectors, Windows® computers, all Microsoft Office applications, industry-specific software tools and more. Using the new eBeam Workspace™ software, mark up anything projected from your computer and bring to life PowerPoint presentations, documents and web pages. Digitally capture handwritten notes and easily distribute or pull them up again later. Make sure that the whole team is on board by sharing this content in real time while collaborating with colleagues anywhere in the world at no additional cost. Available at http://Touchboards.com

Easiteach Next Generation - Basic Intro

eBeam Interactive Education Solution

Interactive White Board Solutions - Enhance Classroom Communication
eBeam Interactive White board Products: Enhance classroom communications with the leading portable, retrofittable interactive white board solution.

Hitachi - IWB

Interactive White Boards (IWB)by Hitachi

How to download Aldiko to your Kindle Fire

This step-by-step tutorial will walk you through downloading the Aldiko eReading application to your Kindle Fire

John Baldoni: Playing the Urgency Card

Urgency may be the most over-used word in management. Executives need to be careful when labeling issues as urgent to avoid creating unnecessary work and to keep employees focused on what is truly important

John Baldoni: Senior Leader Coaching Insights

Senior Leader Coaching Insights is a collection of 2-minute videos designed to help senior executives manage and lead more effectively.
Management is about delivering on objectives. Leadership is about fulfilling expectations. Senior executives need to do both well.
These shared insights are insightful as well as actionable. In other words, no theory, just practice.

John Baldoni: Replacing a Missing Star

When a superstar performer leaves, the leader must create opportunities for others to become stars.

Aleph Molinari - Bridging the Digital Divide

Bridging the Digital Divide there is still 5 Billion people don't have access to the world wide web.

Why we should allow YouTube for Schools into our classrooms

YouTube for Schools lets schools access free educational YouTube videos while limiting access to other YouTube content. Students can learn from more than 400,000 educational videos, from well-known organizations like Stanford, PBS and TED, and from up-and-coming YouTube partners with millions of views, like Khan Academy, Steve Spangler Science and numberphile. Schools can also customize their YouTube for Schools experience, adding videos that are only viewable within their school network.

Visit http://YouTube.com/Schools to learn more and sign up today.

Everything You Thought You Knew About Learning Is Wrong | GeekDad | Wired.com

Everything You Thought You Knew About Learning Is Wrong

Here is an interesting article on learning and how we may not want to focus on one skill to long when learning a new skill. But instead do it for a while then try another skill. He use an analogy of learning to play tennis. Start out by doing some serves then jump into working on back hand then on your backhand. Click the link about to learn more about this brain research.

Midwest Education Technology Conference

Register Now!

Midwest Education Technology Conference
February 13-15, 2012
Motivate, Engage, Transform, Connect = Innovate

St. Charles Convention Center
St. Louis, MO

http://metcconference.org/moodle2012/

A Swarm of Nano Quadrotors

HAL 9000 is a character in Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction Space Odyssey saga does this ring a bell.... Is this how it all starts. :-)