Saturday, February 28, 2009

Pocket Learning

Raised Digital: Pocket Learning: Getting closer to a mLearning reality for P-20?
Districts have got to stop banning cell phones in school. I implore schools and districts need to take a close look at their current policy on student cell phones. When was the current policy adopted? How was cell phone usage different then than it is now? What are stakeholders concerns about student cell phone usage? What are the potential benefits to allowing kids to use phones in school? Is it possible that students could take advantage of cell phones as data collection devices, ubiquitous connections to the Internet and tools for socially constructing knowledge? If they answer to any of these questions is yes, then it might be time to adjust your policy for 2009 and beyond.


Friday, February 27, 2009

Network Literacy

I was using twitter and Howard Rheingold posted a link to this video he made - perfect!
Thanks Howard!

How to Handle Cell Phone Use

As I investigate for an upcoming presentation - I am heartened by the occasional response to a post.

New Innovations Show How Mobile Devices Can Be Helpful To Learning... Just Not In Pennsylvania | Techdirt
Yeah, let's put cell phones in the same category as cigarettes. Ban student websites, too. They require new management techniques that the old model is just too tired to handle. Frankly, innovation is too darn disruptive for education. We have to teach the basics. Ban electricity. It's made students soft.


Thursday, February 19, 2009

Mobile Phones in Education

Interesting article!

Top News - Conference explores benefits of mobile learning
Smart phones and other ultra-portable devices represent the future of ed tech, speakers say


Monday, February 16, 2009

Siftables

I enjoy the TEDTalks that come my way via iTunes - and once again this one blew me away.

David Merrill demos Siftables, the smart blocks | Video on TED.com
Siftables, the toy blocks that think


Thursday, February 12, 2009

Online Whiteboard - lets get going doing some work together

Seems like a good way to work together - som many good Web 2.0 apps - so little time

Dabbleboard - Online whiteboard for drawing & team collaboration
Dabbleboard is an online collaboration application that’s centered around the whiteboard. With a new type of drawing interface that's actually easy and fun to use, Dabbleboard gets out of your way and just lets you draw.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Online game and Middle School Math

Labyrinth
Lure of the Labyrinth
is a product of the Learning Games to Go (LG2G) project, funded by a Star Schools grant from the U.S. Department of Education, spearheaded by Maryland Public Television (MPT).


Sunday, February 08, 2009

A web 2.0 Newspaper Mashup

Newseum | Today's Front Pages | Map View
The Newseum displays these daily newspaper front pages in their original, unedited form. Some front pages may contain material that is objectionable to some visitors. Viewer discretion is advised.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

AUP for Web 2.0

With the emergence of Web 2.0 and tools of collaboration, many schools struggle with their AUP and blocking of valuable collaboration sites - here are some examples of schools who are reviewing their AUP's and updating to include the changes occurring around us.

AUP For New Web Tools

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

We all should have some fun

Animoto Valentine's Day Greetings
Three easy steps to create an
Animoto Valentine's Day greeting

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners

I have looked at some of these tools in the past - and it's worth revisiting them as well as seeing new ones.

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners : February 2009 : THE Journal
Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners

by Chris Riedel

Gail Lovely is adamant about the nature and potential of Web-based learning tools. "Web 2.0 is about trust," she said at a recent talk. "It's about sharing and collaborating." And, she insisted, it's about putting the power to learn and create in the hands of the students.

Technology needs to trickle up, she said, not down. We need to give the most powerful tools to the most vulnerable populations because they are the ones who need it. "Young learners, non-readers," she continued, "need high-speed access, they need animation and graphics and sound. And that's the truth."

Monday, February 02, 2009

Teaching with Blogs and Wikis

An article worth reading on the new technologies and learning
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb09/vol66/num05/Learning_with_Blogs_and_Wikis.aspx

February 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 5
How Teachers Learn    Pages 34-38

Learning with Blogs and Wikis

Bill Ferriter

Technology has made it easy for educators to embrace continual professional development.

Few ideas about teachers' professional growth resonate with me more than those of Richard Elmore, professor of educational leadership at Harvard, who has gone as far as to argue that school structures make learning for adults unlikely at best and nothing short of impossible at worst.

Top 10 Free Web 2.0 Tools for Educators

I have not seen Prezl - but this presentation is in it and very intersting

http://prezi.com/4952/