In many parts of the world, one of the most universally available international experiences is traveling the world wide web. It’s hard to believe, but the Internet and the world of ubiquitous connectivity have only gained widespread adoption within the last ten years. Yet they
Technology is part of the fabric of our students’ lives. This is the last backpack generation—the last generation of students that will need to carry backpacks around, as mobile devices start to replace the textbooks, binders, notebooks, and tools we grew up carrying (Walker). The use
Contributed by Renee Hobbs Let’s be frank: there’s a right way and a wrong way to teach digital citizenship. When people hear the term, digital citizenship, most people think of helping students to protect their privacy and be aware of their digital footprint. Educators may encourage students
Contributed by Ken Halla Change seems to be a word that strikes fear in many teachers’ minds. Perhaps it is the solitary nature of being in a room devoid of other adults. But kids are changing and doing so markedly fast. According to Shift Happens, 65% of today’s elementary
The beginning of school year has always been the reason for both excitement and—yes, I’ll admit it—a bit of dread for me. Of course, it holds so much promise. Teachers have new creative ideas up their sleeves. Students walk in the front doors with high
How Do We Have It All? How do we address both the short-term goals of preparing students for the tests as well as addressing the long term goals of preparing them for life? How do we address the need for our students to learn both the traditional
Over the past few years Makerspaces have made their way onto the educational scene. Now don’t get me wrong, I know kids have been making things formally and informally for years. It’s just nice to see that schools are jumping on the Makerspace bandwagon and
This post was originally published on Worlds of Learning. Companies valuing innovation are on the rise, therefore, it is our responsibility as educators to prepare our students for the future they will face. I recently read an article published in the Harvard Business Review titled, You Need an Innovation
The term “tech geek” seems to be more and more fashionable these days as people in educational technology celebrate that they are finally becoming part of the “cool crowd” because they can use devices, apps, etc. in ways that make the rest of us gasp.
My wife loves her vegetable garden. Michele will spend hours with her fingers in the rich soil, nurturing her tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, green beans, jalapenos, watermelon, and sweet potatoes. I love Michele’s garden too: I get to eat the produce it generates. The problem is, so