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Think that integrating technology into the classroom will only distract students and marginalize educators?

Think again. Since students are already interested and engaged in technology, teachers can harness that attention for educational purposes. Incorporating the internet, laptops, tablets and even smartphones into the curriculum has many benefits for teachers and students alike.

1. Engages students and creates active learners.

Using a computer, tablet, or other device encourages self-directed learning and creates an active participant in the learning process, rather than the passive learners found in a lecture environment. Interactive lesson plans can help turn "boring" conceptual subjects like math and science into fun, engaging, and educational activities for students.

2. Encourages individual learning and growth.

No one learns in the same way or at the same pace, but technology can level-set the classroom. For example, technology can provide accommodations for struggling or disabled students, and virtual lesson plans provide individualized instruction for all. Students can learn at their own speed, reviewing difficult concepts or skipping ahead as needed. Additionally, access to the internet gives students access to a broad range of resources to conduct research.
Ready to get started? Four steps to take to help you prepare a 1:1 classroom.
3. Facilitates peer collaboration.

In a research project conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, many educators reported that technology facilitated peer collaboration. They noted that when students were assigned to small groups for technology-based projects, those students who already had certain computer and technology skills routinely assisted less skilled students. Peer tutoring, mentoring, and collaboration were the unexpected results of the technology integration.

4. Prepares students for the real world.

Technology is an integral part of how we work and live, every day. Teaching students how to use technology to learn, research, collaborate, and solve problems from an early age will better prepare them for their careers. It can also help reduce the fear of new technology in the future by familiarizing them with the discovery process for each new tool.

5. Creates more engaged and successful teachers.

Using technologies like virtual lesson plans and internet resources can help free up time - both in developing and delivering the curriculum. This allows teachers to spend more time with the students who are struggling, ensuring the whole class is better prepared for tests and advancement.

As an educator, integrating technology into the curriculum is key. In other words, don't just add a piece of technology to a lesson plan just because you can. Make sure you understand:

How to use the technology

How to train students on using the technology

How the technology supports your curriculum

What benefits the technology brings to your lesson

An easy way to introduce technology is to start small. Try using a document camera to project textbook images on a screen, or introduce a website a week that corresponds with your lesson plan.

The point is not to let technology take over your classroom, but to integrate it. Traditional teaching processes like lectures, writing papers, and analog testing should not be abandoned. When combined effectively with the methods you're used to, technology can help you and help your students.
Capella University offers over 20 free professional development courses focused on educational technology, with options in three proficiency levels: limited technology experience, moderate experience, or teacher leaders/PD professionals.

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5 Reasons to Incorporate Technology into Your Classroom

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Think that integrating technology into the classroom will only distract students and marginalize educators? Think again. Since students are already interested and engaged in technology, teachers can harness that attention for educational purposes. Incorporating the internet, laptops, tablets and even smartphones into the curriculum has many benefits for teachers and students alike.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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An Introduction to Technology Integration

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We live in a digital world where everything evolves rapidly. What's considered new and modern today can be old and obsolete tomorrow. That seems to go for almost everything in our lives as teachers as well, but one of the areas where we are seeing the most drastic evolution is definitely technology.

The marriage of classroom and technology does not really come as a surprise. As students began relying more and more on their digital sidekicks to get through the day, teachers have had to find a way to meet them in the middle. So it is relatively safe to say that the latest inventions have enabled us to start improving the traditional educational system, and will undoubtedly provide us with progressively engaged classrooms in the future.

The opinions on this subject are still divided. Some say that the change in educational trends is for the better, others for the worse. In the end, what's important is that both sides agree the future course of education involves using some type of technology.

To keep pace with the current trends, we need to show our students that we are not outdated. We need to use the latest tech tools as well-and not just to be able to engage our students and make knowledge more fun for them, but also to make life easier for us.

If we pay close attention to what exactly makes our students happy, it's pretty clear that it's the new and dynamic (and fun) ways of learning that engage them most. So the logical conclusion would be to find new and effective ways of preparing and delivering lectures that students would find amusing and more challenging. If you think about it, it's a win-win situation.

Here are five tips that can help you kickstart your classroom tech integration:

1. Create class groups on social networks. As an ESL teacher, I always strived to create a meaningful connection between myself and my students. The end goal is always to overcome the usual teacher-student paradigms and focus on positive engagement by establishing stronger relationships.

One way of doing this is to create closed class groups on social networks that enable everyone to freely communicate outside of the classroom. Also, check out apps like Remind that provide a different angle on teacher-student communication. In short, create a team atmosphere and use social networks to help you out.

2. Reuse old worksheets. Don't throw away all of your paper just yet! An important part of using teacher technology integration is to make your job easier as well. Creating new assignments every time can be exhausting and time consuming. Thankfully, the new wave of web productivity tools enables us to simply repurpose old worksheets without manually retyping them.

For converting scanned PDFs to Word I mainly used this free online OCR tool, but for more complex document conversions it's better to stick with a complex desktop tool, such as Able2Extract 10.

3. Record your lectures online. Fun fact: most students today love to watch videos. Therefore, educators can use video platforms to kick our lessons up a notch as well. Two tools you should check out are:

TED-Ed is an online lessons repository that allows teachers to create their own video lessons and help students learn in a more interactive way. Lesson records can be really useful for distance learning as well.

TeacherTube is a one stop online shop for free user generated educational videos from around the world. So you don't need to reinvent the wheel every time-you can find exactly what you're looking for with a quick search. Plus you never know-recording your lectures for online use might help you improve your game as well.

4. Create case studies. Delivering boring, routine lectures is simply not doing the job anymore (to be honest, I don't think it ever did). The way to improve our students' performance in life is to get them to think and come up with different solutions to various problems.

Traditional pedagogy will not help here since it doesn't really involve team work. To develop students' analytical thinking and problem solving skills, we need to create different case studies that place students in "real-life" situations. Try using this case study guide to get started. Step outside the box and you will undoubtedly fulfill your mission as an educator.

5. Create educational games and quizzes. Some teachers have already embraced the fact that students can actually learn through fun lectures and are making the most of it. You can do so as well. There are tools made especially for tackling this task, such as KaHoot. KaHoot is a tool that assesses students' knowledge and encourages them to learn through playing games. Be sure to also check out free tools that can help create quizzes through which students can learn, compete and play at the same time.

Bill Gates once said that technology is just a tool, and in terms of getting kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is most important. Hopefully, these five tips can help you make the first step in that direction.

For more, see:
Maria Petrovska is a digital marketing manager for Investintech.com and a former ESL teacher. Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive the weekly Smart Update

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5 Tips To Kickstart Your Classroom Technology Integration

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We live in a digital world where everything evolves rapidly. What's considered new and modern today can be old and obsolete tomorrow. That seems to go for almost everything in our lives as teachers as well, but one of the areas where we are seeing the most drastic evolution is definitely technology.

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Think About It... Consider the following scenario: If you were going to see a doctor and the doctor said, "I've been really busy since I got out of medical school, and so I'm going to treat you with the techniques I learned back then," how would you feel? For anyone, this would be quite the shocking response, and yet, according to Chris Dede, a professor of learning technologies at Harvard University, "there are a lot of faculty who say with a straight face, 'I don't need to change my teaching,' as if nothing has been learned about teaching since they had been prepared to do it-if they've ever been prepared to" (Young, 2010). Dede created the aforementioned scenario in order to argue and assert that "clinging to outdated teaching practices amounts to educational malpractice" (Young, 2010). In order to avoid teaching 19th century lessons in a 21st century classroom, teachers must be willing to revisit lesson plans and the ways in which they execute those plans.
Overview of Topic
In recent years, education has drastically changed; as education changes, teachers too must change. Essentially, teachers must be willing to adapt and modify the curriculum to best suit students living and growing in this changing world of education. In order to better prepare students for a competitive economy, teachers must embrace technology and the benefits technology offers today's classroom. In the past, classrooms sizes were smaller and allowed teachers to monitor and focus on students more diligently. Also, classrooms of the past were composed of students taught at a singular achievement level; little attention was fixated on whether or not teachers were practicing differentiated teaching styles. Consequently, teachers maintained the ability to work at a more consistent rate and focus on one, primary lesson plan. Lastly, few standards emphasized diverse teaching styles or required teachers to accommodate students with multiple learning abilities. Today, however, classrooms are overfilled, and many teachers are attempting to adapt as best they can to students and standards that uphold high demands and high canons. Many teachers in the 21st century are instructing students who are ever-ready to be challenged and are functioning at an advanced level in regards to technology. A good 21st century teacher is one who is consistently aware of his or her students, and one way of achieving this goal is by functioning well in a classroom that practices differentiated learning through the use of technology. Teachers of the 21st century must maintain a great sense of awareness and preparedness in order to teach students through the use of technology in the classroom-a skill that students will still value and maintain throughout their adult lives. Teaching in a 21st century classroom translates to accommodating an ever-changing student population that is a result of an ever-changing world. Eric Sheninger, Principal at New Milford High School in New Jersey, declares "it is naïve to think that kids raised online will respond to school the same way as previous generations" (Toppo, 2011). Today's students are bored with the traditional classroom, and teachers must use available technological resources as an opportunity to skillfully engage students with technology. Through the use of various teaching methods (i.e. integrating technology into the classroom on a regular basis as opposed to a traditional lecture-based classroom) and a perpetual awareness of student needs, today's teachers can teach in a more effective and engaging manner.

How is Technology Helpful in the Classroom?
Technology fuels the lives of today's students, and these same students are addicted to quick and easy accessibility to information, multi-tasking, and entertainment. Using technology within the classroom (e.g. SmartBoards, iPads, cell phones, laptops) allows students to participate actively in the classroom, making conscious choices about how to create and relay information. Moreover, when technology is used as a classroom tool, the students play an active role in defining their own goals and evaluating their progress-a continuous process of self-reflection. Rather than withdrawing knowledge from the teacher, textbook, or other teaching tool (like one might withdraw money from a bank), students using technology in the classroom learn to collaborate more with their peers and develop communication skills while creating knowledge of their own. "Technology offers opportunities for learner-control, increased motivation, connections to the real world, and data-driven assessments tied to content standards that, when implemented systematically, enhance student achievement as measured in a variety of ways, including but not limited to standardized achievement tests. Working in an appropriately designed technology-rich environment has the potential of producing a variety of positive outcomes: improved patterns of social interaction, changes in teaching styles, more effective teaching, increased student (and perhaps, teacher) motivation, and enhanced student learning" (Earle, 2002). According to Earle, when teachers effectively integrate technology into the classroom, teachers then maintain an opportunity to assess content in a variety of ways that does not bore students. Also, today's teachers must help prepare students for a competitive world market in which today's students will later be expected to maintain a well-developed understanding of technology because many professions are technology-centered. Using technology in the classroom teaches students to function in a "technology-rich environment" (as Earle puts it). Ultimately, integrating technology into the classroom allows teachers to perform the role of a facilitator rather than a dictator. Should teachers integrate technology into the classrooms, students maintain the ability to develop a greater sense of self-confidence; as a result, students will hold a higher stake in their education-a goal for which all schools strive.

Is This a Trend or an Issue?
Argument for Trend
Because the word "issue" is connoted with similar words such as "problem" or "dilemma," the act of integrating technology into the classroom is not classified as an issue; the topic in and of itself is not a problem that requires a solution. Instead, integrating technology into the classroom proves to be a current trend in today's educational world because of its causational nature. The world in which today's teachers and students live is one that maintains a high focus on technology and its ability to enhance the quality of life. As a result, today's students are expected to learn and execute skills in regards to various forms of technology in order to be well-rounded citizens. According to Chris Lehmann, principal of Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, "Being literate [today] means being digitally literate" (Toppo, 2011). While many trends (e.g. fashion trends) exist temporarily, technology is not likely a trend that will eventually become extinct. As technology continues to fuel the world economy, it will also sustain a high level of importance in education.

Argument for Issue
While many teachers understand and acknowledge students learn in different manners, the lack of technology integrated into the classroom is an issue and great problem that exists within education. Many teachers are unwilling to adapt teaching styles based on the changing world of education. Teachers' failure to acclimate to students' needs (in this case, through the use of integrating technology) may be due, in part, to a teacher's resistance to change. Teachers who have been teaching for many years are often unwilling to change their teaching style because of how well their teaching style has worked for so many years. Another reason teachers may be unwilling to adapt teaching styles by using technology within the classroom is because teachers do not have enough technology training and are insecure in their ability to integrate technology into the classroom. As technology continues to develop, teachers are expected to sustain a current knowledge and use that knowledge to reach the students. However, some teachers may be apprehensive and feel unable to maintain this type of knowledge and transfer that knowledge to their students. While many schools and districts offer technology-based seminars and courses, these types of trainings focus more on the technology itself and less on how to integrate that technology into the classroom in an effective manner. "After 25 years of having computers in schools, we still lack an approach that ensures teachers truly understand the benefits and appropriate uses of computers for instruction and that teachers actually use technology as part of teaching and learning" (Burns, 2010). Teachers may also be unwilling to allow students to bring and execute technology within the classroom for fear of distraction. Many students may be more distracted by technology than they are fueled by technology, and teachers acknowledge this issue. Students like Sami Birmingham-Babauta, a kinesiology major, admits to the likelihood of how technology might distract students: "While I'm in class and I'm looking at the PowerPoints or Moodle, I might end up looking at something else, go on Instagram or something I shouldn't be on during class" (Kilgore, 2013). This problem leads to a level of distrust on the teacher's behalf. Lastly, today's students must learn to perform well in all subject areas without a complete dependence upon technology. If teachers integrate technology into the classroom on a daily basis and do not require students to use critical thinking skills to perform cognitive tasks, students may become too reliant upon technology and its ability to solve problems in place of the human brain itself.

Another issue in regards to integrating technology into the classroom refers to today's financial crisis. Fiscally, integrating technology into the classroom would prove costly. At privileged schools, students are likely to possess their own forms of technology that can be brought to class. In this case, teachers can ask students to sign a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) agreement that allows students to use their technology in the classroom while maintaining social integrity. At an underprivileged school, however, students are not likely to possess their own personal forms of technology, and the school (or district) would be required to provide various forms of technology for the students if the goal is to make classrooms more technology-friendly. "Students in underserved communities are more likely to use computers for drill-and-practice and integrated learning system lessons, while students in other communities are more likely to use computers to support inquiry-based, project-based, and collaborative learning. The difference is very significant: for the first group, the computer is in control and leads the students through the lessons, while in the second group the students are controlling computers for their own purposes" (Kleiman, 2000). Considering the current budget crisis, the idea of having tablets or personal computers for every student in every class does not seem practical or possible.

Ideas for Integrating Technology Into the Classroom:

Allow students to re-enact significant ideas and theories by making a video and utilizing editing software
Video editing softwares: Microsoft Movie Maker, Apple iMovie

Download a copy of a proposal focused on this trend/issue in education here:
Annotated Bibliography:

Burns, M. (2010, September). How to help teachers use technology in the classroom: The 5j approach. eLearn Magazine, Retrieved from http://elearnmag.acm.org/featured.cfm?aid=1865476This article discusses the practical application of technology in the classroom through the use of the "5J Approach." The 5Js are as follows: job-related, just enough, just in time just in case, just try it.

Earle, R. (2002, January). The integration of instructional technology into public education: Promises and challenges. ET Magazine, 42(1), 5-13. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic87187.files/Earle02.pdfThis article discusses the current state of technology's role in the classroom and the potential advantages and disadvantages of integrating technology into the classroom.

Kilgore, S. (2013, March 05). More technology in classroom could affect students and teachers. Daily Sundial. Retrieved from http://sundial.csun.edu/2013/03/more-technology-in-classroom-could-affect-students-and-teachers/This article discusses how iPads and similar technologies affect both students and teachers by considering both the advantages and disadvantages of having tablets (like iPads) in the classroom on a daily basis.

Kleiman, G. (2001). Myths and realities about technology in k-12 schools. LNT Perspective, (14), 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.sfu.ca/educ260/documents/myths.pdfThis article examines the role of technology in all subject areas and details many myths about how technology is used in education.

Toppo, G. (2011, July 25). Social media find place in classroom. USA Today. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-07-24-schools-social-media_n.htmThis article discusses the ways in which social media can be used in a classroom to reach a new generation of 21st century students.

Young, J. (2012, July 24). Reaching the last technology holdouts at the front of the classroom. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/College-20-Reaching-the-Last/123659/This article discusses the idea the reasons behind why many veteran teachers struggle to integrate technology into the classroom and how education must adapt to the ways current students learn.

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Integrating Technology into the Classroom

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Think About It... Consider the following scenario: If you were going to see a doctor and the doctor said, "I've been really busy since I got out of medical school, and so I'm going to treat you with the techniques I learned back then," how would you feel?

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In today's mobile-centric, always connected school environments, keeping up with new technology trends can have a major impact on your continued ability to offer your students the education they want and need.

Schools now recognize the influence wireless and mobile technologies are having on their students as well as how it's shaping new ways of thinking and teaching. More colleges and universities are starting to get on board with utilizing newer learning methods for higher education that are targeted to how students want to learn and what are most effective for them to succeed not only in the classroom but after they graduate.

In order to modernize their campuses for today's digital-native students, many schools are continuing to increase investments in technology related to learning. In fact, funding for educational technology jumped 55% in 2014 and will only increase year-over-year, according to CB Insights.

In addition, Global Industry Analysts (GIA) puts the global e-learning market at $107 billion by the end of 2015, driven by technological advancements and demand for additional skills influenced by wireless and mobile.

But what exactly are the educational technology trends that have been making the biggest waves lately?

To help you continue to offer the latest opportunities to your students here's a list of the top 7 classroom technology trends in the current education environment.

1. Flipped Learning

Flipped Learning is a form of blended learning where students learn their lessons at home by watching video lectures and studying content online, and then doing their homework in class. Basically instead of learning directly from the teacher students learn from each other through a process of small groups using critical problem solving.

By using Wi-Fi enabled classroom technology and various mobile-app solutions you can create the interactive environment that students benefit the most from. The value for educators comes from generating powerful analytics to measure student responses while also having the ability to stay engaged with your students in and out of the classroom.
Check out the four pillars of flipped learning here.
2. Remote Learning

This model allows students who can't make it to school still attend virtually. They attend class through video and access content online. Other technologies can also be used including video conferencing, class forums, pre-recorded videos, social media, and email.

In the same way you can bring in students remotely, you can also bring in teachers or subject matter experts. This provides a higher quality of learning that would otherwise be unavailable due to distance or time. Education becomes tailored to the needs of the student, making it accessible to everyone. The challenges of time and distance become inconsequential when all you need is a reliable wifi network paired with the right mobile technologies.

3. Gamification

Gamification is the concept of applying game-design thinking to different classroom tasks to make them more fun and engaging. The idea is to use the typical game system of providing challenges, rewarding winners, then providing harder challenges with equally bigger rewards.

When you win at a game, your mind releases dopamine, a chemical in the brain that triggers motivation and pleasure. This makes learning a positive experience, one that you won't have to force students to enjoy. So the main concept is to challenge the students, let them feel good about overcoming the challenge, then challenge them more.

4. Mind Mapping

Mind maps make learning interactive and multi-dimensional instead of unidirectional and passive. It's graphic and visual, using circled ideas that are linked together with lines, the same way the human mind works. This makes it easier for students to understand and recall information.

By using software like Mindmeister or Brainstormer, you can engage with your students and allow them to bounce ideas off each other. The maps can also be easily shared just like an email.

5. Digital Textbooks

You might think it would cost more to provide tablets for every student in your school but think of how many textbooks you are saving every year. Textbooks are getting more expensive and they are usually used for seven years before a new edition comes out.

A digital textbook would be more cost efficient and can easily be updated to reflect the most recent information. For the one-time cost of a tablet (or better yet allow BYOD and let students use devices they already own) students are able to access every book they'll need for the year anytime and anywhere.
Suggested Reading: "The Future of EBooks: Preparing for Interactive Learning in Education"
6. Big Data

Potentially the most important trend on this list, "Big-Data" has the remarkable flexibility and precision to change how we teach and learn.

All of the mobile devices, applications and wireless technologies we use on a day to day basis can now be linked together and harnessed to deliver an almost endless supply of relevant data.

Imagine having the ability to know exactly what works and what doesn't for example:

Are your students having trouble with how a question is formatted rather than material

Were your students more successful in the work place after graduation

Is homework more effective at certain times of night or during certain times of the year

How many students are understanding the curriculum and how many are falling behind

Big data gives you real-time information that can be applied to your classroom immediately. It also can help your students by allowing you to focus on the areas they actually need help with.

In the connected and mobile age we live in data has become the low-hanging fruit all education leaders should be leveraging to get the most out of new classroom technology.

7. Social Media

Social media is usually considered a huge distraction when it comes to the classroom. From Facebook to YouTube and Twitter many educators are fearful of its use, but this is a short-sided view. With the right strategy in place and the right wireless infrastructure social media can be a very useful and powerful tool for both students and teachers.

There are numerous ways to use social media for learning. An online group can bring students together to work on projects and assignments together and hashtags for Twitter can be used to organize interactive conversations based on a specific subject or problem.

Of course when using social media you have to also teach students how to properly use it, many schools have a digital citizenship code that students must follow that reinforces a positive message around the use of social media in school.

The best thing about social media is that you are using a medium your students understand and enjoy, making it easier for you to initiate tasks and get everyone involved.
Suggested Reading: "How to Find the Right Classroom Technology: Answer These 4 Questions"
It's important to remember while all of these trends sound great they can also cause a lot of frustration without a secure and reliable wireless network and the proper strategy in place.

At SecurEdge we have helped hundreds of schools all over the country successfully bring mobility to their students and staff, if you need help integrating the latest technology into your classrooms or have questions about your current wireless network, just contact us here we'd be happy to help!

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7 Must-Know Classroom Technology Trends that are Changing Education

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In today's mobile-centric, always connected school environments, keeping up with new technology trends can have a major impact on your continued ability to offer your students the education they want and need. Schools now recognize the influence wireless and mobile technologies are having on their students as well as how it's shaping new ways of thinking and teaching.

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by Terry Heick

What's trending up for 2015 school year in terms of education technology?

iPads are still the standard but other platforms are making headway. That should be fun to watch over the next 3-5 years.

Educators are getting better at spotting crap edtech, but waste still abounds. There are even some educators who are against technology in the classroom at all.

Schools are getting better at thinking tech-first (not in terms of priority, but design). But they are still struggling to meaningfully integrate edtech at the learning model and curriculum level.

Apps are getting downright brilliant in spots, but in-app purchasing? That's getting a bit out of hand, isn't it? And something has to be done about all of the usernames and passwords.

Below are 30 entirely subjective but hopefully somewhere close to reality takes on what's trending up and what's trending down in education and education technology for 2015 and beyond. A handful of these aren't pure edtech items, but it's all part of the same ecosystem yes?

Note that this list isn't an endorsement-meaning this isn't necessarily the way I think things should be, but rather what they seem to be-at least from my vantage point, right here, right now. Ask me again in August.

What's trending up, what's trending down, and what's in that awkward middle ground of education and education technology? Below are 30 guesses.
30 Trends In Education Technology For The 2015 School Year Trending Up

1. Teacherpreneurs

2. Decentralizing academic standards

3. Rethinking data in the classroom

4. Adaptive learning algorithms

5. Digital Citizenship

6. Focus on non-fiction, digital media

7. Depth of content

8. Experimentation with new learning models (including flipped classroom, sync learning, blended learning, etc.)

9. Teacher self-directed PD, webinars, streams, etc.

10. College as a choice

11. Collaborative learning

12. Digital Literacy

13. Focus on learning spaces

14. Design thinking

15. Mindfulness, meditation, downtime

16. Teacher as guide-on-the-side

17. Gamification of content

18. Genius hour, maker hour, collaboration time

19. Workflows

20. Cloud-based word processing

21. Mainstreaming + co-teaching

22. Platform Agnosticism

23. Librarian as digital media specialist

24. YouTube channels, Google Chromecast, AppleTV

25. Apps like Storehouse

26. 1:1 tablets/devices

27. Project-Based Learning

28. Mobile-first #edtech design

29. The innovation of apps

30. Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive

Awkward Middle Ground

1. Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.

2. "Accountability"

3. Professional Learning Communities

4. Differentiation

5. Computer coding

6. Traditional reading lists of truly great literature

7. Pure creativity

8. Self-directed learning

9. Massive in-person education conferences

10. Colleges in general

11. Experiential learning

12. Cultural Literacy

13. The physical design of most school buildings and universities

14. Memorization of prioritized content that leads to design thinking

15. Debate

16. Pressure on systems

17. Gamification-as-grading-system

18. Tutoring

19. To-do lists

20. Cloud-based learning

21. One teach, one drift/prompt/observe

22. Moving from one OS to another (e.g., from Android to Windows Phone)

23. Librarian/DMS as bibliophile

24. Online encyclopedias

25. Apps like Prezi

26. Socioeconomic disparity

27. Mobile learning

28. Mobile assessment

29. Honest-to-goodness free apps

30. iCloud

Trending Down

1. Mass education publishers

2. Common Core standards, Race to the Top

3. Data Teams

4. Scripted curricula

5. Draconian district filters

6. Humanities

7. Coverage of content

8. "21st century learning" as a phrase or single idea

9. The perceived quality of teacher certification & training programs

10. College as the standard

11. MOOCs

12. Agricultural Literacy

13. The traditional classroom

14. "Low-level" recall of easily accessed data (facts) or skills (arithmetic)

15. Lessons that favor "verbally expressive" students

16. Pressure on teachers

17. Standards-based grading; pass/fail; student retention

18. Increased "instructional hours"

19. Whole class processes

20. Flash drives, hard drives, CDs, emailing files

21. Alternative schools/classrooms for special needs students

22. Apple-centric thinking

23. Librarian as no-nonsense, ruler-wielding taskmaster

24. Cable television, subscription-based content streaming

25. Apps like PowerPoint

26. Oversimplifying BYOD thinking

27. "Doing projects"

28. Mobilizing non-mobile content

29. In-app purchase gouging

30. Dropbox

30 Trends In Education Technology For 2015; image attribution flickr user flickeringbrad

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30 Trends In Education Technology For 2015

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by Terry Heick What's trending up for 2015 school year in terms of education technology? iPads are still the standard but other platforms are making headway. That should be fun to watch over the next 3-5 years. Educators are getting better at spotting crap edtech, but waste still abounds.

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5 Emerging Education Trends for 2017 | Michael G. Sheppard

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Michael G. Sheppard identifies five emerging education trends for 2017. Please visit MichaelGSheppard.com to learn more about important events and trends in education.

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We wanted to know which topics are shaping up to be this year's hottest in edtech, so we combed through thousands of educator-created sessions in the ISTE 2017 Conference & Expo program and analyzed them. Our number one finding? The most compelling topics among educators who embrace technology for learning and teaching are not about the tech at all, but about the students.

Here's a list of the hottest trends in edtech for 2017:

1. The four C's of education

Communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity will be at the forefront in 2017, particularly tools and approaches that lend themselves to collaborative learning.

Next generation online tools are facilitating student collaboration and communication, and allowing students to act as creators of knowledge, rather than just consumers. Collaborative learning models that drive student-centered learning and emphasize interacting, working in groups, developing solutions to real-world problems and communicating globally are the latest iteration of this trend.

2. Redesigned learning spaces and innovative learning environments

As new education models gain traction - blended and flipped learning, for example - more schools are helping facilitate these models by reimagining the classroom environment. The end goal is to encourage more active learning.

Expect (and plan for) flexible learning environments that take advantage of mobility, agility and the transparent use of mobile devices in a multiple-device environment.

"If we truly want to prepare our students for the real world, we need to put them in responsive, dynamic environments that reflect life outside a traditional classroom," explains Kayla Delzer, a third grade teacher at Mapleton Elementary in Mapleton, North Dakota. "The world is changing, yet our classrooms are remaining much the same. Revitalizing space is a straightforward way to let students exercise choice in the learning environment and find academic success on their own terms."

3. Digital citizenship

It's a topic that's been on the radar for several years, but it's taken on new importance thanks to the ubiquitous nature of students' online lives, an alarming lack of media literacy and a focus on the "uncivil discourse" in the wake of the U.S. presidential election.

With increased access to 1:1 devices and schoolwide personalized learning initiatives, educators will be looking for curriculum and programs to support teaching digital citizenship skills.

4. Project-, problem- and challenge-based learning

These approaches to learning, along with inquiry model, are fostering student-centered learning and student empowerment, an essential component of the ISTE Standards for Students.

In 2017, these pedagogical frameworks will engage students in critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and self-directed learning connected to real-life applications. The thoughtful integration of technology will enable students to take ownership of their learning and will make learning more active, both inside and outside the classroom.

5. Maker programs and activities

The tide has turned from conversations about creating makerspaces to discussions about how to incorporate maker activities and the "maker mindset" throughout the curriculum, says Vinnie Vrotny, director of technology at the Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas.

"This particular movement is not fringe; it's becoming much more mainstream. And much like the 1:1 movement, it's giving us a new lens through which to look at traditional curriculum. It's giving us permission and acting as a catalyst for making changes to teaching."

6. Professional learning models and coaching best practices

New professional learning models, along with a focus on the role and responsibilities of the instructional technology coach, are coming to the forefront.

This trend is based on the recognition that ongoing, embedded professional development and support from coaches is essential for teachers and administrators to fully understand how to appropriately and thoughtfully integrate technology and technology resources.

7. Computational thinking, coding and robotics

With the spread of the maker movement and the popularity of robotics comes the rise of coding, coding programs and programming. These topics are interconnected as many maker activities are run by coding. Look for an increase in the range of coding activities and programs for students of all ages, even the youngest learners.

On deeper level, integrating coding across subject areas is one way to stimulate computational thinking. Coding - it's the new literacy.

8. Augmented and virtual reality

There are trends and then there's "year of" status. We think 2017 just might be The Year of AR and VR in the instructional environment.

The key will be leveraging AR and VR to transform education, going beyond gaming applications and the "wow" factor these technologies represent. With more and more classroom content for these technologies being developed all the time, AR and VR will find a home in schools.

9. Personalized learning

Advancements in technology have made authentic personalized learning a reality in recent years. Look for personalization to proliferate in 2017.

Personalized learning combines face-to-face teaching, technology-assisted instruction and collaboration to address each student's learning style and interests for deeper learning. In other words, this type of learning tailors instruction, expression of learning and assessment to each student's needs and preferences.

"If we want to re-energize and re-engage our students, we have no choice but to give them opportunities to choose what they will learn and how they learn it," says Nancy Weinstein, founder and CEO of Mindprint Learning. "We will only stem what Gallup describes as our monumental, collective national failure to engage our students when everyone accepts that personalized learning in schools is not a fad."

10. Leadership and teacher leadership

Easy access to edtech tools and solutions, ways to broadly share edtech best practices, methods for disseminating transformative ideas for advancing educational environments; these are the strategies that today's cutting-edge leaders are using.

Those same educators are also focusing on empowering teacher leadership. This trend, which includes providing development, support and encouragement for classroom teachers to step into leadership roles, also emerged in the recently refreshed ISTE Standards for Educators.

11. ISTE Standards best practices

With the 2016 release of the refreshed ISTE Standards for Students and the 2017 release of the refreshed ISTE Standards for Educators, best practices for implementing the ISTE Standards were front and center at the 2017 ISTE Conference & Expo in San Antonio. With the State of Texas' recent adoption of the Educator Standards, we anticipate that standards adoption and implementation will continue to be at the forefront for the edtech community throughout 2017.

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We wanted to know which topics are shaping up to be this year's hottest in edtech, so we combed through thousands of educator-created sessions in the ISTE 2017 Conference & Expo program and analyzed them. Our number one finding?

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What Is Successful Technology Integration?

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Well-integrated use of technology resources by thoroughly trained teachers makes twenty-first-century learning possible. From our Technology Integration Professional Development Guide.

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Dr. Puentedura graciously Creative Commons-licenses some of his papers to allow for reproduction on other sites with attribution.

I have taken one of the PDF files and turned it into a slideshow below. I have included links to the original PDF files in case you want to download it from Dr. Puentedura's site.

Bloom's and SAMR:
​My thoughts based on the work of R. Puentedura, A. Churches and L. Nelson

I feel teachers need to both create tasks that target the higher-order cognitive skills (Bloom's) as well as design tasks that have a significant impact on student outcomes (SAMR). A visual to illustrate that follows.

Educators will argue they have seen redefinition tasks that only target the remembering level or have a creative assessment that is only at the augmentation level. Of course that is true, but I believe we should be planning for technology tasks, activities, and assessments that include both the higher levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy and the transformation area of the SAMR model.

My vision of how the Bloom's and SAMR models work together and intersect follows below.

Bloom's and TECH: My thoughts

Work by others

Videos by others

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SAMR is a model designed to help educators infuse technology into teaching and learning. Popularized by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, the model supports and enables teachers to design, develop, and ...

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The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) provides a framework for describing and targeting the use of technology to enhance learning. The TIM is supported by a complementary suite of online tools and a large collection of professional development resources.

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technological pedagogical and content knowledge  tpack tpck

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Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge

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What is the Triple E? The Triple E is a practical framework that measures the degree to which the technology in a lesson is helping students meet the learning goals. Unlike other technology...

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Thinking about Classroom Technology Integration via the TPaCK Framework

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An introduction to classroom technology integration via the TPaCK Framework.

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"If technology is an event in your school, you're doing it wrong!" -Josh Allen

Technology use is no longer done in isolation. Computers use is no longer confined to a computer lab.

TPAK Integration Framework has three main domains to think about when integrating technology: Technological knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge.

The SAMR framework is another way to think about tech integration. It features Substitution, Modification, Augmentation, and Substitution.

The RAT framework has Replacement, Application, and Transformation.

Jonathan lists other frameworks on Slide 7 of his presentation.

People who are not willing to change won't take risks.

Teachers can learn a lot from lessons and activities that fail.

"Don't worry about failures. Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try." -Jack Canfield

Technology is not always going to be the best solution for what you want to accomplish.

Not every activity will be enhanced with technology.

Using real objects can be better than digital objects.

Paper and pencil is not illegal in a 1:1 classroom.

Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration

This skills are important for college and the workplace.

Content can take precedence over these important skills.

"If a student goes a year without creating a video, it would like going a year without writing." -Dean Shareski

The National Education Technology Plan promotes active use of technology over passive usage.

Jonathan sees Blended Learning as a teaching initiative, not a technology initiative.

"Learning has always been personalized and individualized. School is catching up." -A.J. Juliani

Too often professional learning provided to teachers is boring.

Professional learning for teachers should be personalized.

"Technology decisions are education decisions." -Jason Marshal

The technology you buy and the technology you block is certainly a decision about education.

David Fringer's "Let it go" List for school technology departments...

The tech department is "in charge" of technology decisions.

"We know what you need."

Computers are "precious" commodities.

The internet is dangerous!

Resources should be locked down tight.

Technology costs money. The community need to see reasons or successes for the investment.

"It is our responsibility to transform the thick brick barriers surrounding our schools into clear, transparent walls of glass." -Hacking Leadership by Tony Sinanis & Joe Sanfelippo

70%-80% of the households in your community don't have students enrolled in your school.

Build up social capital so that the community trusts that you're doing great things.

CCSD 59 in Illinois has a monthly video series featuring a member of their staff.

It's an educator's responsibility to teach kids to use technology safely, ethically, and responsibly.

E-Rate funding requirements state schools need to "provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and cyberbullying awareness and response."

According to surveys, not enough teachers are teaching students about legally using web content.

Jonathan ends with sharing some of the great resources he has a hand in creating. They include the Grant Wood AEA Digital Learning Blog, The EdTech Takeout podcast, and the Makerspace Show.

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"If technology is an event in your school, you're doing it wrong!" -Josh Allen Technology use is no longer done in isolation. Computers use is no longer confined to a computer lab. TPAK Integration Framework has three main domains to think about when integrating technology: Technological knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical knowledge.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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motivating students with technology - videos & lessons | study.com

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Motivating Students with Technology - Videos & Lessons | Study.com

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Look at this chapter to go over motivating students with technology. These lessons offer a highly-structured study aid that will teach you about...

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Redefining Learning & Teaching using Technology. | Jason Brown | TEDxNorwichED

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In this blog post I will give you some tips on how to get your students motivated to read a book. It must be so frustrating to see your students hating books, while you love reading. Trying to convince them to read, but really knowing it is just not going to work.

"Reading is stupid!" At least, that is what the students think. And to be honest, I thought so too, until I learned that reading could also be relaxing, engaging and fun. I remember I first started to like reading because it was my own choice. Not my teachers'. But I have to say, it took a while...

I underwent the whole 'pick-from-the-list-method', year after year. In primary school, I pretended to read, but I actually didn't. When the teacher said: "that, you have to read", I just put a zero on the top of the page. Just like everyone else, nobody actually read it.

If it wasn't for a fantastic teacher in my third year of high school, I would never have discovered the true value of reading. For the first time, we got to choose a book. By ourselves. Alone. And look at me now: writing blog posts people are actually reading! Playing with words to capture your attention.

It's time to discover how to encourage reading. 📖

10 Tips and tricks

1. Competition

What better way to spice up literature than a good competition? This one won't be about grades, it's about giving children an incentive to open a book.

For example: You can make a grid with all kinds of book genres. The students can choose which book they read, as long as it belongs to one of the indicated genres. They have to tick off each genre when finishing that book.

Another fun idea is the "16 before you're 16 challenge". Here, the students have to try to read 16 books before they reach their 16th birthday. Of course, it's a project that is spread over the years and must be encouraged by every teacher.

2. Be a bookworm

If you're going to encourage students to read, you must read too. Read for pleasure, for information, read blogs, instructions, read to connect with others. Make your students notice you reading. Advertise and tell stories you find in books. Give subtle or not-so-subtle hints. Let the book be the smartphone: everywhere, all the time.

3. Use technology

Engaging students to read is easier with technology. Using technology makes reading fun. Technology and apps are already a part of a student's world. It's in their comfort zone. Here is a list of 7 platforms and apps that are really useful for making students love reading.

Epic! - books for kids. Epic! is an e-reader app designed for students aged 12 and under. It gives users access to thousands of books and the ability to set up user profiles for brothers and sisters, and even parents. It has a reward system where kids can earn badges for reading accomplishments and it keeps track of how many books they've already finished. The app is designed for smartphones, tablets and computers.

BookWidgets is a platform with a huge range of different educational features for the tablet and computer. In the Split Worksheet the teacher can add a reading comprehension. While reading, the students have to try and fill in the questions alongside of the text. It makes reading more engaging and fun at the same time. The WebQuest is a widget where you, for example, can learn students how to read efficiently. Let them go on a quest where texts provide the right information about reading strategies.

OverDrive is a free app that connects to the students' library card. Many libraries will let them access e-books through this app. If students are not sure which library supports the card, they can take a look at OverDrive's website to see which libraries participate.

iBooks Author let teachers create their own interactive books for iPads and computers. By adding galleries, video, interactive diagrams, 3D objects, mathematical expressions, and many more, these books bring content to life and engage students to love reading.

Whooo's Reading can be used to motivate students to read in order to earn Wisdom Coins for reading, answering open-ended comprehension questions, and interacting with their peers in a private Facebook-like Newsfeed. These coins can be spent in the Owl Shop, where students "buy" virtual accessories for their Owlvatar.

Useful science is a website full of fun facts in categories such as education, happiness, sleep and creativity, fitness, health, nutrition, parenting, persuasion and productivity. Students can choose a category and scroll for hours reading fun facts.

Newsela builds reading comprehension through leveled articles, real-time assessments and actionable insights. Students can read articles on their own tempo. Newsela offers articles from world class news publications in 5 adaptive reading levels. You can also unlock progress with embedded assessments like quizzes.

These 7 platforms or apps that engage reading are just a few out of the many other existing ones. Take a look at this blog post about reading apps for more inspiration.

One more thing: encourage students to listen to audio books. While they are not developing decoding or fluency skills, they are acquiring vocabulary, applying comprehension strategies, enjoying stories and gaining information.

4. Allow students to dislike a book

There's nothing wrong with disliking a book. But even if that's the case, some students will write a glowing book review, thinking that will get score them better grades. That's a silly misconception, of course. Everyone has its own opinion about stories. Some students like reading drama, others are more into science-fiction or detectives.

If the student can give a well-founded opinion about why it dislikes a book, you can use it to adjust your booklist or to let students choose a book genre they really like. Appointing books inline with their preferences takes you one step closer to persuading students to read.

5. Let students choose

A list of books to choose from turns off students immediately. Students have to choose a book, based on its title. Why not let students choose for themselves? Not only does it give them a trustworthy feeling, but it also gives them freedom to read what they like. If they like a book, they'll be more willing to read again, and again and again. Of course, as a teacher, you can still approve or reject their choises and have a back-up list for students who don't know what to choose.

I know that handing "the choosing" over to students comes with a few difficulties. You will need a creative solution for students who actually already have read the book some time ago, or for students who copy the summary from the internet. You can, for example, let them do a roleplay from a specific scene in the book. Plan an exercise that requires the student's creativity, something that can't be found on the internet. Creative and active book assignments are much more fun than just writing down the summary or describing the characters.

6. Escape

Kids often need a break from reality. Not thinking about homework or exams. Not thinking of their parents, hobbies or friends. Now the escape is often the television or smartphone, but it could easily become a book. Start by escaping in school. Read with your students half an hour a week. Everyone can escape in its own book. Go sit outside if the sun is shining or create an "escape paradise", which is a transformed reading classroom.

7. Reading wall

Your school probably has a few blank walls in a hallway. Why not make a reading wall out of it? Maybe there is some place in the student's library? With a reading wall you can creatively advertise teachers favorite books, books recommended by students, award-winning youth books and many more. Paint a nice theme background and add some shelves against the wall with all the recommended books.

8. Emergency exercise

Everyone knows the emergency drills in school, right? Yes, the moment where you get to skip 15 minutes or more from class because of the fire alarm that goes off. Well, I think we could do the same with reading books. Every week or month the school sounds an alarm. Students have to drop everything and take a book and start reading. You can gather all the students in one place, or you can keep them in your classroom. If your school doesn't agree, you can just do it on a smaller scale with a few teachers, or on your own. It would be more fun though, if everyone joins in.

9. Invite a local author

Inviting an author to class is a great way to promote the love for reading and encourage students to read. Students can read the author's book, and then discuss it with him. This may be just the thing to inspire your students to read or even be an author themselves someday. Let the author explain where he gets the ideas, and let him give tips and tricks.

Afterwards, you let your students write a story. You gather all the stories in one book. Students have to read all the stories and then pick their favorites. The author will also choose a story. The winning student gets their story published in the school paper or even better, in the regional newspaper.

10. Introduce students to a book series

Nothing is more addictive than a good book series! Whether students are into adventures or fantasy novels, detectives or love stories, there is a book series for everyone. Find out what your students love and get them to read the first book. Once they get a taste of it, they will definitely want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Wrap up

Now it's up to you to motivate your students! Let us know on Twitter which tip you use/will use in the classroom. If you have any additional ideas, share them in our Facebook Group. That way, you can inspire other teachers. Together we can change the sentence "Reading is stupid!" to "Reading is great!".

Would you like to go a step further than just reading? Check out our creative and digital book report ideas.

And don't forget to say hi 👋 and connect with me on LinkedIn.

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Top-10 tips for motivating students to read

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In this blog post I will give you some tips on how to get your students motivated to read a book. It must be so frustrating to see your students hating books, while you love reading. Trying to convince them to read, but really knowing it is just not going to work.

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About a decade ago, leaders in this public school district nearly 70 miles northwest of New York City decided to radically change the way they provide education to its diverse and academically challenged student body. They decided to "personalize" learning for every child, which means that they tailored lessons to each student's needs, interests and learning pace. They gave each student access to technology that helps teachers customize their lessons. And they ended social promotion, so that struggling students are no longer shuttled along to the next grade level simply to keep them with the herd of similarly aged classmates.

The shift has coincided with improved test scores and graduation rates.

"I am overwhelmed with joy for my students because I know now they each stand a better chance of being a successful student," said Regina Trout, who teaches the second-year kindergarteners at Maple Hill Elementary School in Middletown. "When they come to me knowing zero letter recognition - some might not even be able to recognize their own name. And at the end of the year, to just see their growth ... I start to get teary."

And it would not be possible, Trout said, without small-group instruction and the assistance of classroom technology that helps her deliver a custom-fit lesson for each student.

Personalized learning dates back to a Chicago lab school at the turn of the 20th century, but the concept is having a renaissance because of today's more sophisticated technology - and the excitement and investment the technology has inspired. Last year, the founder of Facebook pledged to donate $45 billion to social causes, one of them personalized learning. And various technology companies - from no-name startups to behemoths like Pearson - boast of new programs meant to facilitate this style of education. Conferences for teachers from coast to coast brim with representatives from the multibillion-dollar technology industry, many of them promising to help teachers provide customized tracks for education.

"All of them are searching for that holy grail of tailoring content and skills to the weaknesses of each kid," said Larry Cuban, an emeritus professor at Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, who often writes about education technology on his popular blog.

What is personalized learning? It can look a little different in every school, in every classroom and for each student. Teachers create lessons that are challenging without being too hard, and that suit the individual interests of each child.

It's easy to see why this is an attractive idea.

When teachers face 25 or 30 students, if they decide to teach in the conventional way of standing in front of the room and lecturing, then they must provide a lesson that will benefit the majority of the room - the average student. That leaves behind those who are below or above expectations. The best teachers find ways to help those students, but it's a tall order. It takes a superhuman amount of work to find lessons that fit each student every single day.

That's where technology comes in. Various products on the market today claim they can help the teacher create bespoke lessons for individual students, or otherwise make teaching more effective and efficient.

Some education technology developers, such as Knewton, say machines can figure out what students need to know and how best to deliver it. The computer system does this by constantly assessing how a particular student answers questions and what kind of lesson most engages that student. For instance, Waggle, a program powered by Knewton's technology, serves students new tasks based on how well they did on previous tasks. Knewton's claim to fame (and some are skeptical of it) is that it provides the right difficulty and the right presentation, and can find whatever style students seem to like best.

But for that concept to work, a child must spend a lot of time on the computer, feeding the system with data that the software uses to improve itself.

"You want to extend and maximize their time in the system," said Jose Ferreira, Knewton's founder and CEO.

There's the rub: The idea of students, especially younger children, spending a lot of time on a computer worries some people.

And they suspect that education technology companies may be promising more than they can deliver.

"The words 'personalized learning' probably generate more heat than light," said Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and a former president and professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University.

The phrase "personalized learning" is now emblazoned on a wide variety of programs and products. Some schools say they have trouble figuring out what to buy. Many programs and products produce reams of "research," but they're just sales materials masquerading as effectiveness studies.

"You wouldn't take a medicine that hasn't been tested," said Ryan S. Baker, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of the new Penn Center for Learning Analytics. "But people will adopt a curriculum after just being pitched by a salesman. The things that are good are not the same as those that have good marketing."

Baker thinks the real problem is lack of awareness about what's available. There is a lot of good research about what works in education technology, he said, adding, "The problem is there is not a lot of good research about every system."

The enthusiasm to be in on the latest and greatest thing in education can lead schools to try splashy programs that fail to take into account teacher training and valid research into how students learn. And the schools may then adopt and fast-track those programs without giving proper thought to what personalized learning entails or how to train their teachers to do this work.

"Don't believe the sticker," said Karen Cator, president and CEO of Digital Promise, a nonprofit organization that promotes effective use of education technology. "I shouldn't say 'don't believe,' but I mean double-check and see if, in fact, it's marketing. Or does it actually follow the promise of personalization?"

It's impossible to say precisely how many school districts, nationwide, are implementing personalized learning. But the popularity of education technology comes at a time when computer algorithms are creeping into just about every part of the day. Netflix provides suggested movies based on what you've watched in the past. Google's search engine serves up more of what you've clicked on in the past. Social media sites suggest new "friends" and sources of information tailored to your connections.

Many say that for education to be truly personalized, the student should get some say in his or her learning, and teachers should be there to guide them - not just push them along based on whatever a computer algorithm determines is best.

"A lot of folks, when they say 'personalized learning,' they mean something about a technology platform that changes for [different] kids," said Jennifer Davis Poon, director of the Innovation Lab Network at the Council of Chief State School Officers, a Washington, D.C.-based education reform advocacy group. "But in a more traditional setting, it is a very teacher-focused, teacher-driven type of instruction."

And for Trout, the kindergarten teacher at Middletown, New York, her work reveals an instructional shift that goes beyond buzzwords like personalized learning - or the flash of new technology.

When students get what they need when they need it, and when they are treated as an individual, it makes all the difference.

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The Growing Role of Technology in Personalized Learning

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About a decade ago, leaders in this public school district nearly 70 miles northwest of New York City decided to radically change the way they provide education to its diverse and academically challenged student body. They decided to "personalize" learning for every child, which means that they tailored lessons to each student's needs, interests and learning pace.

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Everything you need to know about Personalized Learning, Blended Learning,Competency Based-Education (CBE), Leadership and capacity building and more.

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Teachers Create what they Experience | Katie Martin | TEDxElCajonSalon

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At Forest Lake Elementary School, in Columbia, South Carolina, the student population grows more diverse by the day. Income levels, ethnicities, family structures, first languages, interests, and abilities now vary so much, that a traditional teaching approach, with a uniform lesson targeted to the average-level student, just doesn't cut it. (Sound familiar to you educators out there?)

To challenge and support each child at his or her own level, the Forest Lake teachers and staff are deploying a powerful array of widely available digital-technology tools. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard and a Tech Zone of eight Internet-enabled computers. Plus, teachers have access to gadgets including digital cameras, Flip cameras, remote-response clickers, and PDAs.

More important than the gadgets themselves, of course, is how the teachers use them to create personalized lessons and a productive environment where each child is engaged. Here are Forest Lake teachers' top tips on how to do it.

1. Deliver Instruction through Multiple Forms of Media

You now have at your fingertips far more than just the old standbys of words and still pictures. Teachers at Forest Lake use computers and whiteboards to access oodles of instructional videos, audio clips, animations, and interactive games, some through software and some available online. Children also cement their knowledge by doing hands-on activities with these media. When learning about shapes, for instance, the youngest students sometimes scour the school with digital cameras, taking photos of shapes wherever they find them. (Download Forest Lake's ideas for using interactive whiteboards.)

2. Gather and Use Immediate Feedback on Students' Understanding

Why wait days or weeks to deliver and grade a quiz to find out which kids missed important concepts? Teachers here routinely use remote-response systems (clickers), colorful little gadgets that allow each child to enter her answer to a practice question so that the teacher can instantly see who got it right or wrong. Computer software programs, too, can give kids practice questions, quickly diagnose trouble spots, and allow teachers to customize subsequent lessons for each child's needs.

3. Give Students Options

All students shouldn't be required to show their learning the same way. And digital media open up a host of possibilities beyond the traditional essay, poster, report, or quiz. For instance, fourth-grade teacher Kevin Durden gives kids additional choices, such as creating a PowerPoint slide show or a comic strip (using Comic Life software) or filming a skit (using Flip video cameras). "This way," says Durden, "you don't see the students' disabilities. You see their abilities." (Download sample rubrics from Forest Lake.)

4. Automate Basic-skills Practice

Free up some hours for more creative, fun technology projects (and for yourself!) by using software to do much of the basic-skills practice and assessment that would otherwise take up a lot of time. Educational computer programs (Study Island and EducationCity are Forest Lake favorites) can identify specific weaknesses in a child's skills, such as understanding analogies or adding fractions. Teachers can review these outcomes daily, then assign lessons to each student according to her needs -- for the next time she logs on.

5. Practice Independent Work Skills

Differentiating instruction often means setting up kids to work alone or in groups. And that, we don't need to tell you, can lead to chaos. The solution for second-grade teacher Tamika Lowe is "practice, practice, practice." Early in the year, she makes her expectations clear, and she and her students repeatedly drill their procedures -- how to use the technology, what to do if you have a question, how to behave if Ms. Lowe isn't standing right there. (Download a sample lesson plan for grade 2 language arts.)

6. Create a Weekly "Must Do" and "May Do" List

Give a classroom of students an array of different, personalized tasks to do, and they'll inevitably finish them at different times. That's a tricky part of differentiation. Forest Lake teachers tackle this by assigning a weekly list of "must dos" and "may dos," so kids who finish first can always find something to do next.

7. Pretest Students' Knowledge Before Each Unit

Before starting each unit of study, grade-level teams at Forest Lake brainstorm a way to assess prior knowledge so they can tailor the lessons effectively to each child. It can be as simple as a question that the class answers with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down or as rigorous as a one-on-one conversation.

8. Be Flexible When Plans Go Awry

Computers don't always perform the way you wish or expect, especially if the teacher in command is new to digital technology. So as you embark on this journey, expect the unexpected. When obstacles arise, you can model good problem-solving behavior by asking students to help you devise alternative approaches. "I say to students, 'You know what? If something doesn't work, it's OK,'" Lowe explains. "Every experience is a learning experience."

9. Let Students Drive

If you've got the tech tools, put them in kids' hands. In Lowe's class, students use Flip cameras to film each other doing oral book reports, then critique both the presentation and the videography. Other Forest Lake teachers routinely give kids turns at leading lessons on the whiteboard, either by hand or with remote tablets called AirLiners. These opportunities allow students to work at their own pace, capitalize on their skills, and discover ways to work around their challenges.

10. Share the Work of Creating Differentiated Lessons

To ease the burden of planning lessons for students at diverse levels, Forest Lake teachers often divide up this task. When they plan each unit of study, different members of each grade-level team design the activities for higher-skilled kids, lower-skilled kids, etc.

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Ten Tips for Personalized Learning via Technology

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At Forest Lake Elementary School, in Columbia, South Carolina, the student population grows more diverse by the day. Income levels, ethnicities, family structures, first languages, interests, and abilities now vary so much, that a traditional teaching approach, with a uniform lesson targeted to the average-level student, just doesn't cut it.

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5 tips for an Authentic Learning Environment

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5 simple tips that all teachers should consider to increase student engagement

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Digital tools are transforming essential elements of the education space. Understanding how they are affecting teaching and learning will help you figure out which tools are useful and how best to implement them.

Online tools:

1. Increase collaboration: Just as social media has given rise to new definitions of community, digital tools are transforming community and the give-and-take between students and teachers. Platforms for Web-based discussion threads and creation of course or class wikis change how students can involve themselves in project-based writing assignments. A piece of student writing can become a diverse and substantive document when it is the basis for a step-by-step exchange of ideas and questions among teacher(s), peers, author(s) and mentors. When digital tools are integrated pedagogically soundly, they also promote and enhance other essential skill sets, such as communication, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, global awareness and digital responsibility/citizenship.

2. Innovate assessment: As assignment formats and contexts have evolved, assessment methods have had to keep pace. The openness of the online environment and the integration of such things as game attributes shape all kinds of assessment, especially formative assessment, which measures learning progress, not just learning endpoints.

3. Enable learning about information and research: Research projects will always require substantive research, accurate and relevant synthesis, and defined audience-oriented approaches. However, in an information-saturated world, students are drawing on tools that help them analyze and understand multiple representations from a range of disciplines and media, such as texts, data and photographs.

4. Transform time frames around learning: In many instances, digital tools offer an asynchronous (not simultaneous) environment for response and inquiry not present in brick-and-mortar environments. Written and online-video discussions can enable the exchange of diverse views, opportunities for collaboration, and time to think and plan before responding in ways that in-class discussions do not provide. This is true for both online classrooms and "blended" classrooms - those integrating online and digital tools into a traditional learning setting.

5. Incentivize the ownership of learning: According to John Dewey, the types of activities that stimulate real involvement "give pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking, or the intentional noting of connections; learning naturally results." There are thousands of free digital tools that promote the art of doing. Students can now pick the best ones to create an artifact that demonstrates conceptual mastery through the construction of new knowledge, as well as the acquisition and application of essential skill sets. The process of choosing increases engagement, authenticity and ultimately more value in the learning process. Unleash the power of digital tools and empower students to take ownership of their learning.

Schools must use a dynamic combination of mindset, behaviors and skills to become places where social media and digital tools are integral and beneficial parts of a rigorous program and where they work symbiotically with active, engaged and applicable learning. This is at the heart of digital leadership. How can we take the greatest advantage of this moment in time and create compelling and challenging learning spaces for students?

The most important things to do are to give up control and to trust students and their teachers to use real-world tools to unleash creativity and a passion for learning.

After putting these tenets in the foundation, the specifics can take several forms:

1. Realize that social media is the predominant tool in the world. It fosters personalization, creativity and collaboration, giving students infinite ways in which to create artifacts of their learning and knowledge.

2. If 1:1 is not in the cards, use devices students already have, know and use. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) signals to kids that teachers know and understand their basic makeup. Employing the energy surrounding personal devices allows them to use the tools that help them do what they do better. BYOD enhances learning, increases productivity, allows students to grow their research skills and gives teachers the chance to teach appropriate digital responsibility.

3. Create spaces for making, collaborating and tinkering. Give students chances to build and create using real-world tools (wood shop, electronics, metal work and coding stations) and to solve open-ended, real-world problems. Bring play back into the picture. These spaces provide students with challenging problems to solve where there is no one correct solution. Through self-directed learning, students are driven to find solutions to create a product that has value.

4. Structure schools so that they more accurately reflect the real world. Ubiquitous connectivity, charging stations, and casual zones that promote conversation and play increase students' sense of belonging and engagement. Digitally astute students engage through such models as blended learning, flipped classrooms, games, makerspaces and virtual learning.

5. Give students access to open courseware and open-source technology. Inherent in these approaches is a high level of personalization and choice about what to focus on, which leads to greater ownership over learning and personalized ways to demonstrate understanding.

Ambitious, successful teaching and learning have become inherently intertwined with the digital world. Educators must be able to develop and enact rigorous, relevant instructional methods and formats while using digital tools effectively to underpin their instruction.

Students and teachers can transform learning so that it not only prepares them to excel in academic life, but also endows them with essential digital age skills.

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5 Ways Digital Tools Are Transforming the Education Space

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Digital tools are transforming essential elements of the education space. Understanding how they are affecting teaching and learning will help you figure out which tools are useful and how best to implement them. Online tools: Increase collaboration: Just as social media has given rise to new definitions of community, digital tools are transforming community and the give-and-take between students and teachers.

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There is no shortage of formative assessment strategies, techniques, and tools available to teachers who use formative instructional practice in their classrooms. Here is an extensive list of 75 digital tools, apps, and platforms that can help you and your students use formative assessment to elicit evidence of learning. We didn't just add any old tool to this list. Here are the criteria we used for those that made the cut:

Supports formative instructional strategies and ways to activate learners to be resources for themselves and peers

Is free or awful close to it (under $10 per year, where possible)

Allows both students and teachers to take the activator role when possible (sometimes teachers need to get things started)

Before you dig into the tools, I encourage you to spend some time thinking about exactly what you want to accomplish with your students. "How to pick the right digital tool: Start with your learning goal" by Erin Beard can help you wrap your head around goals and guide you in choosing the best tool for the task. "27 easy formative assessment strategies for gathering evidence of student learning" can help you decide what strategies work best for you and your students.

Record audio and video

Create quizzes, polls, and surveys

1. Crowdsignal Lets you create online polls, quizzes, and questions. Students can use smartphones, tablets, and computers to provide their answers, and information can be culled for reports.

2. Edulastic Allows you to make standards-aligned assessments and get instant feedback.

3. FreeOnlineSurveys Helps you create surveys, quizzes, forms, and polls.

4. Gimkit Lets you write real-time quizzes. And it was designed by a high school student!

5. Kahoot! A game-based classroom response system that lets you create quizzes using internet content.

6. MicroPoll Helps you create polls, embed them into websites, and analyze responses.

7. Naiku Lets you write quizzes students can answer using their mobile devices.

8. Obsurvey Designed to make surveys, polls, and questionnaires.

9. Poll Everywhere Lets you create a feedback poll or ask questions and see results in real time. Allows students to respond in various ways. With open-ended questions, you can capture data and spin up tag clouds to aggregate responses.

10. Poll Maker Offers unique features, like allowing multiple answers to one question.

11. ProProfs Helps you make quizzes, polls, and surveys.

12. Quia Lets you create games, quizzes, surveys, and more. Access a database of existing quizzes from other educators.

13. Quizalize Helps you create quizzes and homework.

14. Quizizz Guides you through designing quizzes and lets you include students in the quiz-writing process.

15. Quizlet Lets you make flashcards, tests, quizzes, and study games that are mobile friendly.

16. Survey Hero Designed to build questionnaires and surveys.

17. SurveyMonkey Helpful for online polls and surveys.

18. SurveyPlanet Also helpful for online polls and surveys.

19. Triventy Lets you create quizzes students take in real time using individual devices.

20. Yacapaca Helps you write and assign quizzes.

21. Zoho Survey Allows you to make mobile-friendly surveys and see results in real time.

Brainstorm, mind map, and collaborate

Present, engage, and inspire

Generate word or tag clouds

1. EdWordle Generates word clouds from any entered text to help aggregate responses and facilitate discussion. Word clouds are pictures composed of a cloud of smaller words that form a clue to the topic.

2. Tagxedo Allows you to examine student consensus and facilitate dialogues.

3. Wordables Helps you elicit evidence of learning or determine background knowledge about a topic.

4. WordArt Includes a feature that allows the user to make each word an active link to connect to websites, including YouTube.

Get real-time feedback

Foster family communication

1. Remind Lets you text students and stay in touch with families.

2. Seesaw Helps you improve family communication and makes formative assessment easy, while students can use the platform to document their learning.

3. Voxer Lets you send recordings so families can hear how their students are doing, students can chat about their work, and you can provide feedback.

Strengthen teacher-to-student or student-to-student communication

Keep the conversation going with live chats

1. Backchannel Chat A teacher-moderated version of Twitter.

2. Chatzy Supports live, online chats in a private setting.

Create and store documents or assignments

1. Google Forms A Google Drive app that allows you to create documents students can collaborate on in real time using smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

2. Piazza Lets you upload lectures, assignments, and homework; pose and respond to student questions; and poll students about class content. This tool is better suited for older students as it mimics post-secondary class instructional formats.

Learn more

There are several resources for learning more about formative assessment and responsive instruction strategies. Consider our formative practices workshops, where school and district teams can gain a better understanding of the role formative practice plays in instruction and the four foundational practices to use in the classroom. Or for a quick start, download our eBook "Making it work: How formative assessment can supercharge your practice."

Jump in, try new tools and methods, and have fun!

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75 digital tools and apps teachers can use to support formative assessment in the classroom

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There is no shortage of formative assessment strategies, techniques, and tools available to teachers who use formative instructional practice in their classrooms. Here is an extensive list of 75 digital tools, apps, and platforms that can help you and your students use formative assessment to elicit evidence of learning.

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by Mike Acedo

Over the years, many of us have personally experienced the growth of technology in today's classrooms.

Instead of taking notes, students are now occupied by surfing the Internet, scrolling through Facebook, and messaging their friends on their smart phones, tablets, and laptops. Instead of focusing on the instruction, teachers are constantly required to interrupt class in order to remind those students again and again, that class time is for learning, not texting. However, as today's students are using more technological devices, it is imperative that teachers have access to the resources to keep pace with the growing tech culture.

The use of smart phones, tablets, and other tech items in the classroom do not necessarily have to have a negative impact on student achievement. On the contrary, the increasing accessibility and growth of technology presents teachers with the unique opportunity to take advantage of those once distracting gadgets, and use them to facilitate academic achievement in new and innovative ways. In this capacity, teachers do not need to be constantly fighting for student attention, but can freely accept it, by introducing a new educational environment that will automatically encourage student participation.

Below are some resources that teachers may find useful when attempting to implement technology into their classrooms, separated by 5 common areas that are increasingly important for teachers, and for an effective learning environment-Organization, Project Based Learning, Class Management, Presentations, and Assessment.
Organization
This innovative platform provides teachers with an all-in-one grade book that offers attendance charts, grade books, calendars, seating charts, behavior tracking, and more. It also gives teachers access to 3rd party lesson content, the ability to create custom tests aligned with common core standards, and a way to track individual student progress.
TheTogetherTeacher
On this site, teachers can find multiple resources that will help them stay organized in their classrooms. Once registered to the site, teachers have access to lesson plan templates, to-do lists, sub plans, project ideas, and much more.
MyBigCampus
My Big Campus gives teachers, students, parents, and administrators unprecedented access to an endless amount of useful resources to raise student achievement. Through an interactive platform that can be accessed though mobile devices and tablets, My Big Campus makes it easy to engage with students, develop lessons, track student improvement, as well as connect with parents and other members of the learning community.
MySchoolBinder
My School Binder gives teachers the opportunity to easily add, edit and organize assignments on their class page. Students in turn, can submit completed assignments, ask questions, and receive instant feedback from their teachers. Additionally, students and teachers can view events and assignments on the Schoolbinder Calendar, and be reminded of upcoming due dates with custom notifications. Teachers also have access to teacher forums where they can receive feedback and tips for lessons and projects directly from other educators.
LearnBoost
Learn Boost helps teachers record, organize and sort individual student progress. It also allows teachers to develop and organize lesson plans, share student progress with parents and students, and can also be integrated with Google Apps, making it a convenient time saver.
Project-Based Learning Glogster EDU
Glogster EDU is a global education platform that empowers students and educators to create interactive online posters that include text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds, and much more. Glogster encourages students to take control of their own learning in a fun way by promoting independent thought, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. Glogster also provides teachers with strategies to implement curriculum into projects, promote skill mastery, facilitate digital literacy, and encourage innovation and collaboration.
Mindmeister
Mindmeister is a great mind-mapping tool that can help students develop and organize project ideas. This free app encourages collaborative brainstorming, where students can wok together to plan and analyze potential projects.

SonicPics is a great app that allows students to combine pictures with recorded narration into a threaded story. There are multiple uses for this app, as students can share personal narratives, review curriculum, or create custom presentations for class.

Through Dipity, students can combine images, photos, text and other media into a visually stimulating, interactive timeline. This is a great tool for students to creatively map out past or current events, add desired media or effects, and present them in a seamless, fun slideshow.

MyHistro allows students to create interactive timelines by combining blogging, media, and Google maps to tell personal stories. Students can create personalized maps that tell about ones family, ancestors, special memories, or other aspects of their history and future. This can be presented in a slideshow and can be a great way to get students to creatively tell their own life stories or focus on historical events.
Classroom Management CollaborizeClassroom
This is a great tool for supporting teacher's in-class instruction or helping their flipped classrooms be successful. This free online platform allows teachers to quickly launch a personalized learning site that addresses student concerns outside of the classroom, leaving students more prepared for in-class activities. Collaborize Classroom encourages students to help each other through problems with the guidance of their instructors, and provides teachers with instant access to lesson plans and project ideas to implement into the classroom. Additionally, this platform gives teachers the ability to better identify and accommodate different learning styles by incorporating visual and audio into their lessons, and grouping students according to learning habits.

This social, Facebook-styled platform, allows teachers to continue classroom discussions outside of the classroom, check for student understanding, and get students excited about coming to class to learn. Teachers can connect students to resources and tools that will help them better understand classroom material, personally measure student progress, and enhance learning though integrating apps that amplify their lesson plans.

Socrative is a great way for teachers to engage their students inside and outside of the classroom, as they can send out quizzes or other educational exercises that can be used to measure student understanding. Teachers can also take advantage of Socrative's "Exit Tickets" which require students to answer a quick question before they leave the class that focuses on how comfortable they are in understanding the day's material. This gauges student understanding of subject matter and informs teachers on what is working and what needs to be focused on.

Remind101 is a simple, safe, and secure way for teachers to send mass text messages to students and parents without invading their privacy. Teachers can use this to send reminders and notification to students concerning upcoming tests, homework assignments, due dates, and events which students and parents will receive through text message or email. Teachers can schedule messages to be sent in advanced, which keeps students up to date with schoolwork and helps prevent forgetfulness.

ClassDojo is a tool for teachers to quickly and easily improve classroom behavior. Teachers are able to reward points to students for good behavior, which they receive in real-time on their smart phones or laptops. This engages students in a new way, and incentivizes good student behavior. Additionally, ClassDojo can track student behavior, producing analytical reports, which can be shared with parents and administrators.
Presentations
Brickflow is an app where teachers and students can create presentations using content collected from social media. By searching the web through hashtags, teachers and students have the opportunity create a visual summary of a topic, building stories with content from Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, etc. This can be a fun and innovative way to spruce up classroom presentations and keep students up to date with current events.

Empressr is an easy to use presentation generator that allows users to easily incorporate flash and other media into their presentations. This is a free online application that can be used to help teachers and students create visually rich presentations.

Present.me is a great tool for teachers and students that allow them to record presentations, lectures, or projects, and accompany them with visual content. This is a useful tool for teachers who wish to flip their classroom, and a fun way to encourage students to get involved in their own learning by creating their own visually rich presentations.

Projeqt gives students and teachers the opportunity to express creativity and learning through a simple, intuitive presentation platform. Students and teachers may combine information they find online with content they have created themselves, creating a dynamic presentation that can include live blog feeds, tweets, interactive maps, quizzes and much more. Users can access presentations from anywhere at anytime, and receive instant feedback from peers or teachers. This is a great tool for creating a social, interactive learning environment in the classroom.

Prezi is a fantastic tool for changing the way teachers and students present, moving away from the standard slide-by-slide model, and using a visually stimulating canvas that moves from point to point. Prezi is simple to use, visually stunning, and includes all the standard components of a normal presentation. The variations of presentations are endless, encouraging students and teachers to creatively customize each presentation to enhance how the audience members receive the information.
Assessment Kwiksurveys
This is a great tool for creating custom polls, surveys, and quizzes that can be instantly shared through social media, or posted to teacher websites or blogs.
ClassMaker
Through ClassMaker, teachers can create secure online quizzes and exams that feature multiple question types, such as multiple choice, short answer, and essay. Tests are automatically graded and are perfect for classrooms, online courses, E-learning, and study groups.

This free test generator offers multiple question types, automatic grading, detailed reports, and a simple design. Additionally, tests are pass code protected, but it does not require students to register to take the tests.
Mentimeter
Mentimeter enables teachers to send out questions to students and allow them to instantly vote on them or send feedback though mobile phones or tablets. This is a great way to democratize the classroom by voting on topics or activities, and a very effective tool for issuing pop quizzes.

Teachers can create and share tests with not only students, but with other teachers as well. This gives teachers multiple test resources and also promotes student understanding, as it randomizes test questions and answers, allowing students to take tests multiple times without making the material stagnant.
25 Teaching Tools To Organize, Innovate, & Manage Your Classroom

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25 Teaching Tools To Organize, Innovate, & Manage Your Classroom

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by Mike Acedo Over the years, many of us have personally experienced the growth of technology in today's classrooms. Instead of taking notes, students are now occupied by surfing the Internet, scrolling through Facebook, and messaging their friends on their smart phones, tablets, and laptops.

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5 Technologies That Will Change Classroom Education

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There are over 100,000 apps labeled "education" in digital app stores, and yet, more than 70 percent of them have little or no empirical research on how effective they are for growth in learning, according to a report called "Getting a read on the app stores" from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

The overwhelming number of digital tools and the lack of research makes it difficult for teachers to know which tools are the "just right" choices for improving learning in their classrooms.

The one area of clarity in edtech research is that the learning objectives should guide the tool selection, rather than allowing the shininess of the tool to take control of the lesson. Researchers have also shared these four practical characteristics of effective learning with technology that teachers can look for when selecting a tool:
Social use of the tool: Co-use or co-engagement
Learning is socially constructed. This is important to remember when working in a 1:1 school where students are sometimes isolated with their own devices. Look for tools that allow students to co-engage with others through the tool. For example, my daughter's teacher recently had students synchronously share their fiction stories in Google Docs with parents and other collaborators. This allowed the children to get immediate feedback on their writing. Here are some other tools to use for co-engagement:

Collabrify. This tool allows synchronous collaboration on mindmaps, documents and other files for data collection and analysis.

SoundTrap. This free website lets students work synchronously with others to create music.

Drawtime. This site allows younger children to share drawings - instead of just talking - during a video call.
Higher-level thinking: Avoiding drill and practice
While the majority of educational apps and websites have a drill-and-practice element to them, research shows that students learn better when technology helps elicit their higher-level cognitive skills, such as reflective thinking, analysis, creativity, inquiry and focusing on the process of learning. Look for tools like these that allow students to learn through inquiry rather than rote memorization of facts and figures:

Write About. This website helps students focus on the process of writing through a collaborative learning environment.

DocentEDU. This app allows teachers and writing experts to weigh in on student work in real time.

Lure of the Labyrinth. Students can think through ideas like a mathematician by connecting the game content directly to mathematical concepts.
Value-added: Scaffolds, differentiation, supports
Technology can help teachers differentiate learning based on students' learning levels or needs. Choose tools like these that meet students where they are:

Tween Tribune. Students can read the same content but at different Lexile reading levels. This is something that would be much more difficult to accomplish without technology tools.

Formative. Teachers can set up "just right" leveled activities in any content area for students and provide real-time feedback while monitoring learning. This also allows opportunities for scaffolded feedback.

Authentic context: Connect students' everyday lives to content learning

Knowledge construction happens best when situated in authentic contexts and doing authentic tasks. Look for tools that allow students to bridge their everyday lives with school learning to help them better make meaning out of the content. Some examples:

Discovery Education. Take your students beyond the classroom walls and into some of the world's most iconic locations for rich and immersive learning experiences.

Skype in the Classroom. Visit experts in the field all around the world.

Thrively. Connect students with virtual mentorships.

Goosechase. Create mobile scavenger hunts that allow students to document their learning 24/7 inside and outside of school. Teachers can scaffold the hunts on field trips to keep students focused on making connections between academic learning and real life.

Liz Kolb is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan. She has written several books, including Cell Phones in the Classroom and Unleash the Learning Power of Your Child's Cell Phone. Kolb has been a featured and keynote speaker at conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. She is the creator of the Triple E Framework for effective teaching with digital technologies, and she blogs at cellphonesinlearning.com.
Get more tips on how to identify effective edtech tools appropriately apply them to instruction in Liz Kolb's new book Learning First, Technology Second: The Educator's Guide to Designing Authentic Lessons.

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4 tips for choosing the right edtech tools for learning

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There are over 100,000 apps labeled "education" in digital app stores, and yet, more than 70 percent of them have little or no empirical research on how effective they are for growth in learning, according to a report called "Getting a read on the app stores" from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

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At this point in the year, students' motivation may be flagging. Some may be overwhelmed by all the work they have to do for their classes (on top of their responsibilities at their jobs, [...]