It's not uncommon to hear adults complain about kids and their online activity, yet often parents and teachers don’t spend time supporting young people in becoming responsible digital citizens.I want more »

Today marks the conclusion of another terrific live event hosted by Tech & Learning magazine. From the keynote to the breakout sessions, this year was marked by more opportunities for engagement among participants. One person put it this way: It was great not to be "talked at" by experts but rather have the opportunity to "talk with" experts and other attendees.  The day was more about conversations than about having knowledge imparted onto the attendees. The approached worked well. It seemed participants had more of an opportunity to make meaning and build relationships. Karen Blumberg kicked off the day with a keynote that provided a conversational climate. She posed questions to the audience that enabled attendees to get to know each other and see the expertise in the room. The keynote entitled, "Our PLNs, Ourselves" was a play on her childhood favorite "Our Bodies, Ourselves." The book advised women to claim their sexuality for their own pleasure. Blumberg's talk advised listeners to claim their professional learning networks (PLNs) for their own learning and to share that learning with others.  She asked the audience to think about who has influenced them and how they could positively influence others. "Don't just be a sponge soaking up knowledge from others," she advised. "Also, think about how you can contribute to learning for others."The breakout sessions consisted of a few influencers in various areas who introduced themselves, then had a dialogue with those who choose their session.  Our session was, "You've got devices. Now what?" Once each of the three panelists gave a brief background, the audience and panelists engaged in a dialogue.  After the session, a participant shared this with me. In two minutes, you answered my one question in a way that will transform and inform how we spend our districts multi-million dollar smart bond grant.  I shared 3 lessons learned from tech deployments:I want more »

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. A new post takes the lead this week sharing a learning model with no tests, teachers, or curriculum. Interested, check it out to see how young people thrive in such an environment. Next up is an article that shares five free tools for those trying to learn a new language. There are a few more posts to round out the top including one that addresses how to support self-directed learning and another that explains some ways to make a school more inviting to the community. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.EntryPageviewsA Learning Model with No Tests, Teachers, or Curri...Sep 15, 2015, 31935 Free Digital Resources For #ELL #ESL #TESOL Stud...Oct 4, 2015, 2149Tools, Practices, + Structures, to Guide Self-Dire...Sep 20, 2015, 21366 Updates to Welcome Your School Community + Prepa...Sep 13, 2015, 20177 #BYOD Building Blocks for SuccessOct 11, 2015, 1495Don't Compete with Social Media. Integrate It!Sep 27, 2015, 1429My Makeaways from #makeEDU #makerED #MakerFaireSep 26, 2015, 1297

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. A new post takes the lead this week outlining how to succeed when students are empowered to use their own devices. Next up is an article that shares five free tools for those trying to learn a new language. There are a few more posts to round out the top including one that addresses how to integrate social media into learning. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.EntryPageviews7 #BYOD Building Blocks for SuccessOct 11, 2015, 23215 Free Digital Resources For #ELL #ESL #TESOL Stud...Oct 4, 2015, 2171Don't Compete with Social Media. Integrate It!Sep 27, 2015, 1529My Makeaways from #makeEDU #makerED #MakerFaireSep 26, 2015, 1276Ideas for Using Social Media to Improve Live Events...Oct 18, 2015, 127010 Tips For Teens Using Social Media #HavetheTalk ...Oct 13, 2015, 1131New Screentime Recommendations from the American A...Oct 6, 2015, 998

There were lots of cool tools introduced at Tech + Learning Live "Cool Tool Duel" this week. The format was really fun. Here is the description:During this lightning-paced smackdown, presenters will make their cases for apps, add-ons, and other edtech tools while the audience votes on their favorites. Who will be left standing at the end of this battle? Participants voted for their favorite tools while presenters made a case to explain why what they presented was the best.  This is a terrific professional development format that schools can use to highlight innovative educators and the tools they use.  Here are the four free, platform-agnostic tools shared that I've never-used but plan to investigate.I want more »

There are several quality free programs available for schools. Part of my work is helping teachers use platforms such as the ones below in the classroom. The challenge is that these programs are a change from conventional teaching and learning. The problem for teachers is that some administrators do not know how to evaluate a teacher whose students are learning in such an environment. Regardless, teachers must be armed with the knowledge of how to prepare for such evaluations. ABC Mouse Skoolbo MovieStar Planet Duolingo Code.org  Google CS First Common Sense Education Interactives Digital Compass  Digital Passport   Digital Bytes  I want more »

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog.Holding the lead for another week is a post from my book Teaching Generation Text. This post outlines the building blocks for BYOD success. Next up is an article that shares five free tools for those trying to learn a new language.Some of the other posts that round out the top include one that looks at 4 edtech tools I discovered at the #TLTechLive event as well as one that looks at using social media to improve events.  I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment. Entry Pageviews 7 #BYOD Building Blocks for SuccessOct 11, 2015, 3335 5 Free Digital Resources For #ELL #ESL #TESOL Stud...Oct 4, 2015,  3262 4 #EdTech Tools I've Never Used Before The #TLTech...Oct 25, 2015,  3235 Ideas for Using Social Media to Improve Live Event...Oct 18, 2015, 2296 10 Tips For Teens Using Social Media #HavetheTalk ...Oct 13, 2015,  2127 New Screentime Recommendations from the American A...Oct 6, 2015,  1903

If you’re involved in an education movement or engage in pioneering practices, you have noticed not everyone agrees with your views. Effective movers and shakers welcome a challenge. They are ready to take on the discourse that comes from sharing their ideas with a global audience. They understand that inspiring peers and change requires a thick skin. There is a difference however between respectful discourse and those who use their voice and reputation to intimidate and belittle others. Unfortunately, it is not unusual to have a bully who derails conversations and brings the movement off track with personal attacks as well as damaging and demeaning engagements.   Recently, a friend grappled with the issue of online bullying with members of her learning network which included people with many perspectives including those impacted by such behavior. Overwhelmingly, their advice was this:I want more »

Historically, most people didn’t have much awareness of what was happening in other countries beyond what they read or heard in the media.  Of course there is more to a country than what we learn from secondhand sources, but until recently, there have been few ways to access this information.  Vibe Israel (@vibeisrael), founded by Joanna Landau, is an a-political nonprofit organization based in Tel Aviv, has a plan to change that. They want the world to know there’s more to Israel than news related to the conflict in the Middle East. Their strategy is to use social media to share what Israel has to offer. They do this by inviting five influencers in specified areas (i.e. art, wellness, fashion, social entrepreneurship, sustainability) to visit the country and share what they learn with their followers. This enables citizens, with no political or corporate agenda, who have various areas of expertise, to tell stories to their followers.I’m excited to have been selected as one of five, global education influencers to visit Israel this December and share what the country has to offer in the area of "education." What should I focus on when I’m there to bring back to those in my learning network?  Here are some questions I’m interested in exploring:I want more »

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog.Holding strong for another week are two posts. One is from my book Teaching Generation Text. This post outlines the building blocks for BYOD success. Next is an article that shares five free tools for those trying to learn a new language. There are a few more posts to round out the top including one that includes a lively debate on the pros and cons of attending school and another that explains how to effectively use social media at events. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment. Entry Pageviews 7 #BYOD Building Blocks for SuccessOct 11, 2015,  3316 5 Free Digital Resources For #ELL #ESL #TESOL Stud...Oct 4, 2015,  3156 4 #EdTech Tools I've Never Used Before The #TLTech...Oct 25, 2015,  2578 Some good reasons to go to schoolApr 11, 2011,  2356 Ideas for Using Social Media to Improve Live Event...Oct 18, 2015,  2276 10 Tips For Teens Using Social Media #HavetheTalk ...Oct 13, 2015,  1926 How Tech Using Teachers Can #HavetheTalk with Admi...Oct 28, 2015,  1729