Those of you that know me well know I love backpacks and technology cases! And, for some reason, I especially love technology items that are pink. I have always thought the juxtaposition of hard-core technology hardware and the color pink was interesting!When I read Speck had released two road-warrior backpacks, the MightyPack and MightyPack Plus, and they were available in a backpack that was "Zinfandel Pink/Pomegranate Pink, Polor Grey, and Glitter Pink", I wrote and requested a review copy. I received a note from the Speck rep, asking me what device models I use, and I received a (mostly) pink present in the mail yesterday!MightyPack pink backpack, 15" pink SeeThru MBP protector, 12" clear MB protector, and pink iPad 2 coverI have used Speck hardshell cases on many of my computers over the years and I have always loved them. They kept my laptops in pristine condition, even with all my traveling. And my first iPad Air slim case was a Speck case. I am a minimalist when it comes to protecting my technology devices. I like slim and lightweight protection.MIGHTYPACK BACKPACKThe MightyPack backpacks come in two models-- MightyPack ($79.95) and MightPack Plus ($99.95). The MightyPack (pictured above) is 17.9" H x 6.3" D x 11.8" W and weighs 1.8 pounds. The MightyPack Plus is a little taller and deeper at 20" H x 6.7" D x 11.8" W and weighs 2.2 pounds. The difference between the two models is that the MightyPack Plus includes a TSA check-point friendly option that allows the laptop compartment to open flat for easy screening without having to remove the laptop from the case.The other features of the two MightyPacks are similar.The MightyPack backpack includes a hard-sided compartment at the top which is lined with fur and includes a mesh pocket, too. This is an invaluable feature for holding those items that need to be protected, such as headphones, sunglasses, cameras, and phones, as well as providing easy access to these devices when the backpack is in the airplane overhead or under the seat in front of you.The front pocket is zippered on three sides, which provides easy access and includes one slip pocket, three mesh pockets (two-half width, one full-width), and a passthrough opening to the back compartment to allow for charging of devices. There is a nice padded grab handle at the top and the bottom and bottom corners are very padded to provide protection for the devices.The back compartment includes dedicated padded pockets for both a laptop (up to 15") and a tablet. There are two slots for a pen and a larger stylus, and two half-width slip pockets.The back of the MightyPack backpack is padded and has padded straps, too. One of the straps has a pocket which will fit a smaller smartphone or a snack bar. There is a small zippered pocket on one side of the MightyPack that fit my iPhone 6s+ in a slim case with some finagling. The one thing missing from the back of the MightyPack backpack, in my opinion as a road warrior, is a wide fabric strap to go over the handle on a piece of rolling luggage. I often need to have access to items in my backpack before taking off and after landing, and it would be nice to be able to "attach" it to the luggage so I can easily get to the items I need.IPAD DURAFOLIO CASEThe Speck DuraFolio cases are available for both the iPad Air and the iPad Air 2 ($59.95), as well as the iPad Mini ($49.95). This slim case (0.3" in depth) includes sleep/wake magnets in the cover as well as two ways to fold it for both typing and viewing. The front cover also fold around to the back for easy one-handed reading on the iPad. It comes in various colors, but the one I received is Fuchsia Pink and White!The bezel around the iPad is a little bit raised to protect the screen of the iPad if it is dropped on its face. In addition, the DuraFolio has met or exceeds the Military Drop Test Standard, which is a standard to determine the durability of equipment after repeated free-fall drops.Front of Speck DuraFolio iPad Air 2 caseBack of Speck DuraFolio iPad Air 2 caseSpeck DuraFolio folded for viewing at many anglesSpeck DuraFolio folded for typing SPECK SEETHRU LAPTOP PROTECTOR CASESSpeck is well-known for its SeeThru laptop protector cases. They make them for the Apple laptops. The one I received, the SeeThru MacBook Pro with Retina Display 15" ($49.95), comes in eleven color choices and clear. (The one for my 12" MacBook currently only comes in clear and onyx black.)These cases are thin, sturdy, and snap-on easily to the top and the bottom of the laptop. They allow full access to all the ports on the laptops, and the bottom part of the case has rubber feet to keep your laptop safe from sliding while using it.I have had Speck SeeThru cases for all my Mac laptops over the years. I have found that they fit nicely over a thin vinyl skin or decoration, too, if you have one of those applied to to your laptop. Since I am one that often sells my laptops, the Speck SeeThru cases keep the top and bottom of my laptop looking brand new!SPECK'S OTHER PINK STUFFI spent some time looking around Speck's website to see what else they offered in pink.There is a Crimson Red/Splash Pink Candyshell Apple Watch protector ($29.95) I could get for my Apple watch.There is a Fuchsia Pink/Cupcake Pink/Heritage Grey Mightyshell iPhone 6s Plus case  ($54.95) I could purchase for my phone.There is a Raspberry Pink/Pomodoro Red iPod Touch 6G and 5G case on sale for $12.99 I could pick that up for my iPod Touch.Speck does have pink cases for Samsung phones  and a pink Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and Tab Pro 12.2 case ($34.99) (but I don't have either of these products).And they have a pink Fitfolio case for both the Galaxy Tab 3 7"  (see for $17.99) and 10.1" (on sale for $19.99), if you have one of those.There is also a Fitfolio Verizon Ellipsis 7 case in pink for $24.99 and one for the Ellipsis 8, too, if you have either of those devices.Pink tech cases, backpacks, and protectors are to my liking, but Speck offers great items in many colors and styles for all the newest devices, so visit their site!  Visit Kathy's Web pages: Kathy Schrock's Home Page Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

Welcome back to the Roundup!  This past week, the annual BETT show (British Educational Training & Technology) was held in London.  In addition to all the great podcast content edreach put out over the week, they also have a nice write up from "The Floor of the BETT Show."  If you're interested, you can also visit the BETT site for more highlights from the conference. Most educators are familiar with the name Howard Gardner (the educational psychologist who developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences).  Gardner, along with Katie Davis, have recently published a new book entitled The App Generation which discusses the issue of identity in a digital world. Today, Mind/Shift shared an excellent excerpt from the book which is definitely worth a read. Free Tech for Teachers has some excellent new resources:A Great Message About Autism AwarenessListen to the Sounds of Nature All Over the WorldIn Praise of InstagramEasyclass - Free Online Course ManagementThe Most Popular Posts of the Week Audrey Watters at Hack Education has just announced the launch of a promising new educational technology site, Educating Modern Learners.  As she says, " far too often, ed-tech is positioned as a tool that will serve to merely enhance pre-existing classroom practices, to make these more efficient" instead of actually changing current practices.I'll be the first to admit, there are many times when my initial reaction to a new edtech tool is something along the lines of "Oh, this would be a great tool to help students pay more attention to a lecture," instead of, as Ms. Watters rightly suggests, using edtech to rethink and redesign our current educational paradigm.  It's definitely something that needs to change.  That being said, I'm excited  for her new site! Ray Mina at Getting Smart has an excellent new post outlining "Ways to Implement Safe Social Media for Schools."  Mina discusses how teaching students to blog, creating a class over social media, and having "virtual hallways," can help students become better digital citizens and more aware of how to safely manage their online behavior.  It's a great read and, for any school that doesn't address social media, worth considering. iLearn Technology has a new review of Timelapse, a visual timeline that is powered by Google.  Students have the option of exploring satellite imagery of cities all over the world, all the way back to 1984.  It's a great resource and check out iLearn technology for the full review. Our friends over at 2and2 have a new post entitled, "Why Educational Games and eLearning will Become Even More Prominent in 2014."  The article discusses the growing accessibility of mobile devices, the improvement of web literacy, and the ability of educational games to promote more active learning.  It's a great read with some really good, practical examples to check out. ED&ML has some excellent new resources from the week:A New Tool to Help Students Create ePortfoliosThe Comprehensive Google Drive Guide for Teachers20 Great Math Websites for Teachers & Students5 iPad Presentations Apps for Teachers & Students5 iPads for Taking Student on Virtual Field Trips And that's it for the Roundup this week!  Thanks for reading!  In closing, I'd like to leave you with two excellent timeline/infographics to choose from.  But choose wisely! The Past, Present, and Future of Education from Boundless via ET&MLSetting the Context: A Brief History of EdTech from EdElements vis Getting SmartWe've also got some new reviews up from this week, so be sure to check those out!  Thanks again and see you next week!-Mike

Welcome back!  I hate to pull you away from your curling and bobsledding, but we've got a new post!  If you didn't hear, last Wednesday was Digital Learning Day!  We had apodcast to celebrate, and over at Getting Smart they shared a great collection of tweets and ideas for getting involved.  Even though the day may have past, there are still a ton of excellent resources to bring digital learning to your classroom. There's also exciting news for all you Android/Google Play fans, which EdTech Magazine has more on, "K-12 Books Added to Google Play for Education, Along with New Devices."  This addition brings Google Play/Android up a level in the competition between iPads and other tablet devices (like the Learnpad).  They've also added more Chromebook and Android tablet choices to the mix as well. Here are a few of FT4T new resources from the week: Strategies for Getting Access to Sites that are Blocked NASA from Space to Everyday Life AirPano - 360 Degree Virtual Tours of the World 26 Videos About the Science of the Winter Olympics The Week in Review - The Olympics Edition Dr. Jackie Gerstein at User Generated Education continues her series of posts on 21st Century Skills with "The Brances of the Other 21st Century Skills."  In the post, she includes an excellent graphic showing how these skills are related and a simple summary of what each skill means/looks like.  It's a quick read, but definitely worth a look! Finding pictures that students can use without limitation (i.e. without copyright restrictions) can be a challenge, especially with many students relying on the ease of Google Images.  To that end, EduTech for Teachers has a new post on "Pics4Learning: Copyright-free Images for Education."  The site contains thousands of free pictures, all of which are approved for classroom use! Here are a few of the new resources from ET&ML: A Teacher's Guide to a Networked Classroom 6 Types of Creative Commons LIcenses for Students How to Share your iPad Screen to other Devices 4 Chrome Extensions for Note Taking 25 iPad Apps for Learning Spelling India's EdTech Review has an excellent new post which outlines "How to Connect Your Classroom to the World."  The article covers creating class blogs, video conferencing, using Twitter, creating Edmodo accounts, and utilizing Voicethread. They provide a short description on how each tool can be used to help your classroom extend outside of the traditional brick and mortar school building. One of the biggest challenges for teachers, in my opinion, is finding time for professional development and improvement. In that regard, Dr. Amy Burkman at Edudemic has a new article which asks"How Can Busy Teachers Learn Next-Gen Skills." Burkman shares some excellent ideas and resources which aim to help busy teachers develop technology skills. Good new for podcast fans, EdReach has begun hosting a new podcast from all-star educators Steve Dembo and Adam Bellow, "Untangling the Web."  I've embedded the episode below, but the podcast is all about sharing educational technology tools and making the web a little bit easier to understand.  This episode covers Twitter and how it can be used in the classroom. The Lightning Round... Getting Smart shares 5 Elements of Good Games that Can Make us Better Teachers TeachThought discusses 10 Strategies to Reach the 21st Century Reader Mind/Shift and T.H.E. Journal has 10 Tech Trends Students Say Are Changing Their Education Edutopia covers 6 BYOD Discussions Every School Should Have And that's it for the Roundup today, thanks for reading!  We'll end with a new infographic from Game Salad (which is an excellent, free game creator to try in computer class) and The Avatar Generation on the Future of Games in Education.  Have a great weekend! Courtesy of: Game Salad

Welcome back!  I hope everyone had a happy Valentine's / Love and Friendship Day yesterday!  Today we begin the Roundup with a new post from Dave Guymon at Getting Smart on "The 5 Steps of Effective Technology Integration."  Guymon does an excellent job simplifying and explaining the process that teachers and schools should go through when attempting to integrating new tech into the classroom. Lisa Nielsen at The Innovative Educator has an excellent post on students and social media entitled, "Another Reason Responsible Social Media Use Must be Taught to Students AND Adults."  Nielsen writes about a recent example of the positive influence social media can have, and ends by asking if educators and parents are confident that we have prepared our students to behave safely and responsibly online. Here are a few of the great new resources from FT4T:OpenEd Releases an App for Finding Ed ResourcesThe Science of Nervousness & Stage FrightHemingway Helps you Analyze Your WritingThe 2014 Google Science Fair is OpenThe Week in Review - Most Popular Posts Lately, there has been a lot of talk on Connected Learning, its importance in the classroom, and its relation to educational technology.  If you want a good introduction to the idea of Connected Learning, Katie Lepi's new post at Edudemic is a great place to start, "What is Connected Learning?" iLearn Technology has a new review of "EDpuzzle: Like Video in the Classroom 2.0."  EDpuzzle lets teachers edit, crop, add notes, or insert voice overs to videos.  Plus, you can embed your own questions within the videos as well.  It's a great tool (similar to Zaption and EduCanon) and worth checking out! Here is a sampling of ET&ML's posts from the week:10 Resources to Find Educational Apps for Class6 iPad Apps for Teaching Vocab to Young Learners10 iPad Apps to Foster a Kid's Creativity10 Web Tools for Creating Online Quizzes & Polls8 Essential Elements of Project Based Learning Up next, Katrina Schwartz at Mind/Shift asks, "If Robots Will Run the World, What Should Students Learn?"  It's an absolutely wonderful article that discusses the future of education, the importance of creativity and metacognition, and how educators can help in this process, especially by making education more of a collaborative process.  Definitely worth reading. For all you augmented reality fans, Drew Minock over at Two Guys and Some iPads has an excellent new review, "Zientia: Changing the Way We Learn with Augmented Reality."  Zientia is designed to be used with chemistry, geometry, and anatomy, and you can check out Minock's review for all the details, photos, and videos of the app in action. As always, EdReach has a great collection of podcasts:EdAdmin: Tech Integration Models & School LeadershipTeacher Tech Talk: You TechKnow How to MineCraft?Chalkstar to Rockstar: Student ActivismEducelerate: Emerging Trends in PDEduWin Weekly: So Much STEM! Finally, for anyone who is in a generous mood today (or just likes learning about new edtech that is in development) I wanted to share an exciting new Kickstarter from former teacher Daniel Fountenberry entitled "Books that Grow."  It's an excellent project that looks to create digital books that can adapt to students' learning levels.  You can check out the Kickstarter or home page for more information. The Lightning Round... Edudemic shares 6 Ways to Tell if You're Addicted to #EdTechEdudemic also covers 4 Ways Teachers can Encourage Online InteractionTeach Thought gives us 10 Tips for Teachers to Connect with Parents via Social Media And that's it for the Roundup this week!  Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a great weekend!-Mike

Welcome back!  And for those participating, I hope you're having a wonderful Carnaval weekend!  Down here in Barranquilla, the city has descended into the madness of celebration!  We start this week's roundup at Getting Smart with a new post entitled, "How Digital Learning is Boosting Achievement."  The article is an excellent collection of research, case studies, and information about digital learning around the states! Learning technologist, Dom Norrish has an excellent new post, "Considering the Best Way Forward for 1-to-1 Projects in 2014."  He begins by discussing the benefits of tablets and 1:1 devices in the classroom and then goes on to cover the challenges and downsides.  It's a great read and worth considering, especially if your district is heading that direction. Here are a few of the great new resources from FT4T:Google Video and Maps in CCSS Aligned LessonsMachines & Systems Explained with 3D AnimationsCreate Public Courses on OpenEdYou Can Build Your Own Search EngineThe Week and Month in Review Next up, Ricky Ribeiro at EdTech Magazine has a new post on "The BYOD Questions Your School Should be Asking."  If your school or district is preparing for a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) environment, Ribeiro lays out exactly what you should consider before moving forward.  The post is short and simple, and the questions cover the technology and IT side of BYOD implementation. Dr. Jackie Gerstein at User Generated Education has a new article on using "SAMR as a Framework for Moving Towards Education 3.0."  For those unfamiliar, here's a little background on the SAMR model.  In the post, Dr. Gerstein outlines the idea of Education 3.0, discusses how the SAMR can be used in our current system, and includes as wonderful infographic that ties everything together. Here are some of the top posts from ET&ML this week:Grow Professionally w/ Over 800 Free Online Courses5 Great Tools for Publishing Students Works40 iPad Apps for Reading Disabilities12 Ways to Leverage Google Drive in the ClassroomAdding Voice Comments to Google Docs Next up, Elizabeth Blair at Mind/Shift takes "A Look into Teenagers' Complicated Online Lives." The article examines the research of danah boyd (a senior researcher at Microsoft and the author of It's Complicated) which focuses on how students navigate social networks and the effect these networks have on their lives, relationships, and pysches.   Here are a few of EdReach's great podcasts from the week:Chalkstar to Rockstar: Taking Control of LearningFlipped Learning: Solving the Video PuzzleThe Two Guys Schow: Cool Cat Teacher Vicki DavisEduWin Weekly: Students Enter the Shark TankUntangling the Web: Twitter Attack! The Lightning Round... Edudemic shares 7 Things to Know Before Using Open Educational ResourcesEdudemic also covers the 6 Education Technology Trends You Should Know AboutTeach Thought discusses the 11 Underlying Assumptions of Digital Literacy Finally, FluidReview (a company that specializes in cloud-based scholarship management software) has released an inforgraphic on the topic of scholarships in America.  It explores where they come from, and who is getting them, and you can view it online here.  Thanks for reading everyone and we'll see you next week!-Mike

Welcome back!  And to everyone who was lucky enough to attend SXSWedu, you have my jealousy!  We begin this week with an article from Liana Heitin at Education Week, "Computer Science: Not Just an Elective Anymore."  Heitin discusses the growing push for computer science in the classroom, the support that the subject is beginning to receive across the states, and the obstacles that are still ahead. Next up, Katie Lepi at Edudemic has a new post which asks, "How Has Technology Changed Younger Students?"  The article includes an excellent infographic and discusses the growing prevalence of devices in schools as well as the potential value of utilizing these devices. Here are a few of the great resources from FT4T this week: QuizBean Opens a Quiz Bank for Sharing Quizzes A Crash Course on Hamlet Take a 3D Tour of the Universe in your Browser Ten Good Online Tools for Creating MInd Maps Most Popular Posts of the Week Next up, Kristen Hicks at Getting Smart discusses "3 Methods to Strenghten Students' Social Media Skills."  Hicks covers the importance of social media not only in the education setting but in the job market as well.  She outlines three excellent reasons why students (and teachers) should focus on social media skills and provides tons of excellent examples for support and further reading. Over at Edutopoia, Andrew Marcinek has an excellent new article entitled"Technology and Teaching: Finding a Balance."  In the post, Marcinek asks "How do educators find an ideal balance for learning about and eventually integrating technology?"  He goes on to outline 3 examples of balanced technology integration and discuss the educational opportunities that this type of integration offers. ET&ML has some excellent new resources from this week: 5 Web Tools to Create Academic Digital Portfolios Visual on How Teahcers & Students See Social Media 5 Guides on Social Media Use for Parents and Teachers Three Tools to Check for Plagiarism in Student work Dom Norrish is back with his second post on "Considering the Best Way Forward for 1-1 Projects in 2014."  Norrish opens by discussing the benefits of tablets and laptops in the classroom, and then introducing the idea of creating a "mixed-estate" 1:1 project.  Definitely a great read, especially for districts that are trying to create 1:1 environments. EdReach, as always, has an excellent collection of podcasts: The Two Guys Show: Authors' Panel Ladygeeks: Lisa Thumann & #NYNJGS14 Ed Admin: Moves that Invite Classroom Conversations 4 Habits of Teachers that Just Have "It" Google Educast: Google Edu at SXSWedu Finally, The Guardian, in tandem with Open University, has released an interactive infographic entitled "From Lecture Halls to Laptops: How do We Like to Learn?"  To create the visual, they surveyed 2000 adults in the UK and asked about their higher education experiences and attitudes towards classes and learning online.   The Lightning Round... Edudemic discusses 4 Popular Classroom Creation Tools (And Why They Matter) Getting Smart gives us5 Reasons a Software Subscription May Beat a Content Purchase Teach Thought covers 63 Things Every Student Should Know in a Digital World And that's it for the Roundup this week!  Thanks for tuning in!  And, for those interested in graduate school, we'll close with a new infographic from Grad School Hub on the numbers, figures, and facts on pretty much everything you could ever want to know!  See you next time! Courtesy of: Grad School Hub

Welcome back!  Today we begin with a wonderful post from Dr. Jackie Gerstein at User Generated Education.  The article, "Teaching Ethics in the Age of Technology" discusses how ethical decision making should be on the list of 21st century skills that we teach our students, and on the interaction between technology and ethics.  It's an excellent article and well worth the read! Next up, as part of Getting Smart's "Smart Student Blogging Contest" which invites students to share lessons and learning experiences, a 6th grader named Isabella offers her thoughts on "Tech, Tools and Robotics."  Isabella discusses her experiences in the robotics club and how the lessons she's learned there have helped shape her education.  And, if you haven't check out the "Smart Student" series, it's great. EdTech Magazine has a collection of articles which cover the details of the Consortium for School Networking Conference: How do Big Data & Digital Learning Improve Ed? More information on eRate 2.0 Big Data's Big Impact on K-12 Leveraging Classroom Tech Assessment Readiness Made Easy Over at Edudemic, Katie Lepi has a great new article entitled, "It's Time to Start Teaching About Sustainable Technology."  The post focuses around an infographic which examines how technology is effecting our environment and how our technology recycling habits might need to be changed.  Definitely worth taking a look! Here are a few of the new resources & reviews from FT4T: Word Cloud Tools to Help Students Analyze Writing 7 Student Response Systems for All Devices Building Flipped Lessons with Assessment Tools Speech to Text & Text to Speech in your Browser Most Popular Posts of the Week Next up, iLearn technology has a new review of "Google Story Builder: Create a Video Story Google Style."  Google Story Builder is a new app that lets you build a video story "that looks like it is being typed live between two collaborators in a Google doc."  It's a free, simple tool with a lot of fun classroom potential, so check out the review for more! Here are some of the great, new resources from ET&ML: Facts about How Tech is Transforming Education 2 Web Tools for Classroom Management Resources to Integrate Tech In Your Classroom 5 Tools to Help You Flip your Classroom Finally, edReach has a new collection of podcasts to peruse: EdAdmin: We Need School Leaders who can Code Flipped Learning: The Maker Movement EdAdmin: Practical Ideas for Promoting Creativity EdAdmin: On Formative Assessment EdCeptional: It's Just Tech! And that's all for the Roundup this week, thanks for reading!  We've also added some new reviews, so make sure to check those out as well!  And, to all my follow Jayhawks out there, I'll be mourning with you!  We'll close the Roundup today with a new infographic from Cisco (via Edudemic) on theImportance of Video in the Classroom.  See you next time! Courtesy of: Cisco

Welcome back to the Roundup!  Hopefully your team has made it to tonight's final four, or if not, that you're having a great weekend!  Today we begin at the EdTech Review with their brand new  "EdTech Implementation Guide - Part 1: Creating a Tech Integration Vision."  This is an excellent guide for districts, technology coordinators, or really anyone interested in integrating education technology. Speaking of edtech integration, Jennifer Zaino at EdTech Magazine has an excellent new article which discusses "Why Students and Staff Should Have a Voice in IT Decision-Making."  The post outlines why it is important for all educational stakeholders to have input into the technology purchasing and integration process.  And, from a personal perspective, I couldn't agree more with her advice. Here are a few of the great new resources from FT4T:Exploring History, Art, and World Wonders OnlineFree Google Apps that Bring Out the Best in an iPadVideo Guide to Using the Google Drive iPad AppLittle Bird Tales for Digital Storytelling in ElementaryThe Most Popular Posts of the Week Next up, Mary Jo Madda at EdSurge has a great new piece entitled, "No Silver Bullets: Hybrid High Learns a Tough Edtech Lesson."  The post tells the story of "how a school put teachers in charge of edtech and turned around a failing program."  It's a wonderful article about the challenges, successes, and possibilities for integrating technology and creating hybrid learning environments. Next let's head over to Mind/Shift for a new post by Shawn McCusker which asks, "How Are Students' Roles Changing in the New Economy of Information?"  In the article, McCusker discusses the skills students must possess to successfully navigate the enormous amount of information they are continually presented with.  It's an excellent and thought-provoking read, and definitely worth checking out. Here are a few of the new resources from ET&ML this week:Student Guide to Evaluating Web Content4 Free Educational iPad AppsEd Twitter Chats Teachers Should Know AboutEducational Web Resources for Teachers Next, Benjamin Herold at Education Week has a new article discussing how "Khan Academy, Open Ed. Providers Evolve with Common Core."  For anyone in one of the many, many states adopting the CCSS, and for those interested in blended or flipped learning, this will definitely come as great news.  The online content providers will be (and have already been) aligning their curriculum with the Common Core. Dawn Casey-Rowe at Edudemic has a great new post to help teachers integrate new tech on the cheap, "5 Ways To Do EdTech on a Shoestring Budget."  In the post, Casey-Rowe outlines five easy steps to bring technology into the classroom without spending boatloads of cash.  For anyone with limited resources, or just looking to save, check it out! Finally, here are some of the new podcasts from EdReach:EdGamer: Oculus FaceRiftTwo Guys Show: Aurasma's Head of OperationsaRTs Roundtable: Low Tech to High TechEdAdmin: Learning to Write Great SentencesiDig Video: Game of Thrones with Film Students And that's all for the Roundup this week!  I'll be out of town next week because... we finally made it to spring break!  Woo!  Have a great weekend and the Roundup will return in 2 weeks!  In the meantime, check out some of our new reviews and podcasts!  And if you had a chance to try out Been, and you're liking it, make sure to vote for them in the DEN March-Madness EdTech Championship! Thanks for reading!  -Mike

Welcome back!  After a week off for spring break, it's good to be back blogging! This week's Roundup begins at Edudemic with a new post from Katie Lepi entitled "How is Technology Affecting Kids?"  The post includes an excellent infographic and covers the latest statistics on students and technology use.  Next up, Katrina Schwartz at Mind/Shift asks "Are Existing Tech Tools Effective for Teachers and Students?"  The article centers around a new report released by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which surveyed 3,100 teachers and 1,250 students about effective digital instruction.  It's an excellent read (as is the entire report) for classroom teachers and administrators alike. Here are a few of the great resources from FT4T this week:Online 3D Models of MoleculesView Geolocated Historical ImageryTyping Speed Monitor Shows Typing Speed on WebSilk Adds Support for Drag and Drop EditingThe Most Popular Posts of the Week Tracy Clark at Getting Smart has some great ideas for digital spring cleaning in her new series "10 Spring Cleaning To Dos for Your Digital Adobe."  Clark walks us through updating passwords, automating digital tasks, cleaning out inboxes, and a whole lot more.  It's easy to forget the importance of keeping our digital lives organized and up to date, and Clark's post is a great and helpful reminder. Over at EdTech Magazine, D. Frank Smith has on new post on "Captivating Students with Perplexing Problems."  The article discusses a recent talk that math teacher Dan Meyer gave at the annual CUE (Computer-Using Educators) conference in March.  Meyer offers some excellent advice on engaging and captivating students, and how to use technology to help in that process. Here are some of the new resources from ET&ML:6 Apps for Better Interaction with Your Students5 Golden Rules for Kids' Online SafetyGreat Research Tools for Teachers & StudentsTools to Protect and Raise Digital Learners If you're not familiar with the recent movement to "flip" teacher professional development, and put more power in the hands of teachers as to what they focus on, it's pretty exciting.  On that note, TeachThought has a great new post which offers "8 Steps to Flipped Teacher Professional Development."  A few of the great podcasts from EdReach this week:The Myth of Digital Citizenship & Why We Need ItMacReach: MacReach Joins the LadyGeeksGoogle Educast: Google TakeoutTwo Guys Show: Integrating Augmented Reality in EdEdAdmin: Innovation, Google X, and Failing Finally, if you're feeling in supportive spirits today, we'll end with a new edtech kickstarter project called Crack the Books.  The project aims to offer digital textbooks at a variety of reading levels, so that students can all learn the same content, but at a reading level that is appropriate for them.  There is about 65 hours left on the project, so go check it out! That's it for the Roundup today!  Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend!-Mike

Welcome back to the Roundup!  First, I'd like to wish all the moms out there (mine especially!) a very happy mother's day! Second, let's start this week's Roundup with Michele Molnar at Education Week who has a new report on "Google's 'Classroom' Learning Management System."  The application will allow teachers to easily collect assignments, provide feedback, make announcements, and more! Check it out! Jordan Shapiro at Mind/Shift has a new article entitled, "Math, Science, History: Games Break Boundaries Between Subjects."  In this post (which is part 3 of  Mind/Shift's Guide to Games & Learning) Shapiro discusses how teachers can use game-based lessons to embrace holistic learning and bring various content areas together, helping students to see beyond traditional subject-area boundaries.   Here are a few of the great resources from FT4T this week: Sugar and the Human Brain Free Webinars About Using Comics in Class 7 Tools for Creating Short Video Stories Develop & Test Rocket Designs on OpenRocket The Most Popular Posts of the Week Next up, Katie Lepi at Edudemic has an excellent infographic and analysis on "Keeping Students Safe Online." Lepi opens with some statistics (many of which are troubling) about students' behavior online.  She then goes on to offer strategies and tips for helping keep kids safe, and shares a great infographic as well. Here are a few new resources from this week on ET&ML 25 Ed Web Tools to Boost your Teaching 7 Tools for Assessment in a 1:1 Classroom Fundamental Teacher Apps The Four Pillars of Flipped Learning If you're a Twitter fan like myself, you've probably seen an occasional (or often) twitter Q&A discussion taking place. Maybe you've even wondered how you could launch your own Q&A session about a topic that you are interested in.  If that's the case, check out Lisa Nielsen's excellent new post on "How to Host a Q&A Twitter Chat." Finally, here a few of EdReach's new podcasts! Will Unstructured Play Turn Kids into LOtF? Google Educast: The Classroom w/ Eric Curts The Two Guys Show: Class Dojo Flipped Learning: Star Wars in the Classroom Teach Your Students to Make Documentaries The Lightning Round... Dom Norrish offers his predictions on How Will the Classroom of 2017 Look? Edudemic shares a new infographic on Slowing Down the Distracted Generation EdTech Review gives us 5 New Tech Tools that Teachers Must Explore Getting Smart covers the 12 Features of the Next-Gen Platform Finally, Edutopia discusses Tools for Professional Learning: Curate, Share, Connect And that does it for this week!  Again, a very happy mother's day to all you moms out there and thanks for reading!  We'll end today with a new infographic on how technology in education has changed over the past few years! Courtesy of: Cheapest Colleges