The beauty of mobile learning is that it allows you to access content any time, anywhere. However, there can be a few bumps in the road. It can be very tedious to download content in a way that allows you to listen or view the material, even if you're not online. In addition, downloading can be cumbersome if you have to go through several different apps and portals. If you're enrolled in an

Hello Friends and Happy New Year! Like many of you, I am reflecting on the last 365 days and making "My TO BE" list for the coming year hoping to ensure that 2012 is a year that matters. There are literally hundreds of books, posts, and pieces of advice that we use to raise the bar in our professional and personal lives. So many of these things make sense (eat right, exercise more, limit the chocolate, etc,,) and we fully intend to be diligent in their implementation into our habits and lives. And yet, somewhere between Jan 1st and Jan. 1st, we don’t quite make the mark. (Speaking from personal experience!) The most important lesson I learned in 2011 is the life we wish for comes not from doing something big and drastic but rather by committing to do one small thing a day that really matters to/for someone else.  I am making that a renewed commitment in  2012 to everyday, for 365 days, to let someone in my life know that they matter to me. A few seconds of your time could mean the world to someone. Lets make sure that everyday in 2012 is a day that matters! Happy New Year!!   If video does not automatically play - Click to View Here.  

What role can online dictionaries play in e-learning? Finding just the right word to use, or understanding the true meaning of a word is often a matter of context as well as denotative meaning. Dictionaries can fall short because they do not always adequately present the full spectrum of meaning(s), and they are not flexible enough to engage deep learning. To offer a solution, Ultralingua

Morals? Ethics? Being open, authentic, transparent?Sure, we’ve all heard them. It’s ubiquitous when it comes to conversations about business, education, and social media success. These are all practices important to being "Above the Line" and the topic of one of my favorite Twitter Chats:  #SMmanners I am excited this week to be co-hosting #SMmanners with the Twitter Chat King himself,  Mr, Jure Klepic. Our guests will be Brent Williams (@1BrentWilliams) and Andrew B.  Clark (@TheBrandChef) ; two of the co-founders of Above the Line America. They will be discussing the importance of doing business "Above the Line" and the important tenants of Abundance Authenticity Accountability Action Appreciation topics that both educators and business organizations will find fascinating. Here are details for the chat: Date:  Tuesday January 10, 2011 Time: 10 PM EST Hashtags: #SMmanners and #Abovetheline If this is your first Twitter chat, check out these great getting started tips: How to Get Started With Twitter Chats My Twitter Chat Toolbox How to Set up TweetGrid to Monitor Twitter chat 5 Ways to  Tweet Like a Champion For more information on and upcoming chat topics  and  #SMmaners follow the amazing Dabney Port (@DabneyPorte) Founder of #SMmanners , #SlumberParty & Co Founder of #SMgirlfriends Related articles: Twitter Chats - Experiences, Value Propositions, Tips and Tricks Nurph: Twitter-Connected Chat Rooms Ready for a Tweet Chat? 5 Tips on How to Join the Conversation 20 Game-Changing Twitter Chats

My friend and mentor Seth Godin says, "only reason to give a speech is to change the world", so that is the context and the inspiration I share this message and manifesto with you: 2 Words Changing The World These two words can change your mood, change your mind, and have the power to change lives and the world world if we understand and leverage them in the right way" Angela Maiers TED Talk June 2011 YOU MATTER.   I am not telling you something that you don’t already know - Mattering Matters. In fact, I’m sure you will agree that it is of the utmost importance to tell our families, our customers, clients, and community - they matter. But who tells you? Before we can convince anyone else that we matter we must first convince ourselves.  This is not a desperate attempt to justify our existence nor glorify our importance. Knowing we matter is key to our existence as important to our survival as air, food, and water. Consider this Manifesto an acknowledgement of your significance and an official reminder that …. 1. YOU ARE ENOUGH Do you even realize how much difference you can make? You don’t have to be rich or famous; there is not age limit or specific skill set to acquire. Your presence- your essence- your passion is enough. You already have what it takes to make the world a better place. Making a difference to the world may seem like an enormous task, but it is in fact the collective effort of everyone to make small contributions with a lot of heart. You are just what the world is waiting for. 2.  YOU HAVE INFLUENCE Knowing you can make a difference in the world is sometimes scary to accept. To realize you can literally alter the path of the world is a bit overwhelming. Yet it’s important to accept the influence you own. Whether you accept it or not, you’re changing the course of humanity. The degree to which you do so it entirely up to you. 3. YOU ARE A GENIUS Seth Godin defines genius as the act of solving a problem in a way no one has solved it before. It has nothing to do with winning a Nobel prize in physics or certain levels of schooling. It’s about using human insight and initiative to find original solutions that matter. The question is: Have you ever done that? Read on… 4. YOU HAVE A CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE "Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Author Unknown Your painting can bring a smile to someones face. Your poetry can lift someone out of a deep slump. Your passion can lead to the creation of something magnificent. The size of the contribution you make is is not what matters most. What counts is the effort. We have a responsibility to seek ways to contribute, large and small. 5.  YOU HAVE A GIFT THAT OTHERS NEED "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." - Buddha Happiness and love are the two greatest gifts you can give to the world. Too often, we’re too indulged in our own gratifications  we forget there are people in this world whom we can make a little happier and feel more loved. These interventions, ideas, and ideals are the gifts we can give to society. And as the saying goes, "The more we give, the more we’ll receive." 6. YOU ARE THE CHANGE "Be the change the world need to see" Ghandi Sometimes it is in the small encounters with others that we recognize twe matter, that our presence is important. A shared smile, an unexpected kindness, leaving each encounter with another positive. It is in these small moments we find opportunity to make the choice to matter. In doing so, we create the relationship, we create the change. We make the world a better place. 7. YOUR ACTIONS DEFINE YOU IMPACT "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank Action is the worlds greatest currency.If you choose to remain passive in how you live, you still have an impact. If you choose to remain quiet on issues that drive you, that too influences humanity. There is no one best time to start to make a difference to the world. You don’t need to wait till you have the time; you don’t have to wait till you make more money; you don’t have to wait to let someone know they matter. Start with these two words, and you will will know how much that  little efforts counts today. 8. YOU MATTER! To matter means to be of consequence, of importance (but not self-importance;) significant, relevant, worthy of note and of crucial value. To feel appreciated and valued, marginalized, abandoned or ignored.  The world may not always affirm this. Your employer may not always tell you that you - and the work you do - are valued. You friends and family without knowing it may not communicate the importance of your presence in their lives. But that doesn’t mean that what you do and who you are doesn’t have a profound impact on the world. It does. And you do. In the big scheme of things - you make a difference. A big difference. The world would be a very different place - a lesser place - without you. About this Manifesto: The YOU MATTER Manifesto is more than just a cheerful sentiment; it is a call to action. Empower yourself and realise the importance of contributing to the world by living your genius. Work on that talent and know you are responsible to put to use the gifts that have been entrusted to you. Mattering is a process not an event.  Take your dreams and your talents seriously. Consider and Share: How do you take responsibility for YOU Matter? How do you let others know they matter? Let’s make our time together matter! This is only the beginning!  

Click for podcast / audio file. Supplemental, personalized online tutoring is critical to student success in e-learning, and many institutions offer synchronous tutoring support, with programs such as Smarthinking. However, it’s not necessary to invest in an expensive package. Instead, individual instructors and tutors can easily set up online tutoring and work directly with their students.  In

Two months ago today, I embarked on an what has turned out to be an experience of a lifetime.  I traveled to Washington DC to cover the  2011 Partners in Learning Global Forum live on Twitter. (You can check out that Twitter stream here.) To get a sense of the essence and energy of the week, take a moment look at this short video and browse through the event photostream which beautifully portrays the fascinating projects, engaged collaboration, and transformative learning that happened when 700+ teachers, school leaders, education and government officials from more than 70 countries come together to share their vision of what’s possible in education. I was not only inspired by the hundreds of amazing projects presented by teachers from across the globe; I was reminded of why I became a teacher in the first place. Somewhere between the discussions of the skills and strategies we must teach and the standards we must hold ourselves accountable for, we forget the essence of our work; to change lives and change the world. My friend, Johnny Kissko , 2011 award recipient, said it beautifully in his reflective post here: "I am most in awe of the sincerely passionate people at this event and their vision on how to develop lifelong learners and relationships of significance, both in the classroom and beyond." These feelings were validated and resonated loud and clear when Anthony Salcito, Vice President for Microsoft Education, addressed the crowd: At Microsoft, we believe that education can change the world. We recognize that teachers play a direct role in education and influencing the lives of students. Each year, millions of teachers contribute to the learning and development of students across the U.S. They instill life lessons that live on well after education is complete.  Teachers have the ability to build communities. I know…I’ve seen it happen. Here were my first tweets of the opening keynote address:                   It was both impressive and exciting to see hard working educators get the recognition they deserved, not only during the Awards Ceremony, but throughout the week. No detail was left to chance and no teacher was left behind thinking: Does the work I do matter?  I am thrilled that I had a chance to sit down with Anthony during the event (and yes give him that hug!) and he shared with me his vision for continuing to ensure that this message of  YOU MATTER reached teachers everywhere. Through his new blog, Daily Edventures will be sharing the  stories of "everyday heroes" in education worldwide. Each day he will include an interview and information on how these brave leaders are making meaningful changes in their community to ensure a brighter future for the next generation through education.     Microsoft’s commitment to supporting, recognizing and inspiring educations around the world, left excited and energized about the future. If you are not a member of the Partners in Learning Community already, sign up today! Just this week, Microsoft launched the revamped Partners in Learning Network, a worldwide collaborative network and resource designed to encourage the communication and sharing between the world’s brightest and forward-thinking educators. You will be amazed at the resources you will find. You can read more about the updates to the New Network and recent developments in 21st Century Skills research here and at EMEA Press Centre. Thank you Microsoft for a wonderful and invigorating expereince, and thank you to my college and "tweet crew" Alfred Thomason, Doug Peterson, Lee Kolbert, Olie Bray, and Johnny Kissko for making the week even more special. Related articles Reflections from Microsoft Pil Global Forum 1 of 5 - Anthony Salcito Keynote [#pilgf #msftpil] (olliebray.typepad.com) Microsoft Partners in Learning Aims to Inspire Teachers (wired.com) Reflections from Microsoft Pil Global Forum 5 of 5 - Building Networks [#pilgf #msftpil] (olliebray.typepad.com) My Takeaways from the Partners in Learning Global Summit (dougpete.wordpress.com) Microsoft donates $1 million to train teachers in Africa (bizjournals.com)

Online training providers are increasingly under pressure to provide quick-to-market, easy-to-implement solutions that avoid cumbersome learning management systems. At the same time, the proliferation of devices and apps has created an environment where solutions have to be simple and elegant enough to work on many devices in situations where bandwidth can be a challenge. This case study examines

Educational transformation requires a significant investment, and not just from a single source. The most effective educational growth often occurs when companies, communities, educators, and committed volunteers join forces and determine the best and most strategic way to invest. With that in mind, Intel Corporation has initiated a new program, Intel Teach, which awards Intel Schools of