I was recently interviewed for BAM Radio's Rae Pica along James Popham who wrote, "Everything School Leaders Should Know about Assessment."  In this show we look at formative and summative teacher evaluations and discuss what teachers can do to support more valid and effective assessments.I talk about how teacher effectiveness gives teachers the opportunity to know only toot their own horn, but also toot the horns of their students.  I also discuss why it is important for innovative educators to helping those who are evaluating them understand the role of technology and social media in increasing effectiveness. You can listen to the program on the BAM Radio! site here. 

@InnovativeEdu Balance is key.— Herman Miller EDU (@HermanMillerEDU) May 28, 2014 The above tweet was sent to me in response to my post explaining why innovative educators should look down on upon a new video called, "Look Up." But I disagreed with this balance-seeking Tweeter. "Balance is key" is a common refrain heard by innovative educators and their students. It is meant as a reminder that tech has a place... but only as long as it's balanced with non-tech.We are a society that seems to embrace balance without question. It is easy to speak those words or nod in agreement when others convey the sentiment. I mean, what can be wrong with balance? It seems easy to agree to this condition. If this has been you - STOP. We don't need to balance technology with non-technology.Technology is a tool and resource that we have at our disposal to use effectively and efficiently for our needs. For many people technology is the way they do business, pleasure, fitness, and more, and that's okay.If you're wondering why...Think about it. When you talk about reading books, do you often hear, "balance is key?" When you talk about fitness, do you often hear, balance is key? How about writing? How about talking to friends? How about networking with experts? How about playing chess?  How about making documentaries? How about solving complex equations? How about social action?  How about doing research?I want more »

I had the pleasure to speak to librarians today at the UnCommon Approaches to the Common Core Conference about ideas for making trips to museums and other cultural institutions fun and engaging using digital media. Interested in this topic and/or want some ideas to share with others?  If so, check out my presentation below.

The Innovative Educator in the Social Media Booth at NYSCATE 13As the 13/14 school year comes to a close, it's time to think about what events and conferences to attend for the next year.  While I certainly won't be attending all these conferences below are my top picks listed in chronological order. They include a link to the conference, brief description, approximate dates (if they are not yet scheduled) based on previous years and non-member, full costs (some are estimates based on previous years) which include pre-conference fees. Take a look.  See what you think and share which conferences you are attending and why you made that choice.I want more »

While the idea of spending four fabulous years of freedom to be on your own immersed in study, is certainly appealing, there are a number of reasons why the traditional college experience might not work for students. Today's students are less naive about student loans understanding that the reality, is most of us can’t afford to wrack up tens of thousands of dollars in loans before entering the workforce. As a result, more and more, people are looking at alternatives like starting college in high school with programs like College Now, testing out of classes, or taking accelerated degree programs. Such programs are a potential solution for individuals who don’t have the luxury of spending several years out of the workforce.  I’ve shared several posts on the first two options.  Accelerated degree programs deserve a closer look.   Here are five reasons why accelerated degree programs might be the right option for your students.I want more »

Guest Post by Vicki DavisEditor’s note:  Vicki Davis just wrote a new book called, Reinventing Writing. I asked her if she could contribute a post to The Innovative Educator explaining specifically how social media has reinvented writing. This is that post.   As hall of fame baseball player, Babe Ruth said, "Yesterday’s home runs won’t win tomorrow’s games." To level up writing, we need to take advantage of the out-of-the park features and capabilities that social media inspired concepts give writing instruction.Most of us know how it feels to write an exciting Facebook status update or a powerful tweet. Without delay, we know the impact of our words as they are retweeted, commented on, and liked (or ignored.) With this in mind, it stands to reason that students want a response too. Paper essays that are only seen by the teacher with a wastebasket as their final destiny are a needless waste of time and potential. Writing can be so much more exciting and it isn’t that hard to do.Notably, social media is impacting writing in the classroom in ten powerful ways. You don’t have to be on social media (or even like it)  to feel the lift social media concepts can give writing in your classroom, as I share in my new book  Reinventing Writing released just this month.10 Ways Social Media Has Reinvented Writing and Tips to Benefit StudentsSocial Media Impact #1 - Connect with an Audience.Research shows that audience improves student writing effort and work. It makes sense, writers want meaning. Tip: Use methods like Quadblogging,  #comments4kids, or encouraging parents to comment and view student work to help promote audience of your students’ public work.I want more »

My co-author Willyn Webb and I had the opportunity to speak with "Tech Page One - Insights from the Evolving World of Tech" to explain why cell phones should be allowed in the classroom.  You can read the entire piece at BYOD Goes to School, Here is what we said during our interview with the author of the article.  Once considered a distraction, smartphones are now being used by teachers to expand teaching optionsLisa Nielsen, who blogs at The Innovative Educator and co-authored "Teaching Generation Text," advocates for cellphone use in classrooms. She has taught students how to record podcasts, use Twitter and post photos to Flickr with their phones."My philosophy is that we should be preparing students for the real world, and it’s a world in which we rely on our cellphones constantly," Nielsen says. "We can engage learners in really powerful ways that were never before possible."How cellphone capabilities are changing learningWillyn Webb, co-author with Nielsen and a high school counselor and assistant principal in Colorado, says that when she started teaching only one video camera was available for her students. Now, thanks to smartphones, every student has the capability to take photos and video, and to stay in the loop when they are not in class.Apps that Webb has used include Celly, which allows teachers to text students while not revealing phone numbers, and Poll Everywhere, which helps teachers conduct polls through text messages.With their use of cellphones, students at Webb’s alternative high school are taking on more learning, even without being asked, she says. One time, during a brainstorming session, she took notes on the board and, instead of having students write down the information, she told them to snap a photo with their phones."Since they had the picture of the notes in their phones — and the phones are part of their real lives and real worlds — they made a decent amount of progress [at home]," Webb says. "It was a homework assignment I didn’t have to assign. It was part of the device they know, love and always have with them."

Are you gaga over Google? Do you think Microsoft is magnificent? Do you excel at using Edmodo? Do you think PBS is the perfect platform for digital media content?Wouldn’t it be great to find others in your district using the same tools as you? Wouldn’t it be great to have a direct connection to the people who work at the companies of the very resources you are using for teaching and learning? As reported this week in the Wall Street Journal, Chalkbeat New York, and this press release from the NYC Department of Education's press office, this has become a reality for NYC Department of Education teachers.  As part of Chancellor Carmen Farina’s commitment to integrate more technology into classrooms a series of innovative summer courses for teachers will be offered so that teachers are equipped to ensure students graduate from New York City public schools with the digital skills they need to succeed.I want more »

More and more schools are realizing that Google Chromebooks are the answer to updating outdated schools. Unfortunately though, in many cases they are making purchases for large scale deployment with little investment toward preparation for implementation issues or knowledge of where to turn to connect with others who have had experience in Chromebooks (and Google Apps for Ed) deployment. That’s where learning networks come in.  Fortunately there is an experienced online community available to support others venturing into this world.Here are some resources:I want more »

Willyn Webb and I contributed to the International Society of Technology Educators (ISTE) Literacy Journal. The journal features innovative ways to enhance learning with technology. Our chapter is called, "The future is in their hands: Using cell phones for literacy learning. Unlike other journals, there is no pay wall to access the journal. It is available free!Here is what you'll find in the journal:Table of Contents Forward  Editor, Mark Gura Page 4  Text Meets Video in the Blogosphere: Complex Informational Content for Today’s Students by Dr. Rose Reissman Page 6  Using Creative Technology to Engage Struggling Readers and Writers as Producers of Literature by Melinda Kolk Page 12  The Future Is In Their Hands: Using Cell Phones for Literacy Learning by Lisa Nielsen and Willyn Webb Page 21   Boosting Oral Language Fluency through Technology Intensive Literature Exploration (TILE), a Learning Centers Approach by Kevin Amboe Page 32  Learning to Teach with Edmodo: Social Networking-based Activities by Kathy D. Shields Page 44  Using Online Discussions to Develop Literacy Skills and Integrate the NETsby Sandra Wozniak Page 54  Student Led Podcast Projects Make Common Core Literacy skills Come Aliveby Dr. Rose Reissman Page 64  Using Technology To Enhance Reading Skills For English Language Learnersby Kimberly M. Thomas Page 74Interested? You can check out the journal below.Scribd.com Version:http://www.scribd.com/doc/227311233/Literacy-Special-Interest-V1-Number2Read or Download as PDF (requires free registration) scribd

Alex Laubscher and mentor Mike King at MoCCA FestAlex Laubscher is a cartoonist who I met this year when his mother brought him to New York City for MoCCA Fest which is an art festival for illustrators. By the age of 15 Alex developed an extensive network of others who share his love for the zine culture and illustrating.  Alex connected and developed relationships with some of the leaders in his field via Instagram. Laubscher has learned to produce and sell his own self-created zines.  He has learned everything he knows about his craft not through school, not through his parents or family, but via the learning network he has created for himself. He has asked for and received some terrific support in this work through his school, but for the most part school has gotten in the way of his success. His parents have been supportive of his endeavors, but by no means are they ones guiding him in this journey. Rather they are their to support him in doing their best to ensure he is safely and happily able to pursue his passion.  In the following interview, Alex explains his tips for success in creating a professional learning network.  I want more »

Editor’s note: This guest post from Chris Casal started as a comment on "Filtering social media in schools because it’s a ‘distraction’" which appeared on Scott McCleod’s Dangerously Irrelevant blog.Social media is no different than pencil and paper. I doodled a lot in the margins of my physics book. It wasn’t Twitter and Facebook that made me doodle but I doodled nonetheless.Social media can serve as the new platform for distraction but not a new cause for it. Doodles, passing notes, sleeping in class, all of the "analog" forms of distraction, have just morphed into branded platforms.The difference? Sleeping in class never led to anything. On the other hand, connecting & engaging on social media might. The doodler who grew up to be a graphic designer may have been distracted in class but is now earning a living born out of that distraction. Maybe the students tweeting in class will develop the next great media platform.Social media has no intent. It can be used for evil, but it has far more potential for good. Second graders in my school composed 100 tweets for the 100th day of school in @MsGlembocki’s class. Things they loved, learned, and experienced in 100 days. They did the full writing process, including paper drafts, and then used class iPads to publish their tweets. It was amazing to see 30 second graders engaged the entire day in a writing process that covered both traditional methods & social media. They got instant feedback on their writing from around the world. Not a distraction in the least.@MsKertesz, 4th grade ICT, used Twitter to connect with a class in Liverpool, England. They had weekly Skype sessions, did cross-pond spelling bees, and collaborated on Prezis.These are just two examples of how social media is used in my building in very positive ways. Our students are excited about the prospect of their own accounts when they get to the appropriate age. I am confident that when they do have their own accounts they will use them as productively and positively as our teachers have.Nothing beats a good model.It shouldn’t be blocked. It should be used. Distraction exists no matter what. Don’t censor a whole medium in fear of distraction.To read more ways we use social media at my school visit http://thecasalos.blogspot.com/search/label/twitter

At their most basic level, playing video games is akin to reading books. Like books, video games can range in quality from trashy novels to informative historical fiction. Like books different genres of video games have varying learning potential. Like books, video games offer different purposes and varying levels of usefulness when it comes to learning. To decide which type of games are best for your children, first consider which type of learning you want to support, then figure out which games are best suited for your child's needs. You can check out my latest article on Answers.com here to do that.  

Are you an innovative educator who loves using digital media, but is a little concerned about the safety of student data?Do you wonder if your classroom tech use is CIPA and FERPA compliant?  You are not alone.This is a hot media topic which often gives us cause for concern. Being concerned is good. Being armed with the facts is better.This came to my attention recently, because innovative educators (in threads like this one) provided me with articles that made them second-guess their use of certain technology resources. I did some investigating and here is what I discovered.I want more »

Most degree programs provide students with the option of using an e-textbook instead of a traditional hard copy. This usually means scouring the Internet for the best deal. It also means figuring out what format works best for you. Innovative educators who are taking classes are making informed choices for themselves. However, whether they are in school or not they must ensure their students are college ready. This includes arming their students with knowledge on how to determine what format is best for them. Here are some considerations.I want more »

When I talk to students these days they tell me that when they want to learn something they're interested in, it usually is not teachers or parents they turn to. It’s Google, YouTube, or to others they find online (aka their PLN) who engage in their activities of interest. These kids aren’t just playing on the computer either. They mean serious business. Teen Jack Andraka turned to Google when doing his research that led to his discovery of a new screening for pancreatic cancer. Teens like Courtney Gressman and Alex Laubscher are building networks using social media to pursue their passions and do work that matters to them and others. Not only does access to the internet provide limitless access to resources but tools like the iPad (or other tablets) also change with the needs of the user. One device can transform into a piano, drawing canvas, book, publishing press, or whatever a student wants it to be... on demand. This has come up in my world recently when a parent confess to me that she was unsure of her ability to support her child's learning away from school. To put her mind at ease we simply discussed what her child wants to learn, and then determined available resources.  What follows is a possible curriculum via tablet, customized to one student’s passions and abilities:I want more »

Google Hangouts on Air let you conduct a video conference with up to ten people that is live streamed and taped for later viewing. Earlier versions of hangouts, were quite clunky with a few glitches, but they've come a LONG way since I first wrote about them. Two great new features are that you can now do Google Hangout on Air events and you can get the embed code, YouTube link, and even link in advance.  This means you can embed the hangout right on your website, blog, or other online space. I made the poster below to walk you through the 7 simple steps required to start a Google Hangout On Air. (Tip:  If you are having trouble viewing this in your browser, it may be easier to right click the image and download or open in a new tab.)  

Guest post by Chris Casal (A more detailed version of this article was cross posted at The Casal Operating System)If you haven’t heard, another story of technology gone wild was recently shared in this WNYC article "Why Hoboken is Throwing Away All of its Student Laptops." As is the case with other failed technology initiatives in places like Liverpool, and Los Angeles, the problem is not the tech, but rather the ineffective deployment and implementation strategy.  If you don’t want your school or district to end up in the headlines after purchasing technology, follow these six suggestions to make implementations more effective:I want more »

Innovative educators are often frustrated when administration will not allow them time for collaboration and professional study. At the same time,  innovative educators know that to succeed they need to have an effective principal at the helm. Principal effectiveness includes knowing how to provide teachers with these three things:Time for collaborationTime for professional developmentA school wide system that supports positive behaviorThese items require principals to find innovative ways to give their teachers time to learn.  Without that, even the most motivated of educators will have a hard time staying up to date and bringing innovative practices to their school.  If your school principal forgets, share the below infographic. It makes a great case for principals who may need a reminder every so often why you need to attend that amazing conference, ed camp, workshop, or Twitter chat. Click below to check out the Infographic Via:The Impact Effective Principals Have on Education

If you are looking for inspirational videos to spruce up professional development at your school this year, you have to look no further than "The Brainwaves" video anthology which features videos on a myriad of topics from innovative educators.The videos are free and generally run between 5 - 10 minutes. Should you decide to use them, you may want to follow these guidelines from WNET for using digital media in the classroom.I want more »

Like it or not, today's students are not just citizens. They are "digital" citizens. This means that educators need to spend time with students on ensuring they know how to be responsible online.  In NYC schools we have social media guidelines created by students and teachers to guide this work. You can see them at schools.nyc.gov/socialmedia. We also support educators and parents with professional development. The professional development includes a fun back-to-school activity called, "It's #SoMe." (Note: #SoMe is the hashtag for social media.)Here's how the activity works.  I want more »

A fantastic way for educators, students, or companies to get attention to ideas or product is to contribute a post to a popular blog in your area of interest. However if you do, make sure you do your homework by keeping these tips in mind.1) Comment on the blogDon't just make a request out of nowhere. Be a participant in the blog's communIty. Add valuable and interesting comments to posts that interest you. The blog author should already be familiar with who you are because you are an active contributor who has smart ideas to share. If your ideas are strong enough, you won't even have to ask to submit a guest post. The blog author may reach out to you.I want more »

A new school year is a great time to remember the importance of building and strengthening relationships with students. I recently had the opportunity to join Paula Denton who is an educator and author of the book, "The First Six Weeks of School" and author and inner city high school teacher Larry Ferlazzo in a conversation with Rae Pica, host of Teacher’s Aid on Bam Radio. We discussed some ways to build relationships with students. Below are some ideas I shared as well as some I didn’t get to in the interview. I want more »

Fiverr is a hot new resource that is catching on like wildfire with innovative educators. But it shouldn’t end there. Back-to-school is a great time to think about what this could mean for your students! If you don’t know, Fiverr is known as, "The place for people to offer services starting at $5." The services (called Gigs) are generally provided by freelancers who love what they do and want to share and spread their passion. On Fiverr you can buy and sell Gigs in areas such as illustrating, writing, creating logos, designing business cards, and recording voiceovers. But it’s not just for grown-ups. Starting at just five bucks, Fiverr is also an innovative resource for students.   Here are five ways Fiverr can help your students: Get A Leg Up On LanguageGet Help:Have students struggling in a language course? Maybe they are finding Chinese challenging? Perhaps they need a little extra assistance studying for that French exam? No more paying for expensive tutors or participating in a ho-hum after-school program. Students can take their linguistic talents up a notch by getting help from a native-language speaker with Fiverr.  Give Help:Maybe you or one of your students is bilingual. Think about what services they might offer to other students, their teachers, or even parents! I want more »