I have already written several blogs on various strategies for capturing visitors’ attention online. However, the subject is still far from being exhausted. Indeed, when we deal with an 8-second attention span online, we need to utilize all of the tools that we can in order to make our audience stay…

I have already written several blogs on various strategies for capturing visitors’ attention online. However, the subject is still far from being exhausted. Indeed, when we deal with an 8-second attention span online, we need to utilize all of the tools that we can in order to make our audience stay on our site and explore it in more detail.

This is a great online digital teaching tool for the classroom, especially for students in K-12.

The site provides "edutainment" and helps with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and more.

There are two modes--drag n' drop and freestyle--where users can create their own work.

A "PicLit" is a combination of words placed on a photograph to capture the essence, story, and meaning of the picture. PicLits can be a simple sentence, complex or compound sentence, a paragraph, a…

Over the last few weeks, I have heard some great ideas for making my lessons more effective in the classroom.  I am not resistant to change and technology integration, but like most, I don’t always have time for all of the logistics.  Guess what, I just found the time!

This is my lucky month.  No excuses!  I have an extra day!  Inspired by Heidi Hayes Jacobs (at FETC) I am going to take one small step and upgrade just one lesson for the 21^st Century. Why not ask your…

Jux is a slick web-based application that will be useful for people who want to create a blog or one-off presentation that is really focused on visual style. Every time you add new content, Jux reorganizes your content into a single, beautiful, edge-to-edge display. Clicking on any element will display it in a gorgeous full-screen mode.

Unlike other applications, Jux…

Global collaboration in kindergarten? Clearly, I am not the first to try this, but considering the results already, I hope to inspire a few of you.

Today's educator needs to look beyond traditional methods of teaching core subjects towards supporting 21st century learning beginning with our youngest learners if they are to compete in a global society. Using a private Twitter account, we follow and are followed by kindergarten classrooms across the globe. Students dictate their tweets…

Several experts around the world refer to current school-age children as “digital natives” since they have grown up in a wired world, as opposed to adults who have had to become accustomed to it. And it’s the truth, most kids seem to understand very well everything that is digital given that they are very…

I thought I'd write a series of posts articulating my current thinking on different types of internet based tools and their use within education. My expertise in this area is largely based around finding things, playing with them and assessing their potential for teaching and learning. My last few posts have been based around this subject in some way or another.  However, I've not done much about specific types of tools. 

I'm sharing this post of one of our ANS Senior students(Michael Gardina), comments to his work are more than welcome !

Education, has different purposes according to its society, but we do know that its overall major goal is to help to community expand its…

This was their challenge:  Give me 5!

This is what it is all about!  The most impressive workshop I attended at TCEA was presented by students from Dublin ISD, TX.   It was inspiring to see the real tangible benefits of putting technology tools in the hands of students and focusing on 21^st century skills.  It was like watching 21^st century skills in 3D! 

The challenge was based on these five skills:  Challenge, Collaborate, Research, Create and…

This last post is intended to offer some ideas and tips that will surely make professional development efforts worthwhile. To teach teachers is not an easy task; and these recommendations can assist in retaining them engaged, motivated, and focused in what is being presented or taught.

From personal…

There's lots to reflect on when you teach.  Rarely do we get a chance or have the inclination to do this fully.   For my role as a Learning Technologist in a Higher Education institution (Institute of Education, London, UK), I don't do a massive amount of teaching.  There is some but mostly the help and advice I provide is done informally in one-to-one meetings.  Anyway, I want to reflect on some teaching I did recently as I'm looking to improve and develop this particular session.…

I have taught English to people who did not understand the word “hello”.

I have taught Russian to the inner city kids who barely knew where Russia was.

I have redesigned an alternative school on the south side of Chicago.

These were not tough students.

The toughest students were… TEACHERS.…

Co-founders of Flat Classroom®, Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis, are excited to be able to offer this global collaborative project to classrooms around the world. This project will run as a pilot for the coming semester, February-April 2012 and be open to Prep/Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 classrooms (4-7

year old students).

Can very young students effectively connect, communicate, and collaborate in a global project?

What does this look like? What products can students in…

Technology people tend to be brand loyalists.  It comes with the territory.  We simply love our devices more, we are more addicted to them, and we tend to anthropomorphize them, elevating them to a status beyond what is probably healthy when considering inanimate objects.

This loyalty can veer dangerously close to religious fervor: Apple vs. PC is to the current century what Ford vs. Chevy was to the last.  

For an individual, this is simply a harmless…

Did you know that Kurzweil 1000 has all these great features?

Kurzweil 1000 reads text aloud and delivers natural-sounding voices and quick access to virtually any content for people who are blind or visually impaired.



A new User Wizard to walk first-time users through features and preference setups making it easy to get started.



Recognition of simple forms to allow the user to fill in fields and insert a handwritten signature.



The ability to create and search…

Want to make your black history month studies more relevant to your students? Get them to think historically by getting them to “walk a mile in someone else's shoes.” 

 Check out these great resources to get your kids talking about the Little Rock Nine- nine black students their age who were among the first to step foot in white schools after sixty years of “separate but equal” laws.

 Start the discussion

 Check out this…

The continuation of these series is intent to show some of the most common models that can be used when planning professional development for teachers, and some of the pros and cons of each model. It is important to be creative; using diverse methods is…