Education and Technology Hand in Hand

Fred Sitkins takes a closer look at how teachers and other educators are integrating technology into the common core.

We're working with Learnist to assemble some topical current events resources that are just perfect for classrooms of any age.

How do you get your inspiration? Books, blogs, websites, and movies are a great place to start, but have you ever considered trying out Twitter? Twitter is full of people who are doing all kinds of inspiring things, from helping save the world, to providing spiritual advice, to overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their lives, as well as to those who just want to help others succeed in work, fitness, and all aspects of life.

 

We’ve compiled an extensive list here of some of the most inspirational tweeters out there that are sure to get you motivated and feeling confident, but feel free to share your own suggestions for “tweetspirational” people as well.

Because of their youth, students are at the front lines of the parallel digital experience. They were born into a world in which rapid technology, the Internet, even online profiles would play a de facto role in their lives. And whether they’re sharing pop-culture sound bytes or completing online assignments for school, students exist comfortably with an online parallel world. And educators have every opportunity to not only buy into, but reap the benefits of that phenomenon.

I give presentations to educators at every level, all around the world. All of the teachers are earnestly trying to adapt their educational system to the twenty-first century. During my talks, however, I typically look out at oceans of white hair. Never -- I can't even say rarely -- is a kid in sight or invited to the party.

 

It is a measure of the malaise of our educational system that these old folk -- smart and experienced as they may be -- think they can, by themselves and without the input of the people they're trying to teach, design the future of education.

One of the best things the Internet blessed us with (besides Maru the box-loving cat) involves increased educational opportunities for children and adults alike. Although some progress still needs to be made when it comes to accessibility opening lessons up to special needs learners, there are plenty of resources for engaging a wide variety of absorption styles.

 

Whether you’re a teacher looking to incorporate new media into a classroom setting, a homeschooling family, or a parent hoping to supplement the day’s formal coursework, the following resources offer some particularly great examples of using digital technology to get kids exploring the universe. They’re fun. They’re free. And they feature a diverse selection of topics and strategies, meaning almost every user will find something of interest.

Back in 2009, we published 100+ Google Tricks That Will Save You Time in School. But in nearly three years, Google has developed new products, discontinued a few, and offered new features, and more people have found great ways to save time with Google. So we’ve gone and found even more great tips for saving time with Google, and this time around, the list has made it all the way to 181 different tricks. Explore our collection of tricks to find new, faster ways to search, read email, manage your time, and more.

So what are the 8 characteristics of a 21st century teacher? Are they risk-takers, collaborators, and visionaries? Well, yes! Check out the image below to get a clearer picture.

Finding the best education technology tools is a time-consuming task. It may even be viewed as a chore (for some). Not with this fabulous list, though!

Back in the old days, more or less a few years ago, I would collect shared resources by printing them and filing them into folders for various purposes. Fast forward a year, and I found myself labeling emails into categories, compiling resource lists into wikis, and organizing my favorite sites by Delicious and my notes by Evernote.

 

Despite the clear leaps and bounds I’ve taken, nothing has topped Pinterest for organizing all facets of my life, from classroom ideas to vegetarian recipes. Beyond the curation of content, however, there are a few ways schools and teachers can tap into the power of pinning.

We love librarians. They’re the gatekeepers of knowledge and always looking to explore new ways to enhance the learning experience. I learned about the latest trends in libraries at this year’s CALICONin San Diego and love the move toward open source, cross-library sharing, and going digital.

 

But what if you weren’t able to attend CALICON or simply want to get a regular update on all the fun stuff happening with libraries? Lucky for you, our friends at Online College shared the following post with us. It details 100 great blogs librarians around the world should add to their RSS reader. Enjoy!

Minecraft in the Classroom is a recent addition to the field of game-based learning. It is a sandbox game where players can create and build, fight off enemies and explore vast landscapes. As is the nature of sandbox games, players can roam free, choosing objectives as they go. Because Minecraft has such open possibilities and potential, the teacher can choose how he or she wants to use it. Just as the student has the ability to be creative, the teacher has the same. That can be overwhelming, but luckily, there is a tool for using Minecraft created by teachers for teachers.

"Robbie doesn’t write," his mom told me. When he first came into my fourth grade class, asking him for 20 words was like pulling teeth. He actually scribbled a number on top of each word to keep track so he wouldn’t write any more than the absolute minimum. Four months after I introduced him to blogging, he’s consistently writing more than 100 words per post. Not only that, Robbie turned from a shy, introverted kid to a source of inspiration and information for his peers. He sees himself as a writer.

Social studies teachers Karl Atkins and Scott Deckelmann take on a very serious subject by giving their students a very amusing challenge: Win a computer game. In fact, students have to win PeaceMaker, a simulation of the Middle East peace process, twice -- once while playing as the Israeli prime minister and once as the Palestinian president.

 

In both cases, students must respond to a rapidly evolving political situation by choosing which actions -- building settlements, launching rockets, making speeches -- are most likely to broker peace. The Scappoose, Oregon, teachers have played PeaceMaker with more than a dozen sections of their freshman global-studies and junior international-relations classes, and they say gaming is an effective way to explore intricate political issues. Indeed, PeaceMaker is at the forefront of a movement -- often called serious games or social-issues games -- in which educators use games to illustrate complex social issues, from immigration to climate change.

The culture of learning is changing, and technology is playing a major role in the transformation. Educators and students are altering the very nature of the classroom experience by increasingly turning to technology as an integral component of learning.

 

The result is that school is beginning to more closely resemble the real world, thereby becoming more valuable, relevant, and useful for everyone involved.

 

Sounds good, doesn't it? That's certainly the ideal, but there is so much out there: wikis, blogs, Twitter, social networking, and the near-infinite resources of the Web. Teachers, like a lot of us, may be overwhelmed, especially if, like a lot of us, they don't have a natural affinity for technology and the online world.