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Our Grade 2 class was fortunate to be part of an amazing, real-world project this year - we followed the progress of two Bald Eagles in Bettondorf, Iowa via ...

SL MUSIC RACES FOR A CURE TAKES TO THE HIGH SEAS FRIDAY MAY 10! Join us on board the Titanic as we raise funds for RFL OF SL: This is a formal event with prizes for the best dressed couples----pure...

Table compares 20th Century Learning Classroom with the 21st Century Learning Classroom. Great tool for improving your teaching.

Join us for another wonderful hour at "OZ" tonight as we listen and dance to the sounds of ZOREE JUPITER  (Voodoo Shilton will be back following Zoree next month).Formal Attire suggested.  Dress up...

Presentation shared at the 2013 Gamification Summit in San Francisco, CA.

Mobile Learning in the Outdoors Benefits, Apps and Examples

From Expanding the Classroom with Mobile Learning:

Mobile devices can form an engaging platform for teaching and learning, with the potential to expand the realm of the classroom. Functionality and context are key considerations when selecting from the myriad of mobile-enabled web sites and applications.

Like a Swiss army knife, mobile devices and their apps can provide utility and flexibility in a compact, portable package. Among the options available are:

GPS and other location-based functionalityVideo, audio, and still image captureMobile networking and collaborationThe ability to bridge to other tools and dataScanning and data logging in the fieldVisual and audio recognitionScreen readers, slow keys, text to speak, and other accessibility features

The portability and convenience provided by mobile devices enables instantaneous, contextual observations in the field or whenever spontaneous learning opportunities arise. Collecting information outside the classroom can help students hone observation and collaboration skills, reinforce topic relevancy, or provide opportunities to emulate an expert system through use of the apps.

GPS-based apps for mapping, geo-blogging, and geo-tagging are especially powerful in this regard, because they enable direct linking of observations to specific times and locations. The ability to capture, reference, and share data, multimedia, and ideas within a spatial or temporal context helps students identify broader trends and relationships, foster discussion, and develop conceptual thinking.

5 Ways to Take Technology Outdoors:

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are powerful tools for outdoor study. Access to the Internet, a camera and geospatial data (e.g. GPS) make it easy to gather, organize and submit data from observations. Applications (apps) can be downloaded to engage students in citizen science activities, like identifying wildlife.

GPS Units

GPS (Global Positioning Systems) is a technology that communicates with satellites to pinpoint specific locations on Earth. GPS units are great tools for getting students outside and engaged in environmental field research and service-learning projects.

At Wisconsin’s Augusta Area School District, teacher Paul Tweed engaged his students in several projects that used GPS and GIS (Geographic Information Systems), one of which helped the Wisconsin Department of Nature Resources (DNR) track orphaned black bear cubs released into the wild.

Digital Cameras

Students can use digital cameras to document their local environment, track their progress on science projects, collect evidence and present their findings in the classroom.

Students at Monroe City Schools in Louisiana use tech tools like digital cameras to enhance environmental education programs at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  Learn more at: fws.gov/northlouisiana/blackbayoulake/environmental_education.html.

Digital Weather Stations

Digital weather stations are small monitoring devices put in place to collect real-time weather data. They can be installed near home, school or in nearby parks, enabling students to add weather conditions to their study of the local environment.

Students participating in outdoor education programs with NatureBridge check digital weather stations at Olympic, Yosemite and Golden Gate National Parks for weather data to add to their field research.  Learn more at: naturebridge.org/your-naturebridge-program-olympic.

How technology can further STEM learning through the environment, both inside and outside the classroom. An educator toolkit is available free at - http://go...

How to Compose a Quality Comment! from yourwonderfulteacher on Vimeo. As part of our wonderful Flat Classroom project, Miss Williams and Mrs. Danner's 3rd graders at Tappan Zee Elementary School in...

The organizers of Flat Classroom® are excited to announce the participating classrooms for the Flat Classroom® Project 2013-1. These schools represent more than 390 students, from 3 countries, and the project runs February through May . The project managers for this project are Sheri Williams and Amy Jambor with assistance from Jessica Friday, Sounding Boards and Expert Advisors from Mount Saint Mary’s College with instructor Dr. Lyudmila Smirnova. Flat Classroom® Projects are award winning projects that have been running for the past eight years for middle and high schools students. The original project, The Flat Classroom® Project, is a global, hands-on project for upper middle and high school students which was founded by Julie Lindsay (Australia) and Vicki Davis (Westwood Schools, Georgia, USA) in 2006. It is based on the concepts found in Tom Friedman's book, 'The World is Flat', and subsequently has been included in the reprint of the book in 2007. 


Lindsay and Davis now co-plan and manage the ‘Flat Classroom® Project’ for upper middle and high school students, A Week in the Life...’ Elementary Flat Classroom® Project for upper elementary students, the K-2 Building Bridges to Tomorrow Project for younger students, the Digiteen™ and Digitween™ Projects (digital citizenship for middle and high school students), the NetGen Ed™ Project, and the Eracism Project™ that involves middle school students in a virtual global debating event. The face-to-face Flat Classroom® Conference is held regularly in various places around the world.
Flat Classroom® has been:

Included in Thomas Friedman's 3rd edition of The World is Flat, 2007Included in Don Tapscott's book Grown Up Digital, November 2008Featured in ISTE's recent book publication Reinventing Project Based Learning: Your field guide to real-world projects in the digital age by Suzie Boss and Jane KraussFeatured in the book by Laurence Peters' Global Education: Using Technology to Bring the World to Your StudentsFeatured in the book by Curtis Bonk The World is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education 2009In January 2012 Davis and Lindsay released their first book, ‘__Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time__’ from Pearson Publishing.

This year the Flat Classroom Project 13-1 Keynote address to students is by John Langley. John is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for Pleasant Plains School District.


Participating Classrooms 

SchoolsTeachersMidpark High SchoolAmy Jambor & Sheri WilliamsSaint Anthony - Immaculate ConceptionAlbert BrickerSaint James SchoolAlbert BrickerSaucon Valley High SchoolJessica FridayAmerican Academy of BombaySharon PetersRiver East CollegiateKristine YangFranklin Regional Senior HighRoger CriderDes Moines Abraham Lincoln High SchoolSusan KrantmanPleasant Plains High SchoolD’Wayne PetersonManitou Springs High SchoolDuane RobersonWest Career and Technical AcademyYvonne HicksValley High SchoolSarah BirdDon Millss Collegiate InstituteBruce ForsythBerea High SchoolToni KnotekWasse Abin High SchoolCaroline Black

We encourage all educators and global collaborative project supporters to join our Flat Classrooms network to receive further updates on all Flat Classroom® Projects and live events - __http://flatclassrooms.ning.com__
More information about Flat Classroom® Projects can also be found on the website, including applications for future projects -__http://flatclassroomproject.net__


Brought to you by Flat Classroom® Projects LLC 
Flat Classroom® Conference and Live Events Inc
Directors, __Vicki Davis__ and __Julie Lindsay__

Digital citizenship, as we've theorized, has something to do with the

BEACH PARTY  BINGO ARE YOU READY FOR SUMMER?  We are!!!! Grab those suits and come on out for the largest beach party in sl! All Proceeds to RFL of SL 6 PM SCOOTER FALLEN 7 PM   TERRAN MAGIC 8 PM  ...

[From our own project blog: Global Snow Leopards] We checked out several digital cameras and video cameras from our school library and sent the kids around the school to take pictures related to th...

Dr. Trey Martindale joined our live webcast on EdTechTalk.com to discuss the instructional design consultancy established within the Instructional Design and...

SL MUSIC RACES FOR A CURE TAKES TO THE HIGH SEAS FRIDAY MAY 10! Join us on board the Titanic as we raise funds for RFL OF SL: This is a formal event with prizes for the best dressed couples----pure...

T&L's Tech Forum Live Online on Livestream. Live coverage of selected sessions from Tech&Learning's TechForum events plus other broadcasts. - Watch live streaming Internet TV.

Mind mapping is a great way to brainstorm, make a plan, or turn ideas into the steps needed to make it real. Thankfully, there are great tools out there to help you build mind maps, organize them, and save them for later.

Using Social Media todevelop your own Personal Learning NetworkSue Beckingham and David Walker

I selected using Edmodo with a class from Australia for my first global project for this course. I met Sunny South at the Flat Classroom Conference in Yokohama…

Robert Squires joined our live webcast on April 12, 2013 at http://edtechtalk.com/node/5183 to discuss his perspective on designing learning opportunities fo...