Eclectic Technology

There's a lot more to online research than Google. This handy flowchart we've lovingly dubbed 'The Students Online Research Cheat Sheet' should help.

Today we are pushed to determine what is working in education? Data is being collected and in the U.S. teacher evaluations will involve the use of data from a variety of sources. This infographic, Learning Analytics 101, presents a visual representation of what it means to leverage education data looking at issues such as:

* What can data do?

* When can it be used?

* What is "effective learning"?

* What are the limitations and costs?

* How will it affect the future?

If you are trying to wrap your head around learning analytics check out this inforgraphic.

"Kate Fanelli, a math teacher, had an moment of inspiration while listening to a keynote speaking talk about gamification.

“(W)hen I heard the keynote speaker explain leveling, I immediately turned to my colleague and told him, ‘we can do that’. By the end of the keynote, I had drawn up an outline for MathLand.”

The article by Peter Ross talks through the decision to gamify her math classroom, how she did it, and the benefits she’s seen firsthand."

"When used effectively, technology plays an important role in enhancing the learning process. Teachers can use digital devices to present supplemental material for lessons or to encourage students to take a more hands-on role in their education."

The question is how do we keep students engaged and focused on the lesson...knowing how many distractions exist once a student is sitting at a computer. 
Suggestions include:

* Encourage direct engagement

* Use real-world problems

Read on for additional ways to use technology to enhance your lessons and support student learning. 

Are you looking for a resource that might help you determine if you are "correctly integrating technlogy" in your classroom? If so, you may want to check out the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) put out by the Arizona K-12 Center at Northern Arizone University.

"...the TIM is designedto assist schools and districts in evaluating the level of technology integration in classrooms and to provide teachers with models of how technology can be integrated throughout instruction in meaningful ways.”

Briefly, the TIM "illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance for K-12 students. The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaning learning environments: active, collaborative, constructive, authentic< and goal directed."

The full version of the matrix also contains some lesson plans and a short video of the lesson.

"I’ve been completely obsessed with Google’s new mini-site devoted to finding better ways to incorporate proper web searches into the classroom. Dubbed ‘Search Education,’Google’s new site has an array of lesson plans, videos (check a sample out below), concept maps, and other tools designed to help any educator properly integrate Google...

As part of Search Education, Google has shared a bunch of lesson plans that are organized by degree of difficulty.

So, if you consider yourself and / or your students Google experts, you should try out the more advanced plans. If you don’t know what ‘boolean’ means, then you probably should start with the more basic stuff.

The following are just some of the many lesson plans brought to you by Google. Check out the site for more info!"