Staff Picks: Common Core & Cloud

Tom Picks Common Core Standards

Tom says, “The Common Core State Standards, which already cover 80 percent of America’s students, will be extremely beneficial when linked to higher ed. Not only will this help develop courses for freshman, but allows teacher preparation courses to be tailored to the CCSS they will be teaching as well. We need to improve the transition for students and ensure they are college and career ready. Nationwide common standards will help do that. Like the cloud, the core is a incredibly platform for innovation.”
For more, read Tom’s article on Common Core innovation and Bob Wise’s article addressing the naysayers of Common Core.

Karen Picks “The Cloud: Too Big to Fail”

Karen says, “Wow, has the cloud changed my life.  For those who wait for slow boot ups or who Stare at the “Windows is resuming” message, besides Chrome Books, which are a wonderful idea, one word…..MAC.  I love the idea of allowing students to bring their own devices.  The options are endless for the new age of learning, but the cloud has been the lifesaver for those of us on the go also.”

Caroline Picks “Digital Natives, Or Digital Citizens?

Caroline says, “In John Merrow’s latest blog he poses the same question our team has been discussing about the difference of students creating or consuming content. He highlights the 1, 9, 90 rule (only about ONE percent of young people are using today’s technologies to create; NINE percent are curating, collecting and critiquing, while NINETY percent are consuming). Technology has broadened the scope of content available, but we should also be wanting our students to create and write, not just consume text, cool apps and videos on a tablet or smartphone. John also asks how we as adults are using technology in schools, to control or create? His four suggestions on harnessing technology and fostering creativity would be great additions to a classroom lesson.”

Sarah Picks the Cloud & Film Fridays

Sarah says, “This week Adam Renfro wrote an excellent article on the ways that the cloud has changed the way we interact with technology and the world. Cloud technologies and app-based tools are truly improving the way we operate, process projects, and possibly even think. The video in Adam’s post shows us how technology may become an intuitive process for students to improve learning outcomes and performance.”
She adds, “I’m also excited about our upcoming Film Fridays by SchoolTube. The first video we posted from the team demonstrates how technology tools can truly engage students in the analysis, synthesis, and application of new learning in creative, fun ways.”

Getting Smart Staff

The Getting Smart Staff believes in learning out loud and always being an advocate for things that we are excited about. As a result, we write a lot. Do you have a story we should cover? Email [email protected]

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