Posts by Guest Author
EdTech

Helping Teachers Move from Digital Learners to Digital Leaders

Guest Author

By: Dr. Idit Harel Caperton As we celebrate the first, national Digital Learning Day today, Wednesday, February 1, 2012, let's recognize the masters of this great profession and provide educators—young and experienced, tech-savvy and tech-novices—with all the supports they need to be successful as learners first, and leaders second.
EdTech

Personal Learning Networks for Educators: 10 Tips

Guest Author

I often begin my workshop on personal learning networks (PLN) for educators by asking these questions: Who is in your learning network? Who do you learn from on a regular basis? Who do you turn to for your own professional development? Then, I share with participants these ten tips for building their own personal learning network, and I hope these might be useful for you too.
Personalized Learning

10 Findings That Will Shape Students Today for the Workforce Tomorrow

Guest Author

In the worst economy since the Great Depression, Californians are struggling to earn a living, get an education, and raise a family. How will we adapt to learn, work, and connect in the future? A new book with findings from Apollo Research Institute describes how businesses and workers will compete for jobs and opportunities in a global, technology-driven marketplace.
EdTech

Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?

Guest Author

Many people argue that entrepreneurship cannot be taught. They point to college dropouts like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and insist that the ability to break out on one’s own is intrinsic. It isn’t something that you can teach, develop, or hone through experience. It’s natural.
Personalized Learning

Key Predictions for the K-12 Education Sector in 2012

Guest Author

As William Gibson has noted, “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.” Innovative districts facing the challenges of the “new normal” will increasingly step forward to adopt some of the most promising edtech innovations of the last few years, turning early stage proofs of concept into large-scale solutions that hold promise for helping teachers be more efficient with every child.
EdTech

Balancing Young Learners’ Media Consumption: Is There an App for That?

Guest Author

America's preschoolers spend about four hours a day consuming media, ranging from television (still No. 1) to Internet, digital video, and young gamer favorites such as Club Penguin, SesameStreet.org and Little Big Planet. Start with the recent explosion of touchscreen tablets and apps, add a healthy dose of new 'i-tot' products now marketed to parents with young kids, and presto -- we have a whole new media ball game that has parents and educators in a tizzy.
Personalized Learning

Is Online Education for K-12 Really Wrong-headed?

Guest Author

The real answer is that we don’t know – yet. Recent investigative journalism by papers as diverse as The New York Times and Arizona Republic have left the impression that online education is underperforming, costly, and misguided. A careful look at the way respective journalists made their cases leaves parents and the public asking for more incisive and scientifically-based investigations. Here is how some of the criticism was constructed and what we need to answer the question about the value of online education.

EdTech

Top 10 iPad Apps for Science Learning

Guest Author

The iPad is a great educational tool, and it has a variety of useful apps for learning all types of subjects. There are many great apps for helping students of all ages learn and explore scientific concepts.

Personalized Learning

Shift Your Classroom: Small Strategic Steps

Guest Author

For most of my teaching career, I’ve been a pretty traditional teacher (even now I slip back into that mode sometimes). However, as I went through the motions of trying to “teach” my students, something didn’t feel right. My students seemed to learn things only for the exam, were focused on the mark, not the learning that was supposed to be taking place. When the unit or semester was over, they dumped all their notes and assignments. Frustrating.