Don Tapscott discusses the future of education at TEDxToronto. [20:55] Selected quote: “I heard a definition of the lecture. It’s the process by whereby the notes of the lecturer go to the notes of the student without going through the brains of either.” About TEDx In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.  At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video [...]

Experts practice common habits. Among them are… Asking good questions Breaking problems into parts Looking for patterns Relying on evidence Considering other perspectives Following hunches Using familiar ideas in new ways Collaborating with others Welcoming critique Revising repeatedly Persisting Seeking new challenges Knowing yourself Looking at this list, I can’t help but ask if we are explicitly teaching these habits to our students? How do you teach these in your professional position?

Are teachers integrating digital media resources in the classroom? Yes, is the answer from the annual Grunwald survey for PBS. Read the press release, “New Research Reveals PreK-12 Educators Increasingly Value and Use Digital Media” and access the free report, “Digitally Inclined.”

Will Richardson says, “I look at my own kids and I know that technology will be a huge part of their learning lives because a) they want it to be and b) they’ll be expected to be savvy users of the devices of their day to communicate, create and collaborate (among other things.) They’re not going to be able to ‘opt out.’” I experienced that feeling on Christmas morning. He further writes, “We may not [...]

Dr. Scott McLeod says, “As I’ve said many times: If a teacher gets it, a classroom changes. If a principal gets it, the whole building begins to change. If a superintendent gets it, the whole district begins to change. [And, if state or federal policymakers get it, the statewide or nationwide climate begins to change.] Seems obvious, right? So why are so many government / corporation / foundation educational technology reform initiatives (money, time, training, [...]

The broadcast premier of this program is tonight at 9 p.m. on PBS. Check your local listings. Here is a brief introduction from the web site: Within a single generation, digital media and the World Wide Web have transformed virtually every aspect of modern culture, from the way we learn and work to the ways in which we socialize and even conduct war. But is the technology moving faster than we can adapt to it? [...]

Christmas morning this year was quite an experience. In addition to the enjoyment of having a 3-year old who was too excited to look at what he had just opened because there were other wrapped presents just waiting to be uncovered, and a 6-month old who just wanted to chew on the discarded wrappings, Daddy, for the first time, had to take one of the toys online. Now I remember getting a Mattel hand-held basketball [...]

When I was teaching a leadership class many years ago, we always spent some time of the process of goal setting, both for individuals and for organizations. Somewhere I came across the acronym of “SMART” for teaching this skill. Specific – Goals should be specific and not general. Measureable – If goals cannot be measured, how can one determine if they were reached? Achieveable – Can this goal be accomplished? Realistic – Is the goal [...]

A Thin Line is an MTV campaign developed to “empower individuals to identify, respond to, and stop the spread of digital abuse”. The campaign is built on the understanding that there’s a “thin line” between what may begin as a harmless joke and result in  something that could have a serious impact on someone’s life. The web site and video below come courtesy of  MindDump.  

One of the primary concerns expressed by educators in this electronic, Google age, is the ease with which students can simply search, find, copy, paste and submit information as if it was their own. Not a surprise then that a number of web sites exist now with the purpose of tracking down those that refuse to cite or give credit when it is due. Listed below are a few free resources that might come in [...]