Playing with a tool I just discovered: pearltrees.  Create, organize, & share strings of links!

Flipping Your Classroom

Here's a cool idea for education that I'd like to know more about: flipping your classroom. This means doing what is usually assigned for homework in the classroom, and having students do at home what is usually done in class. It stems from two places, as far as I can tell: the ability we have, in this web 2.0 world, to easily distribute audio/visual messages, and the typical, not necessarily positive implications of assigning homework. The link below leads to Karl Fisch's blog on the subject, where he explains his rationale, process, and results in teaching flipped classroom math.

The Fischbowl: Transparent Algebra: Homework

Top 100 Web 2.0 Tools of 2010

With a new year come ordered lists of last year's big hits. In this case, however, I'm not talking about the top 40 songs of 2010: witness the top 100 web tools of 2010. While I firmly believe that the role of Web 2.0 in education is not about the tools -- but rather about collaboration, critical thinking, and preparation for our students' futures -- it is worth noting tool trends and popular applications for awareness sake. An informed teacher can more easily pick from a wide range of appropriate Web 2.0 teaching tools. Check out the list and comment back with what has worked for you, if there are any that you have tried!

Growing up Digital

Lots to think about in this New York Times article from Nov. 21st.

Three things that stood out, for me, are as follows:

- In the face of available technological distractions, some students are not doing as well as they could in traditional subjects, but they are achieving highly in digitally creative areas. These creative areas are, arguably, where the jobs of the future are. Students value work that they feel is applicable to their futures.

- New social groups are emerging in schools, defined by what aspects of available technology the students choose to use most. The categories of jock, drama kid, and intellectual student are being replaced by "gamer," "texter," "Facebook addict," and "YouTube poster."

- "Down time is to the brain what sleep is to the body." In a multi-tasking, always-on age, we need to make time away from stimulation in order to allow our brains time to process and remember.

Your comments & thoughts?

Sir Ken & Education: Animated!

Another bang-on speech (animated!) by Sir Ken Robinson around the problems with the education system today. Note the focus on sharing & collaboration: insert Web 2.0 here!

Another Twitter Convert...

"After a night spent in front of my lap reading tweets about #toronto #G20 #twitter seems a lot more than a useless social network" -- Twitter user @Swom_Network on #g20 coverage

Cool Web 2.0 Tools For Schools

Check out this great Wikispaces page: Cool Web 2.0 Tools For Schools. Try some tools over the summer, and come back in September ready to engage students and prepare them for their futures!

http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/