It’s the end of the school year.  Your students are anxious for the summer break, and you are even more anxious than they are!  The high stakes tests are over and there is not enough time left to start another big project.  For some students and teachers, they immediately begin thinking “MOVIE TIME”!  Watching movies are passive and do not engage students in any real form of learning though, and many administrators and parents frown upon this practice.  Read more... (770 words, estimated 3:05 mins reading time)

I apologize to my regular readers for not updating my blog in a while.  Last week was the state’s high stakes testing and I had to proctor the test to a class of sixth graders, even though I don’t teach them.  They were short on teachers last week for some reason.  But if you’ve ever proctored state tests before, you know how tiresome they can be.  Because of that, I have taken some needed time for some R and R.  This gave me a great opportunity to play with my iPad some more though.  And let me tell you again just how awesome it is!  Read more... (1040 words, estimated 4:10 mins reading time)

As educators, we realize the value of Youtube and Google Videos.  However, if you teach at a school like mine, most video sharing sites are blocked due to the potential danger of exposing our students to content that is inappropriate.  There is so much wonderful content that gets thrown out with the “bath water” so to speak.  How can you harness the value of these videos if you can’t even access them at school?  Read more... (966 words, 1 image, estimated 3:52 mins reading time)

There has been a growing debate among some educators about the value of using video games in educational settings.  A quick search on Google or your favorite search engine can lead you to lots of information about it.  Two well researched papers on the topic include Video Games and the Future of Learning and Learning by Design:  Good Video Games as Learning Machines.  Three websites dedicated to discussing the use of video games and other technology in the classroom are Marc Prensky’s website, The Education Arcade, and GLS.  All of the above resources relate to using video games to help teach, but they do not mention how the iPad can be used.  They do discuss some game ideas and even have some links to existing games, but none of them are related to the iPad.  Read more... (2344 words, estimated 9:23 mins reading time)

What is an education?  What does it mean to be educated?  Do schools actually promote education?  What is the difference between receiving an education and being schooled?  Is there a difference?  Can technology improve the quality of education, or is it another way to be schooled?

Education reformers, like John Taylor Gatto, have considered these questions seriously.  The point of this article is not to support or deny the claims of John Taylor Gatto, but instead to shed some light on a growing concern about the quality of education in America.  Read more... (1187 words, estimated 4:45 mins reading time)

My previous post about iPads mentioned the power the iPad has for dramatically changing the way that teachers teach and students learn.  I also casually mentioned that the success of the iPad will depend greatly on the apps that will be developed for the iPad.  There are apps out there for the iPod Touch and the iPhone that may be similar to what I will describe below, but my intention is not to copy what others have already created.  Instead, my intention is to provide the conceptual framework for three apps the iPad will definitely need in order to succeed as a game changer in schools.  The three concepts relate to note taking, studying and reviewing, and individualizing curriculum.  In my previous post I outlined how the iPad can impact these areas.  Below is a description of the function of the apps necessary to make this work.  Read more... (1327 words, estimated 5:18 mins reading time)

At the end of January I wrote an article about the iPad and it’s potential impact in education.  Since that time I have done more research and pondering on the topic.  I have also convinced my wife to allow me to purchase one when it goes on sell.  I can hardly wait!  Read more... (1854 words, estimated 7:25 mins reading time)

You probably have never heard of edutechnophobia because it technically is not a real word.  Most people have heard of technophobia, or the fear of technology, but edutechnophobia is slightly different.  As you can see from my definition above, it has a more evolved meaning than just the fear of technology.  It deals specifically with the fear of using technology in the classroom.