And we're back! I hope everyone is in the middle of an excellent weekend! Sorry for the delay in posts, I've been in the process of moving back to the states for the summer and the transition took a few days. But, the Roundup is back, and here to stay for the rest of the summer! Today's post won't cover everything from the past 5 days, instead it will be more like a highlight real of the best edtech news. So, welcome back and I hope you enjoy!
Up first, Emerging Ed Tech has an excellent analysis of a recent Gallup poll over 21st century skills. The article, entitled "Study Shows 21st Century Skill Development Clearly Linked to Career Success" discusses the huge gap between what skills our students need to be successful in the modern workforce, and what skills they actually possess. The article also offers some tangible ideas to improve learning in these areas.
iLearn Technology has a new post discussing how "Math Class Needs a Makeover: videos, inquiry, math stories and more." The article has a host of excellent resources and tools for the middle and high school math classroom. The article starts with a Ted Talk from Dan Meyer, and excellent math educator, and goes on to discuss integration ideas and strategies.
Mind/Shift has a new article entitled, "Is It Worthy? How to Judge the Value of a Tech Product." The post raises some incredibly important questions about the implementation of new tech in schools and how many times, there is little or no vetting of new technology. Schools often lack a set of criteria for adopting new technology and instead go with recommendations from "experts" rather than evaluating the tech themselves. The article goes on to provide a guide for schools on analyzing new technology.
As many of you probably know, today is first day of the ISTE (International Society for Tech in Education) summer conference in San Antonio. While the conference has many benefits (networking, exchange of ideas, discovering new tech tools, etc. ) Audrey Watters at Hack Education also raises some thought-provoking and valid concerns about the downsides of the conference and the "rampant tech consumerism and solutionism." Her new post, "On (Not) Missing ISTE 2013" is a great read and absolutely worth your time.
Edudemic has a few great posts from the break, and to start, they cover "5 Online Discussion Tips for Students." This is a solid guide for students and would be beneficial even at the elementary level. It could be used in a computers class or as a guide to help teachers in other subjects introduce online discussions into their curriculum.
Next up, Edudemic discusses "5 Subjects Not Taught in School (But They Should Be)." The article recommends subjects like film making, job searching, money management, social skills, and pratical mechanics be taught in schools, and I would be inclined to agree. One step that teachers could take if they are passionate about these areas is to start up after school clubs.
Finally, Edudemic has as a write-up on "Global SchoolNet's Free Directory of Innovative Projects." This is a great collection of engaging, collaborative projects that students at all levels and subjects could work on within their school and with peers across the world.
Next up, Edudemic discusses "5 Subjects Not Taught in School (But They Should Be)." The article recommends subjects like film making, job searching, money management, social skills, and pratical mechanics be taught in schools, and I would be inclined to agree. One step that teachers could take if they are passionate about these areas is to start up after school clubs.
Finally, Edudemic has as a write-up on "Global SchoolNet's Free Directory of Innovative Projects." This is a great collection of engaging, collaborative projects that students at all levels and subjects could work on within their school and with peers across the world.
For those teachers in schools which are aligned with the Common Core Standards, Getting Smart has a new post on "Free Apps to Capture, Create and Connect to the Common Core." The article covers an awesome collection of apps that can help teachers inspire student learning while aligning their work to the CCS. And Getting Smart also has their weekly roundup posted with highlights from the week.
Finally, Ed Reach has a ton of new podcasts up from the past few days, but two of my favorites were:
The Lightning Round...
- Edudemic shows us The Beginner's Visual Guide to Online Learning
- The Ed Tech Review has a new infographic on the Stages of Tech Development for Kids
- Educational Technology covers The 5 Important Elements of the 21st Century Classroom
- And finally, InformED shares the 18 Myths People Believe About Education
Finally, if you're looking for some great new tech tools this summer, may I recommend this 60in60 Prezi by Brandom Lutz which covers an awesome collection of web apps that are great in the classroom. That's all for today, enjoy the rest of your weekend and see you tomorrow!
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