Nocking the Arrow

"How great would it be if every student could be connected to every other student by a web connected device?" This was my guiding question, and quickly became my quest, as I accepted a position as technology coordinator twelve years ago. This was before smart phones, iPads, 802.11ac, and 4G networks. One-to-One learning had yet to become an educational catch phrase, and our media-rich classrooms consisted of a desktop computer, a VCR, and a 600 lumen multi-media projector. Regardless of the name, a computer for every student was going to be my trophy. It would become my legacy as "the tech guy". Years later, as we are about to distribute iPads to all of our students, I have come to realize that I was aiming at the wrong target. Today, while eating fresh at Subway , I began whining about my revelation to my friend and colleague, Keith Sorensen . Not only does he usually pay for lunch, he's also one of the few people I know that will sit and listen to my wacky m

Credit Dr. Jackie Gerstein with creating a chart that is getting a lot of attention in social media this week, particularly Twitter. There are some educators whom I follow for their interesting perspective and expression. There are other educators whom I follow because I am consistently learning from them. Jackie is at the top of my list of educators who help advance learning. Simple chart that says so much! via @jackiegerstein "21st Century Pedagogy; What's Hot, What's Not" #edchat pic.twitter.com/pIO6MIL1Dw — Robert Schuetz (@robert_schuetz) July 14, 2014 Related Reading Educators Need to be 21st Century Learners Too - Amy Heavin, Fractus Learning photo credit: the_junes via photopin cc

Many of my colleagues and students have said, " I don't get this Twitter thing. " I have heard Twitter described as a modern day equivalent of chats around the water cooler. The Twitter experience can be unique to each user. For instance, I tend to use Twitter as a search engine, for social bookmarking, for considering global perspective, for establishing voice, for relationship building, and for staying engaged in my personal learning.  Tom Whitby , one of my favorite bloggers, often says what I am thinking using better phrasing than my limited vocabulary can express. In his most recent post, ISTE14 Impressions , Tom persuasively describes the value of being a connected educator in order to maximize the conference experience. Sarah Hutas commented on this post by highlighting the value of becoming more connected, but she was still looking to gain a better understanding of Twitter as a tool for socially networked learning. " Where is the substance? ", sh

Nicole Krueger - ISTE Blog The ISTE Conference is like attending a Super Bowl, the event is larger than life, and you never know who you will meet. Billed as a conference for technology educators, the focus of ISTE-2013 was on the learner , while, to me, the prevailing themes of ISTE-2014 was the connected learner , and personal learning . Atlanta was a welcoming and accommodating host for the 16,000+ enthusiastic educators. As a proponent of life-wide learning, I make an effort to draw deeper meaning and understanding from everyday activities and adventures. Learning is happening all of the time. It's just a matter of choosing to recognize, process, reflect upon, and share our experiences. I'm not familiar with the literary work of Zadie Smith, but this quote shared recently on Twitter struck a chord with me. "The very reason that I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life." - Zadie Smith And so it goes for me, my life has seemingly

A concern shared by students and teachers is a phenomenon I have heard called " app inebriation ", or " techno-lust ". This typically involves a continual, uninhibited shopping spree at the app store. There are thousands, and likely millions, of apps for our consumption, but who really has time for this? Like many districts across the country, our school district has gone 1:1 with iPads. We are in our third year of program implementation. Surveys of our teachers, students, and their parents indicate a preference for consistency with the integration of programs used at school. Although I am a proponent letting the learner decide on the best tools to complete a project, there are several benefits to limiting the number of apps introduced to the classroom. First, time for learning skills, content, and curriculum is better preserved when the introduction of mobile apps is handled economically. Time for student productivity and creativity is prioritized over lea