Nocking the Arrow

Last week, Aaron Davis asked, "what are your ed-tech survival rations?" What are those items that would cause you to turn the car around and head home to retrieve? In his post, " My #EdTech Rations ", Davis quotes David Hopkins , "what are those essential devices that connect our personal and professional lives?"   -   #EdTechRations The times that I go into " airplane mode " are refreshing but few and far between. In fact, I feel completely naked and uncomfortable without my cell phone and my Fitbit. At the risk of being too honest, I fear public nudity far less than digital disconnectedness. Initially, I thought Davis was playing on my minimalistic sensibilities, then I began to consider my daily packing and preparations. Are my tendencies more " mobile-istic ", than minimalistic?  It's safe to say that I'm at least 2:1 with mobile devices almost every day. With the #EdTech conference season in full gear, this interactiv...

How do people learn? For centuries, educators and philosophers have wrestled with this simply stated, but confounding, question. Understanding how the mind works were left mostly to introspection or analogous comparisons with hydraulic systems, telephone switchboards, and computer circuitry. Dr. Daniel T. Willingham , professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Virginia, and author of " Why Don't Students Like School? " mentions these representations aren't based on scientific investigation or research. "Is it possible many of our long-held beliefs about teaching and learning are based on supposition, opinion, and anecdotal insight into how the mind works?" Technology and scientific research is changing what we thought we knew about brain development and functions of the mind. Teaching and learning will undoubtedly change as this new information becomes readily available to educators.  In an article recently published in ISTE's magazin...

"Making in the library is about offering students opportunities to move from simply being users and consumers to being creators, by providing them with the spaces, tools, and resources they need."  - Laura Fleming Under what conditions does your best learning occur? Many folks, myself included, say their best learning happens when they create something previously non-existent. Where are the places in your school where learning happens, not through instruction and a prescribed curriculum, but through inquiry and exploration? Where is the central hub of your school learning community? A maker space may be just the thing for breathing relevancy and energy into your school library, or media center. According to Nick Provenzano , aka " The Nerdy Teacher ," these are the four essential reasons why a media center makerspace makes sense; space, furniture, supervision, and access. School media centers provide open, flexible space. Collaboration, interaction, ...

In 2016, twice as many Americans obtained their news online instead of print. Approximately 3/4 of adult Americans interact with others through social media. Nine out of ten Americans are online , and a majority of these users are using time online to support personal or professional learning . I'm sure that I'm not the only person who finds it challenging to find a balance between personal and professional learning while online. As time passes, an increasing percentage of the information and interaction that I seek in the name of learning is gathered online. The line between personal and professional learning is becoming blurred. I'm not sure if this is the result of time limitations, or professional ambitions putting the squeeze on personal interests. For example, I would like to start a podcast about pond fishing, but here I am writing about learning and education. Reading Aaron Davis's recent post, " Templated Self ", my perceived chall...