NEW APPROACHES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Links for Teacher Librarian Article (coming December 2009) Bridging the Gap “Anecdotal evidence and research suggest that teachers' integration of digital tools into instruction is sporadic. Many young people's reliance on digital technology in their outside lives stands in sharp contrast to their limited use of it in school."  A Digital Decade.,  Education Week , 3/29/2007, Vol. 26, Issue 30 Connecting education with how young people use digital technology in their personal lives. This web site has the the following mandate when recommending technologies: - it must improve learning - it must engage students - it must be based on best practices and research - it is free and sustainable - we have tested it successfully - students can use the technology both at home and school Portablity (netbooks) & cloud computing (Google Apps) works Featured Video - How Google Apps Saved a School   New - Podcast a Day - Main Presentation at Super Conference Feb. 2010 - See Podcasts . 201 We provide presentations and workshops click here Main Trends: Portability, cloud computing, use of web 2.0 tools such podcasting & Photo Story. See 2009 Horizon Report.

Ideas, based on research

We have been using Google Apps in our school since February 2008. It has been a huge success. Both students and teachers have said it improves learning. For information on the implementation click here. Please contact us at connectingeducation@gmail.com for more information on our implementation of Google Apps.

The 2009 Horizon Report " identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, .... within learning-focused organizations." It identifies the two biggest trends as portability and cloud computing. We are currently testing a pilot project combining netbooks (portability) and Google Apps (cloud computing). Read more

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Mar. 12, 2009 Obama’s new Chief Information Officer–Vivek Kundra– said to the Wall Street Journal,
“I’m a big believer in disruptive technology. If I went to the coffee shop, I would have more computing power than the police department. Consumers had better technology than the government did. I’m all about the cloud computing notion. I look at my lifestyle, and I want access to information wherever I am. I am killing projects that don’t investigate software as a service first.” He setup Google Apps in Washington DC which saved millions of dollars read more

Mar. 12, 2009 Google Apps and Netbooks supported by major educational research project read more
Feb. 16, 2009 Cell Phones in the classroom - From New York Times article "The study found that students with the phones performed 25 percent better on the end-of-the-year algebra exam than did students without the devices in similar classes." read more
Feb. 11, 2009 - Google Apps SAVES MONEY - London Guardian newspaper now uses Google Apps "Apart from cost savings generated by the reduction of storage, server and application maintenance, reports suggested that the use of the web-based systems is also expected to free up a third of support time spent by IT teams at the media firm." read more
Feb 1, 2009 - Student's Opinion of Google Apps (Video) click here

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- Future trends - Portability and Cloud Computing (using Google Apps) read more
- Video from a teacher who gets her students to use 21st Century Tools click here
- The following BBC article titled "Schools should embrace technology " discusses how technology and help teachers in the classroom "On the contrary, technology provides teachers with powerful tools to boost what they are already doing in the classroom: explaining, demonstrating, involving and engaging pupils in learning. Technology can help teachers bring their subjects to life like never before" read morer before.
- Teachers do not have to know the technology to use it in the classroom...they need to know what the technology can do. It is up to the students to learn the technology.
- Applications such as Google Apps should be embraced by all secondary school educators read moreb
- Do not do technology for technology sake ... do what engages students and improves learning
- “When students write a paper, they're usually only writing for their teacher. When they know their peers will read what they write, students care and they try harder.” speaking about student wikis Mike Lawrence - Executive Director, CUE

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“Anecdotal evidence and research suggest that teachers' integration of digital tools into instruction is sporadic. Many young people's reliance on digital technology in their outside lives stands in sharp contrast to their limited use of it in school."  A Digital Decade.,  Education Week , 3/29/2007, Vol. 26, Issue 30

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