Educational Technology News

Myth: Chromebooks don’t run apps. Fact: Chromebooks run more apps than any device ever.

"Today the Lake Park Audubon School District in Minnesota is known for its technology, but it didn’t earn this reputation overnight. Six years ago, the 700-student district carefully planned an ambitious one-to-one initiative and worked through significant challenges along the way."

"When administrators in Ohio’s Mentor Public Schools were buying MacBooks during the 2015-16 school year, the local Best Buy was offering a lower price than Apple, even after the company’s standard discount for school districts. Superintendent Matt Miller pushed for a better deal, but Apple said it would not budge from its price list. The company prohibits most third parties from selling new devices to school districts, so Miller couldn’t place a bulk order with Best Buy as a district official."

"Amid the implementation of Stephensville Independent School District's "iChampion" 1:1 initiative, Director of Digital Learning Brianna Hodges has ensured amid that strong pedagogy remain the focus in her rural Texas schools."

"We are living in a digital age where students shuffle between smartphones, iPads and MacBooks on the daily. We can now communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime through the simple click of a button, and it is our job as educators to leverage these collaborative tools in the classroom.'

"Here are some of the best ways to manage digital distraction in the classroom."

Chromebooks and other technology support 21st century teaching strategies.

"When the American Academy of Pediatrics released its most recent set ofguidelines for children’s media use, much of the list reflected the organization’s long-standing recommendations of limiting digital play time for toddlers to maintain a “healthy media diet.” However, one change particularly stood out: The academy no longer suggests that children under two years old avoid screen time entirely. Exceptions, the group stated, could be made for video chatting services like Facetime or Skype."

"Whether you teach entirely online or have a physical space, your digital classroom needs to facilitate successful learning. There is no one right way to arrange or present education to your students. However, there are markers and go to ideas for a healthy digital learning environment."

"A recent Pew Research Study found, “87% say these technologies are creating an ‘easily distracted generation with short attention spans’ and 64% say today’s digital technologies ‘do more to distract students than to help them academically.’” While it is clear that digital technology is distracting students, the technology is here to stay."

"Schools implement improved connectivity options to ensure educational success and safety"

"Classroom technology can empower teachers and students by providing tools that encourage learning in ways never before possible. These digital learning experiences offer innovative ways for teachers to engage and educate their students, while preparing them for success in competitive, highly technological world. Jobs today are increasingly relying on technology combined with not only academic knowledge, but analytical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal abilities too."

Determining the best bulk edtech purchases for long-term school use should start with warranties.

iPads, laptops, Nexus tablets and other devices have their strengths. But if pressed for one device for my classroom, I pick Chromebooks. Here's why.

Educational technology is a booming market, and really can help kids learn. But at present, technology is the cart before the horse in education, and this needs to change

Two-Step Verification is a process where in order to access your valued and secure information, you would need to first type in your password and THEN type in a security code that is sent to one of several devices (your phone is the most popular method). But... should schools adopt this feature?

"81 percent of teachers think tablets can enrich classroom learning, so let’s look at how tablets may be used effectively in the classroom to engage students and further learning."

"Here's how DeKalb County School District is helping its students access resources in and out of school"

"Blended learning can combine the flexibility of online instruction with the benefits of in-person teaching. But much like nutritional claims, such as “all-natural” and “healthy,” the term “blended learning” can mean just about anything depending on how you define it."

From connected devices to flexible furniture, today's classroom needs upgrades to support 21st-century learning opportunities.

We asked teachers, professors, a psychiatrist and a technologist for their thoughts, and we heard a range of opinions on one of the most "weirdly divisive"

"How schools can help make it easier for students to work together"

"Depending on where a student lives in relation to school, their bus ride may be twenty to forty minutes long. And what’s accomplished during the morning or mid-afternoon rush? Chatting and texting and snacking and scribbling to complete worksheets. What if we treated school buses as an informal first period?"

"Are you looking for new ways to attract students to your higher education program? Colleges around the world are trying something that sounds a little crazy, but it’s helping them increase enrollment and serve students better—giving students a free laptop or tablet."

"Whether you teach entirely online or have a physical space, your digital classroom needs to facilitate successful learning. There is no one right way to arrange or present education to your students. However, there are markers and go to ideas for a healthy digital learning environment."