Also In This Issue

As schools try to make the most of the technology they have, Richard Byrne, a Google Certified Teacher, blogs about how sharing folders among students can improve efficiency and broaden access to material for students.

As schools across the country adopt blended-learning models, a few clear trends are settling in, and, at the same time, some groups—like the Next Generation Learning Challenges—continue to help schools push the design envelope on what’s possible for students.

iCreate has launched the myCreate iPad app based on stop-action movie animation software on which students can edit videos. Also, check out new products from Bretford, Mimio, Grammaropolis, Casio, ODYSSEYWARE, Classlink, Samsung, Smart School Systems, and Panasonic.

A plethora of online tools and instructional materials is becoming available to help educators meet Common Core standards, making for some overwhelming options for teachers and students. More than seven in 10 educators search for instructional resources at least several times a week, but only one in four educators describes his or her searches as “usually successful,” according to a July survey report.

Despite my time being cut short at TCEA 2013 thanks to a huge winter storm slamming into the Northeast where I live, I was still able to learn about a variety of new products for the K12 world. Many products come together to form a modern, 21st-century classroom: hardware, software, mobile applications, even furniture, which were all showcased at TCEA.

In February, U.S. Rep. George Miller of California introduced the Transforming Education Through Technology Act, a bill designed to help schools, districts and states improve teaching and learning through technology. It would provide a way for K12 districts to offer the necessary technology tools students will need to succeed in college and career, since about one-third of districts nationwide do not designate budget money for new computers.

Guaranteeing school safety is increasingly more difficult. But tech expert Scott Schober has some important points to keep in mind. Even though parents may feel they have no control over their children’s safety once they leave home, he says, technical advances applied with old-fashioned common sense are one way to feel more prepared.

Khadijah Niazi overcame several barriers to finish her introductory physics exam online. Pakistan recently blocked access to YouTube, the site Udacity used to host its lessons. She posted a plea for help on a Udacity message board and several classmates from Malaysia, Portugal, and England attempted to find a workaround. The next day she took the final exam. Even more amazing than the technology know-how is the fact that Kadijah was 11 years old and aced the class with the highest distinction. 

Looking at the wide set of new learning opportunities from the point of view of the professionals, the speed of change and the increased demand of flexibility in being able to build knowledge and to adapt themselves to new forms of collaboration and work, the capability of successfully exploiting the increasing variety and accessibility of learning occasions and resources, becomes a crucial issue.

When educators hear the terms flipped classroom and flipped learning, typically the first thing they think of is a teacher-created video that students watch at home, as though that were the essential ingredient. It's not. It's about how to best use in-class time with students.