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 This page of my website is designed to continue to keep you up to date with the latest innovations in technology for K-12. What’s New provides announcements, new tools, new ideas, educational conferences or training and more. Check here for new ideas and send me information that you think will interest your colleagues.
NECC Conference Presentations
Each year the National Educational Computing Conference is held in June. It is an exciting place to learn about the latest technology for the K-12 classroom. However, not all of us can attend each year. For these educators, Google has put a list of presentations on Google Tools on their Web site at http://edu.googleapps.com/tutorials-and-tips/necc-presentations.
You will find numerous ideas here for incorporating technology into your library or classroom. One I particularly liked was Outbreak by Cheryl Davis, a Google Certified Teacher and contributor to my book Using Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom. Outbreak is a multi-disciplinary lesson, using several Google Tools in history, science, social studies and language arts. Outbreak is a timely topic with the recent outbreak of swine flu and the lesson delves into this health topic in detail.
Review this lesson plan and others on this site.
Yugma for Web Conferencing
Yugma is a free web conferencing tool that lets you connect with your colleagues at school, in the library or around the world. You can exchange information, review documents, conduct a training session, collaborate on projects with persons not at your location and much more. You can invite up to 10 simultaneous users. Try it out. If you like it and want to communicate with over 10 ysers at once, there is a "professional" version at a cost.
Wikispaces Announcement
In 2006, Wikispaces announced that they would give away 100,000 free Plus wikis for K-12 education. The promotion was designed to help educators use wiki technology. In September 2008 Wikispaces reached their 100,000th K-12 wiki giveaway--wikis used by over 535,000 educators and students.. As a result of the intense interest, Wikispaces has offered another 250,000 ad-free, private K-12 Plus wikis to educators! Check the Wikispaces blog for up-to-date information and learn how to sign up for your own wiki.
New Technology Project
An interesting award-winning project highlighted in my book is the Flat Classroom Project, organized by a teacher in the U.S. and one in Bangladesh. These teachers have continued to create new wiki projects and are often asking for schools that want to participate. The New Horizon project describes six areas of emerging technology. Read the report about the new technologies and how to get involved.
Google for Educators
Google has initiated a Google Teacher Academy, a free professional development experience designed to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technologies. Google has sponsored a one-day event where participants get hands-on experience with Google's tools and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, and receive resources to share with colleagues. Upon completion, Academy participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region. For more information about Google Teacher Academy, click here.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills in Social Studies
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the National Council for the Social Studies released a framework, or map, focusing on concrete examples for integrating 21st century skills into the K-12 social studies curriculum. The Social Studies Map is the first in a series of roadmaps planned for the core content areas over the course of the next two years. The Road Map includes critical thinking, collaboration, information and media literacy, digital technology and more. Keep your eye on this site to see road maps for other subject areas.
URLs to Check
Some websites continue to come up with interesting and innovative ideas for using technology in the classroom. Some of them are highlighted here.
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New BookUsing Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom
This new book describes and illustrates how to use Web 2.0 tools in lessons that educators will create for their K-12 classrooms and libraries.
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What's New |