Stop trying to figure out if screentime is good for students

Brian Finke for The New York Times

You may have read the recent New York Times story No Child Left Untableted. Like others before it (Seeing no progress, some schools drop laptops), these stories have the wrong focus. They narrow in on the tool itself, and draw apocalyptic conclusions -- Technology May Be Destroying Children! -- rather than drawing attention to the goal of the learning experience, and how the tool may best help achieve it.

Conducting device-focused research makes as little sense as doing research on pens, papers, folders, book-binding, and three-ring notebooks. Where are the papers, studies and statistics on the negative impact of chalk dust, calling for blackboards to be limited? We must understand that it’s not about “the thing;” It is about what we do with the thing and what the thing can do for us.

To put it in perspective, think of it this way...

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If you're not preparing your students to use social media well, you're not doing your job

Our students are living in a world where more than 90% of employers use social media for recruiting.  If students are not savvy users of social media, they can kill their chance of getting many jobs. In fact 1 in 3 employers said candidates weren't hired because of something they said online. On the other hand, students can use social media to shine. Innovative educators are tasked with helping them do just that.

The first step in leading our students in this online journey is to ensure they understand and know the numbers.  The below infographic, with stats and sources, does a nice job of bringing this to light.

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Addressing the #bullying problem starts with adults

Editor's note:  October is National Bullying Prevention Month. It was created to raise awareness about bullying prevention. This post brings attention to a problem that we sometimes forget or are too uncomfortable to discuss. Bullying does not discriminate based on age.  If you know better, you can do better. Don't sit by and watch on, stand up and speak out when you notice someone is the target of bullying.  

Educators and parents constantly discuss the nature of bullying. Despite the intensity of the focus on children, do we, as adults, focus adequately on our own social behavior?

I was recently the target of bullying. 

While this behavior was upsetting, the reaction of those who were drawn into the situation was even more revealing. The bullying problem so prevalent in school years, often carries on into adult years with little thought given to it because, after all, these are adults. Adults however are the very people who often work with or have children. If adults can’t navigate right from wrong, is it any wonder that this is such a problem with youth today?

The story

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The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Posts	Views
5 Ways To Open Up Learning & Engage Students	1891
Oct 15, 2013,
5 ideas for #ConnectedEducators to connect student...	1699
Oct 4, 2013,
Junk isn't only for mail. 8 Types of posting ...	1478
Oct 6, 2013,
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement?	1466
Jun 13, 2013,
No more multiple account frustration with Google ...	1292
Sep 25, 2013,
When and How Should Kids Learn to Type?	1172
Feb 8, 2011,

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Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 3

Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

This is part of a four-part series where I'll share some simple ideas for integrating technology into each component followed by a presentation you can share with colleagues. Below are ideas for technology integration within Domain 3.



This presentation has examples of what this may look like in practice.

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Has Google replaced teaching?

Student to teachers at #tltf13 "You don't need to teach us. That is what Google is for." #StuVoice #edchat
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

This is what a passionate student told a room full of educators at the 2013 Tech Forum in New York in response to a question from social studies teacher Melissa Seideman. She was asking how Digital Native students prefer learning when it comes to technology use.

Other students chimed in telling teachers this:

If I can't figure something out I prefer to text or message a friend rather than ask a teacher. -Student at #tltf13 #StuVoice
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

They are doing what adults would call, "reaching out to their personal learning network."

The students had more advice for teachers:

"It is annoying when teachers try to teach us. We like to learn by trying it ourselves." -Student at #tltf13 #StuVoice
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

In conversation with a Tweep that inquired about my Tweet, I explained... 

@ChrisWejr Students were saying universally they prefer teachers step back & let them figure it out unless they asked for help @garystager
— Lisa Nielsen (@InnovativeEdu) October 18, 2013

These young people are not alone. Connected educators have been learning using the internet and their network for quite some time. We know learning is no longer something that is confined to a certain place, at a certain time, from a certain teacher.  

This may not be the way all, or even most, students like to learn, but it certainly is representative of quite a few. How does practice change if we are teaching students who want teachers to step aside so they can learn via their preferred method of Googling and messaging friends?

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NYC DOE teacher featured for blazing trails in social media

The United Federation of Teacher's paper recently highlighted the work of NYC DoE teacher, Janet Elias who teaches technology at PS 46 in Queens. You can see the piece here. I had the pleasure of having Ms. Elias in a class recently where she showed me how they create excitement about learning via the respectful and responsible use of social media.  Here is a fantastic bulletin board she and her students created.

At her school, students learn at an early age what a digital footprint is and why it is important for college and career readiness. 

They also have a Facebook page which you can check out here. 

If you are in New York City and interested in learning how to do this for your school you can visit this link to discover free classes. 

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Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 2

Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework for Teacher Evaluation. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

This is part of a four-part series where I'll share some simple ideas for integrating technology into each component followed by a presentation you can share with colleagues. Below are ideas for technology integration within Domain 2.


This presentation has examples of what this may look like in practice.

Read More

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Post	Views
What's your digital footprint? Take this quiz and ... Apr 9, 2013,	2820
5 ideas for #ConnectedEducators to connect student... Oct 4, 2013,	1693
Increase teacher effectiveness with eduClipper Sep 18, 2013,	1528
Junk isn't only for mail. 8 Types of posting #Connected... Oct 6, 2013,	1464
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1360
No more multiple account frustration with Google Chrome... Sep 25, 2013,	1300
5 Ways To Open Up Learning & Engage Students Oct 15, 2013,	1254
When and How Should Kids Learn to Type? Feb 8, 2011,	1221

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6 Ways Graphite™ Supports Teachers Implementing #CCSS

Here what teachers have to say here.

I recently shared that Graphite, a new, free service from Common Sense Media provides rigorous ratings and reviews of apps, games, websites, and digital curricula. This allows teachers and school leaders to connect in important ways to make informed decisions about which technology to integrate into the curriculum via reviews and “Field Notes” written by innovative educators who are using these products in the classroom.

Not only does Graphite provide an efficient and effective way to assess technology programs, but it also has a terrific component allowing educators to see how each website or app supports the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Below are six ways to do just that.

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4 Ways Graphite Review Program Connects Educators #CE13

Ever wonder which app or website would be best to meet your student’s learning objectives? 

What better way to find out than to connect with other educators using these resources? Well now you can do just that. Graphite, a new service from Common Sense Media, features over 500 reviews of apps and websites, rated for learning potential with tips for how to integrate them into your curriculum. 

But, it’s not only a place to learn about resources. Graphite also provides a venue for educators to share their own insights for using these products effectively. There are lots of ways that educators can share best practices for integrating technology into the classroom and to connect with one another on the site. Read on to discover four of them.

Four ways educators are leveraging Graphite

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5 Ways To Open Up Learning & Engage Students

Guest post by David Price

“Dave Price casts a penetrating light on how the new dynamics of digital culture are transforming not only on how we work and play but how we think, feel and learn.” -Sir Ken Robinson

When my eldest son was 13, I used to drag him out of bed each morning to go to school. Eventually I learned the reason for his excessive tiredness. He was taking part in internet chat shows on his (then) interest in libertarian politics. Not listening  to, but taking part. I wanted to say ‘but school is more important’ but all I could think was ‘how cool is that?’. Four years later he taught himself Tuvan Throat Singing (you have to hear it to believe it) from some very early open education resources. Neither Tuvan Singing, nor Ayn Rand were on the curriculum at school. Mainly, he was just copying down whatever the teacher wrote on the board.

Inspired by what I observed with my son, I wrote OPEN: How We’ll Work, Live & Learn In The Future in which I argue that formal education is struggling to keep up with the ways we now learn socially. The book sets out to help educators to  bridge the gap between the informal and formal. The driving metaphor for the book is that of the ‘global learning commons’, typified by the desire shown by Creative Commons, and other open source organisations  to ‘share all that we know’. Sadly many offices, colleges and classrooms (though not all) have become  ‘learning enclosures’, and sharing = cheating.

What then can the concerned educator do to stave off the rising tide of disengagement which is being seen in classrooms and training rooms?

Here are five strategies:

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Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 1

Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework for Teacher Evaluation. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

This is part of a four-part series where I'll share some simple ideas for integrating technology into each component followed by a presentation you can share with colleagues. Below are ideas for technology integration within Domain 1.


This presentation has examples of what this may look like in practice.

Read More

The hottest posts that everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
3 people & 3 ideas for using Twitter to share... Sep 8, 2013,	2102
What's your digital footprint? Take this quiz and ... Apr 9, 2013,	1753
Increase teacher effectiveness with eduClipper Sep 18, 2013,	1548
5 ideas for #ConnectedEducators to connect student... Oct 4, 2013,	1487
When and How Should Kids Learn to Type? Feb 8, 2011,	1299
No more multiple account frustration with Google Chrome... Sep 25, 2013,	1298
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1198
A few of my favorite things about the #BammyAwards... Sep 29, 2013,	1190

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