
Digital Literacy & Common Core
Earlier this week I happened to overhear a conversation about digital literacy and the Common Core. The person asking the question was curious what exactly the Common Core Standards said about digital literacy. As I listened to the conversation unfold I found a group of smart, passionate educators focusing all of their attention on access […]

Survey Says!
For the past seven years I have been surveying my students about their level of technology access at home. Initially, my data just reflected the students in my classroom. However, as I have moved to a district-level position I have helped teachers survey their own students. Earlier this year, teachers from our Digital Writing and […]

Reflections on CUE 2012
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend the CUE 2012 conference. I ran into former coworkers, reconnected with friends from the past, and also cultivated new relationships for the future. It was four days of meaningful teaching and learning. I chose to drive this year since the price for a plane ticket to […]

Chromebook Caution
Should you bargain hunt? What about digital textbooks and multimedia creation? Here are the important considerations you should think about before you choose an iPad or Google Chromebook for your instruction.

Getting to Know iBooks Author
Over the extended weekend I had an opportunity to get to know iBooks Author a little bit better. You might be thinking to yourself, “iBooks Author??” A few weeks ago when Apple made their big textbook announcement, they also released a free tool for Macs running the latest operating system (OSX Lion) that allows users […]

ETC 2012! Digital Writing & the Common Core
Thanks for attending the workshop on Digital Writing and the Common Core. Below you will find links to the materials we discussed during the session. Please let me know if you have any questions. Joe Handout – Common Core & Digital Writing Presentation PDF Links National Writing Project Digital Is – NWP Digital Writing & […]

Models of Blended Learning
In honor of Digital Learning Day, Sal Khan from Khan Academy has created a video defining blended learning from his perspective. His model has three broad categories which I did my best to define in a sentence or two. However, his video is worth watching to think about how aspects of blended learning can be used to […]

iPad Interactive Whiteboard
Over the past few months I have read via Facebook and email stories of teachers who were quite adept with their interactive whiteboard being moved through layoffs to schools where they no longer had this equipment. Mainily for financial reasons, these techers will likely not have a replacement board at least for the next few years. However, […]

Students Speak on Digital Learning Day
Tomorrow is the first annual Digital Learning Day sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education. Numerous national, state, and local organizations have joined to celebrate this day of 21st Century learning through a variety of events across the country. Should you be in the Sacramento area tomorrow afternoon and evening, consider stopping by the Capitol Plaza Holiday Inn. From […]

10+1 Apps for Digital Reading & Writing
Almost every day I’m asked, “What apps should I install on my iPad?” Personally, I hate app lists. There are hundreds of great apps out there and what I would recommend for one classroom or teacher I might not recommend for another. That being said, I also understand each of us need a place to […]