Recent articles
How moonshot thinking transformed a school
02/23/2017
Topics: 1:1, Education leadership, Essential Conditions
When Fanny Passeport became the schoolwide tech integrator at Mercedes Benz International School in India, she might as well have been aiming for a moon landing.
There was no one in charge of ed tech. Teachers were happy hanging out in their comfort zone. Her task: Shepherd a…
What full-scale change looks like and how to get there
01/01/2017
It was a searing message from its own students that awakened a transformation using technology in one Alaskan school district.
“A few years ago,” says Superintendent Mary Wegner of the Sitka School District, “high school students approached the school board and said they…
5 steps to get started with ISTE's new student standards
10/21/2016
Topics: 1:1, Digital Citizenship, Gamification, professional learning, Standards
The 2016 ISTE Standards for Students offer exciting opportunities for the future of education and the changing landscape of student learning. Standard 1: Empowered Learner encapsulates the importance of…
5 ways to crowdsource ideas for choosing the right technology
10/14/2016
In the spring of 2015, our school district passed a bond that included over $5 million for a student mobile device initiative. For the previous 4½ years, we’d been a 1:1 K-12 district with iPads as our device of choice. With the passing of the bond, we had an opportunity not only to…
8 new apps to test drive in your classroom
08/17/2015
Topics: 1:1, BYOD, Mobile learning, Tools
Kids tend to embrace apps, and thanks to initiatives and grants that bring mobile devices into the classroom, there are plenty of opportunities to use these mini-programs to amplify learning.
For educators, however, the challenge is finding apps that go beyond the cool factor to…
Should we limit kids' screen time? No
07/21/2015
Topics: 1:1, BYOD, Digital Citizenship, Mobile learning, Online learning, Parent engagement
I'm a mom of two and an educator. And I have to admit something right here, right now: I get bored easily when playing with my kids.
I try to engage with the little ponies, the fairies and the Tonka trucks, and for a while, it all works out. Give me 20 minutes and I am super…
Should we limit kids' screen time? Yes
07/21/2015
Topics: 1:1, Digital Citizenship, Mobile learning, Online learning, Parent engagement
We should limit children’s screen time but do so in a thoughtful, rather than reactive, way. The "right" amount of screen time can fall anywhere on a spectrum, depending on a number of factors, including the purpose and use of technology as well as the child's ability to use it in a mindful and…
To Apple or to Google, that is the question
06/30/2015
Topics: 1:1, ISTE Conference & Expo
We’ve all heard the adage about comparing apples to oranges, but what about comparing Apple to Google? That’s the debate taking place among ed tech educators, their IT colleagues and proponents of various ed tech platforms and devices. It hinges on a single question: Does a school have to…
Support your 1:1 program with a student tech team
04/21/2015
Topics: 1:1, BYOD, Education leadership, Mobile learning
Leaders who understand the landscape of our digital world know that they must involve a school’s most important stakeholders in their 1:1 planning and decision-making process. That stakeholder group is students. From determining the right device to recommending applications, leaders must listen…
8 ways to establish shared vision
04/17/2015
Topics: 1:1, Learning spaces, Standards
When someone is dubbed a visionary, we tend to attribute it to bleeding-edge thinking or a knack for big ideas. Truth be told, visionaries share a number of characteristics such as openness, imagination, persistence and…