So yesterday as I was scanning the #NJED hash tag on TweetDeck I came across this intriguing image shared by Mike Marotta.  It really puts into perspective why we make many of the decisions that we do at New Milford High School as to why we decided to implement a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative and dont mandate the use of one specific tool to support learning.

His tweet contained this message, "Dont let the device drive instruction. Let it support learning."  When it comes to educational technology I often get the feeling that the learning is often secondary.  Using technology just for the sake of using it equates to a huge waste of instructional time that could be dedicated to deep, meaningful learning. It also equates into a huge wast of money.  All to often I have seen schools put interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in every classroom or go 1:1 with very little focus on learning. 

The key is to determine what we want our students to know and let them have a choice as to how they will demonstrate and/or apply their learning.  At NMHS we place a great deal of emphasis on creating artifacts to demonstrate conceptual mastery. Technology can become a nice pedagogical fit when viewed this way.  Our motto is pedagogy first, technology second if appropriate when integrating mobile learning devices.  Another image created by my friend Bill Ferriter puts into perspective the importance of establishing learning outcomes when integrating technology as part of the teaching and learning process.

Image credit: Bill Ferriter

When it comes to technology we must always ask ourselves how will this tool support learning and allow students to demonstrate conceptual mastery. There must be more of a concerted focus on learning outcomes, construction of new knowledge leading to authentic application, and the development/enhancement of essential skills (creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, digital citizenship, entrepreneurship, media literacy, technological proficiency, communication, collaboration).  The assessment and feedback pieces are also critical. Now let me attempt to tie this back to the first image contained in this post. Technology can be a powerful learning tool if we dont focus on the one marker, but instead what we want our students to be able to do with their choice of makers to support and demonstrate learning. I welcome your thoughts on this.

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I recently read this Education Week post by  Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers titled We Have 21st Century Learners Who Need 21st Century Leaders.  I couldnt agree more. They go on the summarize the following:

"Essentially, the 21st century leader has to develop a renewed understanding of how children are learning now.  It isnt about using technology because it exists. It is about how the technologies of the world have already influenced how children are learning. Bringing a technology agenda forward with the intention of improving student understanding and demonstrated success is essential.  Leading the transition from 20th century to 21st century schools includes attention to the human toll it takes when such large changes are being required.  Ongoing professional development, constant review and analysis of successful attempts at the changes in learning opportunities and the increasing use of technology offer momentum."

The world has changed and technology has had a big impact.  As the world and our lives have become more connected and influenced by the evolving technology-rich landscape our learners in turn have become wired differently.  Not only are they engaged more outside of school then in, but in many cases they are constructing new knowledge, communicating, collaborating, and attempting to make sense of an array of media messages.  All of these examples are at the core of essential skill sets that most schools "want" students to possess, but many schools do a poor job of creating a culture that integrates them across the curriculum. Students deserve leaders willing who are willing to extend themselves beyond their comfort zones in order to create a culture that aligns with a new vision for learning.  This involves a leaders desire to take calculated risks, adapt, learn, and ultimately evolve in ways to break free of the status quo in order to create digitally rich environments that meet the needs of todays digital learners.

Image credit: http://inspiringtheact.org.au/event/unconventional-gas/

The number one responsibility and challenge for digital leaders is to create a relevant, meaningful, and authentic learning culture that allows students to create learning artifacts to demonstrate conceptual mastery. It also requires an open mind, vision, and strategic plan to allow students access to real-world tools to do real-world work. A common misconception is that you have to be "tech savvy" in order to be a digital leader.  Of course it helps, but it is not a necessity.  What is needed is a thorough understanding of what constitutes effective leadership and determining how these characteristics, skills, and practices can be improved and/or enhanced with a new mindset that views technology as a tool to support learning as opposed to just a frivolous add on.  Some of the most effective digital leaders, or just leaders for that matter, build capacity in others to move the change process further.  If you are a leader looking to do so, begin to have conversations with your teachers, and more importantly your students, to collaboratively create a system that works for learners as opposed to one that just acts to control them.

Societal changes as a result of technology now demand leaders to also look at how they perform other essential responsibilities to improve and move schools forward in the digital age.  The Pillars of Digital Leadership provide a practical framework for any leader, regardless of technological proficiency, to improve professional practice.  The tenets of leadership still apply.  It should also be noted that this isnt about giving us more to do in a time when it seems like more and more is being dumped on a leaders plate. The guiding question is how can we do what we do better to become more effective and efficient while becoming improved learners, collaborators, communicators, storytellers, and change agents.  If we look at the digital age as an endless era of opportunity to engage students in deeper, more relevant learning then the next logical step is to act.

We can no longer stand by idly while everything changes except for schools and learning environments. View this post as a call to action.  If you are a digital leader how will you help support, cultivate, and inspire others to follow a similar path? The Age of Information and Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) provides ample resources for any leader (classroom, building, district) to find success, not to mention my new book on Digital Leadership.  The challenge is to get those who do not value the role of technology in learning today, are not connected, or who are blinded by fear, misconceptions, or lack of knowledge on board.  Learners across the globe are counting on our success in this endeavor.  Are you up for the challenge?

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Need to track a package, get the status of a flight, do a little math, or find out if the ground really was just shaking beneath your feet?
Believe it or not, you can do all that and more straight from the Google search box—and in most cases, you’ll get the details you need the instant you tap the Search button.

Read on for 10 clever, time-saving Google searches, from converting currency and units of measurement to looking up definitions and—no kidding—tracking the latest earthquakes.

1. Track a package

Expecting a package? If it’s being shipped by FedEx, UPS, or the U.S. Postal Service, you can just plug the tracking number into the Google Search box.
When you click the Search button, you’ll get a link that’ll take directly to tracking results on the shipper’s web site.

Need to know the current value of the Japanese yen? Just ask Google.

2. Convert currency

So, how many Japanese yen to a U.S. dollar today? Easy.
Just type “1 USD in yen” (or something similar) into the Google Search box to get an instant conversion, including a history of the currency’s relative strength and a form for performing new conversions on the fly.

3. Get local movie showtimes

Want to go to the movies? Find out what’s playing—and when—by typing “movies” and a ZIP code into the Google search box.
Have a specific movie in mind? Type its name into the Google box and (again) add a ZIP code.
Hint: If you skip the ZIP code when looking up local movie times, Google will make a rough guestimate of your location.

4. Look up a definition

Ah, “vagary.” Cool word. What does it mean, again?
Type “define vagary” into the Google search box and you’ll get the full definition, a phonetic spelling, and synonyms. You can even hear the word spoken by clicking the speaker icon.

You can get the status of just about any flight with a simple Google query.

5. Track a flight

Need to know whether your flight’s delayed—or when another flight is slated to land?
Type the airline and flight number into the search box (“united 458″) and you’ll get a status report, a terminal and a gate number.

6. Convert units of measurement

How many kilometers in a mile … didn’t we learn that in high school?
If you’re still not sure, just type “1 mile to km” or “how many kilometers in a mile?” into the search box, and the answer will appear in a measurement converter.

7. Get the weather

Find out how beautiful the weather is in, say, Hawaii by typing “weather maui” or “weather honolulu” into the Google search box.
You’ll get the current temperature, a 7-day forecast, and even hourly details on rain and wind.

Six times seven? Forty-two—or so Google tells me.

8. Do the math

You don’t need a calculator on your desk if you’ve got Google in a browser tab.
Type in “6*7″ (or “what’s six times seven?”), “132/3,” or “square root 100″ and you’ll get an answer the moment you click the Search button, along with a web calculator for solving more equations.

9. Check the time

Can’t remember whether Chicago is in the Eastern or Central time zone?
Type “time chicago” in the Google Search box to get the current time in the Windy City, along with details on which time zone it’s in (Central, in case you’re wondering).

10. Confirm a quake

Whoa! Did you feel that? If you think you just felt an earthquake—or if you know you felt one—type “earthquake” into the Google search box.
The first listing will be for the US Geological Survey, and just beneath you’ll see a list of most recent temblors on the planet, complete with magnitudes and map links to the various epicenters.
10 time-saving Google searches you need to try

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Want to turn that photo you just shot on your iPhone into your Facebook profile picture? Sure thing—and yes, you can do it directly from the Facebook mobile app.
Read on for more gotta-try features in the rapidly evolving Facebook for iPhone app, from how to filter your news feed to an easy way to save snapshots posted by your friends.

Tap an option to see just the most recent news feed updates, only photo posts, stories from close friends, and more.

1. Filter your news feed

Don’t have time to scroll through dozens of random news feed updates? I know the feeling.
Instead, try this: when you first open your news feed on the Facebook for iPhone app, pull down on the first update you see.
When you do, you’ll open Facebook’s mobile news feed filter, which lets you view only the most recent updates, posts from those on your various Friend Lists (such as Family and Close Friends), photo posts, and more.

2. Save a photo to your Camera Roll

Until recently, there was no way to save a photo from your Facebook news feed to your iPhone other than taking a screenshot.

Thanks to a recent Facebook for iPhone update, you can now save photos posted by friends to your iPhone’s Camera Roll.

Thanks to a recent update, though, you can now save Facebook photos to your iPhone’s Camera Roll in just a few taps.

• Tap a photo in your news feed to open it.
• Tap the three-dot menu button at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap the “Save Photo” button.

3. Change your profile photo or your “cover” image

Want to customize the look of your Facebook timeline while you’re on the go?
No problem—and in fact, you can easily replace your Facebook profile image or the “cover” photo at the top of your timeline with a fresh snapshot from your iPhone.

• Tap the menu button in the top-left corner of the screen, then tap your name to go to your timeline.
• Tap either your profile photo or the larger “cover” photo, then tap “Choose from Library” to pick a new image from your iPhone’s photo library, or “Take Photo” to snap a new image on the fly.

Tap the little arrow (see it?) to hide an unwanted post from your news feed.

4. Hide a post

Want to zap an annoying update or advertisement from your news feed? Easy.

• Look closely at the top-right corner of a news feed post, and you’ll see a faint downward arrow. Tap it, and a trio of buttons will slide into view.
• Tap the “Hide” button to hide an unwanted update from your news feed, or tap “Report/Mark as Spam” if you think a post is “spammy” or particularly offensive.

5. Generate a security code

Ever heard of Facebook’s “login approvals” feature? If not, you should, because it’s one of the best way to keep hackers from hijacking your account.
Once login approvals are turned on (here’s how to do it), Facebook will demand a six-digit code whenever anyone tries to log into your account from an unrecognized browser or mobile device.

Once activated, the mobile Code Generator will spit out a new six-digit security code every 30 seconds, no data connection required.

Normally, those special security codes are sent to your cell phone via SMS—but what happens if you’re trying to log into your account and there’s no cellular connection?
Luckily, the Facebook for iPhone app has its own “Code Generator” that spits out fresh six-digit codes every 30 seconds—and yes, the Code Generator works even without a data signal.
Just tap the menu button in the top-left corner of the Facebook mobile interface, scroll down, then tap Code Generator.
Once you tap the “Activate” button, a six-digit code will appear on the screen, and it’ll be refreshed every 30 seconds.
Source: http://heresthethingblog.com
Facebook for iPhone: 5 handy features you need to try

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7 secret iPhone features you need

Did you know you could turn your iPhone’s camera flash into a blinking alert light, or that you can shake your iPhone to “undo” a typo? No? You’re not the only one.
Read on for seven clever iPhone features that you might not have known about, from how to take a screenshot to an easy way to baby-proof an iPhone app.

1. Turn the camera flash into a blinking alert light

Want to see rather than just hear that your iPhone is ringing? You can, with a little help from the iPhone’s camera flash.
In just a few taps, you can set the LED flash for the iPhone’s rear-facing camera to blink anytime a calls comes in, whenever a text pops into your message inbox, or for any other iPhone event that would normally set off an alert tone or vibration.
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Typo in your text message? Just give your iPhone a shake.

2. Shake to “undo”

So, say you just typed a lengthy text message on your iPhone (or iPad, or iPod Touch), but you’ve had a change of heart and want to start over.
You could delete what you typed by tapping the backspace key a few dozen times, or you could select the text with your fingertip and tap “Cut.”
Or, you could try a third, well-hidden option: just give your iPhone a shake.
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3. Create custom keyboard shortcuts

Tired of repeatedly tapping your street address, your job title, or common phrases like “on my way” or “you there?” on your iPhone’s virtual keypad?
If so, good news. iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches (not to mention Android phones) will let you create your own, custom keyboard shortcuts for … well, just about anything.
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You can turn your baby loose on your iPhone once you activate Guided Access mode.

4. Baby-proof an iPhone app

Worried that your iPhone-addicted little one might wipe your work email with an ill-timed swipe?
Never fear. You can temporarily “lock down” just about any iPhone app, freezing all the hardware buttons (including the “Home” button) and letting you draw zones on the screen that won’t react to taps or swipes.
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5. Take a screenshot

Ever wanted to take a quick snapshot of your iPhone’s display? Or have you taken a screenshot by accident, without quite knowing how you did it?
Well, taking a screenshot on the iPhone (or iPad, or iPod Touch) is a nifty, easy trick—so easy, in fact, that more than a few puzzled readers have written in, wondering how snapshots of their iPhone’s home page wound up in their mobile photo albums.
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You can zoom the entire iPhone display with a tap and a swipe.

6. Zoom in on the display

Having a hard time reading the tiny type on your iPhone’s screen? Believe me, you’re not the only one.
Springing for a new pair of reading glasses is one solution, or you could always “pinch” to zoom, say, a web page in Safari.
But here’s another idea: by tweaking a key setting, you can zoom the entire display on your iPhone, no matter what app you’re using.
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7. Zip to the top of a web page

Dreading having to flick your way all the way back to the beginning of a web page on your iPhone? Here’s a quick and easy shortcut.
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7 secret iPhone features you need

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