May 26, 2017

Professional Learning is a Workout!

The Workout is a model I created for designing professional learning events related to technology integration with innovative teaching and learning. The Workout framework is effective for a variety of topics, such as digital storytelling, formative assessment, visual learning, global collaboration, anytime-anywhere communication, design thinking, blended learning, and problem-based learning.

May 19, 2017

Seven Strategies to Get Students Talking and Thinking About Digital Citizenship

One of the challenges of teaching digital citizenship is to get students comfortable openly thinking and talking about key issues. We know students are constantly facing issues and making choices in their online lives. Creating an environment where students are encouraged to discuss issues helps them think critically about the choices they're making online. Here are some strategies to start students thinking and talking about digital citizenship.

May 12, 2017

Opening Students’ Minds: How to Combat the Social Media Echo Chamber

Social media has undoubtedly expanded classroom walls, but has it also closed the minds of our students? The echo chamber effect suggests so-students want to hear what they think is the truth and search for others through social media who agree with them.

May 05, 2017

Changing the Narrative of Education

Classrooms aren't always represented accurately in the media. It is not uncommon for news outlets to highlight the latest teacher scandals but ignore the quality work the majority of teachers are doing. Popular television shows often show students seated neatly in rows, reading textbooks, and looking bored. Images of blackboards and chalk still abound when referencing education, yet the classrooms I see everyday are filled with the very opposite of these depictions.

Apr 28, 2017

What Is Next After a 1:1 Initiative?

Nearly five years ago, Gurnee District 56 embarked on a journey to equip students in the district with iPads to be used as their primary curriculum delivery tool. As we began that journey, there were no road maps to follow, and many times it felt as if we were walking in a dense forest with no idea what lurked five feet ahead of us. In a truly collaborative effort, we began to clear the forest and discover enough light to chart a clear path forward. We have come so far since then.

Apr 21, 2017

How Predicting the Future Can Develop Digital Citizenship Skills

In my last blog, we explored activities to help students “frame the system” rather than game the system in order to think critically about the rules that should govern their digital lifestyles. Now I'd like to discuss an activity that helps students develop digital citizenship skills by imagining new technologies. The goal is for students to take charge of their futures by inventing it. Digital citizenship is often approached from a reactive perspective in response to unwanted behavior like cyberbullying or cyberstalking. In contrast, this activity approaches digital citizenship proactively, casting students in the roles of leaders and “imagineers.”

Apr 14, 2017

Our Top Five Resources for March

Each month we publish several newsletters full of digital learning, funding, professional growth, social media, and STEM resources. Below are the resources from our newsletters that educators turned to the most in the month of March.

Apr 07, 2017

Finding the Perfect Parent-Teacher Communication App for Your Classroom

A recent study by Gallup found that only one in five parents are fully engaged with their child's school. In my 19 years of teaching, I've tried every form of communication to bridge the gap between home and the classroom—emails, texting, blogging, a YouTube channel, Facebook. 

Mar 31, 2017

Are You a Connected Educator?

Mar 24, 2017

Ask A Librarian: Personalize Student Research with the Reference Interview

Whole class instruction concerns me. As I scan my students’ faces for signs of comprehension or confusion, I worry if I am speaking too slowly or quickly. Have I made the research process transparent enough?

Mar 17, 2017

Activities to Give Students a Voice in the Digital Citizenship Conversation

We are up against a serious neurological challenge in terms of students making ethical decisions. For most of us, the brain's neo-cortex—where the seat of ethical judgment resides—is not fully formed until we reach our early twenties.

Mar 10, 2017

Our Top Five Resources in February

Mar 03, 2017

Neutral, Biased, or Balanced?: Recognizing Points of View in Media

Before the recent inauguration, then Vice-President Elect Pence accused the news media of being biased. As the media and Washington seem to be careening out of control, our students and their families are becoming more confused about navigating news.

Feb 24, 2017

There’s Nothing on My Topic: Tips for Facilitating Student Research

Students can easily become discouraged and abandon research if their initial inquiry doesn't yield results. Generally, this issue can be traced to misreading the search results, taking the assignment guidelines literally, or fully formulating the final product before the student has even begun research.

Feb 17, 2017

“Partycipate” Like It’s 2022: The Case for Digital Citizenship in Education

As technology advances and our real lives (RL) increasingly blend with our online lives, the need for digital citizenship in education has never been more important.