Chicago Public Schools librarians have discovered that iPads engage students in developing their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills while expressing their creativity. Their librarians embarked on a year-long experiment with the mobile devices that inspired them to completely reinvent the way they teach. This article presents tips…

Students 8 and younger have access to screens everywhere--on smartphones, tablets, handheld games, and laptops, to name just a few places. How do you know if students are using these tools effectively? Are the students participating in digital environments in ways that encourage critical thinking, active engagement, and contribution, or are they…

Giving iPads to first graders is a leap of faith that many teachers are understandably hesitant to take, especially if their students need immediate reading intervention and school leaders want guaranteed results. This article discusses how the authors took on the challenge of improving elementary reading using iPads, found surprising success for…

To compete in the global workforce, educators know that their students must be well educated in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. But, as outlined in the NETS, they must also develop the key skills of creativity and innovation. How can educators teach the typically left-brained STEM subjects along with the more…

Some schools in South Dakota have gone one-to-one, and other schools have one computer cart for two grade levels. Some teachers refuse to use their computers for anything but email, and others are incorporating web 2.0 tools into their project-based learning curricula. But one thing that is consistent across the board is the need for…

Interactive whiteboards are all the rage in classrooms across the world these days, and for good reason. Like most technology, they hold students' attention much better than a traditional lecture-and-blackboard lesson ever could. They also solve the problem of having only one classroom computer for 30 students by projecting the screen at the front…

Educators know there is a disconnect between students' technology experience outside of school and what they use in the classroom. At home many students play and learn with an array of tools that are restricted, banned, or, in many cases, just not available at school. They also know that effectively infusing technology into the classroom does make…

Media--text, images, audio, and video--underwent a transformation from analog to digital formats during the transition from the 20th to the 21st century. Digital media can easily be replicated, downloaded, revised, edited, and reposted, and the implications of this are affecting education, government, entertainment, culture, and society. The…

In this article, the author introduces the world of RSS (Real Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary), one of the least used and understood of all the Web 2.0 tools. RSS technology has two parts: (1) feeds; and (2) aggregators. RSS feeds use a special type of HTML known as XML. Each feed is defined with channel tags, which contain specific…

Technology integration happens when schools remove barriers, incorporate appropriate pedagogy and instructional strategies, and provide opportunities and support for teachers and students in the classroom. Assisting teachers in the classroom as they gain the confidence and skills needed to be successful in sustaining new practices is a critical…

The shift from analog to digital video transformed the system from a unidirectional analog broadcast to a two-way conversation, resulting in the birth of participatory media. Digital video offers new opportunities for teaching science, social studies, mathematics, and English language arts. The professional education associations for each content…

Working to transform his classroom, fifth grade teacher John Blain of Buffalo (New York) public schools infused technology into his literature lessons by adding an online literature discussion to his more traditional classroom discussion. Students were assigned to read Kate DiCamillo's books "Because of Winn-Dixie" and "The Tiger Rising". Blain…

Peer tutoring is essentially peers teaching each other. Many teachers already incorporate this idea into their classrooms in other curricular areas and appreciate the benefits that come from this type of teaching. Teachers can implement peer tutoring by teaching a small group of students a subject, or using a group that already understands the…

In this column, the author shares some of the processes involved with the restructuring of the elementary curriculum and the role of technology in the classroom. When Plano ISD committed time, talent, and technology to a new educational vision, the Elementary Integrated Curriculum project was born. The goal: to integrate subject matter and…

In this article, the author describes the importance of technology in distance learning for elementary education. Imagine having museums and expert teachers available at one's request. In their Rural Hall, North Carolina, elementary school, teachers and students just walk down the hall to the distance learning classroom and connect in a few…