Tech & Learning’s Top Sites and Apps of 2012

David Kapuler of Tech & Learning announces his top sites for education each year. This year he is including his favorite apps, as well. You’ll want to take a look at his 2011 list, since the top sites on that list are not repeated in this year’s list. The 2012 top ten sites/apps of the top 100 are: Mentor Mob, Pinterest, Nearpod, Edshelf, ClassBadges, FluencyFinder, PowToom, 3D Toad, SendHub, and BeeClip EDU. I think you’ll find it fun to browse through the sites and apps on Kapuler’s list to find those you want to use in your classroom. There are links to all the sites and apps on the list.

Computer Learning Month

October is Computer Learning Month, but you don’t hear much about this, anymore.  It was established by the Computer Learning Foundation to help encourage use of technologies in schools in the 1980s and 1990s. There were competitions for all age students to acquaint them with what was possible with computers. Today, there are computers in most of our classrooms and many students bring their own laptops, smart phones, and notebook computers to school. While all classrooms may not have 3-D printers and the latest in interactive technologies, most have Internet connections and many teachers have integrated technologies into their courses. We are still far from knowing how computers and related technologies can best help our students prepare for the future, and our students, although they are proficient in many types of tech uses, often do not put technologies to use as a learning assistant. Besides, with the worlds of tech and IT changing rapidly, it might be a good idea to bring Computer Learning Month back into our schools to help us keep up with how our lives and student learning are changing.

How Much Do We Use Technology?

The information-packed graphic, Graduating with Technology by LearnStuff.com, contains facts about the growth of technology use among our students. As you examine the percentages displayed in the graphic, think about what they tell us about where we should head in education in the future. Some of the statistics include: 90% “of students think tablets help them study more efficiently”; students read more books if they have a tablet to use for reading them; “there are 20,000 educational apps and 30,000 free lectures, videos, and books”; and 70% of children, ages 2-5, can use a computer mouse.  Statistics in the graphic were gathered from USA Today, Apple Computer, Cisco, Twitter, NACS (National Association of College Stores), NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement), Venture Beat, and NCES (National Center for Educational Statistics). I think you and others in your school will find the graphic to be excellent.

The Winner in Tech Integration—China

A survey by Dell, which included over 1500 interviews with students, parents, and teachers in the United States, Germany, and China “found that Chinese students say they spend more time with technology in school than students in the U.S. and Germany. The survey in China also noted that technology integration seems to be prevalent throughout the curriculum, that a greater percentage of Chinese parents “provide funding for technology students’ use in schools”, and that more Chinese students use technology to engage in summer studies. Ki Mae Heussner, author of the GIGAOM article, warns that the study’s results may not be totally accurate since answers were self-reported. However, she notes that: “it is an interesting window into how students in different countries say they interact with technology....”

Who Supports Use of Tech in Schools?

Parents and teachers do. That’s according to a poll published by the LEAD (Leading Education by Advancing Digital) Commission that targeted a random sampling of 800+ parents and 800+ teachers of K-12 students in the United States, including an “oversample of 200 low-income parents. Among the findings are that teachers and parents overwhelmingly believe that technology integration into the curriculum is essential and that access to high speed Internet at home helps students with their studies. In other words, parents and teachers are saying that technology can transform education.

Win Premium Evernote for 250 Students & More

Enter by 08/20/12 at 11:59 PST to win up to 250 Evernote Premium Codes for your students, plus IdeaPaint to complete a high tech learning environment.  With Evernote and IdeaPaint, students write notes on an IdeaPaint surface, take photos of what they write, and zip it into Evernote. In Evernote, they can organize their notes as they need.

All you need for this setup is a smooth surface to cover with IdeaPaint clear, black, or white; and you’ll be able to create your own dry erase board.  The paint is Greenguard Certified so it can be used inside. In these times of budgetary crunching, the Evernote and IdeaPaint duo makes sense.  Complete the form on the IdeaPaint site for a chance to win 250 Evernote Premium Codes for your students, a Webinar with an Evernote Educational Specialist, 300 Sq. Ft. of Clear or White IdeaPaint, 48 IdeaPaint WRITE dry erase markers, 6 IdeaPaint ERASE microfiber cloths, and IdeaPaint CLEANSER and gallon refill.

To Keep Your Computer Labs or Not

Schools debate over whether to keep computer labs or distribute the computers to classrooms. Some that have opted for mobile devices, such as iPads in the classrooms, have done away with traditional computer labs, but others maintain labs for use by students for work that cannot be accomplished easily with mobile devices. Many schools are keeping their computer labs because they do not have enough technology devices or mobile labs to give all students computer experiences. Even though students may only be assigned to computer labs once or twice a week, the labs provide a place where students can get instruction and practice with technologies and receive 1-1 experience with computers.

One school (Northfield Community School in New Jersey) decided to transform its K-4 computer lab to a K-4 STEM lab complete with QX5 Computer microscopes and other tools for STEM learning.  As with the schedule for the computer lab, students will come with their classes once a week, but they’ll engage in inquiry-based learning that emphasizes the STEM subjects. The lab teacher and the classroom teacher will team to work with the children as they Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve. Even though they won’t have traditional computer lab lessons, as they engage in inquiry, they will be learning the digital skills they need.

What Automated Grading of Essays Can’t Do

Although research from the University of Akron found that automated grading of essays can be as accurate as human grading, the conclusions are debatable. Think of those students who are terrific at creative writing but don’t follow normal patterns of writing. If their work doesn’t contain what the robot grader is expecting, too bad. Akron’s leading researcher, Mark D. Shermis, admits that the programs aren’t good at evaluating creativity and should only be used as supplementary resources for teachers who teach the basics of writing. English teacher Renee Moore says that it’s not the grade that’s important on an essay; it’s the learning process that takes place through student-teacher interaction. Automated graders can’t sit down next to students and go over their essays with them. They can’t tell fact from fiction, and according to Les Perelman, Director of Writing at MIT, they can be fooled.

Can Computer Programs Replace Foreign Language Teachers?

Eagle County Schools in Colorado have replaced their foreign language teachers (of languages other than Spanish) with the computer program Aventa. The online program is said to be a cost-effective way to help students at their individual levels in foreign languages. Students will pay about $150 to use the program each semester. As you can imagine, the move has been controversial. One of the teachers cut said, “It costs $600 a year to pay for Aventa. Multiply that by the number of my students, and that’s my salary.” In this time of budget crunches, does the online program make sense or not?

Ed Tech Award Winners

Each year the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) awards honors to what are considered by CODIE judges (tech-savvy educators) to be the best applications of the year. Selected were 128 finalists and 29 winners in categories such as Best Classroom Management System, Best Educational Game or Simulation, Best Educational Use of a Mobile Device, Best Reading/English Instruction Solution, Best Educational Reference Solution, and many more. Some of the winning applications were: Wowzers, Sokikom, Brain Pop, Pearson CourseConnect, and Discovery Education. To learn about all the winners in educational categories, you’ll want to visit the SIIA site.