Haven’t been keeping up with your edtech news lately? Fear not! Technapex presents “Tweetables,” our roundup of the week’s top shareable #edtech articles. Be sure to follow us on Twitter too! @Technapex
Apple Announces the iPad Mini
You knew it was coming. Everyone knew it was coming. The question is not whether the iPad mini will be popular with the average consumer, but rather, if educators will find value in the new device. Will the lower price point catch the attention of school districts interested in adopting tablet usage?
- #ipad #mini Can educators find a use for Apple’s latest and greatest? http://zd.net/XSUUnf
Beyond Texts and Tweets, Young People Still Love to Read Books
And on that note, just because e-readers are booming doesn’t indicate the total demise of the traditional book. MindShift covers a report from the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life project which reveals that traditional reading is doing just fine. “We heard from e-book readers in general [that] they don’t want e-books to replace print books. They see them as part of the same general ecosystem; e-books supplement their general reading habits.”
- #mindshift Beyond Texts and Tweets. Who is still a reader? I am! http://bit.ly/T9f3QI
Smart Teachers – Edtech Digest
Guest author Robert Thomason asks, why isn’t teacher data being discusses in the same manner as student data like test scores and attendance records? After putting in place such a system, Thomason writes: “About a month into our implementation, something amazing began to take place. A positive buzz about the process and the impact of data collected over time took root. Teachers were talking about their own evaluations and the walkthrough process because they saw it as beneficial.”
- #edtechdigest Teacher data recorded in the same manner as students? Why not? http://bit.ly/Ty8zRO
Blended Learning: Behind the Scenes
Heather Wolpert-Gawron writes a intimate portrait of the blended learning environment for Edutopia. An enjoyable read. “Things go wrong all the time. Have a digital Plan B on hand or, if necessary, a way to teach the same goal, but offline, using the resources in the room. Model patience. No cussing. I know it’s hard.”
- There is no cussing allowed in the blended learning classroom. http://bit.ly/Pbm6O0
5 School Technologies To Watch: Personalized Learning Is Here
Forbes is a useful spot for at-a-glance reads for education and technology. Author Jeremy Friedman’s five selections of concepts to watch for is a good refresher for anyone interested in the edtech scene. Leading off Friedman’s list is the movement to cloud-based learning and collaborative environments. Google Docs to the rescue.
- @Forbes Five new technologies to watch in personalized learning. http://onforb.es/Tc2ecP