New York City Schools’ Blended Learning Experiment

Online learning is on the rise, particularly in blended learning environments, as educators find ways to leverage the specific advantages of both virtual and traditional classrooms.


New York City Department of Education’s iZone is taking the lead with iLearnNYC, a virtual learning pilot program that allows participating students to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes and recover missed credits online (using certified, NYC public school teachers certified in their subject areas), as well as experiment with digital technologies in a mix of face-to-face and online platforms.

Read Full Article.

Twitter as an Educational Tool

I found this post on how Twitter may be used as an educational tool for teachers. It's a great blog as it is in-depth and a wonderful resource for educators on how to use Twitter and create their own personal network to find colleagues and followers. Take a look at: Twitter – A Teaching and Learning Tool.

Computer science programs use mobile apps to make coursework relevant

My family and I were at Disney waiting for buses to come and we were complaining about how we wish there was a way to tell exactly when the bus is coming so that we wouldn't have to wait for uncertain amount of periods. Well, guess what? We were not alone in our wish. Students at Virginia tech have partnered with the local transit system and solved the problem.

This is one of the many ways Computer Science programs can make life easier to the average citizen and the possibilities are endless! The classroom of the future is rapidly becoming the present.

See: Computer science programs use mobile apps to make coursework relevant

So Far Rivals Can’t Beat iPad’s Price

The iPad 2, unveiled on Wednesday, offers several sleek improvements over its predecessor. But its most attractive feature is perhaps the same one its predecessor had: the price tag.

See New York Times Article: So Far Rivals Can’t Beat iPad’s Price

Will the iPad Revolutionize Education?

Interestingly there are several companies, such as XOOM, who have the same capabilities to create something similar to iPad2.  Apple is not the only company with that capability. However, it could be a case of "we got there first."

See: How the iPad 2 Will Revolutionize Education by Greg Ferenstein

Agile Development Certification in the Works

Oh la la - One more certification to earn...PMI is creating a certification in agile development.



See: Agile Development Certification in the Works by Susan Hall

K-12: AUPs shape Web 2.0 use, guidelines

This article reminds me of the good old days that we worked on coming up with the perfect AUP for K-12 schools. It now seems they must be updated to meet the demands of Social Networking...

See: AUPs shape Web 2.0 use, guidelines
by: Jenna Zwang

As educational technology transforms teaching and learning, many districts are finding that once-solid acceptable use policies (AUPs) must be updated to reflect students’ and teachers’ increasing use of Web 2.0 technologies and other digital media tools.