I would bet we will see librarians at the ALA Conference wearing Google Glass this year, in fact, I know some are practicing at home, so they will look like cool cats when they get there!
But, are you skeptical about the practical use of Glass? Wonder no more! Our friends at Edudemic came through for us, and as usual, they like to take on current technologies, and see how they fit into education. With that in mind, they have created a useful Teacher’s Guide to Google Glass for your review. The guide includes the basics of the device, application tips for using it, but also directs you to Twitter hashtags and more for deeper exploration. Check out what Glass Ed Explorers are doing with Glass in education. Check it all out at http://tinyurl.com/myjz9da
Image by Sean MacEntee. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Although it sounds a bit violent, if app smashing is going well, it is anything but violent. Edudemic wrote a great piece about apps that do some things really well, but don’t offer everything needed for a student to complete a project. There are some “swiss army knife” apps, but often not! The real beauty of app smashing is that higher level problem solving and collaboration often takes place in order to pick up where one app leaves off, and complete a project. In fact, app smashing has been called exhilarating! Edudemic says it much better than I can, read the full post How to Use “App Smashing” in Education
Our friends at Edudemic are busily gathering and organizing ed tech boards that exist on Pinterest. Take a look at 20 great resources from teachers, admins and students around the world. As you link to the article, please note that Edudemic is asking for your favorites too, so they can add them into their growing list.
Image by Nazzen. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Distance learning is often marketed as a way to meet diverse educational needs by offering course flexibility, accessibility, and program diversity. In an infographic, Career Graphics illustrates the evolution of distance learning starting as early as 1728; emphasizing key factors which influenced its transformation to what we know it as today. Some of these elements include the first correspondence courses and the introduction of new technologies such as the radio, television and internet.
In an article by Edudemic, author Nina Hassing eludes to the number of times employees change career paths as an important variable in the growing need to apply broader, analytical thinking skills. She stated, “Memorizing facts will have a much lower value, while utilizing information for analysis and decision making will be a critical skill for educational and professional advancement.“ This is used as the backdrop to discuss why the concept of distance learning needs to evolve. Hassing lists 9 ways in which this type of learning will continue to grow, why change is needed and her predictions for the future of distance education. Click here to read the full article, Why (And How) Distance Learning Needs to Change(August 2013.)
Image by Sean MacEntee. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Edudemic posted an article identifying ways to build stronger collaboration among peers. The author, Dawn Casey-Rowe discusses the benefits to sharing resources and ideas for the purposes of uncovering practical and innovative solutions. These solutions start with a simple conversation. Noting that it takes more than visually seeing colleagues, suggesting resources to help connect with peers routinely and in meaningful ways. If nothing else, it is a way to measure your work in relation to other libraries. Click here to read Casey-Rowes’ article, 10Web Resources For Becoming A Better Collaborator (September 2013.)
TIP: One of the ideas mentioned in this article is to develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN.) These networks are comprised of a collection of people (contacts) to engage and exchange information with (often online.) Here are some additional PLN resources, archived by Edudemic, for you to consider:
A WordPress Widget Perfect for Building Your PLN (link)
