The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Using Cell Phones to Support Student Engagement & ... May 6, 2012,	7724
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	3136
Seven #BacktoSchool Strategies for Strengthening R... Aug 27, 2014,	2384
5 Ideas to Make Lectures and Presentations Interac... Aug 31, 2014,	1819
Seven #BacktoSchool Strategies for Strengthening R... Aug 27, 2014,	1384
8 Real Ways Facebook Enriched Ms. Schoening’s Firs... Jul 15, 2010,	912
#BackToSchool Must-Haves For Innovative Educators Sep 3, 2014,	852

Fear is not an option when it comes to social media in schools

By Chris Casal + Lisa Nielsen

Cross posted at http://thecasalos.blogspot.com

Innovative educators know first hand that social media like Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Instagram can be a powerful tool for teaching, learning, leading, and strengthening the home-school connection. In many cases though, others may need to be brought on board. Especially when parents are expressing concerns and unsure of how a platform can be used successfully.

It is the job of innovative educators to ensure parents, colleagues, and administrators know how to embrace the power of social media and also how to address their concerns.  

Here are suggestions for parents, teachers, and administrators in schools embracing social media.  

Connect to the Common Core with Resources Students Commonly Turn to For Learning

If you know the Common Core Standards you know that “The need to conduct research and to produce and consume media is embedded into every aspect of today’s curriculum. In like fashion, research and media skills and understandings are embedded throughout the Standards rather than treated in a separate section.” Common Core Learning Standards for  ELA & Literacy, Key Design Considerations

Innovative educators know that when used in the right way, social networks and other online technologies are great tools to conduct such research and gain knowledge. Not only do they leverage resources students already know and love, but they can also encourage learning in a way that is less restrictive and more open and natural.  For example, collaboration in an online group creates relationships “in which people from often widely divergent cultures and who represent diverse experiences and perspectives learn and work together” as called for in the Common Core Standards.  

Think of how access to personal learning networks created via places like Twitter, Facebook, and Google Hangout can expose students and teachers to “other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, and they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds.” Think about how these groups require members to “evaluate other points of view critically and constructively,” as is also called for in the Standards.

Unlike when we were in school, our students have access to the internet which has democratized the ability to access, evaluate, organize, and make meaning of what is found. With all this information however, comes a new issue:

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
It's #SoMe - Great #BacktoSchool Activity for Digi... Aug 20, 2014,	2554
5 Ideas to Make Lectures and Presentations Interac... Aug 31, 2014,	1761
Inspirational Videos Help You Frame Focus + Follow... Aug 17, 2014,	1503
Seven #BacktoSchool Strategies for Strengthening R... Aug 27, 2014,	1398

Student Voice Live - 9/20 in NYC: Calling All Innovative Educators

Guest post by student, Keaton Wadzinski

It started with just a few students and allies connecting over Twitter. Then came the weekly #StuVoice Twitter Chats, Facebook conversations, then Google Hangouts, which all led to the first ever Student Voice Live! in April of 2013.

What caught on so quickly? The Student Voice movement.

Once started, the spark of student voice caught fire, igniting the drive to create Student Voice, the for-students-by-students 501 (c) 3 non-profit dedicated to revolutionizing education through the voices and actions of students.

Event details

Innovative Educators are invited to join in this exceptional work on Saturday, September 20th, at Student Voice Live! 2014 at Shootdigital Studios (23 East Fourth St. New York, NY, 10003). Come to contribute your ideas, support, and passion by registering at http://stuvoice.org/student-voice-live. If you can’t attend, you can watch via livestream here and follow our Twitter stream @Stu_Voice!

#BacktoSchool List Begone. Google Chromebooks Are the New Kid in Town

If you're still talking about the digital divide, you haven't heard about Google Chromebooks. Chromebooks are not only affordable, they actually save schools, districts, and families money. Chromebooks are only about $225 and last for about three years. That's $75 a year. The devices cost less than your back to school list for the next three years and yet provide so much more.

Let's take a look. Check out the basic list below. With the exception of your child's clothing, the back-to-school list is history. Pencils, paper, sticky notes, calendar, crayons, erasers, notebooks, even trading cards are a thing of the past with Chromebooks. Say "Goodbye back to school list" and "Hello Google Draw, Docs, Sheets, Calculator, and more."