Maker Movement, Favorite Apps, How Tech Increases Rigor and More!

Why the Maker Movement Is Important to America’s Future

The Maker Movement has the potential to bring techies and non-techies alike into the world of being creators — some hobby-related, but for many, they could end up making great products and selling them online. In fact, Kaplan pointed out that Etsy has become an eBay-like vehicle for makers to sell their products to users around the world. Of course, eBay and Craigslist are also sources for them to sell their created wares.

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Teacher Recommended: 50 Favorite Classroom Apps

Educators have become proficient with their favorite classroom apps and are getting more creative with using them to achieve teaching goals. “You are giving them an opportunity to improve their own expectations because they aren’t just dealing with the technology,” Luhtala said. “They are thinking about how to best integrate the innovation with content.”

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Tech Tip: Using Mobile Devices to Empower Introverted Students

There are a few platforms, like TodaysMeet and Backchannel Chat that allowyour classes to backchannel, or have an online discussion while watching a video or presentation in the classroom. Participation is as easy as typing and hitting “send” so it feels less threatening and unnatural to an introvert. The transcript of the chat can also be saved as collaborative class notes.

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Netflix Refines Its DVD Business, Even as Streaming Unit Booms

Netflix now counts more than 65 million streaming members in more than 50 countries and plans to expand across the world in the next 18 months . . . . Netflix has 5.3 million DVD subscribers, a significant falloff from its peak of about 20 million in 2010.

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How Technology Can Increase Rigor In The Classroom

Consider if the teacher did not use analysis vlogs. Instead, he or she simply asked students to write a paragraph or paper comparing and contrasting the texts. Certainly comparing and contrasting is higher level than summarizing, but the technology transforms the activity. With the vlogs, students are required to put themselves in the position of a book reviewer for a TV network. This means they have to analyze the text materials, synthesize the information, and then present it in a manner pertinent to a TV audience, which typically has a short attention span. Therefore, the students must identify the most important points and back them up with evidence, rather than telling everything they know.  These expectations are far more rigorous.

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