Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

How Teachers Make Cell Phones Work in the Classroom

In our final post in a series on mobile learning, MindShift’s Tina Barseghian visits classrooms in San Francisco to find out what it looks like when mobile devices enter the classroom—when it works, whether it’s worthwhile, and how some educators are leveraging the technology to teach students what it means to be learners and citizens in a digital world.

Online Classes Invite Students to Join the Ivy League, Kind Of

Academic titans Harvard and MIT advance the MOOC movement, offering free online courses offered by both universities. But these courses still beg the question: How can we take advantage of technology to reimagine learning, online and beyond?

Teaching With YouTube Just Got Easier Thanks to TED-Ed

Ever wanted to make a lesson plan out of a YouTube video? Now you can, thanks to TED-Ed, a new platform developed by TED, best known for its videos of innovative people with “ideas worth spreading.”

Jamming the System: Standardized Tests, Automated Grading and the Future of Writing

Standardized testing—and now, standardized grading—are the bane of teachers and thoughtful administrators. So how can we harness the positive side of digital media and learning?

PLAYBACK: Digital Divides and Bridges: Badges, Apps for the Wage Gap and Teaching Poetry Online

Pew Internet looks at differences in internet access and usage; high school provides cell phones for texting; flattening school walls in Oregon; massive online classes move from teaching code to inspiring poetry—and more in this week’s Playback.

The Magic of Going Mobile: Augmented Reality, Design Thinking and the Power of Place

How a new augmented reality platform for the iPhone is helping educators explore the possibilities of mobile for learning, and the value of putting students in the driver’s seat.

Wikipedia Works to Improve Its Academic Image

Is Wikipedia a credible academic source? The Wikipedia Education Program aims to improve the tool’s reputation among professors and students. But some educators don’t need any convincing.

Welcoming Mobile: More Districts Are Rewriting Acceptable Use Policies, Embracing Smartphones and Social Media in Schools

No longer afraid of giving kids access to the internet and using mobile technologies for learning, a growing number of school districts across the country are developing digital media policies that emphasize responsibility over fear.

Identifying Quality Digital Resources for Early Learning

The Fred Roger’s Center launches Ele to share digital resources that support early learning and development. Experts say the most important resource is still face-to-face conversation.

Amidst a Mobile Revolution in Schools, Will Old Teaching Tactics Work?

Are traditional teaching practices changing to adapt and fully take advantage of what mobile devices have to offer? What lasting effect will these technologies have on the “formal” learning equation? We take a closer look at the promise and practice of mobile learning in the classroom today.