Guest post by Bill Lester, on behalf of the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, KS.

We all know that students today are having trouble unplugging when they enter the classroom.  They are living in a world that is moving faster than ever, so when they enter the classroom the movement is still at a snail’s pace.  We have taken steps, though small, in the right direction to make the classroom more exciting and interactive by developing uses for technology in the classroom, but haven’t found way to implement them into our lesson plans for everyday use.  Here is a list of strategies that can be used to implement technology, everything from traditional strategies that are currently used, to some new strategies that you may not have heard of.

A recent article on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) website discusses how flipping your classroom can be an effective method in To Flip or Not to Flip: That is NOT the Question!

In the article, NCTM President, Linda M. Gojak states,

Teachers who have begun to flip their classrooms claim that this approach allows more one-on-one time with each student and increases student motivation, at the same time that students take greater responsibility for their own learning."

1413927 from BigStockPhoto.com

Keep in mind using a flipped classroom approach is more than just the how-to, as Gojak shares:

Students have different levels of technology knowledge, and educators should not assume students' skill levels when integrating technology into their classrooms. Edutopia's blogger, Nicholas Provenzano, a high school English teacher offers 3 tips for providing PD to students in a recent blog post entitled Don't Forget Professional Development for Students.

The first time a student told me they didn’t have an email address and didn’t know how to attach files, it blew my mind. Shouldn’t all students know how to send email? Haven’t students been sending attachments for years? That revelation changed the way that I integrate technology into my classroom. I offer three tips on making student professional development a seamless part of your classroom.

1) Model

2) Explore

3) Delegate

We found this article on educatorstechnology.com, and immediately thought of our educator friends! If you're working with students and iPads, check it out to help you integrate iPads into your classroom.

Atomic Learning is here to help you along the way, from iPad training tutorials to projects and workshops, we've got your iPad resources covered. Or, if your district is embarking on a mobile initiative, check out Atomic Learning's Atomic Mobilize solution to learn from educators and school leaders who have been there, done that.

Atomic Learning has expanded its training collection to include the following new training series. Log in and learn today!

Clicker 6 Training (PC)

In this online training series, you’ll begin by learning the basic features of Clicker™ 6, Crick Software’s literacy tool to support the reading and writing skills of every student. You will then gain the knowledge needed to manage those features by modifying the user preferences.  You will also learn how to create personalized, curriculum-specific activities in seconds. 

Flash CS6 – Intro Training (Mac)

This new Atomic Catalyst instructor-led PD course is centered around Atomic TechCore’s Lesson Wizard, where classroom lessons are created that empower students to achieve the rigor of the Common Core State Standards.

Upon completion of the course, learners will:

• Unpack the Common Core State Standards identifying the knowledge and skills called for in the standards they need to teach.
• Identify classroom activities that will help develop an enduring understanding.
• Design 3 lessons that meet specific CCSS.
• Evaluate the process of transforming an existing lesson to meet CCSS and creating an original lesson that meets the standards.

Transforming Classroom Lessons to Teach Common Core Standards

$150.00 | July 16—Aug 27  | Weekly Webinar: Mondays, 6pm-7pm CST

Evernote® is a robust cloud note-taking and memory enhancing app. It can be used on just about any device and on just about any operating system. Notes are auto synchronized across devices and can be shared with others so project collaboration becomes a snap.

The new online training course from Atomic Learning begins with a tutorial on creating an account and installing Evernote on your device(s). Next, you'll be guided on how to create notes and add media on desktop clients, the Web service and on mobile devices. Learn to use the search function, sorting, tagging, and notebooks to keep your notes organized and accessible. Finally, learn how you can increase its functionality by exploring the Evernote Trunk.

The Evernote training series is exclusive to the Atomic Mobilize solution from Atomic Learning, contact us to learn more.

Edmodo is a social networking site for teachers and students—and it has a mobile version! Teachers can use Edmodo to communicate information to students, post assignments, quizzes and polls, and encourage discussion and collaboration in their classroom. The mobile app allows students and teachers to access Edmodo from virtually anywhere, encouraging learning and collaboration outside of the classroom.

The new training series from Atomic Learning demonstrates how to set up an account, create groups for your students, and use all the fun and useful features of Edmodo to create a digital community in your classroom.

Guest post by Sarah Fudin, University of Southern California

Atomic Learning’s research partner, SEG Measurement, recently compiled the results of a year-long study conducted to evaluate the impact technology training on student achievement.

A brief excerpt from the results:

“…about 3% of the growth in overall Reading and Mathematics skills can be explained by whether or not teachers used Atomic Learning."

Review the full results.

SEG Measurement recently concluded a year-long research study evaluating the impact of the Atomic Learning use on student achievement. Taught by teachers who received technology training, students showed improvement in math and reading skills.

A brief excerpt from the results:

“Teachers using Atomic Learning reported a substantial increase in technology use and increased technology integration in the classroom. Several teachers reported an increased willingness to use technology in the classroom, and several teachers integrated mobile devices such as iPads and iPods."

Review the full results here.

A recent research study evaluated the impact of the Atomic Learning professional development solution on student achievement. SEG Measurement tallied the results and found that when teachers receive proper education, their students’ achievement improved.

A brief excerpt from the results:

The conclusion? Students learn more, and report being more engaged, in schools that are actively engaged in professional development for teachers focused on technology use and the application of technology to new ways of teaching and learning."

Review the full results here.

During the 2010-2011 school year, SEG Measurement conducted a year-long, multi-site study with approximately 1,000 6th, 7th and 8th grade teachers and students in 42 classrooms in Minnesota, Missouri and Texas, to evaluate the impact of the Atomic Learning professional development solution on student achievement. The results are in, and it is clear that students’ achievement improves when taught by teachers who receive tech integration training.

A brief excerpt from the results:
“Students in classes with teachers who were Atomic Learning users showed about a year more of growth in Language Arts and in Mathematics than students in classes with teachers that did not use Atomic Learning. The Atomic Learning-trained teachers made substantial use of technology in the delivery of instruction and provided assignments and projects that required students to integrate technology into their work. ”

Review the full results here.

In continued recognition of National Disability Awareness Month, Atomic Learning is offering a free resource to help educators effectively integrate assistive technology— and ultimately impact ALL students.

An excerpt from Integrate Assistive Technology into General Education reads:“Having students that are physically present in the general education classroom, but are passive and uninvolved, is never acceptable,” Gayl Bowser, Independent Assistive Technology Consultant.

Download the full ebook here. And, if you haven't yet signed the Accessible Instructional Materials pledge, click here.

The Google+™ project will show you how to get started -- invite people and create circles, upload photos and video, share information, and encourage students to connect and communicate online with you and with their fellow classmates.

And, if you have a presentation coming up, you don’t want to miss the Effective Presentation Design workshop. Learn the dos and don’ts of presentation design to keep your audience compelled and focused on you for your next presentation.

Learn how to create and edit PDF files with rich media included, share information more securely, gather feedback more efficiently, and much more with the Acrobat X Pro training.

More content recently added to the site includes:

Acrobat X Pro Training (PC)

Adobe CS5.5 – What’s New? Training (PC)

Check out these stats! Improve your students' classroom experience by integrating Twitter into your curriculum. Not sure how to use Twitter? Atomic Learning can help, view this tutorial series to get started.

Via: OnlineEducation.net

Here's an alternative video format for those who can't access YouTube to see our Storytelling in the Classroom Spotlight introduction.

Schools around the world are struggling to keep up with social challenges in fully digitized youth. Kids and adults alike are up to their elbows in social media - from Twitter to Facebook and everything in between. These schools and educators are chasing the kids who are sprinting ahead into the cyber-abyss, sometimes encountering situations they're not prepared to handle. Sometimes they're actually the cause of shame and depression, or worse, causing ill feelings with other kids.

Atomic Learning offers a number of 21st Century Skills Projects addressing digital citizenship. Our project entitled "Cyberbully? No Way, Not Me" tackles this very challenge. It includes a guide and the resources necessary to hold an interactive conversation with students about the harm caused by insensitive remarks online, and how to deal with them when they're encountered.

Rob Timmins of Southeast Polk Junior High School in IA shares how Atomic Learning helps him be a better teacher, and his student better learners. Want to share your story? Email atomic@atomiclearning.com.

The use of iPads in the classroom has been an experiment this school year, but Little Falls district officials and teachers say it has gone so well, they’ve decided to purchase an additional 1,450 of the tablet computers for next year. iPads will be in the hands of all students in grades 5-12. Read more.

Educators in the state of Texas now have an opportunity to learn how to use emerging technologies and apply them to the classroom while earning Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements. Atomic Learning has recently been approved as a provider by the Texas State Board of Education enabling staff in districts that have a subscription to earn CPE credits for tutorials they view from Atomic Learning’s vast library of tutorials.

In addition, any districts who committed to the Texas Steps Up Initiative are invited to further expand their professional development efforts with Atomic Learning. This funding gives educators an opportunity to have access to the vast library of tutorials and tech integration projects from Atomic Learning. And, the content is aligned with the updated TEKS standards as well as Common Core standards, based on Academic Benchmarks' review.

Visit Atomic Learning at TCEA, booth #1445.

In case you needed an excuse to love the iPad, Brad Flickinger has prepared this presentation which outlines 8 reasons iPads are great for education. After you've watched the video, check out our tutorial series here.

Speak Up, a national online research project facilitated by Project Tomorrow®, gives individuals the opportunity to share their viewpoints about key educational issues. Each year, findings are summarized and shared with national and state policy makers. Participating schools and districts can access their data online, free-of-charge.

The purpose of the project is to:

• Collect and report the unfiltered feedback from students, parents and teachers on key educational issues.
• Use the data to stimulate local conversations. 
• Raise national awareness about the importance of including the viewpoints of students, parents, and teachers in the education dialogue.

Register to voice your opinion today! The surveys will be open until December 17, 2010.

Please visit the Speak Up website to learn more about participating in Speak Up. This website includes How-to Guides, lesson plans, promotion materials and more.

Don Johnston, software developer and advocate for students with special needs, recently released a video entitled "The Case Against Assistive Technology." The video challenges educators to think differently about reading and writing accommodations in the everyday classroom. How will it change your classroom?

Teaching is a profession where you have to constantly adapt and adapt on your feet, so hitting technology roadblocks should be handled no different.  Use your Technology Specialist to your advantage to learn from technology stumbles, and continue to try something new.

By trying new things, you’ll not only grow your own knowledge, but broaden the knowledge of your students. This blog post from Edutopia speaks to this point; weather the frustrations and persevere with successful technology integration in your classroom.

A new, comprehensive PD solution is now available to help educators achieve their ultimate goal of positively impacting student achievement in the classroom. To complement the extensive technology training and tech integration projects already available to subscribers through its website, Atomic Learning adds these high-impact courses facilitated by live instructors.

We've just released these new and updated technology skills series:

KompoZer
KompoZer, formerly known as NVU, is a complete Web authoring system that combines Web file management and easy-to-use WYSIWYG Web page editing. What's more, KompoZer is designed to be extremely easy to use, making it ideal for non-technical computer users who want to create an attractive, professional-looking Web site without needing to know HTML or Web coding.

Google SketchUp 7
Redecorate your living room. Design a new piece of furniture. Model your city for Google Earth. In this tutorial series, you'll quickly learn that there's no limit to what you can create with Google™ SketchUp 7.

iPod touch
iPod touch® is a pocket computer that you can use to listen to music, watch movies, surf the Web, check e-mail and more!

As stated by Apple®: "The iPod touch® has a huge amount of potential in the classroom to revolutionize the way students learn and teachers teach."

iPad
As stated by Apple®: "iPad™ isn’t just the best device of its kind, it’s a whole new kind of device."

iPad is a mobile device that you can use to watch movies, create documents, surf the Web, check e-mail, use as an eReader and more! This series will introduce you to the basic features and functions of iPad.

Washington, D.C. (June 8, 2010) - The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) announces the release of its most recent report on the K-12 and postsecondary education technology markets - officially titled the SIIA Trends Report for Education Technology.

Authored by various members of the education industry, the report highlights industry shifts and emerging trends as they relate to five main topics: K-12 learning management systems, postsecondary learning management systems, online learning, state of the states, and mobile computing.

"The purpose of this report was to identify the opportunities, challenges and potential areas for growth in K-12 and higher education institutions with regards to education technology.  We aimed to find where technology has the greatest impact and where it can provide the most prolific benefits moving forward," said Karen Billings, vice president of SIIA's Education Division.

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