20+ Must-Read Education Technology Blogs

Over the past decade the information technology revolution hasdrastically changed education. Never before has so much information beenavailable, with new technologies popping up daily to help us make senseof it. The dedicated bloggers featured in this post are your best betfor keeping up with the cutting edge of e-learning.

Dangerously Irrelevant

Professor Scott McLeod’s “ruminations on technology, leadership, andthe future of our schools”  is an insightful look at the intersection ofeducation and technology from the perspective of an experiencededucation administrator and leadership advocate.

Recent highlights:

• A tisket, a tasket, a netbook in my basket
• Would you send your child to school with a laptop from home?

Cool Cat Teacher

Teacher Vicki Davis uses her insights into technology to help teachers master new tools and create enthusiasm for learning.

Recent highlights:

• How Do You Roll?
• A Tour Into Digiteen Island

Weblogg-ed

Maintained by Will Richardson of Connective Learning, the author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms,this site provides discussions and reflections on the use of blogs,wikis, RSS, audiocasts and other web related technologies that aretransforming classrooms around the world.

Recent highlights:

• “Social Media is Here to Stay.” Just Not in Classrooms, Please
• Looking Forward at Learning

Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day

Jane Hart, a social media and learning consultant, features here a daily item of e-learning interest.

Recent highlights:

• Computer software in plain English
• Screentoaster: new functionality

Teachers Teaching Teachers

This site, which revolves around a weekly podcast meeting, has twopurposes: developing teacher knowledge and leadership in our own schoolsand districts and putting this knowledge and leadership to work toimprove student online reading and writing through the use of blogs,wikis, podcasts and webcasts.

Recent highlights:

• Taking It Global with TIGed
• Looking to the Future with Sheri Edwards and Matt Montagne

Teach42

A product of Steve Dembo’s passion for finding ways for schools toadapt to the 21st century and improve learning in the classroom, Teach42shares his discoveries, ideas, musings, and failures, all of whichamount to learning experiences.

Recent highlights:

• Turning Twitter into the Daily Prophet
• Qik vs. uStream mobile

The Savvy Technologist

Maintained by Tim Wilson, the Chief Technology Officer for the OsseoArea Schools in Minneapolis-St. Paul, The Savvy Technlogist containsinformation that may be of interest to technology coordinators,technology integrationists, instructional media specialists, classroomteachers, and school administrators.

Recent highlights:

• Mismanaging for the status quo
• On being a passionate beginner

Bright Ideas for Education

Written by Tom March, a web design and education consultant, thissite focuses on the impact of technology and its effective integrationto promote intrinsic motivation, robust thinking and authenticchallenges. Recent highlights:

• Contemporary Teaching Skills
• Working with Loreto Kirribilli

Moving at the Speed of Creativity

Speed of Creativity documents Wesley Fryer’s journey of learning andcollaborations with lifelong learners around the globe. It focuses onengaged learning, digital storytelling, creativity, blended learning,appropriate uses of educational technologies, digital citizenship, andeducational reform.

Recent highlights:

• Solving a Macbook hard drive free space mystery
• What are the new literacies?

Learning.now

Learning.now is a weblog on PBS.org that explores how new technologyand Internet culture affect how educators teach and children learn. Itwill offer a continuing look at how new technology such as wikis, blogs,vlogs, RSS, podcasts, social networking sites, and the always-onculture of the Internet are impacting teacher and students’ lives bothinside and out of the classroom.

Recent highlights:

• What Does School Reform Look Like?
• What Role Should Teachers Play in Policing the Net?

Kaffeeklatsch

Webster’s defines kaffeeklatsch as “an informal gathering to drinkcoffee and chat” which is also a great explanation of the purpose ofthis blog, where Kathy Schrock shares her ideas and discoveries oneducation technology.

Recent highlights:

• Amazon Kindle 2 Thoughts
• Geek Alert: Netbooks & the Airport Extreme

Open Education

Run by Thomas J. Hanson, a former Superintendent with 31 yearsexperience in education, OpenEducation.net is dedicated to tracking thechanges occurring in education today and providing both an objective andsubjective look at the many issues facing educators.

Recent highlights:

• Poverty and Education - The Challenge of Improving Schools
• Social Media Heads to Graduate School

Langwitches

Silvia Tolisano authors this blog about the “magic of learning through technology”.

Recent highlights:

• Take the Technology out of the Equation
• Update Around The World With 80 Schools

Infinite Thinking Machine

The Infinite Thinking Machine is designed to help teachers andstudents thrive in the 21st century. It uses an active blog, video show,and other media resources to share practical ideas for turning theinfinite universe of information into knowledge.

Recent highlights:

• Finding Ada (Role Models of Women in Tech)
• Horizon.K12 2009

Self Made Scholar

SelfMadeScholar.com is all about self-education - people learning what they want to know without formal schools or classrooms.

Recent highlights:

• Get Smart: Receive Daily Learning Inspiration
• 100 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day

English Language teacher Larry Ferlazzo shares the latest web resources for online learners.

Recent highlights:

• The Best Sites To Learn About The Earthquake In Italy
• Intriguing NASA Interactive

Creating Lifelong Learners

Matthew Needleman offers practical tips for elementary teachers inteaching traditional and new media literacies, valuing students andtheir cultures, appealing to different learning modalities, andintegrating technology in the curriculum with an emphasis on videoproduction and podcasting.

Recent highlights:

• How to Get Started Making Class Movies
• Comprehension Strategies Posters V.3

Alan November Weblog

A recognized leader in education technology, Alan November uses hishumor and wit to inspire us to think about applying technology toimprove learning. His areas of expertise include information andcommunication technology, planning across the curriculum, staffdevelopment, long-range planning, building learning communities andleadership development.

Recent highlights:

• Recording Mobile Podcasts with GCast
• Alan November interviews Professor Angela McFarlane

2¢ Worth

David Warlick’s 2¢ Worth aims to remove the barriers that prevent usfrom modernizing our education system by asking questions, probing, andprovoking new perceptions about what we do, why we do it, and how wemight adapt within an almost constantly changing environment.

Recent highlights:

• Who are your sheep
• Don’t like Learning Alone?

Free Technology for Teachers

This useful site reviews free technology resources, provides advicefor how teachers can use them, and ideas for technology integration ineducation.

Recent highlights:

• America’s Class Warfare - Video for US History
• Tour Mount Redoubt in Google Earth

Learn This

Mike King created Learn This to share his ideas as well and helpothers learn things about life, career, leadership, relationships,business and the spiritual world.

Recent highlights:

• The Imaginative Mind: Mental Creativity
• Cell Phone Etiquette – It’s Your Voice

Related content:

• 21 Good Web Forums for Students
• Is This the Future of Textbooks?
• Where to Find Free Online Computer Classes

Tags: blogs, education, elearning, technology

This entry was postedon Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 at 8:38 amand is filed under Online Education.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.