2. 21st Century Fluency Projectwww.fluency21.comThis resource
is the collaborative effortof a group of experienced educatorsand
entrepreneurs who have united toshare their experience and ideas,
andcreate a project geared toward makinglearning relevant to life
in our newdigital age. Our purpose is to developexceptional
resources to assist intransforming learning to be relevant tolife
in the 21st Century. At the core ofthis project are our
CurriculumIntegration Kits - engaging, challengebased learning
modules designed tocultivate the essential 21st CenturyFluencies
within the context of therequired curriculum.
3. Teach Ithttp://www.teachit.co.ukTeachit is a tried and
trusted educationresource used by thousands ofteachers.
Specialising in English, Dramaand Media Studies from 11-18,
theTeachit libraries offer thousands ofpages of materials, all
created byclassroom teachers and constantlygrowing.Teachit is not
just a time-saver itssometimes a life-saver! For bu syteachers
looking for a resource tosupplement a scheme of work orextend more
able pupils, Teachitprovides a searchable and sometimesinspiring
database of lesson ideas,worksheets, interactives and support.And
when youve actually got a fewminutes to browse the site
properly,you can find a real gem to use directlyor adapt for your
own pupils. Iwouldnt want to be without it.Jane Branson
4. businessballshttp://www.businessballs.com/Free career help,
business training,organizational development -inspirational,
innovative ideas,materials, exercises, tools, templates -free and
fun.Use the search tool at the top rightcorner of every page to
look forspecific items. Browse categories for abroad view of the
subjects andmaterials available. The site mapcontains more detailed
listings. Theadditions and updates below can behelpful for
exploring Businessballs too.
5. Diigohttp://www.diigo.com/Diigo is a powerful online
research tooland collaborative research platformthat integrates
several keytechnologies, including socialbookmarking, web
annotation,tagging, and group-basedcollaboration, to enable a whole
newprocess of online knowledgemanagement and participatorylearning
in the 21st century.Diigo fosters discussion andencourages active,
critical reading ..the most efficient way I havediscovered to share
content andcommentary.
6. Eduprenuershttp://www.edu-preneur.com/
7.
Eduprenuershttp://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-386es.html"Edupreneurs":A
Survey of For-Profit Educationby Carrie LipsExecutive
SummaryEducation companies, or "edupreneurs," are entering the
education marketplace in droves with creative, costefficient
products and services for students of all ages. This rapidly
expanding industry, which constitutesapproximately 10 percent of
the $740 billion education market, demonstrates that private
enterprises, even whencompeting against a monopolistic system, can
deliver a wide range of affordable high-quality educational
services.This study provides a glimpse of the products, services,
and innovations that a fully competitive marketplacecould generate
if the governments stranglehold on education were loosened.For
example, Scientific Learning is developing products to help
children to overcome speech impediments. DeVryand the Apollo Group
are making postsecondary education more convenient and affordable,
thus reducing someof the barriers that have traditionally prevented
adults from pursuing higher degrees. Established companies suchas
Kaplan, which traditionally prepared high school students for
standardized tests, are expanding theireducational services
internationally, across age groups, and through new media.Although
the marketplace for education services and products is strong on
the margins, the structure of theAmerican educational system
creates considerable obstacles for companies that would like to
offer completekindergarten through 12th grade services:
entrepreneurs attempting to open schools face regulatory barriers
andcompetition from "free" government schools supported by state
funds.Policymakers interested in improving Americas education
system should eliminate financial biases againstedupreneurs by
adopting policies, such as tax cuts and universal tuition tax
credits, that would return educationpurchasing power to
individuals. Such policies would begin to loosen the governments
monopoly on educationand allow the natural growth of a vibrant
education marketplace.
8.
Eduprenuershttp://www.chillibreeze.com/articles_various/edupreneurs.aspEdupreneurs
Incorporate Education with Business Acumen and Technical
Expertisechillibreeze writer Neha GurejaA young man in his
early-thirties leaves a high-paying job in Paris to make a
difference in the lives of Indianchildren. Another gentleman an
engineer working in a financial services company in the United
States buys aone-way ticket to India, to sit on a wooden bench in
front of a principals office in a new school in Delhi.It may seem
hard to believe, but a new breed of change agents has now arrived.
We call them Edupreneurs, orEducation Entrepreneurs. Passion,
compassion, ruthlessness, perseverance, along with business acumen
andtechnical expertise these edupreneurs have it all. They are
bound by one common thread a vision to makeeducation more
meaningful for children.Education in India is witnessing a change.
What has been achieved so far is nothing more than a tiny drop in
theocean. However, a little tweak here and there is the first step
towards a revolution. A space is slowly being createdwhere
conventional people, with not-so-conventional dreams, are given a
chance to touch the lives of children,teachers and parents. The
task is not easy. Skepticism, suspicion, and a What do YOU know
about education?attitude are often encountered in a system that is
generally unreceptive to innovation. What matters the most isthe
ability of these potential change agents to hang in there, be
heard, and PROVE their worth. The rest willgradually follow.How do
Edupreneurs Work?Edupreneurs work at various levels with the school
management and owners, school heads, parents, teachers,and directly
with students. Unless the management supports any kind of
progressive education, implementationof change is extremely
difficult. School principals can make a difference if they truly
have the ability and thefreedom to do so and some have been
effective in bringing best practices to their schools. Parents have
to learnto think beyond marks. Only then would teachers face
minimal opposition while introducing innovative
teachingtechniques.
9.
Eduprenuershttp://www.chillibreeze.com/articles_various/edupreneurs.aspEntrepreneurs
have the inherent ability to recognize an opportunity. They strike
when they are hit with an ideawhose time has come. If these
edupreneurs are able to attract, and more importantly, retain the
right kind oftalent, only then would their organizations be in a
position to scale up their efforts. Educational expertise
withbusiness acumen is a rare combination. Those who have the
potential must be nurtured. That is the only way thebreed of
edupreneurs will continue to grow.In a nutshell, the ability of
edupreneurs to create sustainable change depends on the following
key factors:Ability to get the right people on board.
Traditionally, in a majority of the cases, teaching has not been
aprofession of choice. Only by attracting broad-minded,
high-quality people to the profession, would theedupreneurs be able
to reach out to a large number of existing and new schools.Ability
to create reform by changing the attitudes of those involved in the
system. Resistance to change isinevitable. Edupreneurs must be able
to effectively advocate the need for change and help create an
environmentconducive to innovation.Ability to create financially
viable models. Unless an edupreneur is able to get the right kind
of financial funding,whether through self-generation or external
help, sustainability of the good work will be difficult.The
education sector is witnessing successful incorporation of
management practices in order to bring abouteducation reform. The
magnitude of change achieved so far is extremely small. However,
the scope that liesahead in this challenging field is vast. Some
private players have already smelt an opportunity. Others are
slowlyfollowing suit.Chillibreezes disclaimer: The views and
opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and
do notreflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze
has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us toreport any
copyright issues related to this article.
10. Edutopiahttp://www.edutopia.org/Core Strategies for
Innovation andReform in LearningEdutopia is dedicated to
transformingthe learning process by helpingeducators implement the
strategiesbelow. These strategies -- and theeducators who implement
them -- areempowering students to thinkcritically, access and
analyzeinformation, creatively problem solve,work collaboratively,
and communicatewith clarity and impact. Discover theresources,
research, experts, andfellow Edutopia members who arechanging our
schools. Join us inreinventing the learning process
11. Early Childhood
Australiahttp://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/Our mission
statement:Early Childhood Australia will advocateto ensure quality,
social justice andequity in all issues relating to theeducation and
care of children frombirth to eight years.Our values are:The rights
of
childrenLeadershipExcellenceRespectCourageHonestyOpennessCollaborationDiversityJusticeSocial
inclusion of children
12. McRELhttp://www.mcrel.orgOur MissionMaking a difference in
the quality ofeducation and learning for all throughexcellence in
applied research, productdevelopment, and service.McREL is a
private, 501 (c)(3)education research and developmentcorporation.
Thats our standard, legaldefinitionbut it doesnt capture whowe
really are: A committed staff ofresearch and education
expertsworking every day to help educatorschange the odds for
success for allstudents. Today, inside McRELsheadquarters in
Denver, Colorado, andMcRELs Pacific Center for Changingthe Odds in
Honolulu, Hawaii, youllfind experienced researchers andeducation
consultants workingtogether to provide educators
withresearch-based, practical guidance onthe issues and challenges
facing K16education.
13. Symbaloohttp://www.symbaloo.com/Your Personal Internet
DesktopLearn how to quickly organizeyour personal settings.Open
websitesBy clicking on a tile, you canimmediately start using a
website. Youcan drag & drop tiles, add tiles ordelete
them.Create AccountBy opening a free account, you cansave your
settings and get access toyour personal tiles and webmixesanywhere
in the world.Name*Email*Password*Repeatpassword*Newsletter*Accept
terms*
14. The Virtual Staffroomhttp://virtualstaffroom.net/The
Virtual Staffroom is a communitypodcasting project run by
Australian educatorChris Betcher. The basic premise of thepodcast
is to hear from leading educatorsabout how they use technology in
theirclassrooms.These very casual conversations are generallyrun as
group discussions using Skype andthen recorded into a podcast
format.Occasionally some episodes may be recordedlive at
conferences or other educationalevents. Often there is a particular
theme, butsometimes it wanders into all sorts ofunexpected areas.
Its a bit unpredictable,and thats half the fun.New episodes are
added whenever they arerecorded sometimes thats fairly often
andsometimes its not. It just depends how busyI am with other
things.If youre a teacher and you have an idea foran episode, or
would like to be part of one,please just drop me a line. I believe
thatevery teacher has an interesting story to tell,and this podcast
is a nice way to share thosestories.Thanks for
listening,[email protected]
15. edmodohttp://www.edmodo.com/Edmodo In ActionEdmodo is
transforming the way thatteachers and students connect, engageand
learn both inside and outside theclassroom. Check out our Edmodo
InAction videos for examples of how itsbeing used.Attend a
WebinarIntroduction to Edmodo20 Ways to Use EdmodoEdmodo for Summer
ProfessionalDevelopment I will be doing atraining for the staffs of
my two juniorhigh school sites. The first half of theday will focus
on Edmodo itself andhow teachers can implement it, andthe second
half of the day will focus onother digital resources the library
hasavailable to teachers and how they canhelp teachers with
planning lessons,doing research projects, etc. Amanda Sharpe
16. ZAMZARhttp://www.zamzar.com/Have you ever wanted toconvert
files without the needto download software ?Zamzar supports
conversion between awide variety of different file formats.Were
adding support for new formatsall the time - if theres a format
thatyoud like us to support why notcontact us and well do our best
to addit.