Reinventing Curriculum | Blog

Here you'll find analysis and views on technology, policy and curriculum in elementary and secondary education by two outspoken technology advocates, Elliot Soloway and Cathie Norris. Reinventing Curriculum is published twice per month. Below you will also find the archive for Elliot and Cathie's previous blog, Being Mobile.


Is the New York Times Sunday Magazine Really Anti-Teacher?

The cover of the Sept. 15 New York Times Sunday Magazine was hurtful to America’s teachers and in no way helpful to the cause of education. Why are America’s teachers treated so poorly, so scornfully? We must fix this situation!

Los Angeles' 640,000 iPad Purchase: Too Big To Fail

LAUSD just purchased 640,000 iPads to go 1-to-1 throughout the district. We, the educational technology community, need to rally round and provide LAUSD’s teachers with all manner of support. We must help LAUSD make their hugely visible iPad rollout a hugely major success.

Bill Gates Said a Stupid Thing About Learning

Bill Gates commented that "constructionism," a theory of how people learn, is "bull***t." While he may well be the richest man in the world, that was a stupid thing to say — and it is a dangerous thing to say. Read on to find out why it was stupid and is dangerous.

Obama's ConnectED: Way to Go!

On June 6, 2013 President Obama instructed the FCC to modernize the E-rate program. On July 19, the FCC voted to modernize the E-rate Program. Holy Cow! What speed?!

Florida's PARCC: Cold Feet in a Hot State

It appears that Florida has gotten cold feel with regard to its participation in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

ConnectED, Take 2: A Lesson in How Politics Works in Washington, DC

In our last blog posting we praised Obama for his vision and leadership in establishing the ConnectED program -- and we excoriated him for not providing new funding to ensure the enactment of the ConnectED program. Ooops! Read on and learn how politics works in Washington -- and how Obama plans, in fact, to add new funding to the ConnectED program!

ConnectED: Great Idea, Lousy Implementation

The Whitehouse announced the ConnectED initiative June 6 with the goal of connecting 99 percent of America's schools in five years and providing teacher training. But, no new money was allocated to realize those lofty goals. Who is the Whitehouse trying to fool?

Is a Laptop a Mobile Computer? And Why Is That Even an Important Question?

Learning is all-the-time, everywhere. Mobile computing devices – and only the mobile ones – can support 24/7, everyplace learning. So, how do you decide what is a mobile computing device? Read on for our mobility litmus test

Hats off To Kyle! Education Needs More Like Him

Kyle Menchhofer kicked mobile learning off in rural, blue-collar, St. Marys, OH in 2007. But, in May, 2013, St. Marys voted down the school bond, and the visionary, pioneering program that Kyle created ended. Well, a chapter ended. Check out what Kyle did in 2007 to bring mobile learning to 160 students.

Are American Schools Going Backward? Can We Learn from Singapore?

A program in Singapore is bringing smartphones into the classroom as part of an effort to transform instruction to an inquiry-based model. The results? Let's just say the United States needs to take note.

Being Mobile | Podcast

The Being Mobile podcast series features Elliot Soloway and Cathie Norris at their outspoken best, having lively conversations about a different mobile technology topic each month.

  • Bringing Down Barriers to Mobilism

    Fresh from UNESCO Mobile Week in Paris, Elliot and Cathie report on how students in developing countries are using feature phones for education. April 2013; File Type: WMA; Size: 2,919 KB Length: 04:00 Listen Now

  • One Tablet Per Child?

    Falling prices for computers and data plans could have a major impact on K-12, but is your infrastructure ready? March 2013; File Type: WMA; Size: 2,039 KB; Length: 02:48 Listen Now

  • What Does "Successful" Mean?

    When it comes to using mobile devices in class, Elliot and Cathie caution against mistaking engagement for achievement. February 2013; File Type: WMA; Size: 2,757 KB; Length: 03:47 Listen Now

  • Welcome to the Podcast

    Mobilists Elliot and Cathie introduce their podcast and explain why mobile technologies are becoming an inescapable part of the classroom. January 2013; File Type: M4A; Size: 7,246 KB; Length: 03:39 Listen Now

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