Technology for technology's sake

One of the themes that I regularly encounter in my social media wandering is that technology should never be employed simply to be "high tech". Doing so misses the whole point, which is to engage students and enable them to learn in new ways and collaborate on a higher level. Putting a whiteboard on the wall or a laptop in a student's hands accomplishes virtually nothing without proper technique.

Here's a funny representation of tech for tech's sake. Believe it or not, some classrooms aren't far from this scenario.



Atomic Learning is dedicated to helping you put the technology you choose to employ to good use. Find out about some of our technology integration resources here.

Free ebook from Atomic Learning: Integrate Assistive Technology in General Education

New Content Alert: Adobe Premiere Elements 8 and Photoshop Elements 8

With Adobe^® Premiere^® Elements 8 software, making incredible movies is easier than ever. Enhance your stories with professional style. Share virtually anywhere. And easily manage and protect all your video clips and photos. 


View two free videos on Premiere Elements 8

Adobe^® Photoshop^® Elements 8 software combines power and simplicity so you can make your photos look extraordinary, share your life stories in unique print creations and web experiences, and easily manage and protect all your photos and video clips.

View two free videos on Photoshop Elements 8 

Digital Workshop from PBS - 21st Century Schools: Learning in the Digital Age

This project by PBS and the MacArthur and Park Foundations aligns well with recent posts on digital learning. It starts this evening.

More and more educators are tapping into the power of digital media and technology for teaching and learning. The variety of information resources available online is simply staggering. Explore how teachers and students are using the power of social media to promote students' active engagement, critical thinking and literacy skills.

• New Forms of Learning. It doesn't need to happen in school. Because it's visual, interactive and social, learning can happen anywhere with digital media as people collaborate and share about a wide range of topics and issues that matter to them.
• Technology and School Improvement. Technology may transform schools by promoting student engagement and creativity. But critics fear that too much focus on technology takes attention away from what's really needed to improve schools: capable, well-trained teachers; student-centered learning methods; and smaller class sizes.
• Hope, Hype and Reality. Are today's learners really different from previous generations? Compelling images of students using digital technology are impressive, but the research evidence on the impact of technology on learning is more mixed. And it's sometimes hard to separate the scholarship from the marketing hype, given the deep investment of technology companies in promoting the idea of technology's transformative potential.

Get the entire project
Watch the full show 
Visit the digital_nation - life on the virtual frontier homepage

New Feature Alert: Boolean Search

Our new platform launched a few months back, and we've been working feverishly to add even more new features. Last week we introduced the ability to use Boolean search terms, such as AND, NOT and OR, and the plus (+) and minus (-) symbols.

From the Find an Answer to a Tech Question pod on our home page (when logged in), you may use these terms and symbols to refine your search.

• 
• Use plus (+) or minus (-) to force inclusion or exclusion of a particular word or phrase (in quotes), as in dog cat -mouse
• Use AND, NOT, and OR to specify the logic of your query
• Group terms with parentheses, as in "double spaced" AND (page OR paragraph) 
• Boolean terms are case-insensitive (may be upper- or lowercase)
• OR is generally implied and not necessary

We're always striving to make your Atomic Learning experience easier and more productive. If you'd like to make a suggestion, please contact us.