Deeper Learning Through Technology: Using the Cloud to Individualize Instruction

A teacher and top ed-blogger details techniques for leveraging cloud technology to create a self-paced, learner-centered classroom focusing on each student's unique learning pace, strengths, and interests.

Table of Contents:
Part I: The Teacher as Leader of the Digital Classroom 1. Our Changing Digital World Touring the Internet Becoming Responsible Digital Citizens Classroom Examples Educator Challenges 2. Teacher Collaboration: Online Professional Learning Communities Professional Learning Communities Expanding Your PLCs to Social Media Using Twitter to Build Your PLC Using Google+ as a PLC Resource Expand Your PLC by Following Bloggers Bookmarking in the Cloud Some Closing Thoughts on Online PLCs Classroom Examples Educator Challenges 3. Storing and Sharing in the Cloud Google Drive Techniques for the Classroom Refining Google Drive Documents Beyond Documents Classroom Examples Educator Challenges Part II: The Self-Paced Student 4. The Self Paced Anchor: Flipping the Classroom What is Flipping? What to Flip Making Your Own Screencast Creating a YouTube Playlist Learning From a Flipped Video Lecture The Flipped Classroom Flipped Class Resources Classroom Examples Educator Challenges 5. Interactive Assignments Creating Interactive Assignments Resources for Creating Interactive Assignments Rubrics What to Do when Technology Devices are Lacking in Your Schools Classroom Examples Educator Examples 6. Student Collaboration: Engaging Students With Mobile Learning Making the Case for the Smartphone in the Classroom Engaging Your Students With Cooperative Groups Other Tools to Engage Students Classroom Examples Educator Examples 7. Formative and Summative Assessment of Student Learning Formative and Summative Evaluations Preparing for the Formative and Summative Evaluations Online Tools for Conducting Formative Assessments Classroom Examples Educator Challenges 8. Looking Forward Into the Present Classroom Example: Morrisville, NC Educator Challenges

About the Author :
Ken Halla has been a high school teacher social studies teacher, department chair and advanced placement coordinator for the past twenty-two years. Halla initiated a pilot for e-books which led to all 7-12th graders using e-books in social studies in Fairfax County, VA. Additionally he has been an online teacher and chair for the past nine years and has a popular blog technology and pedagogy blog which receives 65,000 pageviews a month. Halla also has led many in-services and offers a regular class for teachers looking to integrate technology into the classroom. Halla has a Ph.D., is a National Board Certified Teacher and an adjunct college professor You can visit his tech and social studies blogs: US Government Teachers’ Blog, US History Teachers’ Blog, World History Teachers’ Blog or contact him at kenhalla@gmail.com.

Review :
"The author has made it easy for the teacher to work electronic devices into the classroom and prepare the students for a student-led classroom. The book is so organized that beginners can have success in a short amount of time. Students and teachers will love it." "This book provides a focus that is missing from most integration related resources. It focuses on changing instruction. Teachers will not be intimidated by the rationale and ideas the author presents. The examples are realistic, applicable, and easily reproducible by teachers. " "I am not just reading. I am learning on the spot. I can go to my classroom tomorrow and use information I learned about while reading. Our students love to use technology. Why not motivate them by using what they enjoy so much? This book will provide powerful information on how to engage your students with technology." "Need to help your students become a 21st Century Learner? Look no further! This book is all you need and you too will learn something new!" "I am thrilled to have a copy of this book and want to get it into the hands of my principal, tech teacher, and colleagues. It is straight-forward, well-organized, and a smart approach to developing 21st century expertise in educators of every level. We need this book in my school system. If I had the power, I would order a copy for every employee and then set about forming PLNs for its use." "With technology evolving at a furious pace, teachers are often overwhelmed with how to begin.  Ken Halla′s book, written from firsthand practitioner experience, provides practical and simple integration techniques that will assist both novice and more experienced teachers incorporate technology to enhance student learning." "One of the most common complaints I hear from students is that their teachers don’t understand how to effectively use technology to enhance learning. However, Ken Halla has become one of the most highly-regarded teachers in our community as a result of his work engaging students in new ways, so much so that his trending hashtags on Twitter consistently inspire students to delve more deeply into course content outside of the classroom. I am so glad he has written this book to help other teachers and administrators learn from his successes." "This is a great book for all educators. Spending time to learn how to employ technology tools for the classroom, especially when they are simple and free, saves hours of time per week and ultimately makes teachers’ lives much easier, so they can spend more time doing what they love--teaching." "For teachers grappling with the rise of online learning in schools, this is a must read--a detailed nuts and bolts guide to classroom tools in the cloud." "Ken Halla is a teacher committed to improving his craft by learning and interacting with other educators. His dedication to enhancing instructional practice and meeting the needs of every student through the integration of technology is well documented in this book. It is a must read for any educator interested in meeting the needs of 21st Century students." "For most of history, where you were born and your proximity to books, resources, and libraries were factors that impacted your potential for academic success.  This is no longer true.  In our lifetime, there has been a fundamental shift to this longstanding reality.  Today our teachers and students have 1 Billion libraries and all the world′s information at our fingertips.  Technology has integrated into the core of all our lives and into almost everything we do.  In education, it is no longer a question of whether we integrate technology in education, it is a question of how we do it.  What Ken Halla has done in Deeper Learning is lay out how teachers can integrate technology into their classroom to not only take advantage of this new world we live in, but more importantly, to help teachers better meet the needs that students face today as they prepare to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities they need to thrive in their futures.  In this book, not only does Halla do a masterful job of covering all the important aspects, tools, and resources of education technology teachers need to understand, he supports what he highlights with real classroom examples and provides challenges teachers can take on as they master these skills.  Whether you are a veteran to ed technology or just getting started, Halla′s book will help you tailor learning to meet the needs of your students and take on new teaching methodologies and tools to help you create the learner focused classroom you want to build!  This is a must have resource for today′s teachers!"   "Deeper Learning provides readers with a spot-on assemblage of thoughts and actions for teacher leaders who are ready to leap into the digital world of instruction. Second order teaching is described in clear and applicable terms which will ignite the power of relevance in all of us." "Technology is transforming the business of teaching and learning.  Thankfully we have Ken Halla who provides here a timely guide to navigate this new digital classroom.  Ken’s resourceful guide is for every teacher who wants to steer into the new world of teaching and learning with confidence."