Less apps, more design

I started this blog a few years back with the intent of discussing literacy in a digital age (hence the title). However, that transgressed into a discussion of apps and tools and classroom applications of those tools. While educators and followers enjoyed the latest and greatest tools for the classroom, it encourages those to focus on adding technology to the classroom for the sake of adding technology rather than innovating the classroom. Therefore, I switched my focus of the blog away from the best apps to one about PD because, when I think back to my years as a classroom teacher, what I needed help with was not finding tools, but was understanding how to innovate my classroom - how to shift my classroom to one that truly focused on learning.

So, even though, I enjoy reading some of the latest apps on Twitter and Google +, I know that apps come and go so we can never base our teaching around those. However, innovating the classroom is a constant need from educators.

In looking at what does make the long-term difference in education, I've honed in on innovation fairs, playdates, parent/community nights, design thinking, hackathons, student-led TED talks, and other endeavors that give students a voice of leadership and that give parents and the community an opportunity to learn and grow. These are the backbone of change.