Symbaloo

I just signed up for Symbaloo and I am very excited.  I really needed this new bookmarking tool!  I had kind of given up on bookmarks and was just keeping them in different browsers.  Is this a tool I could have my 6th graders use for their bookmarks?  I am afraid they are going to want to apply it to their personal (non educational) network and not for learning related websites.  It may be helpful like in the video we watched from the student who created her personal learning environment.  Can I help them turn their personal into a learning network?

Connected Hangout

What a great way to learn!  Last Saturday we participated in a Google Hangout with educators that use technology from all over the world to talk about connected learning. It was eye-opening to experience this type of social interaction to learn what others are thinking, exploring and doing in education.  This was my first time participating in an event like this. Technology is so great when it works and allows for these types of experiences. The conversation and discussion made me think of a recent story on VPR, Not Your Granma's High School: Personalized Learning Plans about how Vermont legislature just mandated that every student in grades 7-12 develops a personal learning plan. What are the pros and con of this new type of assessment?

Our discussion also made me think of a recent post on Seth Godin's blog:

Coordinate and Amplify - He explains that in marketing (I interpreted it to any advocacy for something you believe in), the best way to convince someone of something is not to go out and evangelize it, it is connections that bring change.  This post made me think that it is stories that convince people to embrace ideas.  Is there a video or media project of connected learning stories? This could be another idea for me for my capstone.