Technology is not a tool for learning. As I described in my first book for ASCD, it is a tool to help facilitate a learning experience. People can discover new information through the Internet, they have access to software for collecting ideas and receiving feedback on their work, and they can share new and original … Read more
During a regional principal’s meeting today, our conversation steered toward the integration of technology within instruction. Smartphones were a frequent topic, especially from the secondary school leaders. Distractions and inappropriate use seemed to be the common reason for some of the administrators’ disdain for students’ mobile devices. I empathized, as a former junior high school … Read more
Today, Saturday, January 20, 2018, I’ll once again be selling and signing my two books published by ASCD at Barnes & Noble – Madison West. 5 Myths About Classroom Technology: How do we integrate digital tools to truly enhance learning? Digital Portfolios in the Classroom: Showcasing and Assessing Student Work I am scheduled for 1-3 P.M., … Read more
On the FreshGrade blog, you can read my initial interview with Karen Fadum, a helping teacher in British Columbia, Canada. This text is reprinted from my book Digital Portfolios in the Classroom: Showcasing and Assessing Student Work (ASCD, 2017). When I signed the contract with ASCD over two years ago to write this book on … Read more
Below is a short video I recorded to promote my new book through ASCD. Below the video is the transcript for the hearing impaired. Have a great weekend, Matt [vimeo 234072848 w=640 h=480] Digital Portfolios in the Classroom – promo video from Matt Renwick on Vimeo. Assessment is messy. We try to make school and … Read more
This was a nice surprise to come home to yesterday. ASCD is great to work with. It’s great to see my book finally in print. I signed the contract for this project almost two years ago to the day. In that time, our family moved to Mineral Point, took on new positions in education, and … Read more
On Tuesday, August 8 from 2-3 P.M. CST, I will be hosting a free one-hour webinar for my upcoming book Digital Portfolios in the Classroom: Showcasing and Assessing Student Work. I’ll go over some of my favorite tools for facilitating digital portfolios and share teaching strategies for making this authentic approach to assessment work in … Read more
At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all, I have wanted to point out a misconception that some educators have regarding digital portfolios and what is facilitated in classrooms. This post comes from the idea that by merely publishing student work online for families and a wider audience to view, that students now have a … Read more
Data is a four letter word, literally and sometimes metaphorically in education. Educators need data to drive instruction and making informed decisions about student learning. When students have information about their own learning progress, they know themselves better as learners. Yet when data does not serve an important purpose, it can also monopolize our time … Read more
How Google Apps Help Develop Online Learning Communities (EdTech Magazine K-12) Three tools – Google Groups, Google+ Communities, and Google Sites – are highlighted in this article. Brief directions are provided for readers on how to use these digital forums for online learning communities. Also included in the article are some suggestions for getting things started … Read more
