Today is Digital Learning Day. If you're in the education sphere, you may already know about this spcial holiday. If not, its purpose can be gleaned from the creator's mission statement:
"Digital Learning Day is about giving every child the opportunity to learn in a robust digital environment every day, with the goal of success in college and a career."
At Scholastic, we support this goal of providing every child with the chance to benefit from all the wonderful lessons and opportunities technology can afford. Every day, we witness the power of technology in schools, in homes, and in the palms of readers' hands.
The Scholastic Teachers Facebook page is an incredible example of how teachers are using technology—specifically social media—to connect and engage online. We see vibrant, contorversal, and honest conversations happening around the teaching profession every day. The page has a nightly professional development moment called "The 10 O'Clock Teacher Question," which started a few years ago and features a question from a real teacher. The question is posted on the page's Timeline, and teachers weigh in with their answers, encouragement, and advice. Teachers will post questions from a range of topics—the Common Core, teacher evaluations, parent-teacher conferences, technology integration, lesson planning, professional development...the list goes on. They share, debate, lament, and learn from each other all in a social space. It's pretty amazing to watch.
We have so many other examples of digital learning:
- Our free eReading app, Scholastic Storia, connects children to literature in an exciting and interactive way
- The STACKS, Scholastic's go-to place for kids, has games, book recommendations, and message boards for kids to connect with each other in a safe online environment
- Our endless selection of apps allows for learning on the go
- Pinterest is a HUGE connector for parents and educators who are looking for free resources, book recommendations, tips, printables, and more
- Our hub for virtual field trips and author visits is the perfect way for kids to learn online. They can visit the Smithsonian with author David Baldacci, write and draw a crazy story with authors Jeff Kinney and Dav Pilkey, or practice math skills with Tim Gunn, all at the click of a button.
To get involved, visit the Digital Learning Day website. You'll find some really compelling resources for the classroom, including lesson plans, tips, and video.
And be sure to join the conversation on Twitter at #DLDay! We love this tweet in particular about using the Book Wizard app in the classroom!
How will you spend Digital Learning Day? Share with us here!
image via bdld.
