<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16LE"?> <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Personal Metrics</title> <link>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Personal-Metrics.aspx</link> <description>Personal data trails about preferences, attributes, and performance shape an evidence-based culture. A multitude of sensors will generate and aggregate massive amounts of data about the self. These data trails will drive a deeply quantitative understanding of our selves  and new strategies for using complex quantitative data for modifying behavior. The wide array of data types will inspire people to navigate their own paths, focusing on data they deem personally relevant. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out what impacts your actions and food intake have on your body using &lt;a href="http://www.bodybugg.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;BodyBugg&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Track and understand your baby's patterns using &lt;a href="http://www.trixietracker.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Trixie Tracker&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Share travel plans with colleagues and friends using &lt;a href="http://www.dopplr.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Dopplr&lt;/a&gt; and meet up when you're in the same place &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; </description> <name>Personal Metrics</name> <atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Personal-Metrics" /><feedburner:info uri="personal-metrics" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><item> <title>Pattern Recognition (Driver of Change)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;An extremely visible world demands new sensemaking&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Information proliferation will continue, exacerbating the burden on families, learners, educators, and decision-makers to make sense of vast amounts of data. New tools for visualizing data will require new skills in discerning meaningful patterns. Social media and collaborative tools will leave  data trails of people s online interactions  including contributions to group activities, inquiries and searches, skills, digital resources, and preferences (such as playlists, buddy lists, and topics tracked)  and social networks. At the same time, sensors and global positioning systems in devices such as cell phones and car navigation systems will be able to capture location-based information along with health and environmental data. Together these tools will provide a robust, visible  data picture of our lives as citizens, workers, and learners. Families, learners, educators, and decision-makers will need to become sophisticated at pattern recognition in order to create effective and differentiated learning experiences and environments. Furthermore, new skills in collective sensemaking will redefine forms of knowledge, knowing, and assessment.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;How do ubiquitous, visible data impact teaching, learning, and the assessment of learning experiences?&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;How can we use data to enhance human decisions rather than automate them? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More on This Topic&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; New technologies for sensing, aggregating, and displaying information will demand &lt;strong&gt;new methods of sensemaking&lt;/strong&gt; interpreting and gaining meaning from abundant data.&amp;nbsp; This deluge of data will take many forms: &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Biometric (such as health status data, fingerprints and retinal prints), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Cognitive (such as collaboration histories in wikis or online games), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Neurological (brain imaging data), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Genetic (dna histories), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Online personae (avatars and reputation profiles), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Tagging (such as keywords on flickr or delicious), &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Taste trails (as documented in applications like Last fm). &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;The challenge is no longer finding information but making it meaningful.&amp;nbsp; Several &lt;strong&gt;strategies for sensemaking&lt;/strong&gt; will emerge:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mashups&lt;/strong&gt; will blend multiple data sets to reveal discern underlying stories (for example, websites that use Google maps to display health status and poverty rates in a particular geography).&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Increasingly complex &lt;strong&gt;visualizations and simulations&lt;/strong&gt; will help convey the meaning of abundant and diverse data through multi-sensory modes such as color, 3D spatial rendering, and even sound.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pattern recognition and play&lt;/strong&gt; will merge as gaming expands far beyond the world of entertainment.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Video games and collaborative alternative reality &lt;strong&gt;games &lt;/strong&gt;(that&amp;nbsp;leverage group knowledge and expertise) will become platforms for learning, especially for&amp;nbsp;understanding dynamic systems when variables change and uncertainties are introduced into problem solving. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Reductionist metrics (such as an average score on a standardized test) will prove inadequate for accurate evaluation of performance the standards are simply too static and often narrowly defined to encompass all the various forms and kinds of data being generated.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="/trend/Open-Source-Assessment.aspx"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Open-source assessment&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/a&gt;will prove much more powerful, incorporating multiple forms of capital and leveraging collective assessment platforms, such as reputation profiles and other forms of peer assessment and recognition of mastery.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; All this will lead to &lt;a href="/trend/Personal-Metrics.aspx"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;a quantified self&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; the self represented and understood through various data trails.&amp;nbsp; This quantified understanding will extend to schools and educational systems initially through the transparency afforded by social media applications.&amp;nbsp; The quantified self opens the opportunity for &lt;strong&gt;differentiated learning&lt;/strong&gt;, where the learner can forge a personal path through the morass of tools, information sets, and augmented experiences.&amp;nbsp; What distinguishes a person won t be their performance in a particular subject or through a particular method but rather their unique patterns across an unbounded range of subjects and methods.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implications for Learning&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;Educators and learners will need to learn how to participate effectively in an abundant data world.&amp;nbsp; New ways of seeing, knowing, and communicating will redefine learning environments, roles, and even forms of knowledge, knowing, and assessment.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Perhaps most significantly, abundant data and the emerging opportunities for sensemaking create the opportunity for learners to become &lt;strong&gt;more self-reflective&lt;/strong&gt; and aware of their learning. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;As it becomes easier to leave personal data trails (voluntary and automated self-documentation) about performance, preferences, and interactions, &lt;strong&gt;learners will have an ongoing reflection of themselves&lt;/strong&gt; in the learning process. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Educators and various learning agents will also have &lt;strong&gt;more transparency&lt;/strong&gt; to reflect on their impact on&amp;nbsp;and experience with learners. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Students and educators will need &lt;strong&gt;training&lt;/strong&gt; to be able to participate in this world, to engage in various forms of sensemaking and help create new ones.&amp;nbsp; Working with visualization tools, contributing to reputation economies, gaming, and moving through the metaverse (the fusion of the World Wide Web and the physical world) will be essential skills for life in the next decade and beyond.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Many students are worlds ahead of their educators in navigating these domains, but education must wrestle with questions about engaging in these practices in meaningful ways. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5 Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use social impact and education games with your students at &lt;a href="http://www.gamesforchange.org/" target="_blank"&gt;Games for Change &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Support students in developing electronic personalized learning plans &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Retool assessment to focus on learning as demonstrated by a body of evidence that reflects students' personalized learning plans &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out what impacts your actions and food intake have on your body using &lt;a href="http://www.bodybugg.com/" target="_blank"&gt;BodyBugg&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore a revolutionary approach to academic publishing at &lt;a href="http://ricepress.rice.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;Rice University Press&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/GxdnYDnWJSY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/GxdnYDnWJSY/Pattern-Recognition.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/driver/Pattern-Recognition.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Collective Sensemaking (Trend)</title> <description>Diverse and abundant data streams increase the need for organizations to tap collective intelligence. New tools and platforms can mobilize collective intelligence for gathering information, sorting through data streams, and aggregating input and interpretation. Knowledge and insights grow from collective contributions. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use data-driven decision-making to assess student learning as well as the effectiveness of learning agents in supporting them &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Contribute to the ranking of stories on &lt;a href="http://www.digg.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Digg&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="http://www.reddit.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Reddit&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Install the &lt;a href="http://del.icio.us/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Del.ico.us&lt;/a&gt; toolbar and start tagging articles and other work for your students or organization &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Improve collaboration and innovation through multiplayer online games with &lt;a href="http://www.seriosity.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Seriosity&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/VflYjsLd69Y" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/VflYjsLd69Y/Collective-Sensemaking.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Collective-Sensemaking.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Visual Literacy (Trend)</title> <description>Vast data streams require visual tools to discern underlying stories. Various visual displays will emerge as sensemaking and navigation tools for these data streams -- biometric, geographic, cognitive, neurological, tagging, taste trails, online personae, etc. Many data sets will prove too complicated for linear or text-based analysis: visual representations of multiple variables will reveal underlying patterns much more effectively and eloquently. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Tell a more compelling story about education with data visualization (see &lt;a href="http://www.flowingdata.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Flowing Data&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Debunk third-world myths with &lt;a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Hans Rosling&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore &lt;a href="http://www.horizonmapping.net/projects/tmc/tmc_gallery/Tutor_Mentor_school_maps.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Chicago Schools on the 2007 Warning List&lt;/a&gt;; if you can find a similar resource for your community, promote it; if not, consider starting one&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Generate a housing map in your zip code at &lt;a href="http://www.zillow.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Zillow&lt;/a&gt; and determine whether the prices are related to the quality of the local schools&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/Kw3CUtzUHfs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/Kw3CUtzUHfs/Visual-Literacy.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Visual-Literacy.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Open-Source Assessment (Trend)</title> <description>Data trails, participatory media, and visual tools create new bases for reputation, mastery, and recognition. The slough of data being produced will often require methods of interpretation and evaluation beyond what reductionist metrics can provide. One powerful sensemaking strategy will be to make such methods open-source, i.e. allow a community of users to judge performance according to open criteria. Reputation economies are an early form of such assessment: rather than relying on algorithms to weigh multiple variables, different platforms can aggregate evaluations. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Support students in developing electronic personalized learning plans&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore a revolutionary approach to academic publishing at &lt;a href="http://ricepress.rice.edu/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Rice University Press&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find an entrepreneur in the third world on &lt;a href="http://www.kiva.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Kiva&lt;/a&gt; and and help empower them out of poverty&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Visit the remarks of a student's teacher on &lt;a href="http://www.ratemyteachers.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Rate My Teachers&lt;/a&gt; and discuss why they do or do not create a realistic description of that teacher&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/bhkf4Itkpfw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/bhkf4Itkpfw/Open-Source-Assessment.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Open-Source-Assessment.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Games as Practice (Trend)</title> <description>Gaming platforms become critical training areas for work, problem-solving, and learning. A genre of  serious games  aimed at education, professional training, cultural immersion, cognitive fitness, and exploring ideas is expanding the practice of gaming beyond entertainment for youth. Games are not solely digital many emerging games utilize hand-held mobile technologies to supplement and encourage face-to-face interactions. Blending play, research, and collaboration, games will become a medium and literacy in many facets of life. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Explore how the forecast for 3D web technoogies, applications, and markets impact your organization at &lt;a href="http://www.metaverseroadmap.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Metaverse Roadmap&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Use social impact and education games with your students at &lt;a href="http://www.gamesforchange.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Games for Change&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Participate in the world's first massively multiplayer forecasting game, &lt;a href="http://www.superstructgame.org/" target="_blank"&gt;SuperStruct&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;Stay up to date on the use of games in health, education, training, and public policy at &lt;a href="http://www.seriousgames.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;SeriousGames&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;div class="watch-video-desc description"&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&gt;Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research and Development at Institute for the Future, talks the differences in the increased level of engagement and optimism students have with games over the classroom.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OrZiWqGILKs&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/N-mSWCPoIaw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/N-mSWCPoIaw/Games-as-Practice.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Games-as-Practice.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Metaverse (Trend)</title> <description>Blended physical-digital worlds create new learning geographies.  Learning in the real world is complemented by the navigation of virtual worlds through avatars.  Google Earth and Second Life merge to become the 'Metaverse.'&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/9SoAvr-obTc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/9SoAvr-obTc/Metaverse.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Metaverse.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Cognitive Modification (Trend)</title> <description>The brain becomes a site for alteration and maintenance. An array of services, products, and programs aimed at cognitive enhancements has already hit the market. Advances in the study of neuroscience and neuroplasticity (the brain s ability to create new neural connections throughout life) will inspire further developments. Students are experimenting with off-label uses of Adderall, and more such drugs will follow. Haptic feedback devices (using the sense of touch) and neural feedback interfaces (using direct communication between a person s brain and a computer) are just on the horizon. These will combine to make the brain a battleground in learning. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Add articles from &lt;a href="http://www.brains.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;www.brains.org&lt;/a&gt; to your PTA or school newsletter &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Improve your brain's health by spending ten minutes per day on the &lt;a href="http://www.sharpbrains.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;SharpBrains&lt;/a&gt; website &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn how Adderall is &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adderall#Performance-enhancing_use" target="_blank"&gt;helping students study longer &lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/5Xwwk6dXVUU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/5Xwwk6dXVUU/Cognitive-Modification.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Cognitive-Modification.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Enabled Innovation (Trend)</title> <description>Neurodiversity, physical enhancements, and disability communities converge, turning marginalized populations into mainstream innovators. People with disabilities are quickly becoming lead users and innovators of sophisticated physical and cognitive enhancements, ones that will make people  better than normal. Neurodiversity, which considers a-typical neural behavior such as autism not as a disability but as a natural human difference, is empowering many marginalized populations to embrace and explore their unique cognitive functioning not &lt;i&gt;dis&lt;/i&gt;abled, but &lt;i&gt;en&lt;/i&gt;abled. Many of these developments will be rapidly adopted back into mainstream use, meanwhile challenging our notions of performance,  normal, and what it means to be human. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn why some think a double-leg amputee like &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Pistorius" class="active_link" target="_blank"&gt;Oscar Pistorius&lt;/a&gt; has an unfair advantage in racing&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;View the parody site &lt;a href="http://isnt.autistics.org/archived.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Institute for the Neurologically Typical&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;See how the Asperger's Syndrome community is banding together at &lt;a href="http://www.wrongplanet.net/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;WrongPlanet.net&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/UOAqDroUIc8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/UOAqDroUIc8/Enabled-Innovation.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Enabled-Innovation.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Bio-Distress (Trend)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;Threats to our biological, ecological, and built environments drain resources and demand coordinated responses.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Climate Change &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Chronic Illness &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Food Insecurity &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Toxic Materials &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Urbanization &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Pandemics &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Pollution &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Such threats pose complex challenges for schools and communities. The primary and secondary effects of climate change are disrupting the basic systems we rely upon. Unsustainable development and industrial processing are harming our bodies. Rising chronic illness requires new management strategies. Altogether, these forces are creating a feral environment.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Join a group for advocating children's health or environmental safety in schools, such as the &lt;a href="http://www.healthyschools.org/" target="_blank"&gt;Healthy Schools Network&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn about how &lt;a href="http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/me_iran0128_05_13.asp" target="_blank"&gt;Ug99&lt;/a&gt; is killing wheat plants across the world &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore ten &lt;a href="http://www.ecoliteracy.org/education/exemplars.html" target="_blank"&gt;key strategies &lt;/a&gt;to prevent obesity at schools &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/Qg_zr84FYWA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/Qg_zr84FYWA/Bio-Distress.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Bio-Distress.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Personal Learning Ecologies (Trend)</title> <description>Families look outside the traditional  system to create ecologies of learning experiences. Families will leverage the emerging learning economy to cultivate their own ecologies of learning resources. School will be part of this ecology, but it will play different roles for different families, and it won t be the only player in the wider learning ecosystem. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Provide coaches to help students select appropriate learning experiences &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create a network in your community like the &lt;a href="http://parents.berkeley.edu/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Berkeley Parents Network&lt;/a&gt; and read this &lt;a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/07/24/CMGGJDDL2D1.DTL&amp;amp;type=printable" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; about it &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn more about homeschooling options: &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Jon s Homeschool Resources - &lt;a href="http://www.midnightbeach.com/hs/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;www.midnightbeach.com/hs/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The Homeschool Mom - &lt;a href="http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;www.thehomeschoolmom.com/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Homeschool Central - &lt;a href="http://www.homeschoolcentral.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;www.homeschoolcentral.com/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Homeschool Resource Center - &lt;a href="http://www.hsrc.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;www.hsrc.com/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Muslim Homeschool Network - &lt;a href="http://www.muslimhomeschool.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;www.muslimhomeschool.com/&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Let parents and students know about the summer camp directory at &lt;a href="http://mysummercamps.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;mysummercamps.com&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore how &lt;a href="http://www.educationalconsulting.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Independent Educational Consultants&lt;/a&gt; can help families find the right opportunity for children in college, grad school, or special programs &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tom Munneke, who turned a shed in his backyard into a science laboratory for kids, says that one way to add excitement and enthusiasm to education is to have adults and peers do more teaching. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cfXCsl2NbFE&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/4Ur6ubFTxlo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/4Ur6ubFTxlo/Personal-Learning-Ecologies.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Personal-Learning-Ecologies.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati (Signal)</title> <description>This is a huge project, unique to our city and region, and features: » A sophisticated, real-time monitoring system to collect data about the performance of green stormwater management practices to slow down the flow of stormwater to the combined sewer system. » Sustainable gardens showcasing strategies for growing food and ornamental plants in any kind of setting using healthy, chemical-free techniques. » LEED Gold certification » Energy-efficiency with utilities that can be monitored and controlled remotely.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/X2anixNCnuU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/X2anixNCnuU/Civic-Garden-Center-of-Greater-Cincinnati.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Civic-Garden-Center-of-Greater-Cincinnati.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Nike + iPod (Signal)</title> <description>Sensor embedded into running shoe that connects to your iPod and stores performances.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/rGwJ22aO4XE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/rGwJ22aO4XE/Nike-2b-iPod.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Nike-2b-iPod.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Google Protects Personal Metrics (Signal)</title> <description>A new privacy control on Google's dashboard allows users to review their e-mail and browsing history, and also to prevent others from seeing this data.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/94zei9TF83M" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/94zei9TF83M/Google-Protects-Personal-Metrics.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Google-Protects-Personal-Metrics.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Access to Personal Data Trails (Signal)</title> <description>Bozeman, Montana, for a while required job seekers to give the town access to their social networking and E-mail user names and passwords. The policy aimed to ensure integrity of new hires. The town dropped the policy after a firestorm of criticism.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/PVOC8JiE4A4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/PVOC8JiE4A4/Access-to-Personal-Data-Trails.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Access-to-Personal-Data-Trails.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>I Can See You (Signal)</title> <description>Jamais Cascio describes how easy it was for a class of Fordham University law students to find personal data on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, including his home address and phone number, his taste in food and music, his wife's personal e-mail address and photos of his grandchildren. In a speech at Fordham, Scalia had dismissed concerns about privacy, saying, "Every single datum about my life is private? That's silly!"&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/zegdBlpTv1g" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/zegdBlpTv1g/I-Can-See-You.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/I-Can-See-You.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Obesity Visualization (Signal)</title> <description>The Centers for Disease Control released this visualization of obesity over time in the US.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/JrEiR0S0Rp0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/JrEiR0S0Rp0/Obesity-Visualization.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Obesity-Visualization.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>We Feel Fine (Signal)</title> <description>This is a space where people can register their feelings, with single words, text and/or pictures. The site offers real-time visual displays on the feelings of users.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/SKjD5FJmiqs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/SKjD5FJmiqs/We-Feel-Fine.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/We-Feel-Fine.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Trixie Tracker (Signal)</title> <description>Trixie Tracker is a web and mobile tool to help parents uncover patterns in their baby s sleep and daily schedules. Parents upload basic information about their baby s schedules and sleep habits, and Trixie Tracker produces charts to help parents make sense of their baby s rhythms. Parents can share results online with family and friends.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/2g9ExI4DV58" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/2g9ExI4DV58/Trixie-Tracker.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Trixie-Tracker.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>BodyBugg (Signal)</title> <description>BodyBugg is a comprehensive body self-monitoring system, designed to help people track physical exercise and manage body weight. It can ultimately measure how much energy your body has used: calories consumed v. calories burned. As the website says,  You just need to burn more calories than you take in. &lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/lrah1Qz_4eE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/lrah1Qz_4eE/BodyBugg.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/BodyBugg.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>The Quantified Self (Signal)</title> <description>This blog run by Gary Wolf and Kevin Kelly explores  tools for knowing your mind and body. It s a compendium of new technologies focused on self-measurement.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/8jdltAPE3EE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/8jdltAPE3EE/The-Quantified-Self.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/The-Quantified-Self.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Personal Education Advisor (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Assigned by certified local education agencies, such as schools, resource centers, and libraries, or selected and contracted by families, personal education advisors help families create, nurture, and maintain personal learning ecologies.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/TjwmU6wRGag" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/TjwmU6wRGag/Personal-Education-Advisor.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Personal-Education-Advisor.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Fitness Instructor (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Learning fitness instructors will help learners build and strengthen the basic cognitive, emotional, and social abilities essential to learning by using simulations, biofeedback, and hands-on activities to reduce stress, hone mental capabilities, and learn brain-friendly nutrition.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/2QFvzPiVC9A" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/2QFvzPiVC9A/Learning-Fitness-Instructor.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Learning-Fitness-Instructor.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Partner (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Students who test for compatible personalities but who have different cognitive strengths will be matched to support each other throughout the year, maintaining a constant thread amid shifting peer relationships.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/WNSWts5tM8M" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/WNSWts5tM8M/Learning-Partner.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Learning-Partner.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Journey Mentor (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Learning journey mentors will work with personal education advisors, learning fitness instructors, community intelligence cartographers, and assessment designers to co-create and navigate learning itineraries with small groups of students.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/U9yPN3LKs3Y" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/U9yPN3LKs3Y/Learning-Journey-Mentor.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Learning-Journey-Mentor.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Assessment Designer (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Using social networks and insights into cognitive functioning, assessment designers will create appropriate methods for evaluating media literacy, learning discovery journeys, and other innovative forms of instruction.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/ciqSEOHCyio" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/ciqSEOHCyio/Assessment-Designer.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Assessment-Designer.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Social Capital Platform Developer (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Social capital platform developers will link the social capital infrastructure to teaching and learning practices and outcomes. They will use tracking programs to provide an accounting of people s contributions to open education resources and collaborative processes.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/CzbA90bj7PQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/CzbA90bj7PQ/Social-Capital-Platform-Developer.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Social-Capital-Platform-Developer.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>The Future Of Health Care Is Social (Resource)</title> <description>This article by Jennifer Kilian and Barbara Pantuso describes a future health care system in which personal health data for oneself and one's family is gathered, shared, and analyzed through algorithms that bring a selected community of family and friends, as well as health professionals, into the management of health issues. A key quote (p.18): "Continuous vs. episodic monitoring of health can lead to better health outcomes."&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/mZ_747TTVr0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/mZ_747TTVr0/The-Future-Of-Health-Care-Is-Social.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/The-Future-Of-Health-Care-Is-Social.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Jane McGonigal speaks on the skills students are learning from games (Resource)</title> <description>Jane McGonigal, Director of Game Research and Development at Institute for the Future, talks about the differences in the increased level of engagement and optimism students have with games over the classroom.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/gTeTj_D9QxI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/gTeTj_D9QxI/Jane-McGonigal-speaks-on-the-skills-students-are-learning-from-games.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Jane-McGonigal-speaks-on-the-skills-students-are-learning-from-games.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Mark Gibson says we need to look to gaming for ways to imporve education (Resource)</title> <description>Mark Gibson, an independent marketing consultant focused on education, says we will take lessons learned and experiences held from gaming and online communities and apply them to education.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/8qZJePrkIBo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/8qZJePrkIBo/Mark-Gibson-says-we-need-to-look-to-gaming-for-ways-to-imporve-education.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Mark-Gibson-says-we-need-to-look-to-gaming-for-ways-to-imporve-education.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Future of Education Community (Resource)</title> <description>This community is devoted to providing an opportunity for those who care about education to share their voices and ideas with others. It's a place for thoughtful discussion on an incredibly important topic.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/WTx4ZblAkvw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/WTx4ZblAkvw/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Ma.gnolia (Resource)</title> <description>Ma.gnolia is a social bookmarking site that allows you to keep all of your favorite links in one place with access from any computer on the web. You can share your bookmarks with friends, or with the entire community, and use tags to organize and remember your bookmarks.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/sysccPQxZms" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/sysccPQxZms/Magnolia.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Magnolia.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Del.icio.us (Resource)</title> <description>Deli.icio.us is a social bookmarking site that allows you to keep all of your favorite links in one place with access from any computer on the web. You can share your bookmarks with friends, or with the entire community, and use tags to organize and remember your bookmarks.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/Yt6lfBIYQ74" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/Yt6lfBIYQ74/Delicious.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Delicious.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Participatory Budgeting (Resource)</title> <description>This site defines the term,  participatory budgeting and proceeds to offer a detailed example of its implementation as developed in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, where, since 1989, there has been an annual process of deliberation and decision-making, in which thousands of city residents decide how to allocate part of the municipal budget.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/2lLsSqU3JKg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/2lLsSqU3JKg/Participatory-Budgeting.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Participatory-Budgeting.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Locative Media (Resource)</title> <description>At this site, several contributors attempt to define and explain the term  Locative Media."&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/JqujAMREHp8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/JqujAMREHp8/Locative-Media.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Locative-Media.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Teens Rule the Web (Resource)</title> <description>Fueled by new technologies and social networking sites, teenagers continue to lead the pack in creating content on the Web. According to the Pew Internet &amp; American Life Project, 64 percent of online teenagers ages 12 to 17 engage in at least one type of content creation, up from 57% of online teens in 2004. 28% of online teens have blogs. And girls are almost entirely driving the growth of blogging. Also 54% of girls post photos online compared with 40% of online boys. But boys do dominate in one area: posting videos. Wired boys are nearly twice as likely as online girls to have shared a video online. While they're busy creating content, many teens limit access to content that they share. Some 66% of teens with social network profiles restrict access to their profiles in some way and 77% of teens who upload photos restrict access to them at least "some of the time."&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/lGxEZCpR9_k" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/lGxEZCpR9_k/Teens-Rule-the-Web.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Teens-Rule-the-Web.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Teen Cell Phone Usage Soars in Summer (Resource)</title> <description>Hey parents, be sure to keep a close eye on your cell phone bills this summer.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/zj3glbLGOmA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/zj3glbLGOmA/Teen-Cell-Phone-Usage-Soars-in-Summer.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Teen-Cell-Phone-Usage-Soars-in-Summer.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Data Breach Reports Up 69% in 2008 (Resource)</title> <description>Businesses, governments and universities reported a record number of data breaches in the first half of this year, a 69% increase over the same period in 2007 driven by a spike in data thefts attributed to employees and contractors, according to an analysis by identity theft experts. The San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center tracked 342 data breach reports from Jan. 1 to June 27. Nearly 37% of reports came from businesses -- an increase from almost 29% last year. Data breach reports from health care providers (14.9% of the total) and banks (10%) continued to rise, while breaches from educational institutions (21.3% of the total), government entities and the military (17%) declined for the 3rd year in a row, the ITRC found. Hacking was the least-cited cause of data breaches in the first 6 months of 2008 (11.7% of the total). Instead, lost or stolen laptops and other digital storage media remain the most often cited cause of data breaches, more than 20% of all reported cases, the ITRC found. Posting of personal and financial data online prompted roughly 15% of the data breach disclosures. Data breaches due to information stolen by someone inside the company increased from just 6% of the total in 2007 to nearly 16% this year. Another 13.5% of breaches came from subcontractors who lost or stole their clients' customer data.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/qysqo2Ot6rc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/qysqo2Ot6rc/Data-Breach-Reports-Up-69-in-2008.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Data-Breach-Reports-Up-69-in-2008.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Condition of Education Report by U.S. Dept. of Education (Resource)</title> <description>The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated report that provides an annual statistical portrait of education in the United States. The 48 indicators included in the report cover all aspects of education, from student achievement to school environment and from early childhood through postsecondary education. The report shows that U.S. public school enrollment is becoming increasingly diverse. Minority students make up 42 percent of public school enrollment. Twenty percent of school-age children speak a language other than English at home. The rate of college enrollment immediately after high school increased from 49 percent in 1972 to 69 percent in 2005. About three-quarters of the freshman class graduated from public high schools on time in 2003 04&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/9mgVSrP3tFg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/9mgVSrP3tFg/Condition-of-Education-Report-by-US-Dept-of-Education.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Condition-of-Education-Report-by-US-Dept-of-Education.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Personal Traffic Alerts, With Made-to-Order Data (Resource)</title> <description>In the latest incarnation of traffic reporting, information gleaned from strategically placed cameras, road-top sensors, electronic tollbooths and eyewitnesses is edited in Mission Control-style command rooms and sent using personalized text or voice messages to subscribers cell phones or Black-Berry s, often at no charge. These advances are part of an effort by private traffic services to bring some science and precision to what, at least until the last few years, was an art form typically practiced by a reporter in a helicopter or an announcer glued to a terminal in a windowless cubicle. While radio stations continue to send traffic copters into the air  including at least three serving New York City alone  their  eye in the sky observations are now only one of the streams of data at travelers disposal.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/Sr-08ZjJPWg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/Sr-08ZjJPWg/Personal-Traffic-Alerts2c-With-Made-to-Order-Data.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Personal-Traffic-Alerts2c-With-Made-to-Order-Data.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>P.E. Classes Turn to Video Game That Works Legs (Resource)</title> <description>Children yell in excitement when they are let into class at a West Virginia middle school gym. At least several hundred schools in at least 10 states are now using Dance Dance Revolution, or D.D.R., as a regular part of their physical education curriculum and as the latest weapon in the nation's battle against the epidemic of childhood obesity. Incorporating D.D.R. into gym class is part of a general shift in physical education, with school districts de-emphasizing traditional sports in favor of less competitive activities.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/tgOtr1xm0XQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/tgOtr1xm0XQ/PE-Classes-Turn-to-Video-Game-That-Works-Legs.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/PE-Classes-Turn-to-Video-Game-That-Works-Legs.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Bill Me Later Is Getting Big Now (Resource)</title> <description>Bill Me Later is essentially a replacement for a credit card that offers instant approval on the sites of online retailers. The credit bureau infrastructure is so well developed that the company can approve credit lines in less than three seconds based on little more than identifying information. The service integrates with online stores. After customers enter their shipping address they are offered a choice of how to pay. If they select  Bill Me Later it asks for their birth dates and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. That is enough to look up customers information at credit bureaus and make a decision on whether to approve them. Customers receive a bill in the mail. They can pay in full, or over time with interest, just as with any credit card. Indeed, if customers use Bill Me Later on other sites, their purchases are all listed on one bill. It is aimed at credit-worthy customers reluctant to enter credit card numbers online.. Bill Me Later charges retailers an average of 1.5% of transactions, compared to over 2% for other credit cards. The company has attracted more than 3 million customers, and its operating costs are lower too because 80% of its customers pay their bill at its Web site.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/md_xtlhNjCY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/md_xtlhNjCY/Bill-Me-Later-Is-Getting-Big-Now.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Bill-Me-Later-Is-Getting-Big-Now.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Institute for the Future Technology Horizons Program (Resource)</title> <description>Given concerns for security, flexibility, and health risks, centralized infrastructure will no longer be key to economic progress. New materials and technologies will make it possible to use more flexible infrastructures for transportation, people and information.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/dN6ydLNX_50" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/dN6ydLNX_50/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Our Nation Divided Into "Eight Americas" (Resource)</title> <description>Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Initiative for Global Health analyzed census and health statistics data for the years 1982 to 2001. They found what they call "an enormous gap" in life expectancies based on race, counties of residence, income, and other social factors. The analysis led the researchers to the idea that there are "eight different Americas." White middle America and black middle America are different from each other (whites live longer than blacks) and from low-income white America, Southern low-income rural black America, Northern low-income rural white America, high-risk urban black America, and Asian America.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/vsPdVhSrRMs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/vsPdVhSrRMs/Our-Nation-Divided-Into-Eight-Americas.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Our-Nation-Divided-Into-Eight-Americas.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Recalculating K-12 Math (Resource)</title> <description>Response to Intervention (RTI) is intended to help struggling students make progress in the general math curriculum. RTI is an emphasis on effective instruction and early, data-driven intervention to maximize student achievement--and technology is making this intervention possible. Using math software that has a built-in assessment component can help educators track and monitor their students' progress and adjust their instruction accordingly, truly ensuring that no child is left behind. Many schools have applied this philosophy to their curriculum in general. The goal is to help student s achieve a healthy balance between computational fluency and conceptual understanding of mathematics. Several related articles are available at the link provided.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/JTdInMx0wm0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/JTdInMx0wm0/Recalculating-K-12-Math.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Recalculating-K-12-Math.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Creating the 21st-Century Classroom (Resource)</title> <description>Preparing today s youths will require a new kind of teaching and learning. Skills such as global literacy, computer literacy, problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and innovation are critical in an increasingly interconnected workforce and society. Technology is the catalyst to change the classroom. In a 21st-century learning environment, all students are able to learn. Project-based learning lets them acquire skills in real-world scenarios. Also, integration of video and other media support instruction to link students with outside resources and lets teachers address many learning styles at once. The 21st-century learning environment creates teachable moments. This site has pertinent articles with examples and explanations.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/TXFZoFqVjOY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/TXFZoFqVjOY/Creating-the-21st-Century-Classroom.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Creating-the-21st-Century-Classroom.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Cross-Agency Project Tracks Students' Data (Resource)</title> <description>A project at Stanford Univ., Youth Data Archive (YDA) collects data from multiple child-serving agencies to inform policy and program decisions. By obtaining data from different providers, the archive helps identify patterns of how youths receive services and how to improve them. The project is run by the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Communities, at Stanford Univ. In each community, YDA works with agencies in the public-health, child-welfare, juvenile-justice systems, and public or private community-based groups and school districts to identify the types of data they collect and the questions they will use the archive to explore.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/qVkj5lzSkYs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/qVkj5lzSkYs/Cross-Agency-Project-Tracks-Students-Data.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Cross-Agency-Project-Tracks-Students-Data.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Planning for Neomillenial Learning Style, Educause Quarterly (Resource)</title> <description>This article explains how shifts in students learning styles will prompt a shift to active construction of knowledge through mediated immersion.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/YqsNMgrv_Ts" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/YqsNMgrv_Ts/Planning-for-Neomillenial-Learning-Style2c-Educause-Quarterly.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Planning-for-Neomillenial-Learning-Style2c-Educause-Quarterly.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Danah Boyd Website (Resource)</title> <description>This site typifies the journaling and self confession format and style of the young generation s that uses personal digital media quite frequently for a variety of purposes.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/JqVqVIXa7gY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/JqVqVIXa7gY/Danah-Boyd-Website.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Danah-Boyd-Website.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Monitoring America's Children (Resource)</title> <description>According to the 2007 edition of "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being," compiled by the 22-member Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, the teen birth rate declined to a record low in 2005 (the most recently available data); the percentage of children living in a household with at least one working parent is up; and more high school students are taking advanced math and science courses. On the other hand, the birth rate for unmarried women and the proportion of infants with low birth weight increased.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/Eqmtwq_PcJs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/Eqmtwq_PcJs/Monitoring-Americas-Children.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Monitoring-Americas-Children.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>The MySpace Generation (Resource)</title> <description>This article discusses the lifestyle the generation that it calls  the MySpace Generation. It reports,  They live online. They buy online. They play online. Their power is growing. The author expresses concerns about the hazards and vulnerabilities that may develop from such reliance on computer technology.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/PP6QWL8eJbM" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/PP6QWL8eJbM/The-MySpace-Generation.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/The-MySpace-Generation.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>The New Urban Demographics: Race, Space, and Boomer Aging (Resource)</title> <description>By William H. Frey, The Brookings Review. America's urban landscape is changing. The familiar distinctions between central cities and suburbs are being complicated by new demographic trends, two in particular. The first trend is the sharp rise in immigration to the United States. Each year about one million people, predominantly Latin American and Asian in origin, arrive in the United States, most settling in urban areas. The second trend involves the aging baby-boomers who will not move but "age in place" in the suburbs rather than in the city. Both these trends will have important effects on urban America.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/cqK850iBdao" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/cqK850iBdao/The-New-Urban-Demographics-Race2c-Space2c-and-Boomer-Aging.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/The-New-Urban-Demographics-Race2c-Space2c-and-Boomer-Aging.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Lenovo's Web Marketer: Twittering's Not for Twits (Resource)</title> <description>The best-known Chinese brand in the U.S., Lenovo wants to enter the U.S. consumer PC market. The company bought IBM's PC division for $1.75 billion in 2005, and introduced a new notebook called IdeaPad and desktop line called ThinkCentre. Lenovo s v.p. of global Web marketing David Churbuck, didn t find much of interest in Second Life. However, he uses Twitter, the social networking site of short messages called "Tweets" from community people. He said,  Wikipedia is a great thing and I pay close attention to Lenovo's wiki definition; but I trust the community at large to keep it accurate . Churbuck said,  We're proud to be a sponsor of the 2008 Summer Olympics and official provider of PC technology for the venue where 30,000 PCs and servers must perform flawlessly. Lenovo is committed a responsible corporate citizen in the more than 60 countries in which it operates around the world, but it's not Lenovo's role to advise any government on policy. &lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/u0shAAVPW2o" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/u0shAAVPW2o/Lenovos-Web-Marketer-Twitterings-Not-for-Twits.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Lenovos-Web-Marketer-Twitterings-Not-for-Twits.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Passport to Teaching (Resource)</title> <description>Candidates submit college transcripts, along with complete background checks. Advisors assist enrollees to choose materials for a customized curriculum. Study materials include: CD-ROMs, online refresher courses, books, periodicals, and instructional web sites. Enrollees access the Prepare to Teach online workshops and take their exams at a Pearson VUE test centers. After passing teaching knowledge and subject area exams, participants earn documentation for teacher licenses. Passport to Teaching is accepted for public school teacher certification in Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, S. Carolina, and Utah, and for teaching in charter and private schools in Arizona, Washington DC, and Texas. The remaining 41 states permit the process only for licenses to teach in private schools.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~4/cCnG8Ml0Cfo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Personal-Metrics/~3/cCnG8Ml0Cfo/Passport-to-Teaching.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Passport-to-Teaching.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> </channel> </rss>