It's mid-summer! And where's the typical teen and tween? Are they in the park playing basketball? At the beach swimming in the summer sun? Are they in summer camp hiking through nature's trails? The answer is yes, yes, and yes. But they are probably someplace else you didn't expect them. They are are navigating through their favorite virtual playgrounds by way of their their sidekicks, iphones, and other mobile devices that enable them to be online all day. And it's time for you to check in on them.

Numbers don’t lie and they’re heralding good news for anyone who believes in technology’s power to increase student achievement. The University of Florida investigated the effects of math computer games on learners’ math achievement and math course motivation and have found that educational video games can improve students’ mathematics understanding and skills and can significantly raise scores on district-wide math benchmark exams.

I want to share one of my favorite local distance resources — the NY Hall of Science in Your Classroom program. For all of you who want to expand the boundaries of learning beyond your classroom and tap into the richness of distance learning experiences, look no farther than Queens, NY.

A few weeks ago a colleague of mine shared a web 2.0 tool that we envisioned could be useful in the writing process. I shared this on my blog and in a few social networks and got such a good response that I wanted to share it with you on the Digital Learning Environment.

One of the most interesting developments in the multiplayer educational gaming world is the creation of virtual tournaments. Schools around the country are participating in Tabula Digita's 2nd annual Multiplayer Educational Gaming Tournament right now. The qualifying rounds are finished and students across the country are gearing up for the semifinals. Schools choose their five best players and then challenge the math mastery of other schools playing DimensionM. Winners get trophies and the honor of being national champs at the beginning of what I think will be a growing and lasting practice. Finally an opportunity to see the same excitement that sporting events drum up over content that is rarely celebrated (when was the last time you heard kids cheering each other on to solve algebraic equations?)