iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

It's summer vacation season and many families will be lucky enough to be heading off for at least a few days. At least half of parents say quality time together is the most important reason to take a family vacation, according to a national survey by the rental car company Alamo.

Still, there will inevitably be downtime: at airports, on planes, trains or in the backseat. So one new travel necessity is a tablet or smartphone loaded up for the kids with an extra charger or battery.

In an ideal world, our kids' screen time won't be a bleeping, blooping, brain-rotting distraction, but a creative and fun, even educational diversion. So NPR Ed reached out to some experts for recommendations and guidelines on helping pick the best apps, for backseat time or any time.

Here is a collection of some of our favorite books specifically curated for teachers. These are books we have reviewed in in the past and are stored together with other amazing book collections in our ’Books for Teacher' section here in EdTech and mLearning. From learning how to unlearn bad habits to discovering the secrets of public speaking, the collection below is  a great place to start your search look for insightful books to read in the summer holiday.

I’ve read some terrific books lately. When I pulled together this list of five that you might enjoy this summer, I realized that several of my choices wrestle with big questions. What makes a genius tick? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where does humanity come from, and where are we headed?

For me, one of the most powerful pieces of the Maker Movement is that it is based on the belief that regardless of race, gender or even age, there is something in it for everyone.  Makerspaces in K-12 have had a profound impact on education, but for me, it also has had a profound impact on myself as a parent, and relationship building with my son. Every spring, since my son has been a toddler, I have prepared a Pinterest board with maker activities for the summer that he and I would be able to complete together.  Throughout the spring, we gather and order all necessary materials, this way on the very first day of summer, we can hit the ground running. ‘Making’ is something that is not a focus in his school, so it provided us with the perfect opportunity to invent, explore, experiment and create at home during the summer months.