This week, DawsonITE resources seek to bridge the gap between reality and the virtual world. Often, those resources seem to be teachers. The guide on the side really turns out to be more central than the name would suggest!

• George Siemens: ‘Students need to take ownership of their learning’
• How an Indian Teacher is Transforming High School Practices Using Technology
  ‎Bijal Damani is transforming high school practices using technology and has got valuable advice for teachers, so when EdTechReview got a chance to ask her a few questions about her experiences, here’s what she shared. 
• Can Digital ‘Badges’ and ‘Nanodegrees’ Protect Job Seekers From a First-Round Knockout?
  ‎Alternative credentials can be valuable to a hiring manager who is looking closely at a small pool of candidates. Anybody can write on a résumé that he or she knows the programming language HTML5.  Faking an HTML5 badge from the Mozilla Foundation is harder.
• Chart of Educational Web Tools to Use in the Classroom
  ‎A great list of apps and tech tools that are organized based on the task you want students to accomplish.  
• 59 Free Twitter Tools and Apps That Do Pretty Much Everything
  ‎Here are all the Twitter tools we’ve found helpful and many more that we’re excited to try.
• How Technology has Changed Student Life
  ‎New technology has had a big impact on life at university, but students and institutions alike should be sure to take full advantage of what’s out there.
• The 36 Best Tools for Data Visualization
  ‎Creating charts and infographics can be time-consuming. But these tools make it easier.  
• Step by Step: Designing Personalized Learning Experiences For Students
  ‎Not all students need the same thing at the same time. It implies choice, multiple pathways to learning, many ways to demonstrate competency and resists the notion that all students learn the same way.
• 53+ Free Image Sources For Your Blog and Social Media Posts
  ‎Where can you find free, good quality images that are cleared to use for your blog posts or social media content? In this post, we’ll break down more than 50 different sources and tools for visual content.
• Teach your Students the Right Way to Google
  ‎In the age of the split-second Google search, it’s more critical than ever to train students to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
• SAMR Made Easy with Google Apps
  ‎Link to an infographic looking at Google Apps within the SAMR (Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition) framework. ‎He talks how data is providing opportunities that teachers and educators can’t, why his latest ‘new-look’ MOOC has its critics and where he sees e-learning headed in the future.