Educational Technology

June 16, 2011

Three Public Schools, 30 Miles Apart: A Study in Contrast

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

by Tina Barseghian, Mind/Shift

As an education reporter, I have seen the entire gamut of schools — but never in a single day. The way my schedule came together yesterday, I ended up visiting three different campuses, each representing a vastly different picture of the American public school system. Combined, the visits have all the makings of a Dickens novel: one is a gleaming campus experimenting with cutting-edge ideas, another is an island of relative safety surrounded by a deteriorated neighborhood, and the other is a scrappy, middle-class beacon, pushed to excel by a highly involved parent community.

http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/06/three-public-schools-a-study-in-contrast/

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Bridging gender gap in science

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

By Kate Daly, the Almanac

Menlo School has launched a pilot program to boost the number of girls who study science, technology, engineering and math — referred to as STEM. The committee’s mission was to answer such questions as these, posed by committee member Grace Limaye: Why is the student speaker at graduation almost always a boy? Why do more boys win elections in the upper school? Why do we not have more gender balance in robotics, applied science research, and computer science classes dominated by males? Ms. Lamaye, an enrichment specialist in the middle school who teaches science, now finds herself as co-leader of the pilot program called M-BEST (for Menlo’s Bridge to Engineering, Science and Technology), which is restricted to girls.

http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=8999

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U. of the People Gets Boost From NYU With New Partnership

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

By Jeff Young, Chronicle of Higher Ed

A free online university staffed by volunteer professors won something of an endorsement Wednesday from New York University, with the announcement of a formal partnership between the two institutions that is meant to steer students to NYU’s campus in Abu Dhabi. The memorandum of understanding signed by the institutions means little in practical terms—no money changed hands, and officials were unable to describe any concrete work that will be done together as a result of the partnership. But the unusual online university touted the arrangement as a mark that it has won support from traditional higher education, even though it lacks formal accreditation.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/u-of-the-people-gets-boost-from-nyu-with-new-partnership/31663?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

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June 15, 2011

DAILY INSIGHT: 7 Critical Questions for Tech Planning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

By Nancy Caramanico, CIO Advisor

Most educators would agree that well thought out planning is essential for effective uses educational technology. The questions is – How do we plan for a future we can not see? How will technology evolve? How will technology impact our lifestyles, our schools, our learning? How can we plan if the only constant is change?

Knowing that the future will bring us new technologies that we can’t foresee. Plan anyway.

Knowing that we can’t predict everything. Plan anyway.

Knowing that your plan will have to be revised frequently. Plan anyway.

Envision a future where your school reaches for the stars. Believe that it will make a difference in the lives of your students.

http://www.schoolcio.com/showarticle/39780

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Office 365 Will Be Available By The End Of June

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by Michael Ide, IT Pro Portal

Microsoft is planning to launch the cloud-based version of its popular Office productivity suite by the end of June. Office 365 is a cloud based version of Office suite which comes with World, Excel and PowerPoint. The online platform is Microsoft’s answer to Google’s Docs, which is being seen as a credible threat to Office’s longtime dominance. Office 365 has been in beta for a long time and Microsoft has repeatedly said that the platform will be made generally available by the end of this year. Microsoft first announced Office 365 in October last year and made the platform available as a public beta test in April. But Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer finally revealed the company’s plan to launch Office 365 in June at an event in New Delhi, India.

http://www.itproportal.com/2011/06/06/office-365-available-end-june/#.Te4kInVH1jQ;email

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Q&A: Khan Academy founder says videos can help teachers, students

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

By Hayley Tsukayama, Washington Post

Founder of Khan Academy, Salman Khan said that his videos can turn the classroom experience on its head. (Larry Busacca) Salman Khan started his education revolution by making instructive videos for his young relatives and posting them on YouTube. Today, Khan heads the Khan Academy, a non-profit organization that hosts a collection of more than 2,300 video lectures and provides a education platform that asks educators to rethink the way classrooms should be run. He’s given a coveted TED talk, and secured high-profile backers including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, angel investor Ron Doerr and his wife Anne, and Netflix chief executive Reid Hastings,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/faster-forward/post/qanda-khan-academy-founder-says-videos-can-help-teachers-students/2011/06/03/AGOu21HH_blog.html?referrer=emaillink

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June 14, 2011

IPad Rivals Fail to Gain Traction, a Report Says

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:38 am

By NICK BILTON, New York Times

Technology companies who hoped to outdo the Apple iPad by offering alternate slate-like products are not seeing the demand they hoped for from consumers, according to an analyst’s report issued by JPMorgan Chase. The report, which was issued on Wednesday, said companies building products to compete with the iPad have slowed production by as much as 10 percent since this time last March. At that time, the report said, competing tablet companies created 81 million tablets; this year the number has fallen to 73 million.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/non-ipad-tablets-fail-to-gain-customer-traction/?emc=eta1

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Texas district outfits schools with virtual desktops

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

by School CIO

Judson ISD is a 21,000 student school district located in the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas. Rapid population growth in the San Antonio area has swelled student enrollment in the district. At the same time, the district has placed a high priority on integrating technology and learning. With tight budgets and limited IT staff, Judson needed a computing solution that was simple to deploy, affordable to purchase, and easy to manage. Judson had already deployed thin-clients in the past. So when school administrators heard that LG Network Monitors provided an integrated virtual desktop/ monitor, they were immediately interested. LG Network Monitors enable a single PC to be shared by up to 11 students or staff at the same time. Each user connects his/her peripherals directly to the LG Network Monitor which is then connected to a host desktop PC. Each user gets a full computing session.

http://www.schoolcio.com/showarticle/39190

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Head in the Clouds

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

by School CIO

What does cloud computing really mean for your district?

For years schools have used software as a service in one area or another. In fact, in a 2010–2011 SchoolDude survey, 50 percent of districts said they ran software as a service, giving examples that included student-information systems and Moodle. So where does cloud computing come in? “I think the first thing a district IT person has to ask is ‘Where do I run things?’” says Rich Kaestner, a project director for CoSN. “‘And does it make sense to run them internally, or should I let someone else handle it?’” IT departments, short on staff and facing increasing demand for anywhere, anytime learning, must provide resources that are outside the school walls. Schools aren’t typically prepared to provide 24/7 support. Can turning to the cloud be the answer?

http://www.schoolcio.com/showarticle/39736

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June 13, 2011

28 days of no gadgets. Can you do the Digital Diet?

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:39 am

by Steven Tsujisaka, the Carlmond Highlander

Technology reporter and Tech This Out! host Daniel Sieberg’s novel, The Digital Diet, teaches people of all ages how to manage the amount of time you spend on electronic devices and balance your time on these devices and your life. The concept is to find a strategy that works for you that will reduce the amount of time you use a gadget or device. The Digital Diet takes about 28 days to complete, but its up to you to take the challenge and possibly not be able to use any gadgets the whole time, except for times when you are required to use it like at work. Are you ready to take the challenge?

http://www.scotscoop.com/8554

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Preston schools offer snow day alternative

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

by Michelle Wolford, The Associated Press

Many businesses have found ways of carrying on in inclement weather, offering employees the option to telecommute rather than drive to the office. That is not yet an option for schools. In Preston County, where winter often calls for more snow days than school days, students are offered “inclement weather packages” that they can access by computer. “We already do some things online,” said Larry Parsons, Preston County superintendent of schools. But there’s a major obstacle to moving much further beyond that.

http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/201105310260

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Grants to fund education computer network

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

By Tara Malone, Chicago Tribune

Illinois education officials today unveiled plans to build a virtual network that would give teachers on-the-spot access to everything from lesson plans to student progress reports. The open-source technology system comes with help from the private sector. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York pledged to build the network with input from Illinois and four other states handpicked to pilot the program. A specific dollar amount is not yet known, but Gates Foundation officials said Thursday they have committed to fund the project that could as much as $100 million. Illinois joins Colorado, New York, North Carolina and Massachusetts in piloting the program that could take effect within the next year. The Council of Chief State School Officers selected the five states, foundation officials said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chibrknews-grants-to-fund-education-computer-network-20110602,0,2223996.story

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June 12, 2011

Maximize return, minimize risk when looking at new technology

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

by Steven Gedeon, Inside Toronto

Early adopters must get the latest technology because their livelihood depends on it. Their core business demands they have the latest and greatest technology in order to compete. Unfortunately, being an early adopter is risky. Most new technologies cost more, are buggy and can result in significant headaches before they generate a return on investment. Technology laggards, on the other hand, save time and money by letting others buy first and figure out all the problems, and by waiting till costs come down. Laggards can readily find others to install the new technology and can easily get help if required because everyone else has already figured out how the technology works. The rest of us fall somewhere in between. We know we want the new technology, but we can afford to wait a few more weeks or months for the price to come down or for quality to improve. For the mainstream user, the issue becomes one of how to maximize return on investment while minimizing the risk that something better will come out next week. This is where having a technology maven is essential.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/opinion/columns/article/1019366–guest-column-maximize-return-minimize-risk-when-looking-at-new-technology

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Girl Tech Inventors and Mentors!

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

by Angela Haines, Huffington Post

One night in May, the premises of AOL in downtown NYC vibrated with the chatty energy and nerves of 47 teenage girls from 17 local high schools getting ready to pitch their newly created apps to a group of four judges from the worlds of both technology and venture capital. The Technovation Challenge pitch night, the first on the East Coast, was the culmination of a nine week program, matching high school girls with high tech mentors from local industry and universities to create mobile phone app prototypes using Google’s App Inventor for Android. The teams met weekly for three hour sessions at Google’s New York offices. Early support for the program came from the U.S. Office of Naval Research seeking solutions to a crisis in recruiting sufficient tech savvy professionals.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/angela-haines/girl-tech-inventors-and-m_b_868829.html

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School board adopts computer-based reading education

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

by LAURA STETSER, Pleasantville Shore News

The Board of Education has approved the adoption of a new reading program, discarding its current “antique” reading program to make way for a newer, more technology-based one. Interim Assistant Superintendent Effie Jenkins-Smith said the new program will “turn around our schools.” Jenkins-Smith said the current system relies on teacher-generated, handwritten assessments and the work does not necessarily correlate to the state standardized testing. LEADS categorizes students into three tiers based on reading proficiency. Tier 1 is whole group instruction, Tier 2 is smaller group instruction focused on providing support in trouble areas, and Tier 3 provides more intensive assistance for struggling readers.

http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/pleasantville/pleasantville-general-news/12068-school-board-adopts-computer-based-reading-education.html

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June 11, 2011

Follow the F Grades

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:41 am

by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed

In 2009, Brian Hayden attended a professional development program for Pittsburgh area community colleges at which Kay M. McClenney, director of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, offered an idea. She said that community colleges needed to take a look at the courses with the highest failure rates. Hayden, director of institutional research at the Community College of Beaver County, decided to do just that. “I didn’t realize what I was getting into,” he recalled here Tuesday in a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development. Hayden described the way the data — which hadn’t been previously examined at the college — led to concrete changes to promote student success.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/06/01/community_college_examines_high_failure_courses

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E-learning ‘allows substantial cost savings’

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

by Virtual College (UK)

Businesses providing e-learning opportunities for their workforces could save money compared with those that receive training from outside parties. Using the internet and online tools to train employees in the workplace cuts travel and associated costs by a substantial amount, Cool Avenues reports. Companies have been urged to continue to better their workforces by providing opportunities for growth, despite the difficult economic climate. According to the MBA community portal, 70 per cent of all learning occurs while a person is carrying out day-to-day tasks in their work environment. For this reason, increasing numbers of businesses have adopted web-based methods to train staff in their place of employment.

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/Elearning-allows-substantial-cost-savings-800561984.~

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Cloud Computing Survey Shows Snapshot of Issues IT Leaders Face

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:29 am

By Tanya Roscorla, Converge

Both the 2010 and 2011 Horizon Report from the New Media Consortium suggest that cloud computing will become mainstream in the next year in K-12 school districts. A number of states, including Oregon, have already signed agreements with Google so that any district in the state can choose to move to Google Apps. On the higher education side, members of the California State University system have adopted both Microsoft Live@edu and Google Apps. But other universities have halted Gmail pilots because they’re concerned that research information being stored outside of the United States could become public.

http://www.convergemag.com/policy/Cloud-Computing-Survey-2011.html

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June 10, 2011

Virginia Shares School iPad, E-book Experiences

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

By Tanya Roscorla, Converge

Students in four Virginia school divisions learned with an iPad and e-books during a four month pilot. In four Virginia school divisions, a four month pilot of e-books and iPads sheds light on the potential benefits and challenges these digital tools offer. The Beyond Textbooks Year One Report paints a qualitative case study that gives more insight into issues like cost. But it doesn’t draw definitive conclusions, said Tammy McGraw, the director of educational technology at the Virginia Education Department.

http://www.convergemag.com/policy/Virginia-iPad-ebook-Pilot.html

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Maybelle the Cockroach Sparks Digital Learning Adventures

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

By Tanya Roscorla, Classroom Technology

Second-graders at Finch Elementary in Texas read stories about Maybelle the Cockroach and digitally document their adventures with the plastic version of Maybelle. They took a plastic version of Maybelle home, wrote about their adventures and photographed her, said Mary Carole Strother, library media specialist at the Texas school. “We had a lot of fun with that, and I thought, ‘Well you know, it would be really fun if we could share Maybelle kind of like you do with Flat Stanley [students send pictures of Flat Stanley to other students around the world].'”

http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/Maybelle-the-Cockroach-Sparks-Digital-Learning-Adventures.html

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Purdue Strives to Improve Student Success with Engagement Apps

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

by Tanya Roscorla, Classroom Technology

At Purdue University, the Informatics team has been developing apps to get students excited about learning. “Our primary goal is to improve student success, and one way to do that is through engagement,” said Kyle Bowen, director of Informatics at Purdue. Within the Information Technology department at Purdue, a team of full-time IT staff members and about eight students develop learning technologies. And last month, three engagement apps that the team developed earned the 2011 TechPoint Mira Award for Educational Contribution to Technology. This award recognizes departments, programs or teams in Indiana.

http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/Purdue-Engagement-Apps.html?elq=b091281cb5334816a62735d0535e2d2d

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