Educational Technology

by Will.I.Am, Huffington Post

Close your eyes and think about today. Think about the United States of America. Think about the state of education. Think about the state of job creation. Think about the state of mind we are in. Think about what our country might look like in 20 years. Now think about and wonder why and who and when and what it’s going to take for Detroit not to turn into a slum. What is it going to take for my niece and her friends to have the best education? And your nephew to graduate and not just get a job, but have a career? I’m writing this on my laptop and you’re probably reading it on your phone or tablet, and none of the stuff we are actually buying “regardless” of a recession is made in America. Technology is recession proof and most kids are not dreaming of being programmers, scientists or engineers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william/science-education_b_920125.html

by Dan Ackerman, CNet News.com

A laptop is practically required equipment for today’s college or high school students (and even grade school kids are getting in on the act). And with the back-to-school season currently in full swing, many laptop shoppers are hunting for a new computer, which may need to fill diverse jobs, from research tool to dorm-room entertainment system. To help find the perfect system for your academic needs, we’ve picked our recent favorites from brick-and-motor stores, online retailers, and build-to-order PC makers, and listed them below, grouped by price.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20088207-1/back-to-school-2011-laptop-roundup-top-picks-for-every-budget/

By Julie Rasicot, The Washington Post

This is how Salman Khan thinks schools should work: Students should learn lessons online and do homework and projects in class. This “flipping” of the traditional classroom is the operating system espoused by Khan and his Khan Academy, a website whose popularity is exploding as millions tune into its free videos, practice exercises and assessment tools. Khan’s videos provide basic tutorials, mostly in math and science, that students can watch repeatedly in class or at home and pause if they need to — something that can’t happen with a classroom lecture. Teachers are then free to work individually with students and be more creative. And that, Khan says, enables class time to be “an optimal experience for students and teachers.”

http://www.bendbulletin.com/article/20110805/NEWS0107/108050381/

by Marino Eccher, InForum

When Heidi Triplett was growing up in Adams, N.D., the idea of going into a technical field never crossed her mind. Today, she’s an 11-year Microsoft veteran; back then, she wanted to be a schoolteacher or a fashion designer. “I just think that in society, so many people look at so many roles and say, ‘That’s for a man,’ ” she said. “Part of it is that you don’t think of it. It’s not on the radar.” This week, she made it her mission to put it on the radar of the 130 teenage girls who came to Microsoft Fargo for a three-day camp designed to draw young women into a field in which they’re woefully underrepresented. The camp, a company-wide program called DigiGirlz, draws nearly 14,000 participants worldwide (not all camps were held this week). The Fargo edition is the largest outside of corporate headquarters in Redmond, Wash., and draws participants from multiple states.

http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/329566/group/Business/

By: Brien McElhatten, ABC 15 Arizona

Class is beginning for more than 4,000 students at Arizona Virtual Academy. They learn all the same lessons and have the same teachers, but the children are often hundreds of miles apart. “This offers flexibility for out students and our parents,” said Megan Henry, Head of School for Arizona Virtual Academy. Students can “attend” class from anywhere an internet connection is accessible. The academy is a charter school funded by tax dollars and no tuition is paid. If a family cannot afford a computer with internet access, the school will provide one. It began in 2003 with only 200 students. This year, administrators expect enrollment to top 5,000.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/virtual-school-attendence-on-the-rise-in-arizona

By John K. Waters, Campus Technology

“IT is already a commodity, and like electricity: It’s essential but not strategic,” McCartney said. “You’re penalized heavily if you’re not there, and there’s no benefit if you are there. Think payroll: All you can do is mess it up. If you think that’s not fair, ask yourself when was the last time you thanked the payroll clerk for getting your check right…. The role of the university CIO is diminishing. The role of the college CIO is diminishing. If you think I’m wrong, here’s a little test for you: If your president came into the room now, would they be able to identify you? Would they know what you look like?”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2011/08/04/reengineering-it-in-higher-education.aspx

By: Lance Whitney, CNet news.com

Rumors about the iPad 3 are ramping up again, with one report claiming the next version of Apple’s tablet could launch as early as Thanksgiving. A story in yesterday’s Taiwan Economic News cited industry executives as saying they estimate Apple will release the iPad 3 “by this Thanksgiving or next year.” Whether its next tablet reaches consumers by this year’s holiday season, Apple is expected to sell the iPad 3 at current prices and then discount the iPad 2 to clear out inventory, said the sources. Calling the iPad 3 a “threat” to non-Apple tablets, the Taiwan Economic News pointed to a new Transformer computer from Asustek designed to give the iPad a run for its money. Doubling as both a laptop and a tablet, the new Transformer should hit the market this October in anticipation of Apple trimming its prices for the iPad 2 and unveiling the iPad 3.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-31747_7-20087509-243/rumor-ipad-3-could-launch-by-thanksgiving/

By Mary Hood, Neighborhood Newspapers Atlanta

New Manchester High School will not only be the newest school welcoming students this year, but will be a pilot school for a new 21st century approach. Students will be allowed access to their personal technology devices — iPods, smartphones and more — as education tools within the classroom. The school system is calling the program Bring Your Own Technology and it has been in the works for a while.

http://neighbornewspapers.com/stories/Tech-devices-encouraged-as-learning-tools-at-new-school,173651

By Anne Ernst, San Mateo Patch

Some arrived tech-savvy, some came tech-adequate, but after two weeks of intensive training at the Krause Center for Innovation, the teachers who attended the Making Education Relevant and Interactive Through Technology program all left tech-inspired. “I took roll on the computer,” says Dolly Sandoval about how much technology she used in her classroom previous to attending MERIT. Now she’s excited about implementing in her classroom what she’s learned so far, she says. Others who had never made a video walked away with the knowledge of not only how to make one, but how to make it into a lesson that can be captivating and entertaining. MERIT is a one-year program for educators of grades 4 through 12 that teaches teachers how to best utilize and integrate innovative technology in the classroom, using anything from Prezi, a free web-based zoom presentation program to creating 90-second videos to augment a lesson.

http://sanmateo.patch.com/articles/the-merit-of-technology-in-the-classroom-4

by Vivian Sade, The Journal Gazette

A recent report on public library use shows that digital research is rapidly outpacing the traditional paper search. As technology changes how people access and use information, public libraries have worked to keep pace. Most still offer rooms full of books, but added to the paper are computer stations, e-books and Wi-Fi. Libraries also are offering programs and services – knitting groups and social networking, for example – that extend far beyond the traditional scope of a library.

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110731/LOCAL/307319941/1002/LOCAL

By George Williams, Chronicle of Higher Ed

Recently the annual meeting of the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing (SHARP) took place in Washington D.C. I’ve been a member of SHARP since I attended the 2001 meeting, and I’ve always found the conference–as well as the SHARP journal Book History–to be extremely rewarding. This year, Twitter was a powerful presence at the conference, in part because the organization was officially encouraging conference-goers to use the medium for backchannel discussion. SHARP’s president, Leslie Howsham (@lesliehowsham), and vice president, Ian Gadd (@iangadd), are both on Twitter. And it seemed to me that a critical mass of SHARP attendees were already Twitter users. Furthermore, I noticed a number of Twitter users who were not even attending the conference engaging in the #sharp11 Tweetstream.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/social-media-and-book-history-sharp11-and-twitter/35009?sid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en

by Kathleen Pierce, Boston Globe

“This is a generation of kids that have learned to communicate, search and purchase on very small devices, like mobile phones,’’ said James McQuivey, Forrester Research media analyst. “This year is a guinea pig year, next year the move will be en masse.’’ The trends are already striking. Forrester Research projects that 15.5 million e-readers will be sold this year, a 50 percent increase over last year. While the firm does not break out sales by age, children are a growing customer base. When Barnes & Noble launched a digital library for children last October, it had 120 picture book titles; today it has 570, including classics such as Curious George and Corduroy. Similarly, publisher HarperCollins reports that young adult e-books have surged 125 percent year over year.

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/07/30/young_readers_devouring_e_books/

by Tanya Thomas, Med India

Turning your thoughts into motion may soon be possible with a new ‘Brain Cap’ technology that scientists have developed. Researchers from the University of Maryland have created a non-invasive, sensor-lined cap with neural interface software that soon could be used to control computers, robotic prosthetic limbs, motorized wheelchairs and even digital avatars.”We are on track to develop, test and make available to the public- within the next few years – a safe, reliable, noninvasive brain computer interface that can bring life-changing technology to millions of people whose ability to move has been diminished due to paralysis, stroke or other injury or illness,” said Associate Professor of Kinesiology Jos? ‘Pepe’ L. Contreras-Vidal of the university’s School of Public Health. The team demonstrated that people wearing the EEG brain cap could achieve performance levels comparable to those by subjects using invasive implanted electrode brain computer interface systems.

http://www.medindia.net/news/Turn-Thoughts-into-Motion-With-New-Brain-Cap-Technology-88398-1.htm

By STEVE DENNING, Forbes

The economic future of the country depends on how well we educate our children. At present, the U.S. doesn’t even rank in the top 30 countries in the world in education status and is well behind other developed countries like Belgium and Canada. About a decade ago, the Gates Foundation set out to see what could be done. Problem is, what is being done is not enough. In an interesting interview in the Wall Street Journal, Bill Gates recently talked with Jason Riley about what his foundation has learned after investing some $5 billion in education philanthropy. The experience has been sobering. “It’s hard to improve public education,” says Gates. “That’s clear. As Warren Buffett would say, if you’re picking stocks, you wouldn’t pick this one.”

http://blogs.forbes.com/stevedenning/2011/07/29/wakeup-call-for-the-gates-foundation-think-bigger/

By Susan Blystone, Illinois State Magazine

Alumnus helps educators overcome perennial classroom struggle. The adage that defines school as the place to learn “Readin’ and ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic” doesn’t hold true for the classroom of 2011. Technology has been added to the list as a fundamental factor in today’s teaching and learning equation. Working it into the curriculum throws off more than the rhythm of the popular lyric written in 1907. It puts many educators into a tailspin, especially as it becomes increasingly obvious that students are more techno-savvy than most teachers and administrators.

http://blogs.ilstu.edu/illinois-state-magazine/2011/07/28/teachers-vs-technology/

By Dave Murray, The Grand Rapids Press

The online publication eSchool News recently asked readers what they most often hear from students about what they want to see in their schools. The publication compiled the results, and found that students are a little more sophisticated than they sometimes get credit for. There are no demands for better lunches, longer recesses or shorter school days. Here are the top five in countdown fashion, and shortened. 5. Interactive technology… 3. Innovation… 1. Real-world application and relevancy

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/07/what_do_students_want_from_the.html

by Aislyn Greene, TechFlash

Participants have been presenting their learning projects to a panel of judges over the last couple of days over on Microsoft’s Redmond campus. The judges will select 10 of those projects to represent the U.S. at the Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum to be held this November 6-11 in Washington D.C. Of the 100 presenters at the forum, 12 are from Washington state. Projects range from using Microsoft OneNote in a science classroom to creating video announcements that promote diversity and discourage bullying. (Check out the full list of projects here.) I talked with a few of the educators from Washington to see how they are using technology to helps kids learn.

http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2011/07/microsoft-recognizes-innovative-educator.html

by Kris Wartelle, the Advertiser

Austin Credeur is like a lot of other 10-year-old kids. He loves his computer, video games and other electronic devices. But one thing he can’t stand is 3D movies. “When I put on those glasses,” he says, “it hurts my eyes.” Austin can’t see 3D movies because he suffers from strabismus, crossing of the eyes, and amblyopia, when the eyes aren’t perfectly aligned or “lazy eye.” Austin was born with the afflictions and some types of technology can exacerbate those problems. His mother, Shannon Credeur, says she really worries about him in the classroom. “I have to make sure he is facing the screen or the board straight-on and doesn’t have to turn his head,” she said. “He had surgery at a young age to correct the problems, but, like he said, he still can’t use the 3D glasses.”

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20110730/NEWS01/107300325/High-tech-classrooms-increase-focus-kids-eye-problems?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

By Len Wells, Evansville Courier & Press

I’ve been covering school board meetings for so long that I’ve started calling them school “bored” meetings. So often, members have to deal with such exciting topics as transferring funds from one account into the education fund, trying to hire someone to daub tar on the leaking roof over the shop class or hire a new assistant volleyball coach. But that all changed last week when Mt. Carmel’s Marc Leighty, the technology coordinator for Fairfield Community High School got up and gave a presentation about where things stand today with computer technology in the classroom and where things will likely go. Not only did I awake from a daydream state, I sat up straight and listened intensely as Leighty completely amazed me.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jul/31/school-technology-now-far-removed-from-film/

by Laurie Welch, Magic Valley Times-News

Chance Bell does well academically, has played the piano since he was 5 years old and competes with a local swim team in the summer. But the 12-year-old home-schooled boy from Rupert has hit the age where he wants to be more involved with his peers. His parents, Jennifer and Mark Bell, are considering enrolling their eldest son in the state-funded Minidoka Virtual Academy that Minidoka County’s school district will launch this fall. “He wants more friends and he’s interested in playing baseball,” his mother said. The district’s full-time online program will offer students in grades K-8 core classes in language arts, math and science, along with a variety of electives and access to the district’s extracurricular activities and athletic teams. The program, operated with software from the private online education company K12, includes regular testing after lessons and student participation in the Idaho Standards Achievement Test.

http://magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls/public-school-comes-home/article_153f78ac-bb43-11e0-8303-001cc4c03286.html

by Erwin Gianchandani, the Computing Community Consortium Blog

This fall, our colleagues Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig are offering a free, online version of their popular Stanford University course, “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.” The class runs from Sept 26 through Dec 16, 2011. While this class is being offered online, it is also taught at Stanford University, where it continues to be a popular intro-level class on AI. For the online version, the instructors aim to offer identical materials, assignments, and exams, and to use the same grading criteria. Both instructors will be available for online discussions.

http://www.cccblog.org/2011/07/30/an-online-ai-course/