Educational Technology

by Michelle Stoffe, Chicago Tribune

The halls of Dryden Elementary are like the walls of a mini art museum, filled with Lima bean monsters, spoofs of Rene Magritte’s “The Son of Man” and a massive tile mosaic of student artwork. Art teacher Tricia Fuglestad is making her mark on the Arlington Heights school — one wall at a time — but she’s also making one internationally with her forward-thinking use of technology in the art classroom. Fuglestad’s creative instructional movies and songs, her extensive and creative use of apps and computer art programs, and the construction of an online art community has morphed her students’ artwork and allows them to share it virtually with the world.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-techy-art-teacher-20111225,0,3909182.story

by Computers and Technology

In today’s technological world, you know how important it is for students to use computers on a normal basis. The challenge is to use technology efficiently to boost learning. Incorporating technologies into your everyday lessons and activities is a practical way to teach students that pc abilities are important for a lot more than just surfing the Web. In specific, the PowerPoint is the most crucial tool that a lot more and a lot more teachers used in there practical teaching in order to make insightful visual expertise and make student focused!

http://www.technethuancavelica.com/put-computer-technology-into-practical-teaching.htm

by National Public Radio

In 1975, when then-composer and performer Bill Buxton started designing his own digital musical instruments, he had no way of knowing he was helping to spark the next technological revolution. But nine years — and a master’s in computer science — later, that all changed. “I wasn’t trying to make a computer interface, I was just trying to make a drum,” Buxton tells NPR’s Robert Siegel. “Did I envision what was going to happen today, that it would be in everybody’s pocket — in their smartphone? Absolutely not. Did we realize that things were going to be different, that you could do things that we never imagined? … Absolutely.” Today, Buxton is known as a pioneer in human-computer interaction, a field of computer science that has seen a spike in consumer demand thanks to a new, seemingly ubiquitous technology: Touch.

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/26/144146395/the-touchy-feely-future-of-technology

by Julian Box, Cloud Pro

Cloud entrepreneur Julian Box sets out why cloud computing could transform the education system.  As IT takes ever bigger strides towards a software centric world whether application or infrastructure based, I couldn’t help but notice the ever increasing lack of young people within the software arena of IT, both here where I live in Jersey and the UK generally. I decided to dig deeper into the Channel Islands and UK education systems to see what, if anything, cloud computing could do to help encourage young people into the world of IT and, specifically, software development.

http://www.cloudpro.co.uk/julian-box/2555/can-cloud-computing-help-develop-business-skills-future

By Graeme Paton, the UK Telegraph

Children’s access to smartphones and computers should be limited to stop them becoming “addicted” to electronic gadgets, according to a schools’ leader. Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, said young people’s reading and conversational skills were being put at risk by overexposure to modern technology. He said parents should resist buying sons and daughters a smartphone until they are at least 15 and limit computer use to an hour or two a day. Mr Lenon, the former headmaster of Harrow School, also called for the greater use of multiple choice questions in exams, saying they were an effective method of covering more of the syllabus and less susceptible to marking errors. In an interview, he said that exposure to computers was particularly damaging to boys, harming their long-term development.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8988082/Children-becoming-addicted-to-computers.html

by Christopher Cousins, Bangor Maine Daily

The shortage of experts in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is very real in Maine as it is across the United States, a fact which has led to calls for action everywhere from the White House to the Maine governor’s mansion. This has led to the proliferation of so-called STEM programs in Maine and across the country. Anita Bernhardt, a science and technology specialist for the Maine Department of Education, said the average age of an engineer in the United States is 47. In Maine, she predicts job openings in technology and engineering careers will increase by nearly 50 percent by 2018 because of retirements in those fields and new jobs created. According to figures from the Department of Labor, which indicate there are some 20,000 STEM-related jobs in Maine, that could mean there will be an additional 10,000 jobs in the future.

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/01/news/state/stem-education-proliferating-in-maine/

by David Pogue, NY Times

With another year gone, it’s time for the latest installment of the Pogie Awards. These awards celebrate innovation in technology. As always, these awards don’t go to the best products of the year; what could be more boring? Instead, the Pogies celebrate the best ideas of the year: ingenious features that somehow made it out of committee and into real-world products, even if the resulting products aren’t that great.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/01/02/years-ingenious-ideas-applauded.html

By Melanie Plenda, Concord Monitor

What started out as a loose bunch of volunteers and stacks of computer bits in Steven Bothwick’s garage has turned into a warehouse full of volunteers and hundreds of computers in the hands of low-income Granite Staters. One year ago, Bothwick and his volunteers started the Computer Technology Assistance Corps, the aim of which is to repair and refurbish retired computers so that they might have new life with an eligible child, low-income family, senior citizen, school or nonprofit. Though this is something that’s being done at various levels across the country, Bothwick’s nonprofit also offers technical support, basic care and troubleshooting lessons, as well as classes for parents to teach them how to monitor their kids’ computer use.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/301607/computer-assistance

By Leon Neyfakh, Boston Globe

Dubious as it may seem in those contexts, the dream of prediction also attracts a very different breed of prognosticators: one armed not with sheep guts, but with the tools of math and science. Instead of tea leaves or Tarot cards, they wield hard drives filled with data. They conjure up systems, not fantasies. By starting with information about what has already happened — immense quantities of it — and finding inventive ways to interpret it, experts in fields from public health to national security are building increasingly sophisticated predictive models, taking advantage of new technology and new ideas about how the world is organized to push the frontiers of what we can predict.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2012/01/01/the-future-prediction/KCxOqDjUgs5EwAk4HSWmsL/story.html

by Kavya Balaraman, Deccan Herald

The habit of reading, it seems, isn’t finding many takers amongst school children these days. Many Bangaloreans may associate their childhood with the action-packed adventures of Enid Blyton, or the gentle comedy of Dr Seuss; but with the advent of television and video-gaming, these tales rarely venture from their shelves. Children now spend their time after school glued to the computer, or devouring hour after hour of cartoons — missing out completely on the magic, mystery and fantasy worlds that books offer them. Metrolife speaks to a few teachers and parents to find out more.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/215285/books-take-back-seat.html

by PHYLLIS KORKKI, NY Times

It’s a far different work world today than it was even 10 years ago. Technology and the economy have converged to create a set of priorities and preoccupations that are unique to our times. Here are just a few workplace and employment issues that are likely to stir debate, frustration and a search for solutions this year. More technology necessitates more training. During the recession, too many workers learned new technology imperfectly, on the fly, or not at all. Fortunately, corporate spending on training rose in 2011 over the previous year, according to a report in Training magazine. The pace at which new technology emerges and becomes paramount is quickening as never before. Last year, HTML 5 for the Web was the hottest skill that a job seeker could have; now it’s a knowledge of apps, said Alison Doyle, a job search specialist for About.com, which is owned by The New York Times Company.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/jobs/for-multitaskers-2012-may-be-a-year-of-revenge.html?_r=1

by Ken Alltucker, Arizona Republic

The brain-computer interface technology could one day be used to help people with limited mobility regain their movements, said David Adelson, a Phoenix Children’s Hospital neurosurgeon who is conducting the experiment with Arizona State University researchers. Adelson provided some examples of how the technology could be useful. A quadriplegic could flip a light switch or type an e-mail, an amputee could use a prosthetic arm to reach for a cup or a stroke patient could regain movement. “What we’re trying to see is can you create learning in the brain in areas that don’t have that function,” Adelson said.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2011/12/20/20111220technology-holds-promise-paraplegics-others-limited-movement.html

by Richard Guerry, Asbury Park Press

Did you give a child the gift of digital technology this holiday — a digital phone or camera, iPad or iPod, a computer, etc? If so, did you take the time to proactively educate them about the importance of responsible decision-making with that very powerful tool to ensure they do not have to learn … the hard way?

http://www.app.com/article/20120101/NJOPINION06/301010015/Digital-technology-Use-it-responsibly

by the Post-Bulletin

In most classes, students have to put their smartphones away while in class. Not so for students in Bob Kuschel’s science classes at the Crosby-Ironton High School. Kuschel has allowed students to use their smartphones in class for three years and finds them to be an effective tool in the students’ studies. Kuschel said students can’t use their smartphones during a lecture, but they can use them for class assignments and lab experiments. For instance, he’s had students use their smartphones to take videos of their lab experiments. Students can review their experiment and find ways to make it experiment better.

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1480563

By Ann DeMatteo, Post-Chronicle

Scientists who spend their time looking at really small things opened up a whole new world to students at North Haven High School. Michael Rooks, associate director of facilities at the Yale Institute for Nanoscience and Quantum Engineering, and Luigi Frunzio, senior research scientist in applied physics, recently visited Candice Funsch’s ninth-grade physical science class. Funsch invited the scientists to her class because she is hoping to spark an interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “I really feel kids need to understand that science isn’t just in the classroom and is part of our everyday lives,” said Funsch, a first-year teacher.

http://www.ctpostchronicle.com/articles/2011/12/30/life/doc4efe1ef90f334134229416.txt

by Dillon Sorensen, Houston Culture

When it came time to write about a device that has significantly impacted my year — the Apple iPad — I decided I would try something new: For the first time ever, I was going to type an entire article using only the device’s touchscreen keyboard. After spending about five minutes trying to type and revise that single sentence, I decided that my idea wasn’t so brilliant. The iPad is a great device, but it’s not exactly designed for word processing. It is, however, a fantastic tool for media consumption and communication. And for me, 2011 was the year that I started to use my iPad more and my computer less.

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/12-30-the-year-of-the-ipad-a-former-doubter-realizes-there-is-no-stopping-the-steve-jobs-wonder-device/

By Patti Minglin, Chicago Parent

There is a lot of good news in education-and it is happening right in our own backyard. Schools big and small, urban and suburban, are not only evolving their academic and learning processes to keep up with the ever-changing needs of our students, but they are leading the way with some of today’s most innovative new educational strategies.

http://chicagoparent.com/magazines/special-sections/making-the-grade-2012/turning-the-corner

by the Kid’s Doctor, Chicago Tribune

I received a question via our iPhone App from a Dad concerned about all of the new electronics his children are using and whether all these gadgets might harm their vision. After doing some research, I discovered there’s not a lot of data to support the idea that all of this new technology can cause actual visual problems. However, the constant use of computers, electronic games and smartphones for messaging, as well as good old-fashioned TV watching, may cause eye fatigue. The number of hours kids spend on these activities continues to grow, and even for a diligent parent who’s monitoring their child’s screen time, the hours a youngster is online at school must be factored in.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-201112271200–tms–kidsdocctnkd-b20111227dec27,0,743705.story

By Lisa Collacott, TriLakes News

In recent years technology has replaced the family dog, becoming man’s best friend. Record keeping, mail, ordering, writing and paying bills can all be done via one click of the computer. New business contacts can be made through social networking and keeping in contact with friends and family members has become easier to.  But how much technology is too much? Many people find they spend all their time interacting through emails, texting and on social media websites instead of face to face. Or they spend too much time playing games on their cell phone, iPad or gaming system.

http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/trilakes/news/take-a-timeout-from-technology/article_12882b1b-a371-5ee4-9215-3883062054fb.html

by Paris Achen, the Columbian

Internet, cellphones, social media and other technological advancements have transformed the lives of boys since their fathers grew up. Today’s boys are more tech-savvy, less inclined toward risk-taking and closer to their parents than mom and dad were to the grandparents. They also face distinct challenges: less access to physical play, higher obesity rates and less tolerance at school for their boisterous energy and short attention spans.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/dec/27/wired-differentlytechnology-is-game-changer-in-liv/

 By Brooke Sherrard, Daily Iowegian

It turns out the iPad, the touch-screen tablet computer made by Apple Inc., is more than the latest must-have gadget. he iPad has revolutionized speech therapy in the two years since its release, including in the Centerville Community School District. rianne Thompson, 25, a speech-language pathologist at the Great Prairie Area Education Agency, works with about 50 children in the Centerville district. She said the iPad is quickly changing the way speech therapy is practiced. Number one, kids want to use it,” Thompson said. “Speech therapy can be extremely monotonous work, and you need tons of repetition. Whenever a kid is motivated, it means you are going to see more progress more quickly.”

http://dailyiowegian.com/local/x1666053504/Tablet-computer-technology-transforming-speech-therapy