Educational Technology

by JESSIE CHUANG, Classroom-Aid

Digital games have the potential to create active and engaging environments for learning, supporting problem-solving, learning through failure. Leveled learning lets learners progress in their own paces. Students can play, explore, experiment, and have fun. However, there are troubles with gamification of education. This paper “The place of game-based learning in an age of austerity“ from Nicola Whitton of Manchester Metropolitan University, UK tries to address these issues.

http://classroom-aid.com/2012/08/28/3-answers-to-the-problems-of-game-based-learning/

by Steve Vosloo, Stevevosloo blog

Education systems are under stress. It is a problem felt in many parts of the world, but in Africa, the strain is even more acute. In sub-Saharan Africa, 10m children drop out of primary school every year. Even those fortunate enough to complete primary school often leave with literacy and numeracy skills far below expected levels. In addition, there is a major shortage of trained and motivated teachers. Throw in one of the highest concentrations of illiterate adults in the world, and you begin to understand the scale of the problem. In the last decade many African countries have, against these significant odds, made solid progress in improving their education levels. However, the challenges are often too large. The “usual” tried and tested methods of delivering education are not enough.

http://stevevosloo.com/2012/08/28/the-future-of-education-in-africa-is-mobile-bbc-article/

by edTech Digest

I pulled up several examples from the Curriki website [a nonprofit providing free learning resources to the world] http://welcome.curriki.org/  and they could not believe so much was available,” she says. “They were thrilled.” Around the globe, in poor and developing countries students are unable to get books due to lack of resources, and teachers do not have access to the latest in ‘for fee’ online curriculum. Even in the U.S., the cost of commercial textbooks and teaching materials has become prohibitive for local school districts. “It’s clear that the cost structure of education must change, and that technology must be leveraged more effectively in the classroom to deliver better outcomes for more students,” says Kim, who is Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Curriki.

http://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/interview-a-wikipedia-for-education/

by Steve DeVane, Fayetteville Observer

North Carolina’s public schools are investing millions of dollars in technology, spurred by federal grants. Most Cumberland County schools already have wireless Internet access, and every school will have it by next spring. Each school also has at least one mobile computer lab, which students call COWs – computers on wheels. Every teacher has a laptop, which helps students connect with their lessons. Elementary students are learning how to do research on the Internet as early as kindergarten. Meanwhile, middle and high schools are becoming online communities in which students can get assignments, submit projects and take tests. Classes take “virtual” field trips on the Internet to historic places or famous museums.

http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/08/26/1197815?sac=fo.local

by Bob and Joy Schwabach, the Telegram

Khan Academy’s free educational videos have been viewed 178 million times on YouTube. Now they’ve launched a “Computer Science” program that teaches kids and adults how to handle JavaScript; that’s the computer language that dominates the Web. If you think this is too technical, you’d be missing something that turns out to be a lot of fun. Early lessons teach you to manipulate a snowman, changing the color of the sky, the ground, his nose, his buttons, and even the color of the snow. After the snowman, you move on to controlling Pac-Man figures.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20120826/COLUMN81/108269985/1002/business

by Christina Farr, VentureBeat

Maykah pulled in $85,965 to build and mass-market a toy to inspire young girls who are great at solving, deducing, and experimenting. Maykah has struck a chord in Silicon Valley, one of the many tech hubs that is experiencing a dearth of female engineers and designers. According to the National Center for Women and Information Technology, a nonprofit, only 25 percent of the tech industry’s workforce are women.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/18/maykah-toys-for-girls/