Educational Technology

October 10, 2012

Idaho teachers experience online Khan Academy

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

by Scott Evans, NWCN

Hundreds of teachers gathered in Boise Thursday to get a better idea about popular online Khan Academy and how the tool could possibly help in their classrooms. In May, Sal Khan, the creator of Khan Academy came to Idaho as part of the KTVB sponsored Ed Sessions. With such a good response from teachers, the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation brought the Khan Academy back to Idaho to enhance its vision of limitless learning. “We’re hoping that it could be a deeper experience for them in the classroom after this, they can go do more Khan Academy stuff and provide personal instruction to students,” said Sundar Subbarayan with the Khan Academy.

http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=172716341&fPath=/news/local&fDomain=10227

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What Wearable Computers Could Mean for Campuses

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

By Jeffrey R. Young, Chronicle of Higher Ed

Wearable computers may be coming to campus sooner than you think. Google recently announced “Project Glass,” a pair of glasses that contains a computer display and camera so that wearers can see text messages, directions, or other information right in their field of vision, and some say it is a sign of a coming age of “augmented reality” devices. The Tech Therapy team talked with Amber Case, a self-described cyborg anthropologist, about what the technology could mean for colleges.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/techtherapy/2012/10/03/episode-99-what-wearable-computers-could-mean-for-campuses/

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New Virtual Volunteer Matching Tool

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:32 am

by Jonathan Gallup, Digital Wish

Teachers who are planning a class project, and need “expert” volunteers – are invited to post project ideas on the new Virtual Volunteer area at www.digitalwish.org. Digital Wish connects classroom teachers with “expert” volunteers by video conference. Throughout the school year, Digital Wish will be recruiting employees of large corporations, entrepreneur networks, and many scientific associations to have their members volunteer to help educators with their class projects. This is a free service that Digital Wish provides for classroom teachers and their supporters.

http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/news?id=179

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October 9, 2012

Students leading the digital revolution

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

By Damien Larkins, Australian Broadcasting Company

Some of Tasmania’s best and brightest here are embracing the digital revolution and working to become the next leaders in technology. Computers have become a ubiquitous part of our lives nowadays; at work, at home, we even spend much of our spare time interacting with electronic devices. The University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) School of Computing and Information Systems today showcased some of its latest undergrad and post graduate projects. Among them were computer games, robots, artificial intelligence and augmented reality. The School’s courses also teach students to develop and pitch projects to business and government organisations and several third-year student projects with real-world applications were also on display.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/10/03/3603094.htm

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How Technology is Improving Secondary Education

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

by CityTown

The expanding and constantly innovating technology industry in America today has motivated high school teachers and company leaders alike to bring technology and computer science into the secondary school classroom as both learning tools and a means to inspire students to pursue these fields in the future. 41 NBC reports that teachers at Westside High School in Georgia are integrating electronic books, tests, and interactive learning materials in a teaching style that is known as blended learning. Westside, which was awarded a grant for blended learning two years ago, combines classroom lectures with online student assignments and interactive activities. The school has given students small laptop computers and personalized accounts that enable them to track their academic progress, access course materials and assignments, and receive individual feedback from teachers.

http://www.citytowninfo.com/career-and-education-news/articles/how-technology-is-improving-secondary-education-12100202

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Meet the Nimble-Fingered Interface of the Future

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

by Kate Greene, Technology Review

Microsoft’s Kinect, a 3-D camera and software for gaming, has made a big impact since its launch in 2010. Eight million devices were sold in the product’s first two months on the market as people clamored to play video games with their entire bodies in lieu of handheld controllers. But while Kinect is great for full-body gaming, it isn’t useful as an interface for personal computing, in part because its algorithms can’t quickly and accurately detect hand and finger movements. Now a San Francisco-based startup called 3Gear has developed a gesture interface that can track fast-moving fingers. Today the company will release an early version of its software to programmers. The setup requires two 3-D cameras positioned above the user to the right and left.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429426/meet-the-nimble-fingered-interface-of-the-future/

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October 8, 2012

How To Make Students Better Online Researchers

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

by Edudemic

I recently came across an article in Wired Magazine called “Why Kids Can’t Search“. I’m always interested in this particular topic, because it’s something I struggle with in my middle and high school classes constantly, and I know I’m not alone in my frustrations. Getting kids to really focus on what exactly they are searching for, and then be able to further distill idea into a few key specific search terms is a skill that we must teach students, and we have to do it over and over again. We never question the vital importance of teaching literacy, but we have to be mindful that there are many kinds of “literacies”. An ever more important one that ALL teachers need to be aware of is digital literacy. I could go off in many directions on this, but for the purpose of this post I’m focusing strictly on the digital literacy of searching.

http://edudemic.com/2012/09/students-online-researchers/

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What Is A PLN?

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

by Edudemic

Through the use of my own Personal Learning Network (PLN), I came across several great examples that both define what a PLN is, and explain the value of creating one for yourself. According to a wikispace about creating PLNs, “Personal Learning Networks are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to:

1) set their own learning goals

2) manage their learning; managing both content and process

3) communicate with others in the process of learning and thereby achieve learning goals

http://edudemic.com/2012/10/build-personal-learning-network/

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Skype Fiddles With Classrooms

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

by Mike Butcher, Tech Crunch

Meanwhile Skype has announced a number of new partnerships for its ‘Skype in the Classroom‘ initiative, bringing in NASA’s Digital Learning Center, The National Museum of the Royal Navy and HMS Victory, British Council, VerbalizeIt, Action Aid, Woodland Trust, Education through Expedition and Choose2Matter joining the scheme which is It’s all about promoting video-calling in the classroom – and spreading the adoption of the application of course. Skype says over 38,000 teachers are now collaborating on 1,800 educational projects globally.

http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/03/skype-fiddles-with-classrooms-and-wifi-pr-stunts-while-the-product-languishes/

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October 7, 2012

5 Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online as a Teacher

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

by AJ Juliani, Education is My Life

As educators we have an important job: teaching the world’s youth. While the teaching profession consistently ranks as one of the top five “noble” job fields, it is also hard for many teachers to make a living without working a part-time job on the side. Many educators work in other fields during summers off, but it is sometimes tough to switch gears and move away from education for part-time work. This post is for those teachers, like myself, who are looking for some extra income and would like it to come via education. This is not to debate how much teachers should be paid, only to be realistic in the fact that many of us need extra money (who doesn’t these days!). We’ve studied hard, worked hard, and spent countless hours trying to get better at a very difficult profession. Now, it’s time to have that work ethic pay off outside of the classroom. None of these ways to make money online are “get rich” opportunities, instead they are real world business opportunities for those in education. Also, this post is meant to be an overview of some different (and proven) ways to make money online.

http://educationismylife.com/5-legitimate-ways-to-make-money-online-as-a-teacher

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Blogging vs Threaded Discussions in Online Courses

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:36 am

By James Brauer, Connected Principals

Clarke and Kinne (2012) conducted a study that followed two forms of asynchronous discussion amongst students–1.) through use of threaded discussions in a message board and 2.) by blog posts and responses.  According to their findings, students felt more engaged and personally connected to other learners by engaging in discourse through blogging. According to their research, students who blogged about coursework and posted responses to classmates, developed a strong sense of community amongst each other. Because the form of blog writing tends to be less “academic” and more personal, students linked their meaning of academic material to their own lives and experiences. This resulted in more candid and personal discourse amongst the class. While students maintained attention to the various academic topics of study, they did so with their own voice. Students “felt more listed to and valued in their posts than students using discussion boards” (p. 11). Ultimately, this led to the indirect formation of a community of practice, of which students connected their learning experiences to the shared experiences of others. This was in sharp contrast to the experiences of students that engaged in discourse through threaded discussions via Blackboard learning management system. Students tended to collaborate with peers in a very “academic,” less personal tone.

http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/6431

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Sharing the Big Screen from Your Smartphone

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

by Jessica Leber, Technology Review

There’s countless ways to share content and collaborate on projects with friends and coworkers who are located far away. But what about with a group of people all in the same room? There might be a big TV, a video projector and ten mobile devices present, and still people are usually left scratching their heads. A Denver-based startup, Mersive, launched a product today to simplify this interaction, and make higher-quality displays easier to access. Its software, Solstice, allows anyone to beam content from their tablet, laptop or mobile device to a larger display or set of displays, and it allow groups of people to share the same screen simultaneously. Showing off their product today at the Silicon Valley conference DEMO, Mersive demonstrated how five people could collaborate and share from their individual devices across a single, large screen, or stretched out onto two.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/429469/sharing-the-big-screen-from-your-smartphone/

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October 6, 2012

UNM sees rise in students taking online courses

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

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

University of New Mexico has seen a nearly 50-percent increase over last year in the number of credit hours that its students are taking in online courses. The Albuquerque Journal reports that university leaders say the spike is a sign that the school is becoming more accessible. Students at the university this fall are taking 30,728 credit hours of online courses. Online course registrations have more than quintupled in the past decade, and the university expects they will keep growing.

http://kunm.org/post/unm-sees-rise-students-taking-online-courses

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Reading, ‘riting, RAM

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:36 am

By BRANDON L. SUMMERS, Messenger News

Technology is being integrated more with standard curriculum in the Fort Dodge Community School District. “The way you engage kids in this century is through technology,” Sue Wood, FDCSD director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said. “Anytime you have engaged students, you’re going to have an increase in student achievement.” Sara Richardson, technology integrationist, is connecting students and their teachers with technology and new educational programs to enhance the learning process. Every day, district students are using programs such as Moodle and Animoto and technology such as tablets for reading e-books in their studies.

http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/551488/Reading—riting–RAM.html?nav=5010

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Coursera makes Penn courses more accessible

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

By JULIA ROSSI, KIMON TRIANTAFYLLOU, TONY XIE, the Daily Penn

Imagine a world where college level courses, taught by leading professors at top-notch universities like Penn, are at the fingertips of any motivated citizen — for free. Log onto Coursera on a Saturday evening and the imagination is reality. The first thing to notice is the flurry of new posts on the discussion forums. This week’s homework assignment and quiz are due the next day at 9 p.m., and the assignments forum is filled with questions about the course material. An online education startup from Stanford, Coursera offers free online classes taught by top university professors across the nation. A Coursera course grants students instant access to several hours of lecture videos and quizzes put together by the course professor. As they move through the course syllabus, they can also share thoughts and ask questions in an online discussion forum.

http://www.thedp.com/article/2012/10/coursera-makes-penn-courses-more-accessible

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October 5, 2012

The 4 Types Of People Who Should Consider Online Learning

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

by Katheryn, Edudemic

The popularity of K-12 online learning is growing across the United States and the world. Just this August, 29 middle schools and high schools in both the U.S. and India added an online learning option to their repertoire as part of the VHS Collaborative (a non-profit organization that has been providing online courses to students since 1996) to provide a selection of higher-level courses to students interested in expanding their schooling options. As awareness grows about this new form of education, more demand can be expected, but e-learning is not for everyone. What types of students benefit most from online coursework? Listed below are four examples of students who could experience academic improvement through this new form of learning.

http://edudemic.com/2012/09/4-types-people-online-learning/

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9 Keys to Success in Hybrid Programs

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

By Jan Fletcher, THE Journal

Blended learning exists at the intersection between traditional face-to-face instruction and online learning, although to what extent each component is employed is open to interpretation. The ratio between offline and online instruction can vary widely from school to school, but both elements must be present to qualify as true blended learning.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/09/11/9-keys-to-success-in-hybrid-programs.aspx

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12 Technologies to Watch in STEM Education

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

By Center for Digital Education

On Thursday, Sept. 20, the New Media Consortium for the first time released a technology outlook for science, technology, engineering and math. The report identifies 12 technologies to watch in these fields over the next five years. Of these 12 technologies, four did not make it onto the short list of either of the reports on K-12 or higher education that the consortium released earlier this year. These four include collective intelligence, massively open online courses, social networking and wearable technology. This chart shows a comparison of the 12 technologies that made the short list for each of these reports, all published by the New Media Consortium.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/12-Technologies-to-Watch-in-STEM-Education.html

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October 4, 2012

15 Free Learning Tools You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

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

by Terry Heick, Teach Thought

It can be hard to keep up with the ever-growing list of free educational sites out there, much less distinguish which ones will best meet your needs and help you learn skills you really need without shelling out big bucks. New sites are always being launched and even those that have been on the scene for a while sometimes don’t garner enough attention to make it onto your radar, often getting overshadowed by more high-profile sites. As a result, even those who are in the ed tech loop can miss out on some seriously helpful free learning sites. Here we highlight just a few of these under-the-radar free learning sites, that run the gamut from providing full degree programs to simple job-skill training tools, offering a little something for every kind of learner.

http://www.teachthought.com/trends/elearning/15-free-learning-tools-youve-probably-never-heard-of/

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Teachers ‘flip’ over technology in the classroom

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

By ERICA RODRIGUEZ, Orlando Sentinel

Flipping lets students absorb lessons during their own time in an electronic way, usually through a YouTube video or an educational social network. Students who’ve done their homework arrive at school prepared to ask questions or have already discussed the lecture with their peers online the night before. “It takes me out of being the center of the classroom and starts centering the classroom around them,” said Sarah Devereaux, a South Lake High School algebra teacher who flips her room, “so that they can grasp more than just being robots and taking in the information and regurgitating it.” In Franklin’s class, students said they were surprised to learn their class would be conducted through a Google site. Sophomore Ryan Purvis said the technique took a little getting used to, but he likes the approach because it’s a lot better than carrying around textbooks.

http://onlineathens.com/features/2012-09-22/teachers-flip-over-technology-classroom

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The innovation curve hasn’t hit education yet

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

BY Janko Roettgers, GigaOM

Educational apps and interactive textbooks may look flashy, but we still have a long way to go before we can truly leverage tech in the classroom: That was one of the key takeaways from a mobile education panel at GigaOM’s Mobilize conference, where Rafter CEO Mehdi Maghsoodnia complained that most educational applications still feel like mobile apps before the iPhone, adding: “The innovation curve hasn’t hit educational content yet.” Maghsoodnia was joined onstage by Vineet Madan, SVP of New Ventures and Strategic Services for McGraw-Hill Education, who agreed that there is still lots of room for innovation. “The answer isn’t putting a piece of paper on a screen,” he said. McGraw-Hill Education has partnered with Inkling for some interactive publications, and Madan said that the feedback has been very positive. “It’s certainly gotten a lot of buzz,” he said, adding that these kinds of interactive experiences offer much richer forms of engagement than print ever did.

http://gigaom.com/mobile/open-platforms-for-education-mobilize/

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