Educational Technology

by Ki Mae Heussner, GigaOM

High school kids across the country are getting the chance to make potentially thousands of new Facebook friends. That’s because massive open online courses (MOOCs), which have historically targeted college-age students and lifelong learners, are making their way to the pre-college crowd. This week, News Corp.’s education arm Amplify announced a high school MOOC for AP Computer Science. The course, which kicks off in August, is intended to give students two semesters of academic instruction in preparation for the College Board’s exam. The online program, taught by an experienced high school teacher, is free to students. And an added option, called MOOC Local, which provides schools with students in the CS MOOC additional resources, will cost $200 per student but is free to schools for the first year.

http://gigaom.com/2013/06/28/news-corp-s-amplify-is-latest-with-a-mooc-for-the-high-school-crowd/

by Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

Whether you’re using technology a lot or just dipping your proverbial toes in the digital water, this quick set of tips is perfect for you.For starters, you should know that effective connected educators always “start with the why” and don’t immediately adopt and deploy technology as soon as possible. They try to figure out “why” that particular piece of tech should have a lofty place in the classroom and where it would help. Effective educators who use technology also think ahead. They think two steps ahead, actually. That means they figure out what the connected classroom will look like 1, 2, even 5 years from now. Then they respond. They understand that it may be all about Apple iPads right now, but that doesn’t mean that’s the best option for their classroom. For example, what if iPads fall out of favor and instead a free tablet or no tablet at all is the answer. It’s all about thinking ahead.

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/07/the-7-habits-of-effective-connected-educators/

by the Cite

The percentage of college students taking at least one online course has nearly doubled, from 23% to 45% in the last five years, according to a new report from the market research firm re:fuel. The study, 2013 College Explorer, also found students are enrolled in an average of two online courses per semester, but that many struggle without a regular schedule or assignments and meetings. “Students who need additional assistance to grasp course materials also struggle to find help when professors and fellow students are available only in the digital world,” said Tammy Nelson, vice president of marketing and research for re:fuel, in a prepared statement.

http://thecite.blogspot.com/2013/07/more-students-are-taking-online-classes.html

by Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

Do you know who started social media? It wasn’t Mark Zuckerberg. Heck, it was way before the Facebook era. It started, more or less, with CompuServe and Arpanet back in 1969. A couple years later, the first-ever email was sent. Imagine a time when we didn’t have email and you had to actually chat with people on the phone or (gasp!) in person? It was a crazy time, to be sure. But never fear, social media has evolved over the past few decades into a time-sucking but powerful tool for teachers, students, and everyone else. As you can see by this social media history timeline, there’s a lot that’s happened over the past decades. We can only guess what’s coming next. {check out the infographic at this URL}

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/07/a-detailed-history-of-social-media/

by Dawn Casey-Rowe, Edudemic

Time for some math. You either love it or hate it, but it makes the world go round. For me, math was always a struggle. I wanted to love it, but the numbers swirling in my head never seemed to straighten themselves out for the test. But maybe that’s just it–”the test.” When math is separated into columns and rows, some students struggle. This is why this week’s Learnist feature is all about math. It’s designed to showcase some of the useful web resources for math teachers as well as students.

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/07/10-web-resources-for-math-teachers/

by Jennifer Howard, Chronicle of Higher Ed

Cengage Learning Inc., one of the nation’s largest publishers of textbooks and other educational content, filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, seeking relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code for what it said was about $5.8-billion in outstanding debt. The move will not only reduce that debt but allow Cengage to restructure to support its “long-term business strategy of transitioning from traditional print models to digital educational and research materials,” the company said in a written statement.

http://chronicle.com/article/Publishers-Bankruptcy-Filing/140103/

by Beth Strickland, Laurie Alexander, Amanda Peters, and Catherine Morse, EDUCAUSE Review

Realizing the full potential of learning technologies provides instructors with tools to advance students’ critical thinking skills, engage them with the knowledge life cycle, and help them acquire practical presentation skills. Students adapted quite readily to the blended-learning approach adopted in the library instruction course at the University of Michigan. Assessment of the course demonstrated comparable learning outcomes for both in-person and blended-learning library research courses.

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/leveraging-emerging-learning-technologies-promote-library-instruction

by Forrest C. Foster and James Russell, EDUCAUSE Review

After receiving 10 iPads, the library staff at Winston-Salem State University wanted to increase the devices’ usability as a supplemental instructional tool, specifically for digital literacy, and let the campus community know about the new technology available in the Information Commons.  A project that involved students in the Deaf Studies Program learning to use and navigate the iPad with the Sign4Me application aimed to accelerate and facilitate their learning of American Sign Language.  The Sign4Me application and the iPad helped students learn and adapt to under-represented communities, in this case the hearing impaired/deaf community.

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/increasing-ipad-usability-digital-literacy-under-represented-communities

by Bridget Barnes, Sharon E. Blanton, Lois Brooks, Viji Murali, Kelli Trosvig, and Melissa Woo, EDUCAUSE Review

A recent discussion among six female chief information officers (CIOs) in higher education was facilitated by Norma Holland, director of Leadership Program Management and Professional Development for EDUCAUSE. The conversation covered topics ranging from mentorship to the job’s nature to the importance of fearlessness, but one subject offered a provocative undercurrent to the conversation: Are discussions of “women CIOs” still needed, or have we moved into an era where a CIO’s gender no longer matters — in higher education at least? “Twenty years ago or 30 years ago, I felt it certainly was the case that I had to do a lot extra to prove myself and my capabilities,” said Sharon Blanton. “I don’t feel it so much now, and maybe that gets back to an increase in self-confidence. Or not. … Today, I think, generally speaking, it’s a much more even playing field.” Indeed, as the following comments show, what is surely remarkable about these six women is the passion and commitment they all have for the varied and challenging work of a CIO.

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/meeting-challenge-women-cios

By John Baker and John Smallwood, Center for Digital Education

New statistics from the National Student Clearinghouse show why traditional strategies in education are failing students and taxpayers alike. In the fall of 2012, the Clearinghouse looked at the success rate of nearly 1.9 million first-time degree-seeking students who had entered college full-time or part-time six years earlier. Barely more than half, 54 percent, had graduated. Such a high dropout rate means that the nation’s finite teaching resources are not being put to their best use, not to mention the squandering of students’ (and their parents’) time and money. To turn this situation around, we need to make the post-secondary learning process more compelling and more productive for learners. We also must better assist students with one-on-one attention when they encounter difficulties and are faltering. This will require that faculties and students exploit digital technologies such as the Internet, tablets and smartphones.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/Digital-Technologies-Boost-Student-Success-Rates.html

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Education

The YouTube generation takes to video like fish do to water. And today’s schools are tapping into that stream because it doesn’t appear to be drying up anytime soon. Students in Richland School District Two in Colombia, S.C., shoot video with their smartphones whenever they can, said Donna Teuber, technology integration coordinator. They seem to like everything about the process, from writing scripts to shooting to editing. And of course, they share their personal videos on YouTube.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/Why-Video-Creation-Will-Stay-Popular-in-Education.html

by HASTAC

BadgeStack is a standards-based system designed specifically for badge-empowered, social learning. Learning Times has built the BadgeStack system to be one of the most comprehensive plugins to the open source WordPress software. This effort works to extend and develop an easy-to-use, downloadable, WordPress-based, robust open source badge-issuing platform.

http://hastac.org/wiki/project-qa-badgestack

by HASTAC

NatureBadges: Open Source Nature & Science Badge System is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and LearningTimes. NatureBadges leverages the fact that NMNH is the second-most visited museum in the world to connect the onsite physical museum experience to digital tools for lifelong learning and engagement. The museum will be a hub for a strong international network of science and nature badges so that the audiences introduced to badging through innovative hands-on digital activities at the museum will have the opportunity to jumpstart their informal learning through badges from dozens of organizations.

http://hastac.org/wiki/project-qa-naturebadges-open-source-nature-science-badge-system

By Cameron Chapman, WebDesignerDepot

There are tons of blogs, tutorial sites, and other resources out there that can teach you about web design and development. But what if you want something a little bit more formal, without actually having to go back to school? That’s where resources like the ones below can come in handy. These sites offer courses modeled after those you’d find (or actually from) leading colleges and universities. They’re a great option if you’re not sure where to start, or if you want to bridge the gaps in your current training. They can also be excellent options if you’ve taken courses in the past, but want to make sure your knowledge and skill-set is completely up to date.

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2013/07/20-resources-for-learning-web-design-development/

By Rachel Metz, Technology Review

Wearable devices mark the next frontier in personal computing. While Google toils to perfect the head-worn mobile computer known as Google Glass, a startup located literally down the street from its Silicon Valley campus is hard at work on a similar system that it believes will let users touch and move virtual objects instead of just viewing them. Software being developed by Atheer Labs could lead to computerized glasses and other wearable devices that let you conduct video conference calls with people as though they were actually in the room with you, navigate a map by moving your head, or play 3-D games that feel truly interactive.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/516451/why-google-glass-is-just-the-beginning/

by the Post-Bulletin

Lakeville school superintendent Lisa Snyder says she’s happy with a report that shows the district’s investment in technology is paying off — but she’s not surprised. An iLearn Research report says that 23 of the roughly 30 classrooms or programs that did research on new iPads last year showed an increase in student engagement. Twenty-four reported that student motivation went up, and 20 saw gains in learning. Teachers who wanted iPads had to apply for a district grant, and have a plan to incorporate the device with students.

http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/report-shows-technology-boosts-student-learning/article_6c478c8b-52ed-5fc0-a56d-839efbf1096c.html

BY DEVON HAYNIE, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Online degrees still carry a stigma with some employers, but that’s quickly changing. There are several reasons why online bachelor’s degrees are increasingly becoming accepted, including the sheer number of students taking online courses, experts say. In 2011, for example, more than 6.7 million students took at least one online course, according to the most recent findings from the Babson Survey Research Group. Chris Cullen, a brand consultant for colleges and universities, says the perception of online degrees has also changed as top-ranked schools have started offering more distance education options and massive open online courses, known as MOOCs. “In the past couple of years schools like MIT, Stanford, Duke and Johns Hopkins have joined the online education landscape,” says Cullen, managing director at Infinia DC. “It elevates the concept of online higher ed. Just by their participation the category is lifted.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/employers-online-degrees-article-1.1372092?localLinksEnabled=false

By Michael B. Horn And Meg Evans, Journal Sentinel Online

The past several decades have seen technology transform industry after industry. Nearly every sector in America has used new technologies to innovate in ways nearly unimaginable a generation before the change. One sector, however, has remained nearly the same as it was a century ago. The factory-model education system no longer works. We learn at different paces, have different aptitudes and enter classes with different experiences and background knowledge. Each of us needs a different, customized learning approach to maximize his or her potential. Milwaukee and urban school districts across the nation must embrace innovation to break out of this monolithic education system. Schools must use technology to personalize their learning environments to address the needs of individual students.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/a-factory-model-for-schools-no-longer-works-b9943187z1-213602131.html

by TIM DODD, Financial Review

The push into online education by ­Australian universities is building steam, with Monash and La Trobe recently announcing ambitious plans. Monash University has joined the worldwide rush to offer massive open online courses, or MOOCs, partnering with FutureLearn, a ­British company owned by Open University, to offer free education online. And La Trobe University will build on its success with free courses on Apple’s iTunes U by launching a fee-paying unit titled The Ancient Roman World. The unit will attract academic credit and make this first-year course, offered on campus, available to ­students anywhere in the world.

http://www.afr.com/p/national/where_ancient_rome_meets_the_online_AMUK8Ts4E3TkhetIKdu4qJ

by Coursera

Editor’s note: Muhammad and Khadija Niazi are twins living in Pakistan. They are turning 13 this year and have each completed over 6 courses already. They, along with their mom, will be guest blogging to share their perspective on MOOCs for young students and families in the coming months. We’re excited to have them share their thoughts with the community!

HELLO FROM PAKISTAN, COURSERA COMMUNITY!

We are fraternal twins (Muhammad, the brother and Khadija, the sister) who are turning 13 years old, and have just been promoted to the 8th grade. We live in Pakistan with our family. As twins, we both share mostly the same interests. One similarity is that we both love MOOCs, and that love for MOOCs brought us to Coursera. We both love physics, astronomy, history and other science-related subjects.

http://blog.coursera.org/post/54132976778/8th-grade-twins-take-astrobiology-and-einstein-courses

by Hispanic Business

 The pressure is on for school districts to adopt online learning — and the pressure is coming from both parents and students.  A 2013 Trends in Online Learning Report released at ISTE on Tuesday, June 25, looked at online learning from the perspectives of thousands of teachers, parents, students and administrators. Project Tomorrow analyzed results from the 2012 Speak Up survey to produce this report with Blackboard K-12. Forty-three percent of parents with school-aged children have taken online classes. And when they go through online classes for work or their own education, they increasingly want an online learning experience for their students, said Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow. That’s why 48 percent of them want more online classes at their high schools.
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/6/29/why_education_leaders_cant_ignore_online.htm