Educational Technology

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Education

A shift in education from passive to active learning is occuring, as shown by curriculum from the Digital Harbor Foundation, BatelleEd and Arizona State. The STEM Core curriculum emphasizes inquiry, projects and production around app development. And at the end of the process, students will have an app to market in app stores. “We’re more interested in saying, ‘We want producers, we want makers, we want somebody who isn’t just using a website to learn, but is making a website to learn,” said Andrew Coy, executive director of the Digital Harbor Foundation. That hasn’t always been the mindset, though. For so long, education has been stuck in the 19th century Industrial Revolution style.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/Maker-Movement-Inspires–Shift-in-STEM-Curriculum.html

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Education

University of California (UC) faculty seek to take back their rights with a new policy that allows them to make their scholarly work available to the public at no charge. But some say the open access policy doesn’t go far enough. With this policy, the UC Academic Senate is trying to fix a mounting problem in scholarly publishing and steer the direction that this field goes.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/Open-Access-Scholarly-Work-California.html

by the Center for Digital Education

It’s not too late for education to get up to speed with technology. Education’s been left behind when it comes to technology. But it’s not too late to catch up. -Tanya Roscorla, Managing Editor, Center for Digital Education. Be willing to take that risk and to have leaders who say, “It’s OK to take a risk, and that you may fail, test scores might go down at the beginning, but we know in the end that it’s going to be the best for our students.” -Phil Hardin, Executive Director of Technology, Rowan-Salisbury School System

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/video/Why-Educators-Should-be-Open-to-New-Technology.html

by Beth Holland, edudemic

Have you been thinking about flipping your classroom this fall? Flipping can let you make the most of face-to-face time with your students. Rather than taking class time to introduce content and using homework to review concepts, flip the process so that students gain basic knowledge at home and then create, collaborate, and make connections in school. At EdTechTeacher, we have worked with many educators on flipping their classes and have noticed some common issues that often thwart their initial forays. Here are five issues that can come up when you start out flipping.

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/08/flipped-classroom-issues-solutions/

by Zoe Fox, Mashable

What differentiates iSchool from other education tablets created for use in the developing world, such as the Aakash 2, One Laptop Per Child XO tablet and the Intel Studybook, is the company’s focus was on creating a solid curriculum first and a technology product second. Like most other education systems in Africa (and western education of the 16th century), most learning in Zambia is conducted by rote: A teacher makes a statement and students repeat it. Not surprisingly, functional literacy rates are staggeringly low: somewhere between 10 and 20% of the population is able to read. In addition to the challenge of overfilled classrooms, iSchool’s curriculum addresses other major systemic roadblocks: the country lacks educated teachers and students have to travel long distances to get to school. Half of the country’s population is under 15, meaning the government struggles to fill the growing demand for school teachers. According to iSchool, 85% of teachers in community schools are untrained.

http://mashable.com/2013/08/07/ischool/

By Michael B. Horn, Education Next

Online, or digital, learning is continuing to grow, and as it does so, state legislatures are increasingly taking notice. It is increasingly clear that the growth of online learning in K–12 will be different from the growth of online learning in higher education. Whereas in higher education, online learning poses an existential threat to many traditional colleges and universities, in K–12, online learning appears to be a sustaining innovation to public K–12 schools, as it is growing within, largely in blended-learning environments. Within public secondary schools, online learning does appear disruptive relative to traditional classrooms.

http://educationnext.org/digital-learning-and-state-legislatures/

by Katie Lepi, Edudemic

We’ve recently taken stock of quite a few fun, student oriented websites that are educational and will keep your kids learning during their summer break. While many of the sites we’ve mentioned address a large variety of learning levels, most are geared towards slightly younger students. So today, we’ve collected a few that would be more interesting for older students – definitely more geared towards a middle and high school crowd. Rather than focusing on learning specific math concepts or learning words and to read, these sites look at foreign language learning, creative writing, and games with more complex ideas behind them.

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/08/5-educational-websites-older-students-should-be-using/

by Kegarver, edudemic

Online education opportunities are proliferating like crazy, with new courses and learning communities popping up almost daily. Many people are using these non-traditional resources to expand their own knowledge and skill sets, either to improve their current job performance or to prepare to change jobs or careers. These courses and programs can give job seekers a leg up by helping them demonstrate their knowledge and skills acquisition as well as motivation for personal and professional development. Here are four ways online students (and offline, for that matter) can showcase your online learning to stand apart from the crowd:

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/08/4-ways-to-showcase-your-learning-online/

by Online Learning Insights

Competency-based education is just getting started. As [U.S.] institutions look for ways to harness technology effectively, lower costs and remain financially viable, many will explore competency-based programs. Making it even more feasible, is the The US Department of Education’s move to provide federal financial aid to students enrolled in competency programs. They are even encouraging education institutions to explore and implement such programs (ed.gov, U.S. Department of Education). This gives competency-based education serious clout. Given the programs lower costs and flexibility for students, competency-based education can be a game-changer for education.

http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2013/08/10/need-to-know-news-competency-based-transcripts-a-profitable-online-education-company-ed-tech-tool-vittle/

By SEAN KENNEDY, New York Post

But the bigger sea-change is the technology known as “blended learning,” using software to customize and direct learning based on each student’s needs, so that he or she gets the right lesson at the right time. Done right, blended learning lets teachers use timely and accurate student data to deliver targeted lessons. The approach flags the fact that, say, Johnny hasn’t learned fractions, and provides clear options for different lessons that can do the trick. It’s a vital aid to teachers, who are so often overwhelmed with the data- and classroom-management parts of their job. The results have been astounding. High-quality blended-learning schools like inner-city Los Angeles’ KIPP Empower are outpacing their peers, especially the ones serving historically underperforming groups.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/computers_in_class_do_don_pFzuLvpYBWFbGd40fWJXrN

by Educators’ Technology

The world of educational technology has been exponentially expanded in the last couple of decades with the birth of several new educational concepts founded on digital media. The digital terminology is growing up rapidly to the point that it becomes hard for teachers to keep track of all the digital concepts that spur up here and there. This is a personal initiative from my part to amass a list of some trending educational technology concepts to share with you here. I am pretty sure you will already be familiar with some of them but you will definitely find new ones. I invite you to have a look and share the list with your colleagues and fellow teachers.

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/08/10-trendy-concepts-in-educational.html

by Katie Lepi, Edudemic

From time to time, I find myself saying ridiculous things. Ridiculous in the ‘I grew up in the ’80′s’ sort of sense. Specifically, I have a hard time saying ‘record’ in reference to a TV show or movie, and instead I am inadvertently old-school and often refer to it as ‘videotaping’. I know, I know. No one has owned a VCR in years except for my grandma. But when I came across this handy visual it brought to mind things that truly connected educators should probably know before the upcoming school year, I was happy to see that I’m not the only one that needs to update my colloquial vocabulary. Even people much younger than me are losing some quite commonly spoken words as technology changes. What to know what to wipe out of your vocab to help keep yourself from looking like you live in the dark ages?

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/08/17-tech-terms-connected-educators-must-know/

by Michael Fitzgerald, Information Week

The EdX tool itself is in alpha; it’s been used in two EdX courses, neither of which were writing courses (one is a chemistry class, the other a course on public health). It does use artificial intelligence to give feedback on (and, yes, grade) writing assignments, but it does not have to — the tool has three possible ways to give feedback: the artificial intelligence-driven tool, peer-grading and assessment, and self-assessment. Teachers can use any or all of them, in any order they like. An automated essay grading tool like EdX’s can give feedback quickly and repeatedly, with consistent comments on what the student could do to improve, and what’s working well. It’s like giving students one-on-one access to a grammar instructor who will always remain patient, even to the nth time the kid splits an infinitive.

http://www.informationweek.com/education/instructional-it/automated-essay-grading-software-stirs-d/240159419

By Aaron Rop, East Valley Tribune

Online schooling, a format that’s been expanding in colleges during the past decade, is now available and attracting younger students who want the high school or middle school experience, but want to make it their own at their own pace. “Students choose to take online courses for various reasons like illness, peer conflicts, to work faster and get ahead, credit recovery, or scheduling conflicts,” said Helen Riddle, executive director of the Mesa Distance Learning Program. For these students, school isn’t about going to prom and playing on the varsity football team; they’re taking opportunities to explore hobbies like touring in a band, competing in dog shows, or walking down fashion runways in New York, all while attending middle school and high school.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/education/back_to_school/article_f9927ecc-fd5a-11e2-9866-0019bb2963f4.html

by unis not for me

Online education enables students to connect with some of the world’s most renowned professors and lecturers in the world; a subset of people they may not otherwise be able access due to lack of funds, location and scheduling. Making use of an extensive range of resources and tools; for example, online tutoring resources, only broadens the experience by enabling individuals to become more familiar with technology and communication skills. It is transferable skills such as these that employers want and need. Online learning offers students an incredible degree of flexibility and because online courses require only a reliable internet connection, it can take place anywhere, ranging from downtime at the office to pre-planned “class” time at home. While flexibility is a major draw of online learning, it certainly isn’t the only benefit; it can also save money. Online education is extremely cost-efficient because there is no commuting back and forth to campus. The cost of the course is also less expensive, because there is little in the way of overheads for the tutor, which is one reason why traditional higher education is so costly.

http://www.unisnotforme.com/handy-tips-the-benefits-of-flexible-online-learning/

By Justin Pope, AP

About 39,600 signed up for “The Challenges of Global Poverty” and I was among 4,600 who finished. I passed, if not exactly with flying colors, and was emailed a PDF of the “certificate of mastery” to prove it – my very own quasi-credential from MIT. The experience was enlightening, both on the subject matter and the potential for MOOCs generally. I learned more than I expected, and worked harder than I expected. I took a course for free from two leading experts in a field that’s of great personal interest – a remarkable opportunity. For millions around the world who lack access to quality teaching, the MOOC-backers are right: This is a revolution. Yet I also got a better handle on precisely what MOOCs can’t do, and what would be missing from a college education comprised of them entirely.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_23796757/massive-open-online-courses-whats-it-like-enroll

By Mark Niesse, Atlanta Journal Constitution

With nearly half of its students failing to graduate on time, Atlanta’s school system turned to online education as one way to help. The Atlanta Virtual Academy program won’t solve the problem of students dropping out or falling behind, but it could slowly inch Atlanta Public Schools’ 51 percent graduate rate upward. About 100 high school students enrolled in the pilot program this summer, with 43 percent of those who were retaking classes earning passing grades. The school district considers that a win — those students are one step closer to graduation than they were before the online option.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/atlanta-turns-to-online-classes-to-boost-graduatio/nZFH8/

By Charlie Boss and Jennifer Smith Richards, Columbus Dispatch

According to Inside Higher Ed, university officials reported that students in traditional classes outperformed their Udacity peers. Of those taking classes with a teacher, 74 percent passed, compared with 51 percent of Udacity students, a report said. The news doesn’t worry Reynoldsburg officials. “This stuff is new,” spokeswoman Tricia Moore said. “All of us are finding out the best place for it. In general, digital content at the high-school and college level is hard to come by.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/08/07/schools-arent-worried-by-udacity-pass-rate.html

By Paul E. Peterson, Education Next

“By 2019 about 50 percent of courses will be delivered online,” wrote Clayton M. Christensen and Michael B. Horn in a pathbreaking essay in 2008 (“How Do We Transform Our Schools?” features, Summer 2008). Five years later, the authors stand by that prediction (see “Data Support Disruption Theory As Online, Blended Learning Grow,” Forbes.com blog entry, May 30, 2013), though they expect most of the online delivery to be blended into traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. In my view, the estimate, optimistic even when written, now seems out of reach. Although digital learning is making definite advances, it has yet to disrupt secondary education. When it comes to higher education, however, the prediction is deadly accurate. Hardly a day passes without news of another institution joining the online stampede.

http://educationnext.org/while-k%E2%80%9312-schools-resist-digital-learning-disrupts-higher-education/

by e-academy

The role of blended learning is conceptually simple: you create a learning programme which combines the best aspects of each form of learning, but within a single training programme. The goal is to cut the cost of learning and, at the same time, make it more effective. Sounds impossible, but it’s not.

http://www.e-academy.ltd.uk/training-news/2013/what-is-blended-learning-and-why-do-it

by Associated Press

Major innovations — forged by the struggles of the Great Recession and fostered by technology — are coming to higher education. Investment dollars are flooding in — a record-smashing 168 venture capital deals in the United States alone last year, according to conference host GSV Advisors. The computing power of ‘‘the cloud’’ and ‘‘big data’’ are unleashing new software. Public officials, desperate to cut costs and measure results, are open to change. And everyone, it seems, is talking about MOOCs, the ‘‘Massive Open Online Courses’’ offered by elite universities and enrolling millions worldwide. As with so many innovations — from the light bulb to the Internet — the technology is bubbling up mostly from the United States, fueled by American capital chasing profitable solutions to American problems.

http://www.boston.com/news/education/2013/08/03/from-recession-wake-education-innovation-blooms/xzukUKAFlNf1sR6jOyznzO/story.html