Educational Technology

By Dan Kemp, Edudemic

Often teachers want to share the ebooks their students have made with a wider audience, not least parents! It’s such a rewarding experience for the students and the teacher to see a book they’ve created being published and shared beyond the classroom. As the developers of Book Creator for iPad, a tool that’s often used in schools to create ebooks, we wanted to share a tutorial for teachers on how to publish a book to the iBookstore.

http://www.edudemic.com/class-e-book-itunes/

by Peta Lee, University World News

Free, credit-bearing online learning has become accessible for students worldwide. The Open Educational Resource university, or OERu – a project of the UNESCO-Commonwealth of Learning OER Chair network – was unveiled on 1 November, promising to “revolutionise tertiary learning”. The new initiative would appear to be the open educational resource movement’s answer to MOOCs, massive open online courses, offering somewhat more structured, credit-bearing learning in partnership with a university network and including mOOCs, or micro-open online courses. Coordinated by the New Zealand-based not-for-profit network Open Education Resource Foundation and launched by open learning guru Sir John Daniel, OERu will provide more affordable ways for students to gain academic credits towards qualifications from recognised institutions.

http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20131101093532252

By Beth Teitell, Boston Globe

Before Adam Van Arsdale began taping his anthropology course to show online, he was used to standing in front of perhaps 20 Wellesley College undergrads. Now when he talks about Australopithecus, he has to worry whether the 19,000 people who registered for his Massive Open Online Course — enough to fill TD Garden — think he should have shaved that morning, and what they will tweet. “It opens you up to a lot of complaining,” the assistant professor said, recalling the support one student enjoyed after he griped on Facebook about the way Van Arsdale phrased a question on natural selection. “Fifty people ‘liked’ that negative posting.” Massive open online courses — known as MOOCs — have been around for years, but recently they have taken off. Mostly free, on topics as wide-ranging as “The History of the World from the 1300s’’ to “Warhol’’ to “Diabetes,’’ the online courses are giving the common person access to elite professors.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/style/2013/11/01/online-education-movement-grows-hollywood-style-concerns-wardrobe-social-media-buzz-are-coming-academia/AhvoFcAt30ovKS3MB7w9yL/story.html

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Yesterday, we talked a bit about digital natives and digital immigrants. I mentioned at the beginning of that post that I got into thinking about this after reading an article that discussed which countries have the most digital natives. The article was pretty interesting, and drew on information from the recent UN International Telecommunications Union (UTI) study that looked at the proportion of young people in each country that grew up with the internet. At first, I figured that the results of this study would be pretty obvious. First world countries with large populations and higher birth rates would be at the top of the list. After all, lots of kids + money for technology = more kids using technology, right? I was really interested when the results were not quite what I thought.

http://www.edudemic.com/world-young-people-use-technology/

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

The Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania has launched a start-up incubator specifically designed to help education business ideas get off the ground. The Education Design Studio Inc. (EDSi), as it’s called, has received $2.1 million in funding as well as support from a number of investors, including McGraw-Hill Education. Most of the initial round of start-up participants were finalists in an education business-plan competition that ran earlier this year. The idea of the Studio is to give education start-ups a way to collaborate with others in the education segment, including investors, researchers, practitioners, and entrepreneurs. “It’s a natural fit for Penn [Graduate School of Ed] because its emphasis on incorporating cutting-edge education research into innovative education start-ups plays to our strengths, including building upon our success with the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition,” said Andy Porter, dean of the school.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2013/10/31/u-penn-school-of-ed-launches-education-tech-incubator.aspx?admgarea=news

BY SARAH SEXTON, McClatchy

While some technology enthusiasts celebrate new gadgets as the solution to the many challenges faced in the classroom, some educators say the answer is not the shiny new devices themselves, but how teachers use them. Education experts met Thursday in Washington to discuss both the potential of technology as a tool to help redesign teaching and learning, and the challenges of innovation in a static system with set routines. Among the panelists at the conference sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research was Superintendent Mark Edwards of North Carolina’s Mooresville Graded School District, His schools have captured national attention, as well as a visit from President Barack Obama, lauding the technology-infused curriculum.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/31/3723538/experts-say-education-needs-a.html

By AMNA H. HASHMI and CYNTHIA W. SHIH, the Harvard Crimson

Although HarvardX’s proponents claim that virtual education has the potential to transform the traditional lecture format, the process of bringing HarvardX to the brick-and-mortar classroom is still in its very early stages. This semester, the third since Harvard and MIT announced the launch of edX, many students are questioning whether these new models of instruction are enhancing—or detracting from—the learning process. This year’s version of “Science and Cooking” is being taught as a “flipped classroom”: a teaching style in which online materials deliver instruction that would have otherwise been covered during class time. Several other Gen Eds—Culture and Belief 22: “Concepts of the Hero in Classical Greek Civilization,” History of Science 121: “The Einstein Revolution,” and Societies of the World 12: “China”—are also experimenting with the flipped classroom format for the first time.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/10/31/harvard-classroom-virtual-learning/

By Emil Protalinski, the Next Web

Coursera has launched a new initiative with the US Department of State. Called Global Learning Hubs, the partnership aims to give students physical spaces where they can access the Internet to take Coursera courses online as well as work with others in a group setting, for free. More specifically, Learning Hub locations will have more than just peer students working the same course. Local “facilitators” – as Coursera calls them – with knowledge on the subjects will lead in-person sessions that revolve around discussions, tutoring, and projects. In other words, Coursera is taking online learning offline. As such, accessing online courses across Coursera’s catalog isn’t the only option: students can enroll in sessions for select courses. These will run parallel to the online course, but they will depend on the technology availability and meeting frequency at each location.

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/10/31/coursera-us-department-state-launch-global-learning-hubs-bring-online-learning-offline-world/

by Colleen Fell, Daily Nebraskan
Watching lectures online before attending class may not help students learn more easily than in-class lectures, according to an ongoing National Science Foundation study on “flipped” classrooms. The three-year study is taking place at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif., and preliminary research shows that there is no statistical difference between students who take a flipped, or blended, classroom course and students attending traditional lectures. But despite this research, some UNL professors, like James Schmidt, will continue to use their flipped format style of teaching. Although such courses may not help students learn faster, they gives students more time to learn about the subject in depth, he said.

http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/article_a9366aa8-411e-11e3-99ef-0019bb30f31a.html

By Katie Hetrick, Press & Guide

Blended learning is a broad term used to cover any mix of online and in class learning, said Troy Patterson, Dearborn’s coordinator of media and informational technology. “This becomes a different way of doing something,” Patterson said. Blended learning provides advantages in how students can get and process information, but also presents challenges because it requires more time for teachers to set up initially and hardware both at school and in a student’s home. “I understand it’s extra work for the teachers, but hopefully it will pay benefits in the end,” said Trustee Aimee Schoelles. She likes visiting teacher blogs to keep track of what homework her children need to do.

http://www.pressandguide.com/articles/2013/10/30/news/doc5270f024644bc885702974.txt?viewmode=fullstory

By Diarmuid Mallon, ZD Net

Technology seems to be living up to its reputation as ‘the great leveller.’ Not only because it connects people to one another and gives us better access to information and education, but also because there is such a demand for it. Everywhere. Take Battushig Myanganbayar of Ulan Bator, Mongolia, who achieved a perfect score in M.I.T.’s first Massive Open Online Course, Circuits and Electronics in June 2012, when he was 15. The New York Times did a story on Myanganbayar in September of this year. People will learn, even teach themselves, if they have access to information and tools. Technology may not be the panacea for worldwide literacy and education, but it is certainly improving access, bringing it to people and places that haven’t had it before.

http://www.zdnet.com/uk/is-technology-the-great-educational-leveller-7000022554/

by Heather Staker, Christensen Institute

Meanwhile, as sustaining, hybrid models of blended learning bring changes to traditional classrooms, a more fundamental transformation is taking place as the result of disruptive models of blended learning. These models, which include the Flex, A La Carte, and Enriched Virtual models, are replacing traditional classrooms with something entirely different. In many cases schools are literally tearing down walls to create wide open learning spaces. Online learning is the backbone of student learning, and the teacher role shifts to that of a guide and mentor. One rule of thumb is that if you can’t figure out where the front of the classroom is, it’s probably a disruptive model. Disruptive models tend to arise among students whose alternative is nothing. They are the credit recovery labs, dropout centers, and A La Carte online courses in high school e-learning lounges that students are experiencing across Pennsylvania. One example of a disruptive implementation that is getting broad recognition is the Quakertown Community School District, which opened the Infinity Cyber Academy to offer A La Carte online courses. The district is in the process of rebuilding its high school with a large, open, cyber café to facilitate online coursework. The model is not a hybrid, as evidenced by the fact that it has very little in common with the traditional classroom.

http://www.christenseninstitute.org/should-pennsylvania-invest-in-sustaining-or-disruptive-classrooms/

BY: Amy Murin, Keeping Pace

On behalf of our 14 sponsors, the Evergreen Education Group is pleased to release Keeping Pace with K-12 Online and Blended Learning: A Guide to Policy and Practice (2013). This 10th edition of the report includes enrollment numbers, informative graphics, program planning timelines, thoughts on MOOCs in K-12, and a look at where we were a decade ago – and where we think we are headed. All attendees at the iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium received a print copy in their registration bags, and the report is now available on our website for download. In addition to the full report, the website has many more resources, including many of the graphics found in the report, updated profiles of activity in every state, and our blog. All content is licensed through Creative Commons and available for free because of generous support from our many sponsors, who represent many different corners of the K-12 online and blended world, including public agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations, all of whom are united in their commitments to the expansion of high-quality educational options for students.

http://kpk12.com/blog/2013/10/keeping-pace-2013-is-released/

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Recently, the Babson Survey Research Group and Pearson conducted a survey of nearly 8,000 faculty members in higher education to find out more about how faculty are using social media. While we often post infographics showing trends or results from specific studies here at Edudemic, I found the results of this survey particularly interesting – perhaps because they were so different from what I expected. While it seems that most faculty have adopted some social media use in their personal life, fewer have done so professionally. And their feelings about using social media professionally (in and out of the classroom) seem to be pretty mixed. Keep reading to learn more at the URL below.

http://www.edudemic.com/social-media-in-education/

by International Association for K-12 Online Learning

Winners of the 2013 iNACOL Innovator Awards were announced Sunday evening at the iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium in Orlando, FL. The awards are presented annually by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) and recognize innovative learning practices, cutting edge research and individual achievement in the field of blended and online learning.

The 2013 winners include:

Innovative Blended and Online Learning Practice

Chris Haskell, Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. of Educational Technology, Boise State University

Verena Roberts, The Open Classroom (Alberta Distance Learning Centre)

Research Award

Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute (a division of Michigan Virtual University)

Outstanding Individual Contribution to K-12 Blended and Online Learning

Scott Benson, Program Officer, Next Generation Learning Models, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

http://www.newson6.com/story/23809126/2013-inacol-innovator-awards-highlight-leaders-in-blended-and-online-learning

By CARMEN McCOLLUM, The Times

Neither Breanna Prater, 12, nor Seth Shirey, 17, are surrounded by other students when they study — no brick or mortar. They have no teacher in front of the classroom nor library down the hall. But both students believe they have found the ideal learning situation in cyberspace. Breanna, of Gary, is a seventh-grader, and Seth, of Kouts, is a high school senior. They live on opposite sides of Northwest Indiana, and both are enrolled at Indiana Cyber Charter School.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Indiana-students-benefitting-from-online-schooling-4930610.php

By: Kanta Dihal, the Ubyssey

When I attended my first UBC lecture this April, I was 7,715.3 kilometres away from the UBC campus. I had never been to Canada, but I had just been accepted as an incoming exchange student for September 2013 and wanted to get a sense of what would be expected of me as a UBC student. UBC could offer me this experience entirely for free in the form of an online genetics course, taught by zoology professor Rosie Redfield. “You’re actually the first student I met in person,” Redfield told me when I sat down to interview her on campus this fall.

http://ubyssey.ca/features/lectures-go-online235/

By MARY BETH SCHWEIGERT, Lancaster Online

Kathy Allison stays fit with group fitness classes. But sometimes she wants to take a class that doesn’t quite fit her schedule. Now she has another option. Local gyms and fitness centers are offering virtual or on-demand classes to help members stay fit on their own schedules — sometimes even in their own living rooms. Earlier this month, Allison’s gym, Universal Athletic Club, 2323 Oregon Pike, added a variety of virtual classes, delivered to the gym’s group fitness studios by a company called “Fitness on Demand 247.”

http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/910346_The-classes-are-virtual–but-the-fitness-is-real.html

By SOMINI SENGUPTA, NY Times

For years, a school principal’s job was to make sure students were not creating a ruckus in the hallways or smoking in the bathroom. Vigilance ended at the schoolhouse gates. Now, as students complain, taunt and sometimes cry out for help on social media, educators have more opportunities to monitor students around the clock. And some schools are turning to technology to help them. Several companies offer services to filter and glean what students do on school networks; a few now offer automated tools to comb through off-campus postings for signs of danger. For school officials, this raises new questions about whether they should — or legally can — discipline children for their online outbursts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/technology/some-schools-extend-surveillance-of-students-beyond-campus.html?_r=0

By MICHELLE CORUM, WJCT

Since the invention of Braille nearly 200 years ago, some of the best developments for blind people are smart phones and tablets with adaptations that make it possible for them to navigate their increasingly technical world. Assistive technology helps blind or visually impaired people do all sorts of things, from counting money, to taking pictures and detecting objects around them.   Justin Cosgrove, assistant principal of the blind elementary and middle school at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, said he’s been pleasantly surprised how fast students have taken to tablets, iPads, and iPhones. He said the school makes sure that their students have the latest in technology like iPads and tablets, but many students also have their own smartphones in hand.

http://news.wjct.org/post/advancements-adaptive-technology-educational-advantage-local-blind-students

By John Kennedy, Journal Inquirer

The Learn 2014 iPad Initiative started with the intention of finding out if the Apple technology helped students, but it ended up helping teachers more. School Technology Director Kevin Lemoi said the difference between students who used iPads to learn and those who did not was not statistically significant, but the technology ended up helping with classroom management. According to Lemoi, 18 students in Diane Sirois’s morning kindergarten class at Center Road School and 11 in Elizabeth Larson’s morning kindergarten class at Maple Street School used the iPads for 15 minutes per day. He said they used 20 to 30 learning applications, and that the same lessons were given to those teachers’ afternoon classes, which did not use iPads.

http://www.journalinquirer.com/towns/vernon/ipad-experiment-shows-kindergarten-students-more-focused-when-using-technology/article_5a6c621a-3fed-11e3-a9e6-001a4bcf887a.html