Educational Technology

April 30, 2014

Google for Education is a technology trend to watch!

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

By Kelly Grillo, eSchool News

Developers at Google are not only giving Google Apps to K-12 schools, they are supporting schools with the new Google Console, through which anyone can serve as the IT Director. Google for Education has just partnered with Synnex Global, a super-giant Fortune 500 Company that supports IT procurement through valued-added resellers. Google is making IT deployment easy and affordable in schools so that all education professionals can focus on what matters most–student learning. Google and Synnex are positioned to deliver. Here are three reasons to move to Google Apps.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/04/23/google-education-technology-234/

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College Major Return on Investment

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:34 am

By Jaccii Barmer, eCampus News

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects lead the majors with the highest earning potential. Eight out of ten top earning majors are engineering-based, with starting salaries ranging from about $103,00 for #1, Petroleum Engineering, to $61,000 for #10, Mechanical Engineering. According to the 2013-2014 Pay Scale College Salary Report, the top STEM majors earn about three times more than the average for non-STEM graduates. Another PayScale report ranks schools in terms of overall return on investment. Institutions with more STEM degrees were calculated to have higher return on invests in general. 46 schools are listed as having a negative return on investment, including 23 public state schools and 23 private, for-profit colleges.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/colleges-return-on-investment-169/2/

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25 Highly Rated (And Free!) Mac Apps For The Classroom

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:15 am

by Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

Wherever you look in education, there is talk about iPads, iPhones, and other Apple devices. Apple TVs and the iPod Touch are popping up in classrooms all around the globe. But what about all those people using the iMac or MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and other Macs? That’s why we’ve assembled this list of 25 top-rated education apps that are both free (woo!) and for the Mac (finally!). They range in purpose but are altogether a solid bunch of characters you should consider trying out and perhaps adding to your personal or classroom computer. Best of all, they’re free and all are pretty popular so they’re well maintained (fewer bugs) and well documented (easy to get started).

http://www.edudemic.com/mac-apps-for-the-classroom/

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April 29, 2014

Boston Public Schools Turns to Online Courses to Help Boost Graduation Rates

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

By Stephen Noonoo, THE Journal

To help improve its four- and five-year high school graduation rates, Boston Public Schools is expanding its partnership with online course provider Apex Learning. The partnership, which began in 2007, focused on the district’s credit recovery program targeting students most at risk of dropping out. The courses are self-paced and include integrated formative and summative assessment throughout. Boston Public Schools is now offering online courses aimed at advanced placement, skill development, and dropout prevention as well. According to a series of reports by the district, a total of 396 students completed at least one credit recovery course via the online program during the 2011-12 school year and following summer, and 72 percent of them had earned a diploma and graduated by the end of the year.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/04/22/boston-public-schools-turns-to-online-courses-to-help-boost-graduation-rates.aspx

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Online learning offered anywhere, anytime, any subject

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

BY ALYSSA SELLORS, Digital Journal

Learning a new skill, or honing current one, is a goal many of us share, and a new business model is bringing students and teachers together online, creating an innovative global approach to how we learn. Traditionally, if you want to learn the piano or need help with Algebra, you may either seek an individual through an online listing or go through a professional service with a list of tutors who they have approved. But there are cons to both of these options.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/life/lifestyle/op-ed-online-learning-offered-anywhere-anytime-any-subject/article/381719

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The good and the bad of taking online classes from home

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

by Karissa Wang, Standard Examiner

Pajamas, snacks, nap time, full-on music blasting in the background … It’s not exactly the scene that comes to mind when one mentions school, but for many kids, it is a reality. Online classes provide the opportunity to take classes from home, on a student’s own time and schedule. Online classes through Electronic High School are a common way among students to make up or earn credits. Some Utah kids balance these online classes with traditional schooling, while others elect to take only electronic courses.

http://www.standard.net/stories/2014/04/21/good-and-bad-taking-online-classes-home

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April 28, 2014

Global Collaboration Projects that Go Way Beyond Skype

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

By Stephen Noonoo, THE Journal

One project, called Digiteen, is designed for students in grades 8-12. Teams consisting of students in two or more classrooms around the world introduce themselves via Edmodo and Skype and then, together, explore different aspects of digital citizenship, eventually co-creating a Wikispaces page on a given theme. Individual schools then work on an action project that students can share with their peers at school, across the street or around the world. Other Flat Connections projects focus on bringing students together for debates or to foster cultural awareness among young learners through the creation and use of multimedia. “The goal is that schools offer a global collaborative opportunity at every grade level,” Lindsay said, adding that teachers often interpret that advice to mean they have to be doing global collaboration projects all the time. “It’s hard work. You cannot do it all the time, but it’s important that every student at every grade level needs at least one experience.”

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/03/26/global-collaboration-projects-that-go-way-beyond-skype.aspx

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Khan Academy Launches Blended Learning 101

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

by the Clayton Christensen Institute

Through the lens of three high-performing schools, the content explores how to support students and teachers in the transition from traditional learning to blended learning to combine the best of traditional schools with the transformative power of technology. .Brian Greenberg of the Silicon Schools Fund and Michael Horn of the Clayton Christensen Institute lead the blended learning discussions, touring real classrooms using blended learning and providing insights on the operational challenges and potential solutions. “Blended learning isn’t just about putting computers in classrooms,” said Horn, co-founder and executive director of education at the Christensen Institute. “It’s about combining the best methods of online learning with one-on-one mentoring from teachers and small-group interaction to educate students in a way that gives them what they need, when they need it.”

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/khan-academy-launches-blended-learning-155700181.html

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‘Cloudification’ Is the Future of the Internet

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

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Education

Cloud computing will power the largest network in the world: the Internet. That’s what Larry Peterson, chief architect of the Open Networking Lab, predicted in a keynote speech on the Internet’s future at the Internet2 Global Summit on April 9. Cloudification, as he called it, will bring scalable, elastic technology to the Internet in a network built by service blocks. “Cloudification says the services are the key thing,” Peterson said. “Devices are just implementation choices.”

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/The-Cloudification-of-the-Internet.html

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April 27, 2014

State Lawmakers Ramp Up Attention to Student Data Privacy

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

By Andrew Ujifusa, McClatchy News Service

As the appetite for educational data on students has grown across the K-12 sector, so has the stated desire among many state lawmakers to try to protect the privacy and security of sensitive student information. Spurred by concerns that the rise of education technology and the increasing prevalence of new assessments will place student data in unreliable hands or be put to nefarious uses, lawmakers in dozens of states have acted this year to clarify who has what access to student data and to specify the best practices for shielding that data. In total, for the 2014 legislative sessions, 83 bills in 32 states have addressed student-data protection issues, according to the Data Quality Campaign, a Washington-based group that seeks to promote the use of educational data to inform classroom and policy decisions.

http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/State-Lawmakers-Ramp-Up-Attention-to-Data-Privacy.html

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Class to be offered for bilingual students

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

by Chris Carger, Northern Star

NIU’s Naperville campus will offer a fall, graduate-level course to prepare teachers to work with bilingual students who have special needs.  In LTIC 555, Methods and Materials for English Learners with Disabilities, students will gain insight into the need to differentiate between second language learners’ special needs and their linguistic needs. The course structure will be comprised of an online potion along with a classroom component of group projects, case studies and hands-on teacher and student experience. The course has been designed for the past two years by Chris Carger, professor of literacy and elementary education.

http://northernstar.info/campus/article_8ba76830-c903-11e3-993b-001a4bcf6878.html

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3 Must-Know Tips For Anyone Nervous About EdTech

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

By Colleen Lee, Edudemic

You know when you spoke with me the other day and told me that that introducing more tech into my class was fine for me because I was ‘into it’ and ‘understood’ it? That you were not going to try a new way of doing things (edtech-wise) because your students would see that you weren’t an expert. Well I need to let you in on a secret. Neither am I. It would probably shock you that me, a proponent of choice/more edtech started exactly where you are now in terms of knowledge and confidence. It took, it takes, some courage, and a big leap of faith to step out and try something new in class – in front of 30 teenagers? How do I do it? I remember 3 key things linked below.

http://www.edudemic.com/nervous-edtech-tips/

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April 26, 2014

10 Innovative EdTech Programs Happening In Schools

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

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

This year marked the third year of the $200,000 Follett Challenge, which encourages K-12 schools around the US to share their innovative programs that have been put in place to prepare our modern students for the demands of the 21st century.Recently, the 4 semifinalists plus the “People’s Choice” winners —were announced. We thought that their programs were pretty cool and worth sharing. The winners were based on the number of votes they received from the public.

http://www.edudemic.com/innovative-edtech-programs/

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Blended learning revolution: Tech meets tradition in the classroom

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

by Amanda Paulson, Christian Science Monitor

Fourteen-year-old Gabi Directo is technically in the middle of her freshman year. But in bursts of learning, hunched over her laptop in her Summit Shasta High School classroom, she has managed to zoom at her own rapid pace to the completion of all of her ninth-grade English, history, science, and math classes. By February, she was digging into her sophomore year Advanced Placement biology, physics, and Algebra II classes. But in her school’s “blended learning” program, Gabi has had as much face-time with teachers and classmates as solitary face-to-screen time. The serious and soft-spoken teen is able to “blend” the best of online learning (progress at her own pace through subject content) with the best of classroom work (practicing new knowledge with peers and teachers).

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2014/0420/Blended-learning-revolution-Tech-meets-tradition-in-the-classroom

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More Students Taking Online Classes

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

By Meghan DeMaria, USA Today

For many people, when they think of online learning they associate it with working adults or students with disabilities. But with internships, part-time jobs and other commitments, a growing number of traditional students are choosing to take online courses in addition to courses in the traditional classroom setting. And colleges and universities are beginning to recognize and cater to this trend. The availability and variety of online courses for both traditional and nontraditional students is increasing steadily, and colleges are doing everything in their power to make these courses as accessible as possible for all students.

http://college.usatoday.com/2012/03/07/more-students-taking-online-courses/

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April 25, 2014

UW moving to online course evaluations to save paper, money

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

by Doree Armstrong, U Washington

The University of Washington is expanding online course evaluations to reduce its use of paper. The online evaluations are expected to save the university tens of thousands of dollars every year in paper costs while giving faculty and administrators more direct access to evaluation results. The UW’s Information School and Law School, and UW Tacoma, have been using online evaluations for two years as part of a pilot project. Last quarter, more than 600 courses at the Seattle campus were evaluated online. The Office of Educational Assessment is advertising the service to the entire campus this quarter. The current total cost of paper evaluations at UW Seattle is about $150,000 annually.

http://www.washington.edu/news/2014/04/18/uw-moving-to-online-course-evaluations-to-save-paper-money/

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CHS to pilot virtual PE classes

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

by Daily Progress

Charlottesville High School freshman Stephanie Thrift was scratching her head over how to juggle daily classes, afterschool sports and the physical education program she has to take next year when she stumbled upon a solution — she overheard a friend talking about a proposed online P.E. class. “I got really excited because early-morning gym is hard to get up for because athletes are up at night doing homework,” she said. After asking the friend a few questions, it was a matter of running to her guidance counselor to verify that the computer course was real, and then signing up for it as fast as she could. A test course will run during summer school to work out the kinks and a full course is set to officially kick-off for the fall semester.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/chs-to-pilot-virtual-pe-classes/article_03e1e2d4-c694-11e3-b1af-0017a43b2370.html

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New Minnesota school blends online learning with in-class teachers

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

By Melissa Turtinen, Bring-me-the-news

A new kind of school set to open in the south suburbs this fall is part of a relatively small movement toward schools that blend online learning with live in-school teachers. The approach offers students personalized web-based curriculum with the teacher support many of them need, the concept’s supporters say. “Learning is really a social experience and we want to take what that online learning opportunity has, but really reinforce it and support it with strong instruction from a classroom teacher,” Greg Gentle, who will be principal of Flex Academy in Richfield this fall, told KSTP.

http://www.bringmethenews.com/2014/04/17/blended-learning-new-minnesota-school-brings-online-courses-to-the-classroom/

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April 24, 2014

Do Multi-Touch Displays Actually Work In Education?

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

By Mark, Edudemic

The actual school system suffers from various drawbacks. Teaching nowadays includes one-way delivery of knowledge from teachers to students wherein students participate or interact rarely. Learning programs and activities in a traditional classroom are designed with a “one-size-fits-all” approach where no personalized activity is involved based on student’s traits. Even educational processes are restricted by physical boundaries of classrooms and do not involve social relationships with other students. Multi-touch displays and various technology-based solutions are now getting credence over the traditional teaching model since they aim to stimulate students’ engagement and participation in the classroom itself.

http://www.edudemic.com/multi-touch-displays-education/

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Why (And How) To Improve STEM Education In The U.S.

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

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Pete Conrad was a pretty awesome guy. That’s why the handy infographic linked below uses him as an example of why more students should be studying STEM subjects. Among other things, he was the third man to walk on the moon, and he commanded the first manned Skylab mission and received a Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Encouraging students to study STEM subjects may be helped by pointing out some of the awesome folks who have done cool stuff because of their STEM backgrounds.

http://www.edudemic.com/stem-infographic/

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How Technology Is Creating Super-Teachers of the Future

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

by John Friend, Huffington Post

In the coming years, a lot of the legwork, and the burdensome aspects of teaching will be assisted by technology. Some may think that a gloomy prospect. Certainly there are people concerned that technology in the classroom may diminish the role of the teacher. But I think this is due to a lack of understanding of the things technology brings to the classroom. As a developer of education software, I have seen first hand what an incredibly empowering thing technology can be for both students, teachers, and parents too. Technology can enable a teacher to oversee a greater number of pupils, to know how well or poorly they are progressing, and even design lessons to give them the right amount of challenges. If pupils are given work that is too easy, or too hard, they will inevitably lose interest or get frustrated. But with tailored lessons, everybody gets to learn at just the right level.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/john-friend/how-technology-is-creating-super-teachers-of-the-future_b_5165283.html

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