Educational Technology

By Jennifer Rosinski, UMass Medical School Communications

An online course created at UMass Medical School provides parents of children on the autism spectrum with the information they need to help them understand their needs and complex education regimens. The course is offered by UDiscovering, an affiliate of UMMS’s Commonwealth Medicine division. It was created to give parents and caregivers a comprehensive knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis, a therapy used by both public and private school systems to teach children on the autism spectrum. “What we’re really trying to do through UMass is to help parents and help professionals with the individuals who are diagnosed,” said Buckley, UDiscovering product manager. “(This course) allows them to learn what they need to know about Applied Behavior Analysis and about advocating for their children, which is something that you have to do probably most of the time for the rest of their lives,” Buckley said. “They gain confidence so that they end up with a powerful voice to speak for their child.”

http://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2014/04/Fox-25-UMMS-online-course-helps-parents-advocate-for-children-with-autism/

By Laura Devaney, eSchool News

Proper early childhood education technology use is critical.  Making sure that young children benefit from technology isn’t quite as simple as handing a child a mobile device with age-appropriate apps. But using a series of questions and requirements can help ensure that technology in early childhood education environments makes a big impact. Research has already established some key steps to better early childhood technology use, and ensuring that technology resources and software meet certain requirements can enhance young students’ experiences and learning.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/04/28/early-education-tech-732/

By Meris Stansbury, eCampus News

These campus musts may seem like no-brainers, but they’re critical for success. With so many technology options available today to help support and promote an institution’s campus culture, students and faculty, it’s not surprising that many IT and campus leaders feel overwhelmed with what they should invest in now and what they should implement later, especially with tight budgets. But from having a good social media strategy to planning for Big Data collection, there are at least 10 technology hallmarks every campus should plan for immediately, if not implement as soon as possible.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/technologies/technology-hallmarks-campus-099/

by Introduction to Learning Technologies

ToqueThe prevailing model for most MOOCs these days involves the course being housed in a closed platform such as that used by Coursera. Participants must register to view the course content and materials cannot be used outside of that course. Participants usually only communicate with others in the course and sometimes not even then, and yet the first “O” in MOOC stands for “open”, something most are not. The open course from the GMCTE is what we consider to be a truly open online course or TOOC.

http://words.usask.ca/learning-tech/tooc-vs-mooc/

By Leila Meyer, THE Journal

Desktops aren’t dead. Even as schools increasingly implement 1-to-1, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and other mobile device initiatives, many are choosing to retain at least some desktop computers — and others are even upgrading to swanky, top-of-the-line machines. Keeping at least one desktop computer in each classroom is a common practice, and some schools are keeping their dedicated desktop labs, either for general use or for specialized classes. It seems that some classroom needs are still better served by a desktop computer than by a laptop or tablet. Here, school technology leaders from around the country share reasons why you might want to keep at least some desktop computers around.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/04/24/5-reasons-schools-still-need-desktop-computers.aspx

By Kate Padilla, Daily Reporter

A rising trend in utilizing technology in the classroom allows students to learn at a pace and in an environment more conducive to their individual needs. Digital textbooks and supplementary materials require students to login online to view textbooks and resources. For Donna McClain, math teacher at Spencer Middle School and Spencer High School, the online program Cognitive Tutor helps students learn at their own pace and with instant feedback on where they may need correction. “It’s set up in conjunction with our textbooks,” McClain said. “Teachers select different units that correspond with the unit they’re teaching. The students get extra practice doing problems rather than filling out a sheet of problems in a traditional homework situation.”

http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/story/2074280.html

by Duncan Higgins, Huffington Post

The world of the future will be here faster than we think. In fact, we’re already getting a taste of it here and there: a hologram at Coachella, virtual reality simulation with Oculus Rift, 3D printing stores in the centre of London. But while we’re only getting to see these innovations as novelties, soon they will be part of our daily lives, as well as of our workplaces. So how do we prepare the next generation for a future with technology that we ourselves don’t yet fully understand? And the answer is – at school.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/duncan-higgins/connecting-to-the-future-_b_5199450.html

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Technology brings so many awesome things into our lives. A world of information is at our fingertips, not much is out of reach, and there is seemingly a new, awesome, must-have device released every week. We all hear stories of parents who park their kids in front of a TV or computer so they can get things done, and while the kids generally love it, it has taken us awhile to ask important questions about what effect media and devices are having on our kids. The handy infographic linked below takes a look at the effect of media and technology on kids in the US.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/04/23/summer_school_is_for_chumps_take_an_online_class_instead.html

By Jeffrey R. Young, Slate

Over the past year, a boy genius from Mongolia has been schooling MIT on how to improve the elite institution’s free online courses. When he was just 15, the Mongolian wunderkind Battushig Myanganbayar earned a perfect score in MIT’s first massive open online course, or MOOC. Designers of the course touted him as a poster boy for the power of free courses to spread high-quality education to the farthest reaches of the globe, and the New York Times hailed his story. But leaders of edX, the consortium started by MIT and Harvard University to develop free online courses, also did something else: They offered the star student a job, hoping he could make their MOOCs work better for other high schoolers.

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/04/battushig_myanganbayar_aced_an_edx_mooc_then_gave_lessons_to_mit.html