Educational Technology

By Siobhan Tumelty, Edudemic

The popularity of word clouds remains pretty constant in education, and it’s not difficult to see why. They’re a great way for students to distil and summarize information. They help students get to the crux of an issue, sorting through important ideas and concepts quickly in order to see what’s important. And “see” is the operative word here, because word clouds are certainly nice to look at. They speak fantastically to humans’ affinity for the visual, and are particularly useful for visual learners. However, it’s important to remember that the process of creating word clouds is just as important as the resulting resources. They’re fun to make and so do a great job engaging reluctant learners. Word clouds have tons of potential to be used in all types of ways.

http://www.edudemic.com/5-ways-use-word-cloud-generators-classroom/

By Sarah Muthler, Edudemic

“Be sure to cite your sources.” “Give credit where credit is due.” “Don’t plagiarize.” It’s possible all teachers have said these things to students. But what do those directives mean to students who, in all reality, haven’t had to do much citing? What does it even mean to cite your sources? The first step in the process is for students to understand the purpose and importance of citations. We found this great resource outlining that information from The Write Direction. The Internet offers an abundance of online citation tools, from the extremely easy to use, to ones that require more research on the part of the user. We’d suggest teaching students about a few tools and let them decide which one to use to help them successfully cite their research.

http://www.edudemic.com/6-tools-to-help-students-build-bibliographies/

By Julie Davis, THE Journal

If you Google “four c’s of technology integration” you’ll get links to a myriad of “c-words” including Creativity/Creation, Consumption, Curation, Connection, Collaboration, Communication and Critical Thinking. All of these are important elements of learning and can be enhanced with the use of technology, but for the sake of this article, I am going to focus more on what devices themselves can do, so my four C’s are the following.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/04/02/the-4-cs-of-technology-integration.aspx

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/01/for-a-better-flip-try-moocs.aspx

http://www.edudemic.com/how-to-integrate-live-tweets-into-your-presentations/

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/01/game-based-simulations-teach-environmental-science-at-asu-online.aspx

http://sdtimes.com/w3c-launches-first-html5-course-in-new-partnership-with-edx/

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/03/24/white-house-unveils-240-million-in-new-stem-commitments.aspx

http://www.edudemic.com/use-google-voice-commands-google-drive/

by Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Rather than committing hours of staff time to develop software, Unizin’s founding member schools (including Indiana University and Colorado State) are committing dollars — $1.05 million each over the course of three years. If it sounds hefty, remember: That’s still a pittance compared to the cost of equivalent digital content services on the commercial market. Unizin is also partnering with commercial entities — “companies that support open standards and open access to content and to data,” said Qazi. That doesn’t necessarily equate to open source, he pointed out. For example, Unizin has locked into the use of Instructure Canvas, a learning management system available to the consortium members under a discount arrangement.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/03/26/the-changing-cost-of-open-source.aspx

By John K. Waters, THE Journal

In this era of limited budgets, K-12 educators looking to add technology to their classrooms often have to find creative ways to pay for their projects. Fortunately, there has never been a wider range of ed tech funding sources. Joining the lineup of traditional federal, state and private foundation grants is a new generation of donor programs and contests. “Writing a grant” today can mean anything from stating your case in a Word document to producing a video or making a direct pitch on a Web site. Whatever the medium, it’s how you tell your story that sets you apart from the competition. Whether you’re writing a traditional grant, entering a contest or reaching out online to a potential benefactor, you’ll increase your chances of success by applying these seven strategies.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/03/26/7-proven-strategies-for-winning-ed-tech-grants.aspx

by eCampus News

3D-labLibraries throughout the U.S. are implementing new technologies to adapt to the changing habits of the digital age by adding additional services such as wireless internet, e-readers, and tablets. Technology is also driving a different trend that is redefining the very role that libraries play. By offering access to 3D printing, libraries nationwide are turning into labs of experimentation and innovation for aspiring entrepreneurs, and to help advance creativity for everyone. To date, MakerBot® 3D Printers and Scanners are in an estimated 500 libraries across the U.S.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/business-news/innovation-center-3d-389/

by All Points West, CBC

An elementary school in Courtenay, B.C. is teaching kids computer programming code by using a free online learning tool. “I’d love to see every teacher doing it,” said Kyle Timms, the principal at Courtenay Elementary School. In 2013, U.K. schools made it mandatory to teach coding to children as young as 5 years old. The new course is an effort to update the country’s computer science curriculum and fill job skills gaps in the growing technology sector. Coding is not currently in the B.C. curriculum, but a new curriculum is in development.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/code-studio-a-free-learning-tool-allows-courtenay-school-to-teach-kids-to-code-1.3009591

by BIG THINK EDITORS

If you’re learning, you’re being taught, no matter who is doing the teaching or where the lesson is taking place (and conversely, if you’re not learning, you’re not being taught). That message reflects the mission of the Khan Academy, an online learning platform that offers free lessons to anyone, anywhere, in subjects ranging from algebra to art history. Created by Salman Khan after tutoring his cousins by telephone, the Khan Academy not only teaches academic subjects, but it also develops skills like grit and determination that are needed to take ownership of information. And this, says Khan, is what the essence of education is all about: “There’s this illusion that is created in our classical education system and even at university that someone is teaching it to you. Really they’re creating a context in which you need to pull information and own it yourself. … And when you think online, that becomes that much more important.”

http://bigthink.com/think-tank/you-are-the-essence-of-learning-not-a-school-or-university

by the Lane Report

A new free online program called Take the LEAD can help Kentucky parents and community members support middle and high school students in getting ready for college and a career. The program is on-demand, allowing participants to earn their Local Education Advocate Diploma on their own schedule. Developed by GEAR UP Kentucky specifically for at-risk and underserved families, Take the LEAD provides research-based coursework to help parents advise their children on their plans after high school.

http://www.lanereport.com/46396/2015/03/free-online-class-helps-prepare-students-for-college-and-careers/

by Jamey Fitzpatrick, Huffington Post

Imagine being an eighth grade student living in a small rural Midwest community with a passion to become a marine biologist taking an online course in Oceanography from a school, college, university or private provider located in Maine with national experts. Imagine being a 12th grade student from a large urban school with a desire to study Gaelic culture and language with an educational institution in Ireland. These examples are not science fiction; the ability to personalize learning has never been easier and more cost effective.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/smart-parents/leveraging-innovative-pol_b_6957864.html