Educational Technology

by eSchool News

A new 3D printing design contest from NASA is giving K-12 students the chance to design items that could ultimately be manufactured on the International Space Station. The program, called “Future Engineers,” challenges students to create a digital 3D model of a container for space. Astronauts need containers of all kinds,” according to the challenge’s website, “from advanced containers that can study fruit flies to simple containers that collect Mars rocks or store an astronaut’s food.” 3D printing gives astronauts the ability to fabricate necessities on the fly, even in space, opening up new opportunities for research and learning. The container could be intended for use on the International Space Station or for a different, even hypothetical, space mission.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/05/18/nasa-3d-challenge-470/

By Joy Nelson, Edudemic

As cool as technology is, its intricacies and inner workings are sometimes intimidating, especially for young people who may be more interested in what technology can do for them rather than what they can do with technology. However, when students hurdle that obstacle and see the value of computer science — specifically coding — they gain a broadened perspective and the potential for a rewarding career in the tech field. The following resources will help you teach your students the basics of coding and will provide tips on how to keep kids interested as you go.

http://www.edudemic.com/coding-classroom-16-top-resources/

by Sam Easter, MLive

Julia Chase is enrolled in eight classes this semester through Bangor Township Schools. She takes algebra, English and U.S. history just like many of her fellow sophomores. Only Chase isn’t spending a single day in a traditional classroom. Rather, she’s one of 25 students enrolled in the Bangor Township Virtual School, an online learning option that sees students complete coursework in a non-traditional school environment. “You can work on it from here — that’s helpful,” Chase explained, sitting alongside a few friends and a laptop at the district’s administration building.

http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2015/05/bangor_township_virtual_school.html

by Gerard Dawson, Edutopia

I used tech tools all day with little knowledge of their workings. And, despite my interactions with Jane, I had a typical fixed-mindset explanation for this: “I’m an English teacher. My brain doesn’t work that way.” What I was really saying was, “I forgot how to be a beginner.” A year ago, though, I became a beginner, an apprentice, a struggling learner. I decided to learn how to code. Immediately, the experience became less about designing websites and more about experiencing the growth mindset, improving confidence with technology, and learning that failure is part of the process.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/learning-to-code-learning-to-learn-gerard-dawson

By Pamela DeLoatch, Edudemic

We know certain characteristics can be encouraged, but not taught, like curiosity. But teachers who use an inquiry based approach can provide techniques that help students learn the questions to ask that may spark a natural interest. As students process this new way of approaching projects, they and their teachers have numerous technological tools to make work easier, so more time can be spent with creative thinking, research and discussions, instead of with project paperwork.

http://www.edudemic.com/inquiry-in-the-classroom/

By Kristen Hicks, Edudemic

Each year, the New Media Consortium and EDUCAUSE release the NMC Horizon Report, which looks at the technology most likely to shape education in the next five years. The 2015 report highlights a number of key changes that educators, those at the higher education level in particular, should be aware of.  A number of experts weighed in on the six technology trends that are making the biggest impact on education. If you read the report itself, you’ll see not only a description of what the trend is (which we’ve summarized below), but also a few examples of institutions or organizations that have already embraced it.

http://www.edudemic.com/education-trends-keep-tech-front-center/

by Nathan Hurst, University of Missouri Columbia

With more middle school students learning online every year, experts have identified a growing need for high-quality educational approaches that take advantage of current technology. The Department of Education recently awarded a group of researchers at the University of Missouri $2.7 million to support the development of an educational video game for middle school distance learners. Through playing the game, students will learn lessons about water systems and practice scientific argumentation. Teachers can monitor students’ progress and intervene during the game to support the individual needs of each student.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-05/uom-vgc051415.php

By Pamela DeLoatch, Edudemic

It’s not easy being a student. As classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities become more demanding, even the most conscientious students can have difficulty prioritizing and focusing on their work. Fortunately, for this technology savvy generation, there are a host of tools that can help students stay on top of their game. Google Chrome, the free web browser, offers applications (but if you don’t want the kids to laugh at you, be sure to call them apps), that function like software programs in the computer. With these apps, you and your students can get work done more quickly and easily. Although many apps are mostly for fun, others can be extremely effective in helping students stay organized and productive.

http://www.edudemic.com/8-must-have-google-chrome-apps-for-students/

By Doug Oakley, The Oakland Tribune

McClymonds and Oakland Technical high schools in California will share a $5 million grant over five years to grow computer science and engineering programs, courtesy of tech giant Intel. With the Intel grant, the Oakland Unified School District this year has accepted about $28 million from organizations interested in sponsoring different programs this year including an $11 million grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies to develop pathways to careers in the health industry and a $5 million grant from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation for early learning. Intel will help the two schools develop curriculum, buy computers, train teachers and offer employee mentors and job shadowing programs. Officials hope it will produce 600 college ready graduates who will seek college degrees and careers in engineering and computer science.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/05/14/intel-computer-science-049/

By Alice Steinglass, eSchool News

Learning to code is about more than career readiness. It’s about helping students make sense of their digital world. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion around the importance of coding in the K-12 classroom. Should it be compulsory for all students? An elective? Reserved for those students considering a computer science major in college? The answer may come down to supply and demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2020, there will be 1.4 million computing jobs and only 400,000 computer science students to fill those roles. This represents a gap of one million jobs that will go unfilled, and amounts to a $500 billion opportunity lost.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/05/14/learn-code-639/

By David Raths, Campus Technology

Despite being a strategic priority for IT, digital asset management has been a slow process at Smith College. Here’s how IT and the library are working together to meet their DAM goals. Like many liberal arts colleges, Smith College (MA) has found progress on digital asset management (DAM) infrastructure slow going. “We have been talking about it for almost eight years,” said Thomas Laughner, director of educational technology services (ETS). DAM gained a higher profile four years ago when it was listed as one of eight priorities on an IT strategic plan. “That really got the ball rolling,” he said.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/05/14/getting-it-and-libraries-on-the-same-dam-page.aspx

by Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant

by Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University Professor of Organizational Behavior Diana Bilimoria is attracting a global audience to her expertise on how women and men can achieve their full leadership potential in their workplaces. Her massive open online course (MOOC), called Women in Leadership: Inspiring Positive Change, begins Friday, May 15. Offered free through the Coursera platform, the course allows enrolled students to participate online from anywhere. It’s a way to experience and learn from concepts Bilimoria has developed through her well-known and highly regarded management research. Bilimoria is KeyBank Professor and Chair of Organizational Behavior at the Weatherhead School of Management. Her Coursera offering is the third from the faculty at the management school and eighth overall from Case Western Reserve.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/professor-diana-bilimoria-begins-new-coursera-mooc-called-women-in-leadership-inspiring-positive-change

by iSchool Guide

A recent poll suggested that schools are increasingly integrating the use of mobile devices in the classroom. It was also found that 45 percent of educators said allowing students to use these devices produced positive results, while nearly 75 percent of students believe every student should use a mobile device in school for learning. Non-profit group Project Tomorrow released a new survey, which suggested that schools are increasingly allowing students to use mobile devices during school days. The 12th annual Speak Up Research Project surveyed thousands of educators from 8,000 schools and 431,000 students to achieve a better understanding of how mobile devices impact learning, Kristin Decarr of Education News reported.

http://www.ischoolguide.com/articles/11781/20150512/poll-45-educators-mobile-device-usage-class.htm

by JORDAN MADDOX, Herald and Review

A proposal moving through the General Assembly could bring an end to snow days for Illinois school students. State Sen. Michael Connelly, R-Lisle, is the Senate sponsor of legislation that would create a three-year pilot program for selected school districts. The program would give students of three chosen districts up to five days of online learning while not at school instead of a snow day or other reasons that cause a school to close. One reason for the proposal is to cut down on the number of days students have to come back to school after the year should have ended for summer. Peg Agnos, executive director of SCOPE, an organization that focuses on students and school districts in parts of Cook and Will counties, supports the measure but said there is still a lot left to do “because it’s a pilot, and we have not done it yet in Illinois.”

http://herald-review.com/news/local/education/e-learning-may-replace-snow-days/article_7b9aa3f2-dfad-5906-8e26-c8eb94a7d830.html

by Adam Tamburin, Tennesseean

High school students across the state will be able to take college classes like macroeconomics and sociology this fall without paying tuition thanks to a new program rolling out at Middle Tennessee State University. The university’s Dual Enrollment Program will offer eligible students the chance to take the tuition-free courses online or on campus in Murfreesboro. Students at partnering schools in Rutherford, Williamson and Bradley counties will be able to take the courses in their high schools. The courses will yield both college and high school credit.

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2015/05/11/mtsu-dual-enrollment-tuition-high-school/27147703/

by Martin van den Hemel, Richmond Review

For adult learners eager to rechart their career path, or simply wanting to bolster their resumes, the learning options are virtually endless. From the continuing education offerings by the Richmond School District, to the Third Age Learning program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University—where quizzes/grades/prerequisites are shunned in favour of discussion/humour/insight—the way people are accessing information and knowledge is different from even a decade ago. “For people interested in learning new things, there are more options than ever,” Michael Khoo, head of the Richmond School District’s continuing education program, said. The Richmond school district is gradually phasing out face-to-face teaching in its adult continuing education program, offering instead six-week online courses that begin every month and start at $119.

http://www.richmondreview.com/community/303299181.html

by Melinda Stotts, Miami News Record

A Miami student, 15-year-old Katelyn Watson, is taking advantage of an alternative educational option through an online virtual public school. Katelyn is a freshman receiving her education through the Oklahoma Connections Academy which offers tuition-free virtual public schooling for students in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout the state. Because Oklahoma Connections Academy is a public school there is no tuition paid or cost for materials with the exception of special projects such as science experiments. Katelyn’s parents Frank and Helen Watson chose the less traditional schooling opportunity for both of their children, Katelyn and their son 11-year old son Paul, because of concerns they had with optimizing their children’s education through traditional schools.

http://www.miamiok.com/news/article_9cad654e-04e3-5d7a-963f-ee457e0e605b.html

By Pamela DeLoatch, Edudemic

It’s not easy being a school administrator. As leader of your school or department, it may be difficult to find peers you can confide in, discuss challenges or get insights. That’s why it’s great to tap into the opinions, knowledge and research of education administrator blogs. Most of these blogs are written for and by administrators, and can open up a conversation and help you connect with others who, like you, work to provide the best educational opportunities for your students. Others blogs are written from people who aren’t in the trenches, and can provide a different, but necessary perspective.

http://www.edudemic.com/admin-blogs/

by Matt Smith, the Age

Over the years web and mobile technology has advanced to the point where online training has become an easy and attainable cost-effective solution for small businesses. No longer do we need to sit through boring PowerPoint presentations that produce ineffective training results for employees. Electronic learning (eLearning) has advanced so that training courses can now be used on any device, anywhere, with the latest technology to engage all employees. We’ve seen this shift in learning mindset with start-ups offering skill specific training as well as universities offering their content online through MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). With these advances, small businesses now have access to courses that would have been only available for large corporations a few years ago. Through eLearning, small businesses are better placed to maintain competitive advantage by offering this type of training for staff. Employees in larger organisations expect to participate in some form of elearning, and soon it will be the norm in small businesses too.

http://www.theage.com.au/small-business/smallbiz-tech/next-gen-learning-for-small-businesses-20150511-ggyvj8.html

By Tara García Mathewson, Education

Continuing the trend of the last several decades, this year’s graduates have more debt than their predecessors. The Wall Street Journal reports on a new study from college financial planning company Edvisors, which shows the average borrower in the Class of 2015 will be responsible for paying back $35,000 and 17% of these grads have parents who took out $30,687 on their behalf, on average. Student loan debt has increased by more than 10 times since 1994, according to the article, and if current trends continue, the Class of 2016 will soon take over as the most indebted class ever.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/this-years-grads-have-more-debt-than-ever/396225/