Educational Technology

February 29, 2016

The future of online education

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:38 am

by Tyler Hawn, Newsplex

Students are spending more time in schools staring at screens, instead of looking at teachers. Supporters of online learning say technology is helping to keep them engaged and giving them a better education, but does this set the stage for the end of face-to-face learning? Students at Walton Middle School in Albemarle County are a part of a new generation of learning that involves more clicks on a keyboard, than the sound of a teacher’s voice. “It’s kind of an initiative we have here to match specific pieces of technology with specific student need,” said Rachel McElroy, an eighth grade teacher. Albemarle County Schools is launching a pilot program at Walton called the “One-to-One Initiative.” The goal is to help students learn things faster, by giving them access to online tools.

http://www.newsplex.com/home/headlines/The-future-of-online-education-369876111.html

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Want to Sing Like Christina Aguilera? There’s a Class for That (and She’s Teaching It!)

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

by Leeor Samocha, E! Online

Yes, you read that right, Professor Aguilera has arrived!  You don’t have to know much about music to know that Christina Aguilera’s long list of credentials make her an undisputed expert in the music world. The six-time Grammy winner is now making it possible for just about anyone to learn her techniques. That is, if they’re willing to shell out 90 bucks (talent not included). Xtina announced today via Twitter that she has joined MasterClass, an online education platform that has signed on coaches and singers such as Kevin Spacey, Usher, and Serena Williams, and given them the opportunity to divulge their secrets for success to any of us common folk who hope to make it as a singer, actor, or even tennis player.

http://www.eonline.com/news/742606/want-to-sing-like-christina-aguilera-there-s-a-class-for-that-and-she-s-teaching-it

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7 Online Courses that Will Actually Help Your Life

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

by MADDY FOLEY, Bustle

The courses I’ve highlighted today each focus on teaching a specific skill — Photoshop basics, HTML coding, and so on — but if none of them seem like a good fit for your life, I highly encourage browsing online education hubs like Coursera, Skillshare, and edX, all of whom provide free courses from top universities and professionals. Additionally, university resources like MIT’s Open Courseware host huge databases of past syllabi and reading lists; and there’s also The Muse, a career-advancing resource you should all check out which routinely compiles online courses arranged by job field.

http://www.bustle.com/articles/143727-7-online-courses-that-will-actually-help-your-life

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February 28, 2016

Going Viral

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

by Brian Hernelsteen, Star-Telegram

The world is a much busier place for today’s teenager. School, a part-time job, extracurricular activities and a social life all impact a teen’s life. And for years, many students were unable to follow some classroom or after school passions, because there wasn’t enough time in the day. That changed in the Mansfield school district when online classes were offered.

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/mansfield-news-mirror/mnm-news/article61822422.html

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Online Vs. the Classroom: Where Should Students Learn?

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

By U-News

The University of Missouri-Kansas City keeps up with the digital age and busy students by offering a variety of online courses. According to its website, they are: instructor led online asynchronous, instructor led online synchronous, online-campus, blended or hybrid course, and video. Online courses are not for every student, they cater to certain learning styles and may not be the best choice for everyone. UMKC Professor Jeannie Irons enjoys both online and in-person courses for different reasons. “I enjoy the flexibility of online courses for students because I know so many are juggling other commitments,” Irons said. “I also appreciate that flexibility for myself. Online courses are also great because students get time to process and write their thoughts out on discussion posts. I think this kind of reflective exercise is good for critical thinking.”

http://info.umkc.edu/unews/online-vs-the-classroom-where-should-students-learn/

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Professional Development for Teachers: Making it Work! #infographic

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:31 am

by Gaggle Speaks

Did you know 96% of teachers believe technology plays a significant role in their classrooms, yet 46% believe they lack the training needed to integrate technology in their classrooms? This is just one of the many statistics Gaggle featured in their most recent infographic titled “Professional Development: Making it Work!” In the infographic, Gaggle also provides tips to ensure educators get the most out of PD.

https://www.gaggle.net/speaks/professional-development-making-work-infographic/

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February 27, 2016

How to make blended learning work

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

by Brett Henebery, the Educator

The way in which technology is introduced into a classroom can often mean the difference between calm and chaos. However, which one of these your school experiences depends firstly on how well your infrastructure and blended learning culture has been set up, Peter West, head of e-learning at St Stephens College (SSC), told The Educator. “In order to make blended learning work, you first have to set up your infrastructure, otherwise it’s just not going to work,” West said.

http://www.educatoronline.com.au/news/how-to-make-blended-learning-work-212179.aspx

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8 MOOCs for Better Technology-Enhanced Teaching

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

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

These free courses will help update your skills with blended, OER, Universal Design and more. Let 2016 be the year you revamp your understanding of technology-enhanced teaching or add a new skill for helping students learn. We’ve culled through hundreds of massive open online courses (MOOCs) that are starting in or after February 2016 to identify seven free courses for fine-tuning the instructional practices in your classrooms.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/02/10/8-moocs-for-better-technology-enhanced-teaching.aspx

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Video Chat Your Way Into College: How Tech Is Changing The Admissions Process

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

by Anya Kamenetz, NPR

Two new companies, Kira Academic and YouVisit, market novel applications of technology to colleges that want to find the best overseas students and vice versa. Kira Academic is a video-based real time admissions platform that works like a virtual interviewing tool. The company saw the potential market in higher education, and it now works with 140 universities around the world. Kira works with colleges to come up with a specific battery of questions. YouVisit produces video-based virtual reality “tours” of hotels, travel destinations and colleges, including Harvard and Yale. Shot in high-definition video, the VR tours give students the opportunity to explore a campus while feeling as if they’re really there.

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/02/10/465583808/video-chat-your-way-into-college-how-tech-is-changing-the-admissions-process

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February 26, 2016

The major momentum behind micro-credentials

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:37 am

BY JENNIFER KABAKER, eSchool News

Over the past two years, Digital Promise has been building an ecosystem of micro-credentials to provide competency-based recognition for the skills educators develop throughout their careers in both formal and informal contexts. Supported by the Open Badge Standard (developed by Mozilla) and digital badging technology, these micro-credentials provide educators with concrete validation of their learning that can be used as a type of currency in professional learning. To earn a micro-credential, an educator can select either a single micro-credential or a stack that is aligned with his or her interests or students’ needs, collect the required evidence to demonstrate competency, and submit it online for assessment. An assessor will download the video, and evaluate it through the publicly available rubric.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/02/16/the-major-momentum-behind-micro-credentials/

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5 ways cloud computing will impact students, teachers, and IT in 2016

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

BY BRIDGET MCCREA, eSchoolNews

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or “cloud computing” has helped districts and schools streamline their applications while at the same time introducing new challenges to the mix—such as online privacy and security concerns. These and other obstacles aside, cloud computing has been growing in popularity lately due to its low entry costs, short installation/implementation times, and the fact that it lessens the burden on schools’ IT teams when it comes to software maintenance and upgrades.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/02/17/5-ways-cloud-computing-will-impacts-students-teachers-and-it-in-2016/

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What does research really say about iPads in the classroom?

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:31 am

by Jeanne Carey Ingle and Tanya Moorehead, eSchoolNews

So for the past year and a half, we’ve both been working with teachers and university students integrating iPad technology into the classroom in a controlled way. While doing this, we came across several outcomes that made us question and dig deeper into what the research actually says about using them in the classroom. Do students and younger teachers use them more effectively? Do they work better for some student populations? It’s probably not giving much away to say that the most important learning outcome we found was that experience is the greatest teacher.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/02/15/what-does-research-really-say-about-ipads-in-the-classroom/

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February 25, 2016

3D Technologies Add Another Dimension to Learning

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

By Dennis Pierce, THE Journal

In Scott Nichols’ Principles of Engineering course at Pikesville High School in Maryland, students had a creative idea that could help people in developing countries receive better medical care. Through research, the students discovered that people who suffer trauma might not get the attention they need because of a lack of doctors. They realized that if they could create a three-dimensional template for a generic arm cast, they could alter the file based on an individual patient’s arm measurements. With a small investment, developing countries’ medical facilities could buy a 3D printer that would cost much less than having a doctor on staff — and they could print a customized cast based on the patient’s measurements. Using a new 3D scanning and modeling tool from HP, called Sprout, the students used three-dimensional scans of their arms to create a model cast file that could be altered based on the measurements of a patient’s arm and then sent to a 3D printer for creation.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/02/17/3d-technologies-add-another-dimension-to-learning.aspx

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Thousands of Refugees to Receive College Credit Online through edX Partnership with Kiron

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

by edX

As part of a joint effort to improve the lives of thousands of newly arrived Syrian and other refugees in Europe, edX today announced a partnership with Kiron that offers a pathway to earn free college credit. The collaboration, which begins April 2016, will provide online learning opportunities for thousands of current and new Kiron students who seek better lives after escaping Syria and other war-torn countries. Kiron, whose mission is to enable access to free higher education for refugees, independent of national and/or personal and financial situations, will integrate 300 edX courses into its learning platform. EdX will issue free verified certificates for specific courses, translating to college credit with Kiron’s university campus partners. The full slate of offerings will include introductory as well as university-level specialty courses.

http://news.sys-con.com/node/3684967

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Online textbooks add content, save money: Schools adapting to newer technology

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:29 am

By Ron Bridgeman, Gainsville Times

Teachers at the school have collaborated using Google Classroom to create course materials. Textbooks are disappearing in the Hall County schools — and saving the system more than $1 million a year. But county teachers also use technology to “crowd source” and develop curriculum that can go beyond a text. Textbooks are disappearing in the Hall County schools — and saving the system more than $1 million a year. But county teachers also use technology to “crowd source” and develop curriculum that can go beyond a text. Hall County has not purchased a full “core” subject of textbooks in about six years, Kevin Bales, director of middle and secondary education, said. Such a purchase would be $2 million to $3 million, he said. Hall County has $700,000 budgeted for the current fiscal year, Bales said.  Aaron Turpin, Hall County technology executive director, said teachers make suggestions and provide copies of course materials that can be used by others in the field. That material could have a lot of sources, he said — “you can’t do this with a text.” “With digital textbooks and digital resources, students often have the advantage of thousands and thousands of pages of information on a specific topic, whereas hardback textbooks are much more limited,” Bales explained.

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/115230/

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February 24, 2016

Hack Club!

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

By Greg Thompson, THE Journal

High school students have started taking charge of their own computer science education. One of them, Zach Latta, an 18-year-old who was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for 2016, has helped to create a network of coding groups (“Hack Clubs”) that have spread to 12 states and six countries so far. The purpose: to get kids coding regardless of background or prior technical knowledge. While the familiar “maker movement” tends to focus on manipulating three-dimensional objects, the burgeoning “hack culture” is making its mark primarily in 2D. Also known as “coding,” the act of “hacking” is merely solving a problem through the use of any and all computer programming languages.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/02/18/hack-club.aspx

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Build the foundational skills required for workplace success with edX’s new X-Series

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

by India Education Diary

Applicants need more than standard credentials to get hired and be successful in today’s competitive job market. The skills that are valued within the workplace have changed. The Fullbridge Career Edge XSeries Program is designed to help learners develop those key skills, through critical thinking and problem solving techniques, strategies to succeed in teams and a foundation in the analytical and data driven frameworks needed for success in any industry.

http://indiaeducationdiary.in/Shownews.asp?newsid=37775

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Project-Based Courses Launch on Coursera

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

by Coursera Blog

If you learn best when you’re applying new skills to a meaningful project, you’re not alone. Research shows that tackling real-life challenges is a powerful way master new content, improve your general problem-solving abilities, and prepare for increasingly difficult tasks. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of 12 new project-based courses on Coursera, in topics from persuasive writing to computer construction. In a project-based course, you’ll master content efficiently by applying new concepts to a real-world project as you learn. You’ll receive guidance and suggestions from your instructor and a community of learners with similar goals, and when you complete the course, you’ll have a finished project that you’ll be proud to use and share.

https://blog.coursera.org/post/139098545432

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February 23, 2016

Utilise online courses to your full advantage

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

by Sarita Digumarti. Bengaluru, Deccan Herald

Online learning gives students the flexibility to learn at anytime and from any where. Online education allows one to pace their learning. However, one must know how to use them to its maximum potential. Sarita Digumarti lists out a few tips that can help you engage effectively Online learning gives students the flexibility to learn at anytime and from any where. It’s a great advantage especially for full-time professionals, students who are pursuing diff­erent programmes and for parents as well. The key, most students say, is not underestimating or discounting the value of the course, or the effort required to do the course.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/529497/utilise-online-courses-your-full.html

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Keokuk’s online AP courses catch on

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

by Emma VanArsdale, Daily Gate City

Student interest in online Advanced Placement classes is increasing at Keokuk High School, according to teachers familiar with the program. KHS offers the online classes for students planning to attend college out of state. AP classes provide students with the opportunity to earn college credit if they pass the exam at the end of the class. There are 11 students taking online AP courses at the high school. Classes that are available to KHS students include AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP History, and many more.

http://www.dailygate.com/news/article_65cc4f1a-d593-11e5-9d9f-13d1636974eb.html

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Teaching and Learning and IT Issues: Exploring the Intersections

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

by Veronica Diaz and Malcolm Brown, EDUCAUSE Review

Optimizing Educational Technology, #2 on the EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues list, closely aligns with several of the ELI Key Issues. Faculty development (ELI Key Issue #1) is about improving practice and enabling faculty members to support learning with the effective use of technology. Academic transformation (ELI Key Issue #2) is about using information technology creatively to support new teaching and learning models. Learning analytics (ELI Key Issue #5) refers to studying data about learners and their contexts in order to understand and optimize learning and the environments where it occurs. Finally, working with emerging technology (ELI Key Issue #3) is about having an ongoing awareness of innovations, developing an effective process by which to discover them, utilizing pilots, and considering full-scale implementation.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2016/1/teaching-and-learning-and-it-issues-exploring-the-intersections

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