Educational Technology

By Dianne Byers, the Progress

At Tuesday’s Harmony Area School Board meeting, the board will be asked to consider a partnership with Central Intermediate Unit No. 10 for a pilot program that would allow Harmony students currently enrolled in cyber schools to participate in online learning offered by the school district. Although there would be an upfront annual cost to Harmony of $5,000, the partnership has potential. Superintendent Terry Young said she believes to save the district thousands it spends to educate Harmony students at cyber schools by getting students to return to Harmony for their education. Young told the board the district has 12 students who currently utilize cyber schools for a variety of reasons including discipline problems, family situations and emotional-social difficulties. The use of cyber schools by those 12 students costs the school district more than $161,0000 per year in its basic education funding received from the state.

http://www.theprogressnews.com/progress_news/harmony-school-board-to-consider-participation-in-online-learning-program/article_93694dab-16e5-53c1-b388-c6e9ed1d0e74.html

By Lisa Rabasca Roepe

Nearly 3 ½ million Americans age 50 or older have taken some college courses but haven’t earned a degree or certificate, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Some big employers, such as Starbucks, JetBlue, Fiat/Chrysler and Pizza Hut are now helping them finish a college degree. These companies have launched programs allowing their employees of any age to earn a college degree online for little or no out-of-pocket costs. (The specifics vary for each program and are noted at the end of this article.) It’s a win/win for employees and employers. “When people are working on improving themselves, their productivity and performance improves,” says John Fox, director of dealer training, FCA Performance Institute, Fiat/Chrysler. Others offering college-completion programs say this benefit helps them with recruitment, retention and employee engagement.

http://www.nextavenue.org/ompanies-help-older-workers-finish-a-college-degree/

By ARIEL BOGLE, Mashable

We could be living on Mars by the year 3000, so it’s time to get prepared. To help us earthlings ready ourselves for the journey, Monash University in Melbourne, Australia is offering a free online course focused on how to survive the red planet. Developed by astrophysicist Jasmina Lazendic-Galloway and chemistry professor Tina Overton, the course “How to Survive on Mars: The Science Behind Human Exploration of Mars” will run over four weeks, three hours per week with the first instalment beginning on Oct. 24. According to Lazendic-Galloway, the course emerged from she and Overton’s love of Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, The Martian, which was made into a 2015 film starring Matt Damon.

http://mashable.com/2016/09/01/university-mars-survival-course/#cof70vhIU8ql

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

SchoolWise, an online platform for high school students interested in college, has launched GoSchoolWise.com, a new website that’s designed to help high school students and their parents during the often arduous college admissions process. The new site utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools such as IBM Watson, a platform that uses natural language processing and personality traits to reveal insights from large amounts of unstructured data, to help students find the right college for them. According to a report by the private, Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation, only about 40 percent of high school students in the United States graduate from college. SchoolWise aims to improve that number by assisting students at the beginning of the college admissions process.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/08/29/schoolwise-launches-website-to-help-high-school-students-with-college-admissions.aspx

By David Nagel, Campus Technology

Fueled by a growth in virtual and augmented reality, 360 degree cameras are expected to see rapid growth over the next five years. 360-degree cameras allow users to shoot spherical videos and still images, which can be shared on services like Facebook and YouTube and experienced as virtual reality using a phone, tablet or dedicated VR headset. The 360-degree video at the link below, for example, shows a Blue Angels flight from the perspective of one of the planes’ cockpits. On a phone or tablet, users can view the scene from different angles just by turning their devices left, right, up or down. (On a traditional computer, these movements are controlled using a finger or mouse.)

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/08/31/virtual-reality-to-drive-rapid-adoption-of-360-degree-cameras.aspx

by David Weldon, Campus Technology

Often, the learning spaces that get the most attention are the big, flashy projects, complete with all the bells and whistles associated with cutting-edge technology-enhanced classrooms. But for many colleges and universities, those kinds of facilities are a dream, not a reality. With that in mind, Sutch and her colleague Mark Frydenberg, senior lecturer in computer information systems and director of the CIS Learning and Technology Sandbox at Bentley, presented the session “Spruce up Your Campus Learning Spaces without Breaking Your Budget” at the recent Campus Technology Conference in Boston, offering ideas on how campus technologists can outfit their learning centers “on the cheap.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/08/31/how-to-revamp-your-learning-spaces-on-the-cheap.aspx

By Rhea Kelly, THE Journal

Safe social media use is the top cybersecurity challenge for employees, according to the latest report from Wombat Security Technologies on security awareness issues in enterprise organizations. The 2016 Beyond the Phish Report evaluated two years of assessment data from Wombat’s Security Education Platform and surveyed hundreds of security professionals to find out how well end users are able to identify and manage security threats. The data came from a variety of sectors, including finance, technology, healthcare and education. Overall, 31 percent of end users missed assessment questions related to using social media safely in the workplace.After social media, the least understood cybersecurity topics across all industries were protecting and disposing of data securely (30 percent of questions missed); identifying phishing threats (28 percent of questions missed); protecting confidential information (27 percent of questions missed); and working safely outside the office (26 percent of questions missed).

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/01/social-media-a-top-cybersecurity-challenge-in-the-workplace.aspx

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

EdTech Magazine offers a view into the benefits of automatic digital onboarding, the process of establishing email and single-sign on access for students, faculty and staff that can make IT development faster, easier and more secure for campus stakeholders. Programs like OneLogin are examples of how schools create and manage digital identities for student and academic access points, helping schools like Texas A&M University and Brown University save time in data processing. Cloud-based technology is a major deterrent in protecting institutional information from hacking, as a recent survey revealed higher education is among the most vulnerable industries to illegal system access.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/how-technology-can-make-student-onboarding-faster-and-safer/425581/

By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Cindy Elsberry, former superintendent of Horry County Schools in South Carolina, sees blended learning as a way to increase teacher capacity and impact by providing data to better understand student learning needs and the tools for individualized instruction. Elsberry writes for District Administration that there are six models at teachers’ disposal, including a classroom rotation model, where students get a mix of instruction types at various stations, and the face-to-face driver model, where online learning is supplemental and delivered in a traditional classroom. There is also the flex model, in which teachers provide in-person support for a primarily online curriculum; online labs, where students work from computer labs to take online courses; a la carte, which offers online courses to students as a supplement to other courses; and online driver, in which students take their classes remotely but come to a school building for extracurricular activities.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/former-superintendent-details-districts-blended-learning-transformation/425496/

by eCampus News

With online courses now part of the mainstream, colleges and universities are collecting terabytes of data on how students interact with their systems and content. But most schools gather this data according to their own specs, which makes comparisons difficult for researchers trying to identify broader trends. However, this may all change in the wake of a conference hosted by Harvard and MIT this August that saw a dozen schools implement a standardized data structure for MOOCS and other online courses using the Open edX platform. The goal: Create a better understanding of how students learn online and improve instructional approaches accordingly.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/featured/featured-on-ecampus-news/edx-online-learning/

by Nikon

Today, Nikon Inc. has launched Nikon School Online, featuring engaging and educational photography and video online classes that will help storytellers of every level improve their skills to capture their passions. Expanding on its existing nationwide Nikon School program, amateurs, enthusiasts and professionals can now learn new techniques and expand their skills from any computer, tablet or smartphone at online.nikonschool.com. Nikon School Online will initially host three classes designed to teach new skills, expand creativity and allow students to challenge themselves to take better photos and videos, with more offerings to come in the future.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/watch-and-learn-new-nikon-school-online-photography–video-classes-aim-to-educate-and-inspire-300320078.html

by Canvas

Canvas Network, an open online educational platform from Instructure, has announced that it will be hosting courses focusing on engaging girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives. This free online course series issues a call to action for educators, students and parents to prioritize STEM education for girls in elementary, middle and high school grades, as well as higher education. The massive online open courses (MOOCs) included in the series aim to provide a community for both girls and boys throughout the world to engage in STEM-related courses. Engaging girls in STEM is crucial at a time when more than half a million jobs in information technology are unfilled across all sectors of the economy, and projections from the White House estimate that in just two years there will be 2.4 million unfilled STEM positions.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canvas-network-reveals-series-of-open-courses-focusing-on-engaging-girls-in-stem-fields-300319318.html

By Michael Hart, THE Journal

As technology has changed K–12 education, so has it changed the role of the chief technology officer, a job title that just barely existed 15 years ago. Today’s CTO is not your grandfather’s infrastructure manager! Technology is ubiquitous in today’s classroom, so we sometimes forget it was just a short while ago that not even teachers had their own computers, let alone their students, who now sometimes come to school with two or three electronic devices. THE Journal contributing writer Michael Hart spoke recently with four veteran chief technology officers who were present at almost the very introduction of technology to K–12 education and asked them how their jobs have changed over the last 15 to 20 years.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/08/25/the-changing-role-of-the-cto.aspx

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

Digital transformation has the potential to revolutionize citizen services, but efforts to bring about that change are “often hindered by top-down hierarchies, cultural legacies and the lack of a compelling vision,” according to information from Gartner, an information technology research and advisory company. Gartner spoke with numerous public sector CIOs who have lead successful digital transformation initiatives. Based on those conversations, Gartner identified three key steps to effective organizational change. The first step is to promote a compelling new vision for the organization as a whole, including the role of IT in that transformation.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/08/29/3-key-steps-for-digital-transformation-initiatives.aspx

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

With LionVision VR, as the channel is called, fans will be able to access access “behind-the-scenes views of practice, pre- and post-game locker room coaches’ talks and a wide array of iconic Penn State experiences, while immersed inside a customized virtual reality environment,” according to a news release. The channel is compatible with iOS (iPhone 6 or higher) and Android (Samsung S5 or equivalent) smartphone devices. “LionVision VR will allow Nittany Lion fans spread across the world to see, hear and feel what it’s like to be part of practice and game day in ways that were never previously possible,” said Michael Cross, assistant athletic director for new business development, in a statement. “This is the next best thing to being in State College. If you love Penn State, you can look forward to having regular experiences with LionVision VR.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/08/26/penn-state-athletics-and-eon-sports-vr-launch-virtual-reality-channel.aspx

by Jocelyn R. Uy, Inquirer.net

In the Mendoza household, learning knows no age and boundaries. When he was nine, 10-year-old Edan started exploring basic botany his way: he grew and cared for small carnivorous plants that he was curious about. Around the same time, his now 13-year-old brother, Elijah, signed up for a free online course on coding that taught him how to program, build and design websites and applications. He also built a stock portfolio and joined his dad in giving financial seminars. The brothers, as well as their three other siblings—aged eight, six and three—are homeschoolers.

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/236458/homeschooling-diy-learning-works

By Anita Hymel, NOLA.com

School has started, and St. John the Baptist school district plans to help everyone with desire and determination to work to further their education. The district is seeking students between the ages of 16 and 21 who are no longer enrolled in school in the parish for a new e-Learning Academy. This includes students who have dropped out of the system or who have chosen to be homeschooled. There is no cost to enroll in the academy. It’s never too late for school, and this district is making it simple for all to succeed.

http://blog.nola.com/river/2016/08/st_johns_e-learning_academy_of.html

by Lucia Maffei, Tech Crunch

San Francisco-based education startup StudySoup, which calls itself “a peer-to-peer learning marketplace,” announced it has raised $1.7 million in seed funding. The company works as an online study group where students can sell or purchase class notes and study guides. “We realized that a lot of students come to college on very different levels,” Sieva Kozinsky, 26, co-founder and CEO, said in a phone interview with TechCrunch. “They’re all expected to hit the ground running and to get on the same page, and unfortunately it leads to a lot of failures, because people are totally unprepared and there isn’t the right support there.”

https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/26/studysoup-raises-1-7m-to-help-students-buy-and-sell-class-notes/

by Sarah D. Young, Consumer Affairs

Millennials may have gotten a traditional public school education, but they’re not holding their kids to the same standard. According to a new survey, the vast majority of Millennial moms and dads are supportive of alternative approaches to education. Rather than following the well-worn path, 77% of Millennial parents believe it’s a good idea to create a path to graduation that suits their child’s unique needs. Their view of K-12 public school education involves the inclusion of online courses and blended learning. Additionally, almost all Millennials (92%) believe online learning options should be offered tuition-free.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/what-kind-of-k-12-education-do-millennials-want-for-their-kids-082616.html

By Hui-Yin Hsu, Your Houston News

As classes start, public schools across the country are staring down crisis-level teacher shortages. Rapid City, S.D., schools have 50 unfilled teaching positions. Georgia’s Houston County has 90. San Francisco has over 100. Florida’s Orange County: a whopping 300. As older educators steadily retire, there’s a desperate need for new blood in America’s teacher corps. Worse still, too many young teachers lack the knowledge required to educate effectively. And the teacher corps remains remarkably homogeneous, failing to reflect this nation’s diversity. Online teacher certification is the silver-bullet solution to all these challenges. E-learning portals empower people from less traditional career tracks to join the teaching profession, bringing unique perspectives, skills, and backgrounds into the classroom. More universities should offer online teacher training. And public school systems should value these degrees and recruit from these new pools.

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/sugar_land/opinion/hsu-e-learning-is-an-essential-tool-for-improving-the/article_b909ab56-6bc9-11e6-9cf7-2fb4f5bc43a4.html

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Higher education commands nearly $70 billion in funded research, but many institutions do not take advantage of technological advancement which could generate billions by cutting delays in experiments and savings on personnel. Improving recruitment strategies for graduate assistants, building networks for peer review and publishing and implementing cloud-based data storage and virtual-lab work are ways to expedite the research process while cutting costs. Smaller laboratories are frequently hampered by the antiquated systems of research management, but all institutions can benefit from cost savings and expedited systems, specifically in areas like pharmaceuticals and disease research.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/how-technology-strategy-can-generate-billions-for-higher-ed/425128/