Educational Technology

by Bloomberg News

VIPKid has raised $125 million and signed up 50,000 kids to study English, math and science online. Cindy Mi leans forward on a couch in her sun-filled Beijing office to explain how she first got interested in education. She loved English so much as a child that she spent her lunch money on books and magazines to practice. By 15, she was good enough that she began to tutor other students. At 17, she dropped out of high school to start a language-instruction company with her uncle. Today, Mi is 33 and founder of a startup that aims to give Chinese kids the kind of education American children receive in top U.S. schools. Called VIPKid, the company matches Chinese students aged five to 12 with predominantly North American instructors to study English, math, science and other subjects. Classes take place online, typically for two or three 25-minute sessions each week.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-19/if-the-u-s-won-t-pay-its-teachers-china-will

by Global Times

A teacher live-streams Chinese class in an empty classroom in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi Province on Monday. As in Beijing, schools in Xi’an were also suspended on Monday due to heavy smog. Photo: CFP This is not a dystopian future. Schools in Beijing have moved their classes online to spare students from the dangerous smog levels currently choking the capital. Education officials closed all kindergartens and primary schools on Monday after the city issued a red alert for heavy smog that reached 10 times the standards posed by the World Health Organization. Authorities also recommended that high schools in the city hold shortened days during the red alert, which saw PM2.5 levels above 500. The smog is expected to disperse tonight, according to weather authorities. But to keep students from falling behind, the Beijing Municipal Education Bureau required teachers to live-stream classes online.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1024742.shtml

by Surajit Dasgupta, NDTV

Coursera has 1.8 million learners from India out of 23 million registered learners globally – its second largest base of online learners after the US.

The 10 Most Popular Coursera Courses of 2016 (based on total Indian enrollments):

1. Machine Learning – Stanford University

2. Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) – University of Michigan

3. R Programming – Johns Hopkins University

4. Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects – University of California, San Diego

5. The Data Scientist’s Toolbox – Johns Hopkins University

http://profit.ndtv.com/news/tech-media-telecom/article-these-are-the-most-popular-online-courses-for-it-professionals-1639820

by Mathew Lynch, Edvocate

Modern technology offers a plethora of cognitive tools for implementation in your classroom. You’re likely familiar with pedagogical tools and teaching resources, but you may also be wondering what exactly a “cognitive tool” is. Cognitive tools are tools what, when used outside of the classroom, play a role in productivity. They include word-processing programs, spreadsheets, and e-mail programs. Applied to the classroom, these become cognitive tools, because they improve the learning process, enhancing thinking and understanding. Let’s look at some examples:

http://www.theedadvocate.org/hacked-cognitive-tools/

by Bevin Reinen

Skype is an instructional tool that provides boundless opportunities for authentic teaching and learning. It allows us to explore beyond the four walls of our classrooms. As elementary teachers, we sometimes battle to hold our students’ short attention spans. Integrating Skype lessons brings the curriculum to life in ways never before possible. You know that special moment when you announce a class activity, and it’s greeted with claps, screams, and cheers? That’s Skype. It brings pure joy, wonder, and intrigue to your students. Here’s a list of ten ways to utilize it in the elementary setting, followed by some logistical tips for success.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/10-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

by RITIKA TRIKHA, Fast Company

At HackerRank, millions of developers, including hundreds of thousands of students, from around the world regularly solve coding challenges to improve their coding skills. In order to figure out which colleges have the best coders, we hosted a major University Rankings Competition. Over 5,500 students from 126 schools from around the world participated in the event. Companies also assess developers’ coding skills using HackerRank to hire great developers. According to our data, the top three best coders in the world hail from:

Russian Federation College, ITMO University (Russia)

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Middle School (China)

Ho Chi Minh City University of Science (Vietnam)

The University of California, Berkeley was the #1 college in America, and came in fourth overall.

https://www.fastcompany.com/3066485/the-future-of-work/these-universities-are-training-the-worlds-top-coders

by EIN Presswire

The analysts forecast the global online language learning market to grow at a CAGR of 10.9% during the period 2016-2020. Online language learning consists of digital content and solutions that facilitate the learning of languages through ICT tools and platforms, such as mobile apps, e-Books, games, videos, audio clips, digital software, learning lab equipment, and online tutoring. These tools and avenues are interactive, allow real-time feedback, and enhance learning processes as they involve different formats to impart information. Among the languages spoken globally, English has emerged as the most preferred language to learn followed by Mandarin Chinese.

http://www.einnews.com/pr_news/358642885/online-language-learning-2016-global-market-expected-to-grow-at-cagr-10-9-and-forecast-to-2020

By Rebecca Haars, Iowa State Daily

Need one more credit for the semester, another reason to get in shape or just a new way to spice up the course load? Try one of the kinesiology department’s physical activity courses. Smith said about 90 percent of the classes now use an online learning component that coordinates through Blackboard, but the majority of each class will be based on the actual physical activity.

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/self/article_04867f00-c0cf-11e6-9884-83d8efb04a99.html

by Rachel E. Sheeley, Richmond Gannett

Richmond Community Schools’s PowerUp 1:1 is moving forward as the system plans to spend $987,160 for 2,900 laptops to provide each student in grades five to 12 with a device. The school board approved the purchase during its Wednesday meeting. The Dell Latitude 3150 laptops are being purchased from CDW-G for $340.40 each.

http://www.pal-item.com/story/news/2016/12/17/rcs-approves-powerup-laptops-purchase/95504778/

by Associated Press

Three 10th-graders gathered in a pod working on a project they hope would ultimately lead to more civil discourse in America. “A lot of people are neglecting other points of view,” said Sam Humrichouse, 15, who lives in Meridian, reflecting upon the vitriolic campaign rhetoric the country experienced in the presidential campaign. He and his two classmates were at work on a plan to create a website where people could come, tell their stories and answer questions about their lives. As people visit the website, they would see the diversity in those stories and it would help “create an opportunity to practice civil discourse online,” said Harry Northrop, 14, of Boise.

http://www.ccenterdispatch.com/news/state/article_8760e00f-34d0-52ec-828a-b7a9fa4d9138.html

BY EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH, Free Lance-Star

Ronan Boyarski, a student at Grymes Middle School, plays the Hungry Black Hole. Boyarski poured his passion of coding into the design of the game, which won the Middle School Open Platform category of the 2016 National STEM Video Game Challenge. Ronan recently became the seventh-grader the winner of the 2016 National STEM Video Game Challenge, in the Middle School Open Platform category. His game, “Hungry Black Hole,” uses the W, A, S and D keys on a keyboard to move two stars simultaneously to a black hole in space. Each level (10 levels total) holds new obstacles: walls, quasars and astronomical objects that surround black holes. His knack for advanced coding has put his work on mobile devices in addition to computers. Over the summer, Ronan created a reference app for taekwondo students called “iKwonDo.”

http://www.dailyprogress.com/lifestyles/seventh-grader-s-winning-video-game-design-opens-educational-doors/article_50819192-c3bd-11e6-895f-9393e401372e.html

by Michigan State University

Michigan State University researchers studied laptop use in an introductory psychology course and found the average time spent browsing the web for non-class-related purposes was 37 minutes. Students spent the most time on social media, reading email, shopping for items such as clothes and watching videos. And their academic performance suffered. Internet use was a significant predictor of students’ final exam score even when their intelligence and motivation were taken into account, said Susan Ravizza, associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study. “The detrimental relationship associated with non-academic internet use,” Ravizza said, “raises questions about the policy of encouraging students to bring their laptops to class when they are unnecessary for class use.” Funded by the National Science Foundation, the findings are published online in the journal Psychological Science. The article is titled “Logged in and zoned out: How laptop internet use impacts classroom learning.”

http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2016/internet-use-in-class-tied-to-lower-test-scores/

By Alana Norris, Vicksburg Post

The online courses, superintendent Chad Shealy said, came about when administrators were looking for an advanced option for student who were performing highly in math. After research on the best options for students, the district contacted Oddyseyware and the company offered some of the program courses to the district for free. “One of the goals since the beginning is to give students the opportunity for those online courses. A lot of the education you’ll see coming online at your colleges now are hybrid classes and online courses. We want to give them at least one of those by the time they graduate,” Shealy said.

http://www.vicksburgpost.com/2016/12/16/junior-high-high-school-students-will-have-more-flexible-class-options/

BY LAURA ASCIONE DEVANEY, eCampus News

New wave of partnerships are helping support women as they pursue STEM careers in college and the professional world. Women are sorely lacking in the IT industry, and universities are taking notice and taking action with an influx of trending partnership-based programs designed to help get women in STEM–and help them stay there. When it comes to STEM, many women report experiencing negative stereotypes in class, and many say they lack female role models. Two-thirds of women in a recent CDW-G survey said they struggled with confidence. The survey included 300 women who are current STEM college students, recent graduates, and those who chose to leave technology, science and math programs.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/stem/trend-women-university-stem/

by Globe News Wire

Tiny Signs, a leader in online baby-sign language learning, is offering special holiday savings on “Tiny Signs Jumpstart,” an online mini-course that guides new parents and grandparents through the process of picking signs and learning how to sign them in less than 30 minutes. Lane Rebelo sums it up: “The Tiny Signs Jumpstart mini-course is short and sweet, and packed with valuable information. I created this Jumpstart mini-course as a simple and quick way to help new parents get started signing with ease and confidence!” One parent, Michelle C., recently wrote about Tiny Signs: “My 8 month-old started signing! He started with “milk” but understands many more. I wanted to thank you so much for putting together these videos. That was a wonderful gift for our family, and especially for our little boy who is so eager to communicate.”

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tiny-signs-baby-sign-language-184515374.html

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

While artificial intelligence (AI) continues to automate operations across industries like accounting, law and healthcare, machines are unlikely to replace teachers any time soon, according to research from the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. In “Teaching in the Machine Age,” report author and lead researcher Thomas Arnett argues that the “teaching profession is not immune to the effects of scientific and technological progress.” But instead of “viewing technological progress as a threat,” teachers should embrace AI innovations to help automate basic teaching tasks. Arnett outlines three “challenging circumstances” and explains how teachers and administrators can leverage technology to solve these problems and enhance their instructional models.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/12/12/report-tech-savvy-k12-teachers-will-survive-the-age-of-automation.aspx

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

Several major companies in the toys and games industry have invested in a California-based startup that builds immersive games and content for its flagship iPad accessory.TechCrunch reported that Osmo, “an early entrant in IoT toys,” has raised $24 million in funding from Mattel, Sesame Workshop, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and several venture capital funds. Osmo’s gaming system, designed for children ages 5–12, utilizes its own Reflective Artificial Intelligence technology to integrate physical puzzle pieces, blocks and other toys into a digital environment. With Pizza Co., for example, students learn business and math skills as they run their own virtual pizza shop using tangible money tiles that register on their iPad.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/12/13/toy-industry-leaders-invest-24-million-in-mobile-gaming-startup.aspx

by Caitlin R. McGlade, Sun-Sentinel

Career Online High School was developed in 2012 to offer a second chance to drop-outs long removed from the education system and afraid to turn back. In 2014, it was adapted for public libraries by Gale, a division of Cengage Learning focused on libraries. In Florida, it is being offered by libraries including North Miami Beach, Martin County and is expanding to 17 other systems, including the Boynton Beach City Library. More than 215 students have enrolled statewide, said Kristina Massari, spokesperson for Cengage. The state-funded scholarship allows students to complete a program that would normally cost about $1,300. But the company partners with some companies such as Walmart and McDonald’s to provide employees access as well. The state has allotted Broward about 140 scholarships and the library has awarded all of them. But the system can request more, said Vonda Ward Bryant, the library’s learning services

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-high-school-diplomas-20161215-story.html

by Reg Johnson, Cisco

There have been many conversations about the impact of technology on individual schools, but much less about the impact on entire education systems. To address this, Cisco staged five roundtable discussions in Australia to investigate the opportunities presented by digitization. While technology disruption has been immense, we are in the early stages of even more profound change. The Internet of Things is being thought of as the second-generation Internet, or “Industrial Internet.” If the Internet was about connecting people, IoT is about connecting people to machines and machines to machines. As a consequence, there is likely to be more change in learning in the next five years than there has been since Gutenberg. Why? Because we are at a tipping point where new technologies can engage more students, render learning more relevant, contain costs, and enhance equity.

http://blogs.cisco.com/education/digital-is-changing-major-aspects-of-k-12-education

by Bill Path, University Business

These graduates face two distinct sets of challenges, but their problems emerge from one source. One problem involves a lack of work-related training, and the other involves a lack of academic preparation. Both problems reflect a curricular deficit. Faculty in these contrasting disciplines share few things in common and rarely communicate with one another. But if they are to find solutions for the problems their graduates face, maybe they need each other more than they would like to admit. Why does higher education have to be either heads or tails? Why can it not be both heads and tails? Why does instruction have to be offered in either a theoretical learning model or in an applied learning model? Why can’t the instructional learning model be both theoretical and applied at the same time? Today’s college graduates are struggling. They need the technical skills to enter the modern workforce and the ability to advance their careers—not one or the other.

https://www.universitybusiness.com/article/proposing-liberal-arts-and-technical-education-armistice

by Ellen Ullman, K-12 Blueprint

For the School District of Lee County in Fort Myers, Florida, two statewide initiatives spurred an IT transformation that is, in turn, helping to make digital learning easier. First, Florida required districts to transition from paper-based to online testing. Then the state mandated that districts use digital materials for half of all classroom instruction. “We thought, ‘Since we are being forced into using digital content, and Chromebooks are becoming a great option and have keyboards so they can be used for online testing, that might be the right choice for us,’’” says Dwayne Alton, director of IT support.

https://www.k12blueprint.com/success-stories/going-11-chromebooks-and-interoperable-digital-content-lee-county-florida