Educational Technology

BY BETH BRUBAKER, eSchool News

My teaching experience has taught me that it is no longer possible to prepare students with the 21st century skills they will need for the workforce without moving away from this paint-by-numbers approach. Instead, teachers must develop curriculum that inspires students to not only find new solutions, but to also test their solutions, and improve on them, through trial and error. This can be done using hands-on learning tools like robotics, which intuitively teaches students how to problem solve using critical thinking. The question is: how can teachers create a robotics curriculum that not only breaks students out of the “worksheet generation” mentality, but also shows them the possibilities of learning with trial and error? Here are four tips for teaching students how to problem solve using hands-on robotics as a tool:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/01/20/robotics-teach-problem-solving/

By Lisa Canada and Chris Foley, US News

To impress employers, pick the appropriate online credential and ensure the program is accredited. Whether you are looking to change careers entirely or want a promotion, an online credential can help you achieve your goals. Finding the right online program can be daunting. Instead of just going to your local college and seeing what’s available, online education offers so many choices. The challenge is finding the program that will give you an edge in the job search. As you evaluate online credentials, ask yourself these four questions to find a program the prepares you academically and can move your resume to the top of the pile.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/articles/2017-01-20/choose-the-right-online-program-to-boost-your-resume

by Elisse Ramey, WJRT

Some Mid-Michigan high school students are embracing the opportunity to learn more about government on the eve of the inauguration. A new partnership with Bentley Community Schools and Michigan Virtual School is helping to shape the students’ perspectives on politics. So far, students are responding well to the new AP Government and Politics class online, and it has a lot to do with this election. It’s been a hot topic in class, and the inauguration is providing yet another opportunity for them to debate and learn. “It’s just so different than anything we’ve ever had,” explained Bentley sophomore, Sam Barnett. “Just the candidates are more vocal. It’s just different than anything we’ve seen.”

http://www.abc12.com/content/news/High-school-students-embrace-politics-with-help-of-virtual-classes-411266595.html

by Andrew Reed, Idaho Ed News

No Netflix, skiing or gaming for Bishop Kelly High students on Snow Day. The building was closed Thursday, but Bishop Kelly staff kept teaching — virtually — with online assignments. Educators took attendance and stuck to calendar and curriculum pace using technology and education apps. Rather than canceling school for a fifth time, principal Mike Caldwell decided to host an online-learning day. The calendar is sufficiently padded to meet state attendance requirements, but Caldwell didn’t want students to miss another day of learning. “Every day a student misses is significant, especially on an advanced-placement track,” Caldwell said.

https://www.idahoednews.org/news/snow-day-doesnt-stop-teaching-learning-bishop-kelly/

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

One concept that has become really popular in the last 10 years is the idea that everyone should be able to code. Despite this, the need for programmers is growing much faster than the number of people learning to code. The majority of people either have tried and failed to learn or have just avoided learning code. There is this idea that coding is too complicated, that it is only for a person who thinks a certain way. The way that coding has been taught in the past does not help either; it is tough to learn when you can barely understand the jargon the teacher uses during class. The following are five free apps that will teach you to code without making it feel like a complete bore.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/five-apps-that-make-learning-to-code-fun/

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal

Information security professionals are 10 percent less likely to report that their organization was the victim of a phishing attack in 2016 than in 2015, though that still means three-quarters of organizations were targeted and half of that same group said phishing attacks are on the rise, according to the latest State of the Phish report from Wombat Security Technologies. The report found a 64 percent increase in the number of organizations measuring the risk posed by end users. The company also reported that it had examined more simulated phishing e-mails than in the previous year and found that click rates are improving for many industries and for organizations with mature programs.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/01/19/report-phishing-attacks-down-10-percent-in-2016.aspx

by Kajeet

After planning and professional development, money is the next big factor that can make or break a school’s technology initiatives. Where do you go when you need some funding for iPads or software? Kajeet just published a list of 99 grants, organized by state, to offer you some options. Each funder’’ page includes the amount of money distributed and due dates for applications.

https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/367813/99-Grants-to-Fund-Your-2017-Tech-Programs_Final.pdf

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

Coursera has analyzed data from 5 million students in the United States who have enrolled in the company’s massive open online courses (MOOCs), uncovering that computer science and business are the most popular topics overall in the majority of states. “Previously, we’ve shared data on how topic interests vary by country,” wrote Kyle Shiells, a data scientist at Coursera, in a blog post announcement. “This time, we wanted to look more closely at course enrollments among the 5 million learners in our largest market: the United States. Just as job opportunities, age demographics and political views vary across states, we found that the subjects people study vary geographically, as well.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/01/18/data-map-shows-computer-science-business-are-the-most-popular-online-courses-in-the-united-states.aspx

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

If you asked a room of teacher if they would rather work, play, or participate in professional development, professional development would likely come in last. And while these tried-and-true methods for professional development aren’t going anywhere, there are methods for increasing engagement amongst the teachers in attendance. Gamification involves bringing elements traditionally associated with video games into the learning environment. Often, this involves concepts like points accrual, leveling, competition, and rewards being integrated into lessons that previously used another format. Additionally, most video games provide a safe space for failure, as players can respawn or open a previous save and try again. The purpose of gamification is to increase engagement by making the tasks both challenging and entertaining, but also giving participants a chance to try again if they don’t immediately succeed.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/using-gamification-in-teacher-professional-development/

by Meghan Bogardus Cortez, EdTech

As universities clamor for digital materials and tools, the question of how to properly implement them remains. Now, more than ever, higher education stakeholders believe digital course materials are the key to solving systemwide problems. A recent Pearson Education survey called “Digital appetite vs. what’s on the table,” found that at least 84 percent of students, teachers and administrators said a shift to digital could help with challenges they face. About 82 percent of those surveyed also said that digital is the future, but only 56 percent said more than half of their institution’s courses are using some sort of digital courseware.

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2017/01/demand-digital-courseware-higher-supply-survey-says

By Keith Gilligan, Pickering News Advertiser

The Pickering library is one of 12 in North America to take part in an online learning initiative. Building an Effective Learning Culture (BELC) goes from January to July, with a team of three to five people working with a virtual mentor. The aim is to build a learning culture, which will help the library meet strategic goals and provide services to the community. Library staff will seek out learning in both formal and informal settings, and will be able to apply new skills and knowledge to their work. The result is a library that is able to respond more quickly to change, and is more effective at achieving its strategic goals.

http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/7070377-pickering-library-one-of-12-in-online-learning-initiative/

By Mike Elswick, Muskogee Phoenix

McKenzie said one of the benefits for adult attendees of the 20-week “Getting Ahead In a Just Gettin’ By World” classes on Tuesday nights has been in providing free child care with an educational focus. As members of the class graduated in December at St. Paul United Methodist Church, several offspring were also recognized, McKenzie said. While their parents have been attending classes until 8:30 p.m. Tuesday nights since August, many of their youngsters have been getting tutoring and online class help for their own advancement. With the aid of anonymously donated computers and online educational lessons provided by Khan Academy, several of those youngsters have shown dramatic increases in their learning levels based on standardized testing.

http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/students-get-a-learning-boost/article_6bb8f0cd-3500-51bc-a39b-6272977ae570.html

by the Greenfield Recorder

The Literacy Project has a new option to make it easier for adults to complete their high school education and prepare for their next steps, according to Executive Director Judith Roberts. The Literacy Project is expanding its services to the community through an online learning option. Adult students can now study for the high school equivalency exam using online tools. They can also attend classes in Greenfield two nights a week to get one-on-one assistance with the program. “We work with adult students of all ages,” staff instructor Glen Benson said. “They come from a wide range of backgrounds, but what they all have in common is their commitment to continuing their education. Our students are hard workers, and we’re excited to offer a new option to meet the needs of working adults.” Benson, the online learning coach at The Literacy Project, will teach the new evening classes, assisted by community volunteers.

http://www.recorder.com/Literacy-project-expands-7368090

by DA, Twitter Counter

When people ask me what’s more difficult, writing a blog post or composing a tweet, my answer is a tweet, hands down! “But that makes no sense,” they say, “a tweet is so much shorter!” Well that’s exactly why crafting content for Twitter is so damn hard. In no other medium is there more pressure to exercise economy with your words. Anyone can spew verbal diarrhea, but crafting a clever, informative, or inspiring quote in 140 characters or less? That takes mad skills. In September of this year Twitter took at least some of the load off by making it so that the images, GIFs, and polls we love to post no longer took up any of our very valuable character count, but composing a brilliant soundbite still presents its challenges. Below are seven tricks to help you get it right.

http://blog.twittercounter.com/2016/12/tricksforsuccessfultweets/

BY AARON SMITH, Pew Research Center

Nearly nine-in-ten Americans today are online, up from about half in the early 2000s. Pew Research Center has chronicled this trend and others through more than 15 years of surveys on internet and technology use. On Thursday, we released a new set of fact sheets that will be updated as we collect new data and can serve as a one-stop shop for anyone looking for information on key trends in digital technology. To mark the occasion, here are four key trends illustrating the current technology landscape in the U.S.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/12/evolution-of-technology/

by John P. Girard, Johnathan Yerby, Kevin Floyd: KMEL Journal

This research chronicles the development of a capstone experience by a regional comprehensive university. The process began with a multi-year project during which the faculty annually reviewed the results with a view to determining if the class provided the deep learning culminating experiences anticipated. A major measure of success was the desire to replicate the deep learning common in face-to-face classes in the online environment. The results of 166 students were analyzed, 82 online and 84 face-to-face, to determine if a difference existed. A one-way ANOVA tested the score differences among 10 sections and determined the students’ scores did not differ significantly. Finally, a two-sample t-test between proportions determined that there was not a significant difference between the online and face-to-face students with respect to the level of assessment scores earned. Given that online and face-to-face students demonstrate the same level of knowledge, does this beg the question, what value does face-to-face class time offer?

http://www.kmel-journal.org/ojs/index.php/online-publication/article/view/385

By Li Qian, Shanghai Daily

A further 100 online courses will be introduced to the city’s free open course program in the first half of this year, Shanghai Education Commission said yesterday. The Massive Online Open Class system, MOOC, currently provides local middle and high school students free and open access to a selection of 105 courses taught by well-known teachers from 32 schools. Courses cover fields such as literature, social science and natural science, providing knowledge beyond syllabus demands. The most popular courses currently, according to the website (http://gzmooc.edu.sh.cn) are art appreciation, introduction to philosophy and interpretation of Chinese classic works.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/education/Hundred-more-online-courses-to-aid-students/shdaily.shtml

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, the Tech Edvocate

A professional opinion, in any field, is still simply an opinion. Well researched, backed with experience, studies, and insight, but in the end, it is an opinion. Educational professionals have differing opinions about the definition and merit of personalized learning and therefore the role it will play in the future of education. Personalized learning is a goal for all educators, past, present and future. Providing personalized learning experiences which allow all students equal access to quality education according to their needs and interests is an ideal all educators embrace. The question, how? Will there be systems available to offer highly personalized education in the future? Let’s take a look at what the experts are saying.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/is-personalized-learning-the-future-of-education/

by Associated Press

Teayanna Leytham wants to make the world a better place. The Thomas Jefferson senior has her sights set on improving air quality and she plans on using her computer science skills to do it. In a time when girls and women remain significantly underrepresented in fields like computer science and engineering, Leytham is one example of a student working to challenge the stigma that the field of computer science is male-dominated. “I always really loved STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) throughout high school,” Leytham said. “Over the summer, I realized I wanted to have a job in science but I wasn’t sure what that was going to be yet exactly.”

http://www.ccenterdispatch.com/news/state/article_6c81f034-a268-55a1-b1cf-efdd62178d74.html

BY AMANDA YEAP, The Star

A fifth of the 1,298 Chinese vernacular primary schools in the country have remodeled themselves as digital schools to attract enrolment, says Deputy Education Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon (pix). He said the growing trend of modernising Chinese school education was due to stiff competition faced by the schools. “Starting from 2013 onward, this trend is especially prevalent among schools in the rural areas because they strive to rise to the same performance level as schools in the city. “Many parents too feel more confident in enrolling their children into a school equipped with contemporary teaching and learning equipment,” Chong told a press conference on Monday.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/01/16/fifth-of-chinese-primary-schools-opted-for-digital-learning/

By Livia Mihai, IT Pro Portal

Here are seven e-learning trends that could shape the EdTech landscape in 2017. In an attempt to answer these questions, we could look around us, assess what has been working so far in terms of education technology, and take some educated guesses on what could be working in the near future. Without further ado, here are seven e-learning trends that could shape the EdTech landscape in 2017.

http://www.itproportal.com/features/7-e-learning-trends-for-educational-institutions-in-2017/