Educational Technology

by Chidike Samuelson, Entrepreneur

It’s not just futuristic-looking products such as Siri and Amazon Echo. And it’s not limited to companies we typically think of as having huge research-and-development budgets — the Googles, Facebooks and Microsofts. In reality, machine learning already is helping nearly every Fortune 500 company run more efficiently and make more money. Here are five reasons companies on the up should start applying machine-learning marketing strategies on their respective scales.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300713

by Jackie Mader, Hechinger Report

Advocates say online preschool has the potential to address two serious problems with the current state of preschool: access and cost. In states like Mississippi, where state-funded pre-K only serves 4 percent of 4-year-olds, parents have to pay for preschool programs if their children do not get a pre-K seat. Nationally, less than a third of 4-year-olds are enrolled in state-funded pre-K programs. Advocates of online learning say programs like UPSTART, which is free for most families, may increase access to educational opportunities, which can be critical to ensuring the youngest learners don’t start behind and stay behind. “During those early years, it’s somewhat of a window of opportunity to close what’s known as the achievement gap and really have students begin kindergarten for a solid foundation for their learning,” said Shannon Riley-Ayers, an associate research professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/online-programs-are-filling-a-preschool-gap-experts-warn-its-no-substitute-for-face-to-face-learning

By Shalina Chatlani, Education Dive
To stay ahead, higher education leaders must constantly be aware of the latest trends and policies taking over the industry — and social media is often the perfect place to find this. Everything from general tips on improving an institution’s online presence to getting inspiration for innovation on the campus. Here we present ten twitter accounts all higher education leaders ought to follow, so that fresh ideas and quick industry news will rise to the top of their feeds.  [ed note:  Special Thanks for listing my @rayschroeder as #6]

https://www.educationdive.com/news/10-twitter-accounts-every-higher-ed-leader-should-follow/509800/

By Pat Donachie, Education Dive

Sudents want to attend a tech-savvy college or university, but 58% of students found their institution was less likely than other businesses to personalize the digital experience, according to a new survey of a 1000 students from Ellucian. But, there was mixed response on how an application could impact the student experience; 68% of students attending schools with such an app said the amount of information was initially “overwhelming,” but 85% of students at schools without a centralized app said they would have liked one throughout the transition to college life, reports Campus Technology.  Students responded they were most interested in personalization efforts when it came to career prep, followed closely by financial assistance and tuition insight. Eight out of ten students endorsed institutional social media use, with Facebook being the preferred app of 33% of respondents.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/report-89-of-students-prefer-tech-savvy-schools/509829/

By Caroline Watson, Udacity

As an elementary school english teacher in Phoenix, AZ, Kristin was in constant search of new ways to further engage students through the use of technology. But she didn’t think of herself as a “technical” person. That role belonged to her husband, a software developer. All the same, she was surprisingly proactive on her student’s behalf. In her spare time, she started both a coding and a robotics club. But her motivation was rooted in curiosity—for her, technology was more of a hobby. She never considered a future for herself in the tech industry. “I had this false perception that I wasn’t very good at math. But, I realized over time that computer science is really less about math and more about logic—which I’m good at!”

https://blog.udacity.com/2017/11/building-virtual-reality-career.html

By Ryan Quinn, WV Gazette Mail

Arguing that jobs are threatened by future automation and criticizing current prevailing education models, the president and chief executive officer of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning advocated Wednesday for the nationally in vogue education concept of “personalized learning” and the related idea of “competency based education.” These terms often are connected to school technology and online education, both of which are venues for companies to make money off the public school system, and both of which have had studies cast doubt upon their effectiveness.

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/education/personalized-learning-pitched-as-alternative-to-current-wv-ed-methods/article_346aa079-b495-5270-9912-091ca8102971.html

By Jessica Stewart, My Modern Met

As technology has advanced over the past several years, online classes have exploded. In fact, we bring you dozens of the best creative classes each month over a wide variety of platforms where you can expand your learning. But have you ever considered teaching online? Teaching your own online class (or classes) can be a great way to share your knowledge and create a new side hustle that could even turn into something full-time with the right amount of effort. And if you think there may not be a lot of money in the industry, think again. Forbes estimates that the e-learning market will grow 5% over the next 6 years, exceeding $240 billion.

http://mymodernmet.com/teaching-online-classes-guide/

By Riia O’Donnell, HR Dive

E-learning is experiencing a boom, driven, in part, by employers’ bring-your-own-device policies, according to a new report by Global Market Insights, Inc.
The industry’s market share is expected to hit $200 billion by 2024, Global Market Insights says.  The growth is being driven by a general demand for flexibility. In addition to employees’ desire to BYOD, companies need training that can be rolled out for employees dispersed across a large geographical area, the group said. Businesses also are reportedly increasingly seeking customizable options.

https://www.hrdive.com/news/byod-policies-give-e-learning-market-a-boost/508410/

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate
It’s important for teachers to master the art of presenting engaging lectures that keep kids interested in the material as the weeks wear on. However, it’s equally important for students to master the same trade. As kids progress through school, higher education and, eventually, their professional lives, they’ll need tools besides PowerPoint to effectively pitch ideas and communicate dense material to seminars of bored classmates. We’re breaking down 8 must-have presentation apps to help both teachers and students find their inner aesthetic and create drool-proof, prize-winning presentations.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/8-must-classroom-presentation-apps-tools/

By Henry Kronk, e-Learning Inside
Instructors may be fond of reminding their students that the right attitude leads to success. But their attitudes towards eLearning has, by and large, remained downright icy. This week, a study published by Inside Higher Ed and Gallup found that only 33% of professors believe that for-credit online courses could match an in-person learning environment. For every professor willing to bring their course online, there’s another who remains ambivalent and another who opposes doing so. The good news, however, is that the tides are changing. Just one year ago, the number of teachers who disagreed that an online setting could ever match in-person tutelage sat at 55%. This year that number dropped to 35%, while the numbers of those who both agreed and remained neutral rose.

https://news.elearninginside.com/online-courses-still-unpopular-among-professors/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Advocate

If you’re an advocate for interactive learning, or your students thrive with hands-on activities, a makerspace is a great way to keep students engaged. A makerspace is a collaborative work space for learning through physically creating different items. From 3D printers to Legos and cardboard, makerspaces come in all shapes, themes, and levels of sophistication. Makerspaces are tech-optional, but many makerspaces – especially in an era where technology is considered the currency for our educational and professional world – include the latest technological tools.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-do-i-need-for-my-makerspace/

By Frank Ohlhorst, RT Insights

Jury.Online bills itself as “the future of dispute resolution,” and may very well be exactly that. Founded by a team of Blockchain experts, and built on the Ethereum Blockchain, Jury.Online is designed to bring smart contracts to fruition and establish a methodology where deal-related disputes can be solved by expert judges. In essence, the platform works by helping to broker an agreement by two counterparties looking to make a deal (see video linked below).  If the deal cannot be completed, resulting in a dispute, Jury.Online incorporates the tools for the deal to be reviewed by a panel of semi-anonymous jurors.A decentralized digital dispute resolution system can solve such problems, removing the risk from international deals and establishing a relationship that is backed by incorruptible technologies. What’s more, it becomes possible for smaller deals to take place, helping businesses to grow beyond their physical borders. Smart contracts also bring other benefits to the table, allowing deals to be created that support milestone payments, multilateral contracts, pledge and collateral services. All of which are in high demand in with modern businesses.

https://www.rtinsights.com/blockchain-can-solve-disputes-using-the-ultimate-jury-pool/

By Alison DeNisco Rayome, Tech Republic

Data scientists are in high demand and short supply, but they may not need a degree in computer science to get a job, according to a new report from Kaggle. The majority of employed data scientists gained their skills through self-learning or a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) rather than a traditional computer science degree, according to a survey from data scientist community Kaggle, which was acquired by Google Cloud earlier this year. Some 32% of full-time data scientists started learning machine learning or data science through a MOOC, while 27% said that they began picking up the needed skills on their own, the 2017 State of Data Science & Machine Learning Survey report found. Some 30% got their start in data science at a university, according to the survey of more than 16,000 people in the field.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/report-59-of-employed-data-scientists-learned-skills-on-their-own-or-via-a-mooc/

by Mary Walton, the Merkle

Blockchain technology is one of the world’s most rapidly expanding industries. The aim of the technology is to increase the efficiency of all other industries, from music and energy to areas like finance. The technology also aims to reduce costs in these areas. As the demand for this technology soars, so does the demand from students for educational opportunities, allowing them to match the supply to the demand. Companies will pay big money for trained and qualified blockchain specialists, and right now it’s one of the best industries to get into. Here are ten universities that offer blockchain courses, giving you all the skills and the knowledge that you’re going to need!

https://themerkle.com/10-universities-that-offer-blockchain-courses/

by Ari Levy, CNBC

Cryptocurrencies use cryptography to secure transactions and track the transfer of digital money. “A lot of people are attracted to the huge valuations in these currencies,” said Dan Boneh, co-director of the Stanford Computer Security Lab and a professor of cryptography. Boneh said that security and cryptography represent the second-most popular subject in the university’s computer science department, behind only machine learning.  Across the country in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon’s Vipul Goyal is using Boneh’s interactive online textbook for a class called Special Topics in Cryptography that the school is offering for the first time this year. About 20 students, mostly PhD candidates, are taking the class, which focuses on blockchain and cryptocurrencies. The trend is not just limited to these two universities: the University of California at Berkeley launched a class last year called the Cryptocurrency Decal, and in 2015 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab established the Digital Currency Initiative.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/30/crypto-classes-popular-at-stanford-cmu-thanks-to-bitcoin-craze.html

by China Daily

On a weekend morning in Beijing, Youyou, 7, clicked an app on her iPad, greeted her teacher in the United States, and started her one-on-one online English lesson at home. Having two lessons a week－each lasting about 20 minutes－the first-grade primary school student had been studying this way for almost three months. Her mother, Amy Chang, who had sat with Youyou during all her the lessons, was particularly happy with her performance this time. “She’s getting more used to the teaching approach, mastering the knowledge faster and interacting better with the teacher from afar,” said Chang, who pays about 200 yuan ($30) per online lesson.

https://technology.inquirer.net/68567/china-online-classes-kids-gaining-popularity

by Nation Now
All jokes about “new math” aside — have you tried to help your kids with their homework lately? A growing number of online, on-demand tutoring services might just be your saving grace. The K–12 online tutoring market will grow to nearly $121 billion by 2021 from around $64 billion in 2016, according to market researcher Technavio. One of the biggest reasons? The on-demand aspect tackles an immediate need, in a way that resonates with today’s tech-savvy students.  While the “old-fashioned” practice of hiring a tutor to come to your house, or going to a tutoring center, still works just fine for some people, technology makes it easier and more efficient than ever to have an entire tutoring session over video chat or via direct message.

http://www.wbir.com/article/news/nation-now/homework-help-skip-the-in-person-tutor-with-online-courses-which-we-rate/465-195a2aa1-0a09-4b25-acf5-503c6154bfbf

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

Long before the release of its Education Edition, educators were using Minecraft in the classroom. For some time now, teachers have been playing with the various ways it can be used for learning. Certainly, digital game-based learning is not a new concept; games like Reader Rabbit have been used in the classroom since the 1980s. However, Minecraft doesn’t really fit the traditional model of a computer-based learning game. It’s much more immersive and simulates real-life experiences. We have explored some classroom uses for Minecraft in our list below.

 http://www.thetechedvocate.org/10-classroom-uses-minecraft/

BY JENNY WHITE, eSchool News

Earlier this year, the Highlander Institute, The Learning Accelerator and The Christensen Institute teamed up to bring together a conference on blended and personalized learningin Providence, R.I. The goal of the event was to focus on the practical elements of blended learning and personalized learning by surfacing the tactics that teachers and leaders from around the country were deploying on the ground. These tactics are highlighted in the report, From maverick to mainstream: Takeaways from the 2017 Blended and Personalized Learning Conference, out this week. Seven key tips surfaced from innovators at the convening:

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/10/27/blended-learning-early-adopters/

By David Raths, Campus Technologies

Before 2009, the IT leadership team at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, KS, was stuck in a vicious cycle of falling behind on technology infrastructure replacements, squeaking by with patches and maintenance on older systems. Without a dedicated funding stream, IT floundered — and faculty, staff and students had low expectations of what technology could bring to the campus. Something as simple as video streaming in the classroom was difficult because of poor network infrastructure. Flash forward to 2017: An ongoing and sustainable infrastructure rebuild, including working with cloud and hosted vendors, is reshaping the culture within the IT group and the perception of IT on campus. How has the department made this transition and had such a great impact?

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/10/26/getting-beyond-the-vicious-cycle-of-outdated-it.aspx

by Cal Poly

About 75 members of the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast (GSCCC) are expected to participate in a cybersecurity program offered by the California Cyber Training Complex (CCTC) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. The program, titled “Being Secure in a Cyber World,” will be held at various locations on the Cal Poly campus. It will provide the girls with hands-on education on internet safety and inform them about protecting their identities online. Participants will earn a patch upon completion. Girls will learn about the “cyber age” as it relates to smartphones, computers and the web, including internet safety and protecting private information. The event will introduce girls to cybersecurity careers and the skills they will need to navigate an increasingly tech-driven world.

https://calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2017/October/GirlScouts