Educational Technology

by Krista Garcia, Rappler

In the past 10 years or so, we’ve witnessed a pace of disruption in education that’s unmatched in previous decades. Books, curriculums, and even teachers are rapidly being replaced or complemented by online resources and digital tools such as tablets and mobile phones. Technology has always played a role in equipping students with timely skills and up-to-the minute ideas and discoveries. But now, we see innovations challenging even the very existence of four-walled classrooms and teacher-student ratios. All of these benefit today and tomorrow’s students, as learning becomes cheaper, faster, and more accessible.

https://www.rappler.com/brandrap/futurereadyph/193447-philippines-education-then-now-slideshow

by John Edwards, Information Week
IT groups will need to provide architecture, data-mining tools and connectivity, while giving business groups the freedom to innovate on their own with the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already making a significant impact in a variety of business areas, including industrial monitoring and production, supply chain tracking, and multiple retail processes. Down the road, experts see the IoT becoming nothing less than an integral aspect of everyday life, with a huge role for IT to play. Earlier this year, Gartner forecast that 8.4 billion connected “things” will be in use worldwide this year, up 31% from last year.

https://www.informationweek.com/big-data/the-internet-of-things-still-lots-for-you-to-learn/a/d-id/1330794

by HSY, the Star

Khan Academy is a free online course consisting of thousands of video courses on almost anything. The question is how can these videos help to revolutionise our education? The founder of Khan Academy, Sal Khan, envisioned a future where students watched and learnt from videos with educational materials at home. Teachers would monitor each student’s progress. Some students are fast learners and others are slow. This is a system that enables everyone to learn at his or her own pace.

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2018/01/15/future-is-online-for-education/

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eCampus News

A new field guide for community college and university leaders outlines five key strategies to help institutions develop a system for digital credentials. The guide, “Partnering with Employers to Create Workforce-Relevant Credentials,” is intended to steer faculty and administrators through a collaborative design and implementation process for developing a workforce-relevant credentialing system. The five digital-credential strategies come from best practices of institutions profiled in the report.

5 key steps in developing a system for digital credentials

By Vanessa Rancano, KQED

One in three Californians say they are seriously considering leaving the state because of high housing costs. And, for the past decade or so, California has been exporting more residents to other states than it imports. But new census numbers show one group keeps coming: young college graduates. The Public Policy Institute of California crunched the numbers and found almost 140,000 college graduates moved to California from other states between 2011 and 2016. That’s about half as many college degrees as the entire University of California system produced over the same period.

https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2018/01/12/california-importing-more-college-graduates-but-not-keeping-up-with-workforce-demands/

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

Edtech companies often focus on technology development, testing, and integration. However, a significant number of them are doing so without the input of education professionals. What do traditional educators have to offer edtech companies? In short, a lot. Here are the most significant reasons edtech companies need to employ teachers. Unless you come from a teaching background before starting your edtech company, you likely don’t have intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the education system. This lack of experience can make it hard to interact with potential buyers and sell your product. No matter what you offer, the rule is to know your customer.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/edtech-companies-hire-educators/

BY JOHN MILBURN AND KIMBERLY DEFUSCO, eSchool News

We often get inquiries about our district’s overall vision for our libraries. The truth is, libraries in our schools are far from cookie-cutter, and that’s what makes us successful. One of the reasons we feel our libraries are so effective is because each school is equipped with a full-time certified library media specialist. Additionally, each library’s resources are curated and customized for each school to meet the needs of its diverse student population. It sounds like a big task, but it’s what our students need, so the effort is worth it. When students enter the real world, they’ll be exposed to a variety of print and digital text, and libraries are great equalizers for different forms of media. Our media specialists are experts in collaborating with teachers, knowing their student population, identifying the right mix of print and digital resources, and detecting student preferences

A year in the life of a student-centered library

by Purdue University
Purdue University on Thursday (Jan. 11) announced the name of its new online public university for working adults — Purdue University Global. The name was approved by the Executive Committee of the Purdue University Board of Trustees and the Board of Trustees of Purdue NewU. The name will become effective when the acquisition of Kaplan University by Purdue clears the last step in the approval process – review by the Higher Learning Commission, the regional accreditor for both Purdue University and Kaplan University, which is scheduled for Feb. 22.

http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q1/purdue-announces-name-for-new-public-university-purdue-university-global-to-serve-working-adults,-online.html

By msmith, Daily Republic

The use of smartphones has been making headlines lately. Some articles cite studies linking internet usage to depression in teens. But while smartphones and other technologies can be associated with addictive and harmful effects on children and teens, the positive uses of technology are pervasive and indisputable in today’s world and are only becoming more critical to success in school and future careers. Currently at Mitchell High School, there are students enrolled in 216 dual credit courses, most of which are taken online. And for many, they’re beneficial. “The independence of online classes has helped me learn self-accountability,” said Jamison Gross, a junior at Mitchell High School.

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/opinion/columns/4385901-opinion-technology-can-be-overused-proves-helpful-tool-classroom-mhs

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eSchool News

As K-12 competency-based education programs become more widespread, educators and policymakers would do well to focus on four key issues that can make or break high-quality programs, according to a new report. The CompetencyWorks report, Quality and Equity by Design: Charting the Course for the Next Phase of Competency-Based Education, calls for creating competency-based systems in which the culture, structure, policies, and instructional practices fully support each and every student in their journey toward preparation for college, career, and life.

4 critical issues for competency-based education programs

by Judith Scott-Clayton, Brookings
This report analyzes new data on student debt and repayment, released by the U.S. Department of Education in October 2017. Previously available data have been limited to borrowers only, follow students for a relatively short period (3-5 years) after entering repayment, and had only limited information on student characteristics and experiences. The new data allow for the most comprehensive assessment to date of student debt and default from the moment students first enter college, to when they are repaying loans up to 20 years later, for two cohorts of first-time entrants (in 1995-96 and 2003-04). This report provides a broader perspective on student debt and default that considers all college entrants rather than just borrowers, provides substantially longer follow-up, and enables a more detailed analysis of trends over time and heterogeneity across subgroups than previously possible.

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/scott-clayton-report.pdf

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

While personalized learning is a growing market, we have long looked to how the mind works to inform education. The biggest problem with this practice has been the propagation of myths and misinformation. However, new research and focus on how the mind actually works can dispel the false ideas which hinder the progress of personalized education. What does this mean for individual learning? Teachers and parents can help students succeed through new technology and methods which are supported by science. Applying verified ideas to personalized education can help students advance, and teachers make a real impact. For these dreams to become a reality, we must embrace neuroscience research. Here are the most significant reasons why neuroscience is necessary to develop personalized learning.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/why-neuroscience-should-drive-personalized-learning/

By Ashley Norwood, US News

Some online students can receive federal work-study awards to help reduce their tuition.  Don’t just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following.  Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough.

https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/student-loan-ranger/articles/2018-01-10/dont-settle-for-student-loans-to-pay-for-online-education

by Teresa Watanabe, San Diego Union-Tribune
Gov. Jerry Brown wants California to launch its first fully online public community college to help 2.5 million young adults without college credentials gain skills for better jobs and greater economic mobility. In the 2018-19 budget plan he unveiled Wednesday, Brown proposed spending $120 million to open such a college by fall 2019, with a focus on short-term credential programs for careers in fields including advanced manufacturing, healthcare and child development. The governor is a longtime advocate of online learning, which he sees as more cost effective than traditional education.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/la-me-online-community-college-20170110-story.html

BY WILL PERKINS, Glasgow Daily

“We’re seeing that most classrooms really don’t use textbooks anymore,” said Amy Allen, principal of Glasgow High School, back in October when she was speaking to the Glasgow Independent Schools Board of Education about an initiative to issue Chromebooks to all freshmen. “That’s kind of something of the past. They’re using lots of different resources that have live data that changes so quickly.” Allen said distributing Chromebooks to students would help personalize their learning, that it would not only help struggling students, but it would also allow students at higher levels to be pushed even further.

http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com/news/glasgow-freshmen-using-school-issued-chromebooks/article_2ba81f00-f664-11e7-a050-1fa89600741a.html

by Dave Doucette, EdTech
Modern learners seek flexible spaces and guidance on digital literacy.  In higher education, 21st-century librarians are seeing a redefinition of their roles, moving from stewards of physical information to educators on digital literacy. Institutions are also taking a new look at library buildings, which are becoming less about offering a refuge for quiet, independent study and more about creating opportunities for creativity and collaboration. But whether their purpose is to host a makerspace or old-fashioned book stacks, one thing is clear: University libraries are here to stay.

https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2018/01/libraries-find-new-ways-flourish-digital-age

by TASNIM SHAMMA, WABE
Many students in metro Atlanta had the day off Monday because of a winter weather advisory. But in Gwinnett County, that didn’t mean no school. Public school students there had to go online for what officials called their first “Digital Learning Day.”

https://www.wabe.org/gwinnett-schools-use-digital-learning-day-makeup-day/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Construction needs to move away from the notion of “computer rooms” and realize that every space could be a computer room. Study pods and other quiet spaces need to be integrated into classrooms as students are being encouraged to work together but also to work alone. Edtech allows for this flexibility, but the current classroom set out does not. Blended learning is important, and if students are to feel that they are in control of their learning, they need to feel that classroom offers opportunities to do so. Some other additions to the classroom of the future should cover some of the following points.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/making-edtech-key-part-school-construction-plan/

By Robyn Defelice, ATD

In this article, we will explore the results from a 2017 survey, compare that data to the previous two studies, and discuss a few trends that have emerged over the years. If you are unfamiliar with the research, the data helps to squelch the desire to say, “It depends…” when a client asks how long it will take to develop training. These numbers provide another way for project planners to budget time and resources, and they can be used in place of or in conjunction with estimates based on old projects with similar needs. At a minimum, it provides a method for making estimates, comparisons, or both.

https://www.td.org/insights/how-long-does-it-take-to-develop-one-hour-of-training-updated-for-2017

By Jeremy House, Education Dive
College students are often more than 24 years of age, working at least part time and enrolled in non-selective schools, reports The Wall Street Journal. Also, a larger share are nonwhite, with the most dramatic gains over the past 20 years coming among Hispanic students. Pulling from the most recent demographic and education data, the WJS constructs the profile of the typical college student and highlights the diverse backgrounds of a growing share of degree seekers. The international student population also soared as institutions look abroad for full-paying learners to bolster their finances. Liberal arts and humanities, much maligned by politicians, remain the most popular degree programs for many college students. Rounding out the top three are business and health-related programs. But few students pay full freight, receiving need- or merit-based grants from their institutions. Nearly 85% of students at private, nonprofit undergraduate programs colleges receive aid from their schools.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/who-is-the-typical-college-student-you-might-be-surprised/514354/

By Sam Nelson, Udacity

If you ask a data scientist how to start or advance your data career, one of the first things they’ll tell you is to read. Not the answer you’d expect? You’d be surprised! Data scientists constantly read and explore what’s happening in the rapidly changing data landscape. If you’re just getting started in the field, understanding current industry trends can set you apart in the job interview process, making it clear that you’re someone who is engaged and knowledgeable about the data science space. “If an interviewer asks you about which data science publications you read regularly, you should have a good answer!” If you’re already working in the field, staying on top of the latest news is a big part of how you stay competitive, remain valuable, and grow your expertise.

Top 5 Data Science Publications You Should Read In 2018