Educational Technology

By Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Will more higher ed people go permanently mobile? If you are as clueless as I was about the digital nomad life, here is the quick and dirty summary. Digital nomads, as you would expect, combine global travel with laptop mediated employment. They work wherever they live, and live wherever they work. Anyone who has gone full digital nomad does not have a permanent address, a lease, or a mortgage. What they do have is the need to earn an income by working. The digital nomad either works remotely for a single employer, or strings consulting and freelance jobs together in the digital gig economy. The digital nomad life is such a thing that companies such as Roam have been started to cater to this creative wandering class. Roam has live / work spaces in Bali, Miami, London and Tokyo – with more on the way. For $500 a week you get a sparsely furnished private bedroom and bathroom, good WiFi, and access to a communal kitchen. You also get a community of fellow remote workers and freelancers, all working together on their separate projects.

https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/learning-designers-digital-nomads

by John Mason, the Sociable

Taking online classes is a great way to help yourself advance in your career while you learn something new. But there’s also the fact that life moves faster than ever, which means you can easily become overwhelmed juggling classes, work, friends and any other obligations you have in your life. Do yourself a favor and learn how to find and maintain balance while enrolled in online courses to jumpstart your career.

Tips for Working Full-Time While Taking Online Classes

by Purdue

Purdue University Global is set to launch after receiving final approval from the Higher Learning Commission. Monday’s (March 5) notice of approval was the last step in the regulatory process for the new university, first announced in April 2017. “We are grateful for the Higher Learning Commission’s decision to approve Purdue University’s conversion of Kaplan University to Indiana’s newest public institution of higher education, Purdue Global,” said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “It opens a new era for our institution, with the opportunity to expand our land-grant mission to millions of adult students around the country. That opportunity brings with it the responsibility to provide the highest quality online education, not only to our new adult learners, but to all residential and online Boilermaker students. “Starting today, Purdue University hopes to take a leading role in online learning nationally.”

https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q1/purdue-university-receives-hlc-approval-for-purdue-global.html

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

In her book Reinventing Writing, Vicki Davis outlines the fundamentals of responsible digital citizenship through the “9 key Ps.” Putting these practices into daily use in your classroom is a great way to model digital citizenship for your students.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/model-explain-digital-security-k-12-students/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Just like listening to audiobooks through electronic devices, podcasts are becoming more and more popular. These iPod-based audio broadcasts encompass a wide variety of subjects, such as entrepreneurship, politics, history, to entertaining series on serial killers. These downloadable series can be subscribed to, so you automatically get the next installment. However, podcasts can be utilized in the classroom, primarily to promote learning. How? I am glad you asked. In this piece, I will discuss the two ways that teachers can use podcasts to promote learning.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/teachers-can-use-podcasts-promote-learning/

by Financial Times

In a difficult market for course providers, the numbers taking online programmes have grown only modestly. However, they have not declined in the same way as full-time two-year MBAs, which have seen a fall in applications. Last year, 62 per cent of two-year MBA courses in the US suffered a drop in applications, while numbers were either flat or up for 53 per cent of online MBAs, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council, which administers the GMAT business school entrance exam. The quality of online teaching varies significantly, however, both in the technology used by students to study and interact with their tutors and in the availability of face-to-face networking events and the way classmates are encouraged to work together.

https://www.ft.com/content/5e0dbd6e-02b8-11e8-9e12-af73e8db3c71

by Harry Pettit, Daily Mail
DeepMind software can predict what other AIs will do in a virtual setting
It can even understand whether they hold ‘false beliefs’ about an object
This so-called ‘theory of mind’ is only found in humans, apes and some birds
Google’s AI may one day lead to robots that can think more like humans.  The software is capable of predicting what other AIs will do, and can even understand whether they hold ‘false beliefs’ about the world around them. DeepMind reports its bot can now pass a key psychological test that most children only develop the skills for at around age four.  Its proficiency in this ‘theory of mind’ test may lead to robots that can think more like humans.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5449483/DeepMind-AI-learning-understand-thoughts-others.html

by Katherine Donnelly, the Independent
Teachers and other school staff are being asked to use the “snow days” do a mandatory online child protection course, to avoid a need to close for another day next week for training. March 11 is the deadline for completing the training and, while some schools will have done it, others may have chalked in a day’s closure for it this week, or next. The training, for which two-half days is allowed, can be bundled into one day. It is to update staff, in the country’s 4,000 primary and post primary schools, on new child protection procedures.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/storm-emma/teachers-asked-to-use-snow-days-to-do-mandatory-online-course-36659011.html

by Dom Galeon, Futurism

The state of Washington has put its foot down on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) net neutrality repeal, passing a new law that instead safeguards these protections. On Monday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2282, which state legislators from both parties passed in February, protecting net neutrality within the state. “This is not a partisan issue,” Republican representative Norma Smith, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said in an earlier statement. “This is about preserving a fair and free internet so all Washingtonians can participate equally in the 21st century economy.”  The repeal will officially end these restrictions by April 23rd.

Washington State Passes Law Protecting Net Neutrality

by WSVN

A survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will finish out her senior year online to give her extra time to advocate for increased gun control laws. Samantha Fuentes was among those students who returned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Wednesday. However, instead of returning for class, she returned to withdraw and become an online student. “I’m withdrawing from school, so I can finish it online,” she said. “I feel mixed opinions, or mixed emotions. I mean, I want to be part of Stoneman Douglas, and I want to live out the rest of my high school career normally, but there is no such thing as normal anymore.” Fuentes was shot in both legs, and has several pieces of shrapnel lodged in her leg and face.

Stoneman Douglas survivor to take online classes while advocating for gun control

by Thomas Nugent, Business Because

Online MBAs offer opportunities for women in business, career progression, and flexible learning.   A labyrinth of opportunity is opening up for students in search of an MBA, but who struggle to find the time amid family and work commitments—distance learning manages to conjure up more hours in the day. Learning through fortnightly live sessions, connecting with tutors, lecturers, and groups of students in an interactive, online learning environment, students glean knowledge they can translate directly back into their working life—time, location, and travel to and from campus are no longer an issue. Here are 5 reasons you should study an Online MBA in 2018:

https://www.businessbecause.com/news/mba-distance-learning/5066/5-reasons-study-mba-online-2018

3 Technologies that Education Needs, But Have Not Been Created

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Over the last two-decades, technology innovations have proliferated at an exponential rate. From tablets to affordable virtual reality options, companies have created a fantasy list of technology devices that can be used in education. I am grateful for these advancements, but I am anxious to see what we create next. While pondering this, I decided to come up with a wish list of technologies that education needs, but have not been created.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/3-technologies-education-needs-not-created/

by Raspberry Pi

Helping people to get into making is at the heart of what we do, and so we’ve created a brand-new, free online course to support educators to start their own makerspaces. If you’re interested in the maker movement, then this course is for you! Sign up now and start learning with Build a Makerspace for Young People on FutureLearn.

New free online course about building makerspaces

by David Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune
The district received more than 800 of the laptops under a technology-driven initiative funded by Google.  Students at two San Ysidro middle schools are more engaged than ever these days thanks to a new technology-driven initiative funded by Google, school officials say. Vista Del Mar and San Ysidro middle schools are among 50 schools across the country that were chosen for the inaugural program. Under the Dynamic Learning Project, the San Ysidro School District received 829 Chromebooks this school year. A “coach” at each of the district’s two middle schools helps teachers integrate the laptops into their classes.

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/south-county/sd-se-google-grant-20180227-story.html

By Kaitlin Hurtado, ULoop
Online courses may be the last thing on your mind when it comes to registering for classes, but if you have the chance to take an online course, you should considering taking an online course because of its value. It definitely won’t be your standard class experience of going to scheduled lectures, but online courses may be a better option for you when it comes to fitting in class time to your busy lifestyle or catering to your learning style.

https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/260498/The-Value-in-Taking-Online-Courses

BY MICHAEL LONDON, eSchool News

As online education expands, students are bringing old-fashioned cheating into the digital age.  According to the latest report from Babson Survey Research Group, nearly 6.5 million American undergraduates now take at least one course online—representing close to one-third of the postsecondary student body. The rise of online programs is enabling colleges and universities to support a growing population of nontraditional students, many of whom balance work or family commitments in addition to their studies.

To catch a cheat: Best practices in online proctoring

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal

The Bureau of Internet Accessibility (BoIA) recently shared the results of automated tests it ran to check the accessibility of a handful of school websites and found that those tested had “extensive” issues related to accessibility. In a blog post about the tests, BoIA pointed to the fact that about 13 percent of all public school students receive special education services and nearly 500 investigations have started by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to look into the accessibility of school, district and college websites.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/02/23/large-district-websites-have-extensive-accessibility-issues.aspx

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Most scholars will agree that the early childhood years set the stage for future academic success in middle school, high school, and secondary learning institutions. These formative years are essential for creating an environment where children learn the foundational skills necessary for academic success. With modern classrooms making a subtle shift to artificial intelligence and edtech, these years are seeing revolutionary change.  Do you have a hard time believing that even our elementary-aged kids can benefit from exposure to this technology? Review a few of these compelling arguments for how the introduction of AI into the elementary school classroom could improve the quality of education everywhere.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/artificial-intelligence-revolutionizing-early-childhood-education/

by Emily Adams, USM Free Press

The Center for Technology and Enhanced Learning (CTEL), located on the Portland campus, is working with faculty to further develop both online and blended (both online and in person), courses. “[They] collaborate [by] providing course design support and training in commonly used course technologies,” said Paul Cochrane, the department head of CTEL. On USM’s website, under CTEL, they have various resources available to professors and faculty such as grants, workshops offered and information about electronic resources for students. CTEL offers grants to support teaching and learning initiatives that will lead to higher quality learning experiences for the students at USM.

http://usmfreepress.org/2018/02/26/the-quest-for-consistency-in-online-learning/

by Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Open online learning at scale is not going to go away. In fact, I expect that scaled online learning opportunities will continue to grow. This will occur as providing open online education becomes a normal platform in any educational outreach activities. An ever greater number of organizations beyond colleges and universities, from companies to nonprofits to media outlets, will create and run open online courses. The spread of microcredentials, such edX’s MicroMasters, will drive the growth of open online education at scale. If this is how the future will unfold — see assertions No. 1 through No. 4 above – then shouldn’t we be thinking about how to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s work force?

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/technology-and-learning/learning-learn-moocs-teachable-skill

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

According to an online survey by Parents, children spend almost 55 days, or 1,314 hours, on screens each year.

Parenting in an era of screen addiction is not for the weak. If you have ever tried to get a kid to put down the tablet, smartphone, or video game controller, you know just how challenging it can be. But, you cannot give in. Screen addiction is real and prevalent. It’s up to you to do something about it.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/parenting-era-screen-addiction/