Educational Technology

by John Sarkar, Times of India

There is this constant and misguided thought of technology as a replacement for teachers. Technology acts in one of two ways. One, it helps students in ways that teachers alone would not be able to, for example, on Toppr experts solve doubts for students at 4am, unthinkable without the platform. Two, technology amplifies the effect of teachers. A good teacher can now reach millions of students where he was earlier limited to the seats in his classroom. While technology will help an increasing number of kids learn better with less dependence on teachers, a teacherless future is very far away.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/people/technology-isnt-going-to-replace-teachers-anytime-soon/articleshow/63546486.cms

by Alexandra Radovic, Campus Current

AACC professors may choose to extend their classes for two extra school days in May to make up for time lost to snow. The college has built-in make-up days on May 7 and 8 between the end of the usual semester and final exam week, which begins on May 9. Since the semester began on Jan. 17, AACC has closed the campus on school days for two full days; opened late four times; and closed early once. The college is not requiring professors to hold classes on May 7 and 8, however. Instead, they may opt to cover missed class content via Canvas, the campus online learning management system. “There needs to be a continuum of learning even if there is an interruption in the academic calendar,” Dr. Michael Gavin, AACC’s vice president for learning, said. That’s why professors have been required to use the Canvas system since last fall, he said. Even so, some professors have said they can only cover content appropriately by meeting for additional in-class hours.

Snow days might mean extra school for some

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

First, leaders can get serious about privacy and security. This means that they frequently change their passwords, use two-step authentication where it is available, and avoid falling for phishing schemes. Students and other stakeholders will know—sometimes in subtle ways (if they see a prompt for a far-overdue security update) and sometimes in not-so-subtle ways (if a leader has experienced identify theft)—if educational leaders are taking privacy and security seriously. Second, leaders need to demonstrate strong information literacy skills.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/how-education-leaders-can-model-edtech-best-practices/

By Mariya Greeley, US News

There’s growing interest among prospective MBA students to study while working. While enrollment for full-time MBAs decreased significantly in the U.S. between 2005 and 2016, enrollment at part-time programs has risen nearly 20 percent, according to a survey of about 350 accredited business schools from AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Dan LeClair, executive vice president and chief strategy and innovation officer at AACSB, notes that the part-time numbers signal “some really important changes that are happening in higher education.” Increasingly, students seem to value the greater convenience of these programs as well as the ability to keep their jobs and salaries.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/articles/2018-03-29/weigh-if-a-part-time-mba-program-is-the-right-fit

by Mindi Smith, Kokomo Herald
Indiana Agriculture & Technology School is a new tuition-free, statewide charter school that couples online learning with labs and project-based activities on a working farm.  Indiana Agriculture & Technology School is a new tuition-free, statewide charter school that couples online learning with labs and project-based activities on a working farm. Courtesy of Indiana Agriculture & Technology School
Those behind the Indiana Agriculture & Technology School say they’re changing the game for online schools. And they’re doing so by keeping the enrollment low and the student accountability high. IATS is a new tuition-free, statewide charter school that couples online learning with labs and project-based activities on a working farm.

http://kokomoherald.com/Content/Community/Community/Article/Student-engagement-at-the-heart-of-new-online-charter-school/32/759/32852

BY TODD BISHOP & FRANK CATALANO, Geekwire

Amazon will close its TenMarks online math and writing learning service after the 2018-2019 school year, the latest surprise twist in the tech giant’s foray into education technology. The company broke the news in emails to customers this week and in a message on the TenMarks website. “We’re winding down,” the announcement reads. “TenMarks will no longer be available after the 2018-2019 school year. Licenses for TenMarks Math and Writing will be honored through June 30, 2019.”

https://www.geekwire.com/2018/amazon-close-tenmarks-online-education-service-2018-19-school-year/

by Daniel Braithwaite, Virtual College

‘Serious games’ is one of the widely-used buzz phrases in 2018 digital learning resources, but what exactly does it mean for you and your learners? Many buzzwords and new concepts disappear almost as quickly as they arrive, but are serious games different? We at Virtual College believe that they are here for the long haul and, when used correctly, can have a huge impact on your learning and development strategy.

https://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/virtual-college/2018/03/how-can-serious-games-enhance-your-training-delivery

by Science Daily

It may be time to tailor students’ class schedules to their natural biological rhythms. A study shows that students whose circadian rhythms were out of sync with their class schedules received lower grades due to ‘social jet lag,’ a condition in which peak alertness times are at odds with work, school or other demands.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180329190847.htm

By Cait Etherington, eLearning Inside

At least some online schools are not only meeting but far exceeding the achievement levels of students in traditional on-premise schools. Davidson Academy is one of the online K-12 schools demonstrating the potential online schools have to offer an outstanding education to high-achieving students. This week eLearning Inside News talked to Stacy Hawthorne, Director of Online Learning at the Davidson Academy in Nevada, to learn how they have built a high-achieving online school for profoundly gifted students. This is the second part of a two-part series (we published the first part of this interview on March 29).

Research is the Key to Building a High-Achieving Online School

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

When a school district decides to implement more edtech in their curriculum, it comes with a major hurdle everyone must face. How can you roll out all of these digital devices at once with the greatest success rates? This is one of the key issues at the heart of edtech programs in their early stages. However, it is crucial to handle this now so that your school district can take advantage of these helpful devices in the near future. Fortunately, plenty of school districts are already paving the way for the best practices in a digital device rollout. Following the example set by others can help you to implement your own rollout more effectively. You can take a few tips from some of these key concepts to help your device implementation move more smoothly.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/best-practices-for-a-digital-device-rollout/

by Kevin Miller, Detroit News
When the 21st Century Michigan Education Commission published a comprehensive report, the recommendations were bold. We must take these recommendations seriously. The report aims to position Michigan’s education system as a national leader in education and developing talent. One thing is clear: Innovation is needed, at all levels.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2018/03/29/michigan-education-innovation/33365391/

By Randi Hildreth, WSFA

Google hosted its Online Safety Roadshow that focuses on how to stay safe and secure online. Students at Girard Middle School are a little more equipped to navigate the internet and avoid online pitfalls. Google hosted its Online Safety Roadshow that focuses on how to stay safe and secure online. Close to 300 6th and 7th graders attended. According to Google, 75 percent of teenagers have cell phones and 93 percent of teenagers are online. “Now it’s just as important – more important than ever that students have the tools they need to stay safe and smart online,” said Amber Tillman, Google Program Manager.

http://www.wsfa.com/story/37830615/google-hosts-internet-safety-class-at-dothan-middle-school

by China.org.cn

A news report by China.org.cn on China’s live streaming industry transforming the classes in poor areas: There are only three students at Lumacha Primary School in a remote, mountainous area of northwest China’s Gansu province. As the children from better-off families in the community have been sent to more well-equipped schools, the three remaining have come to represent the most underprivileged members of Chinese society. Fortunately, live streaming, the trendiest social activity among Chinese youth, is transforming the classes in Lumacha. With only an internet cable, an overhead projector and a webcam, the three students are now able to take part in online courses.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/online-courses-benefit-children-in-poor-areas-300621558.html

by Karine Joly, University Business

Why is digital marketing—so easily measurable—not measured in higher education at the level it is in other industries?  Since this project was conducted around an assessment—and not a mere survey—of the gap between best and current practices, the study participants all received a final grade computed on a 100-point scale to illustrate the distance completed on the road to digital marketing analytics, the HEDMAR score. The distribution of these resulting scores is a great tool to visualize the digital marketing analytics maturity of the industry. With 77 percent of participants scoring under 50 on the HEDMAR scale, the need for improvement across the industry couldn’t be clearer. Yet, the 14 percent of participants scoring between 55 and 80 prove that higher levels of analytics maturity are possible in higher education.

https://www.universitybusiness.com/article/deep-dive-college-data

by Education Dive
It’s been more than a decade since a small group of professors at Dawson College started to experiment with active learning. Today, those early initiatives have evolved into a movement that’s transforming the way teachers teach and students learn. “It has injected new life into the kinds of things I can do in the classroom,” says Chris Whittaker, a physics professor and one of the college’s early proponents of the student-focused approach to teaching. Based on the academic literature and research done in his own classrooms, Whittaker is confident that his students learn better when they spend less time listening to him lecture and more time working together through collaborative activities and projects. “Students are getting to much deeper levels of conversation, asking me much more profound questions and engaging with the material in a way that I’ve never seen before.”

https://www.educationdive.com/news/high-tech-active-learning-spaces-transform-teaching/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

First, remember that tech is a tool, never a goal. Only adopt technology if it is a better route to reaching an independent goal than a non-tech route would be. It can be hard to avoid the allure of new and “fun” tech products, but student achievement depends on making wise choices. For example, many students—particularly those from disadvantaged communities—suffer a slump in their reading ability in the fourth grade, despite the fact that their reading progress was similar to their peers in earlier grades.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-can-k12-schools-do-to-get-the-most-out-of-ed-tech/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Data analytics is opening more doors regarding the college experience than ever before. While many experts are touting its benefits for the student population, the truth is that these numbers can improve the experience all around. The statistics are beneficial for everyone ranging from educators to administrators.  What does the data have to say about the college experience? The exact statistics may not be quite as important as the advantageous view they give regarding higher learning. Here are just a few of the ways that this data can begin improving college experiences across the board.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/data-analytics-can-improve-college-experience-everyone/

by Adolfo Guzman-Lopez, SCPR

A significant minority of high school seniors who wouldn’t be able to afford college without financial help can’t get their parents to sign the FAFSA. Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, estimates about 5 percent of seniors who want to go to college fall into this category. The FAFSA requires students and their parents to reveal their immigration status, the state of their finances and any public benefits they may have used. The U.S. Department of Education collects the information but doesn’t share it with immigration authorities. A lot of people don’t know that, and their fears are heightened by the Trump administration’s tough anti-immigrant policies.

https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/03/19/81709/kids-miss-college-because-their-parents-won-t-appl/

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal
A six-year project at the University of Houston will develop, mentor and retain 30 STEM teacher-leaders in high-need school districts. The $2.8 million from the National Science Foundation will cover tuition and fees for teachers working in middle and high schools to earn their master of education degrees with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math; they’ll also receive a $10,000 annual stipend for four years afterwards to train other teachers in schools serving populations of students who are under-represented in the STEM fields.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/03/21/nsf-grant-to-cover-master-degrees-in-stem-teaching-and-bonuses.aspx

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

A new guide on blended learning reminds school district leaders that blended isn’t a goal unto itself; nor is it a specific instructional approach. Blended can be integrated into a “variety of educational models” and serves as the “vehicle” for providing innovative instruction. The report, “Blending Teaching and Technology: Simple Strategies for Improved Student Learning,” was produced by Future Ready Schools, an initiative of the Alliance for Excellent Education. Blended learning, as the guide explained, “refers to a variety of practices and strategies” for enabling students to learn online at least some of the time and maintain a level of control over the “time, place, path or pace of their learning.”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/03/28/report-the-real-role-of-blended-learning-in-instruction.aspx

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal

Classroom design naturally unlocks — or stifles — student engagement and empowerment in a way few other things can, according to Erin Klein. Klein is a teacher with a previous background in interior design and an author of various books and articles about how areas like design and technology intersect with education. She also delivered the closing keynote address earlier this month at this year’s CUE conference.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/03/28/designing-learning-spaces-for-student-engagement.aspx