Educational Technology

by AZ Central

Unlike their brick-and-mortar counterparts, online schools don’t have to build classrooms or buy textbooks. They have no lunchrooms or sports teams. But they do hire teachers, furnish curriculum and pay for a lot of computer equipment. There are at least 41 districts and 20 charter schools operating online programs, state records show. So how much should it cost to provide a publicly funded education to students who pursue it online? Comparing the online operations of the state’s largest public district, Mesa Public Schools, with Arizona’s largest virtual charter school, Primavera, gives two very different answers.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2018/08/22/mesa-public-educates-students-online-fraction-cost-primavera-charter-damian-creamer/941513002/

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Later this week Saint Louis University will open up for move-in, when students begin occupying their dorm rooms and apartments. They’ll be greeted by Amazon Alexa-enabled devices primed and ready to answer questions about the university and the campus experience. The university conducted a pilot last spring that tested several different kinds of voice assistants, and the Amazon Alexa platform was the hands-down favorite. The broader deployment will distribute 2,300 Echo Dots, all programmed with speech recognition and voice assistants that enable students to find out how late the library is open for the day or where the registrar’s office is located, among other information.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/08/21/saint-louis-u-students-rooming-with-alexa.aspx

by James Paterson, Education Dive
Universities are increasingly offering students free laptops or tablets, but they should take into consideration their technology infrastructure and train professors to use the technologies before implementing such programs, according to EdTech. 1:1 programs have had varying degrees of success, with some institutions not maintaining the Wi-Fi bandwidth to handle all the connected devices. In addition, the technology may require other enhancements to the institution’s network, all of which can be expensive.  Such innovation requires faculty members to be aware their tech skills may be lacking. Maryville University in St. Louis solved that problem by offering instructors 80 hours of paid professional development so they could better use iPads in the classroom with students.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/11-computing-programs-require-tech-upgrades-staff-training/530754/

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

As part of a two-hour workshop, students pop on a virtual reality headset (most recently, that’s the $199 Oculus Go) and attend a virtual meeting that brings together a small group of people from the United States, China, India and Singapore. In the opening scene of “First Impressions,” the user observes a global business meeting taking place in an office in China. It’s apparent as the meeting progresses that the interactions among the various characters are leading to tensions. All of the students see the same thing, remove their headsets and go through a bit of discussion. They’re asked simply to be observers first, “and not apply any judgment to what’s going on,” said project lead Ilin Misaras, assistant director for the university’s Global Training Initiative (GTI). “Don’t tell me that [somebody] is weird. Tell me what he said.” Following that, the headset is pulled on again to watch the same scene repeated. But this time, each user has been assigned to one of three people in attendance at the global meeting and assumes his role from a first-person point of view.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/08/21/using-vr-to-help-students-understand-cultural-differences.aspx

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology
Students in Generation Z would rather learn from YouTube videos than from nearly any other form of instruction. YouTube was designated as the preferred mode of learning by 59 percent of Gen Zers in a survey on the topic, compared to in-person group activities with classmates (mentioned by 57 percent), learning applications or games (47 percent) and printed books (also 47 percent). A majority (55 percent) believe that YouTube has “contributed to their education.” In fact, nearly half of survey participants (47 percent) reported spending three or more hours every day on YouTube.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/08/21/gen-zers-look-to-teachers-first-youtube-second-for-instruction.aspx

by LESLIE RUBI, Fox 11

It’s hard to believe, but today’s first-graders will go on to be the Class of 2030. The class already has an iPad for each student, but the future could look a lot different. A study by educational policymakers looking at possibilities by the year 2030 said there is a 62 percent chance that students will be carrying around artificial intelligence devices. There is a 70 percent chance that face-to-face instruction will give way to online courses. Textbooks will be a thing of the past and teaching robots could be a real thing.

https://wvah.com/news/local/todays-first-graders-prepare-to-succeed-as-the-class-of-2030

Paola Suro, WCPO

Last year, Dearborn High School students experienced flooding and heavy snow that kept them stranded at home for days at a time. However, thanks to the incorporation of e-learning into their district’s curriculum, that didn’t mean they had to miss school. “Most of my classes were online, so I was able to email my teachers, and within a couple of hours I would have a response,” senior Rachel Montes said. “Then, since they were online, I could finish my homework or study for a test. I would be on top of it, even if we weren’t at school.”

https://www.wcpo.com/news/education/e-learning-helps-dearborn-county-students-teachers-stay-on-schedule

by Chelsea Jones, University Affairs (Canada)

If we are serious about accessible online learning, we must talk openly about disability as if it is right here, right now – because it is. As online learning becomes the norm across Canada, faulty conversations about making online learning accessible are cropping up in higher education conferences. These conversations fall short when they fail to uphold standards of inclusivity that are at the heart of basic, proactive Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies – that is, when they do not include gestures of access such as transcripts, live captioning, or American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. Or, when they present disabled people in stereotypical ways.

Accessibility must be more than an add-on to online pedagogy

by the Pioneer

In rural areas across Australia, the United States and Russia have all benefited from distant learning due to technology. Homeschooled children are able to connect with other children, not only to normalize their socializing capabilities but to also ensure that they are able to discuss deeply and receive different perspectives on the subjects they learn. Experts argue that online learning opens more doors for these children as they can learn time management and independence while learning similar to the workplace early in life. You might have seen multiple ads and articles about all sorts of new ways of learning. Anything from duolingo language apps to computer programming language has infiltrated the market for online students to learn as much as they please. The rise of online education has enabled even employers to hire more people with online certificates. Even Google has a part in this allowing their team to train a multitude of not only IT support but also marketers to learn how to use software and gain skills. Other than employability there are tons of other benefits to switching that could benefit people more than just their self-knowledge. See below for more benefits when you join courses like Khan Academy and ITIL Foundation Online Training!

https://www.dailypioneer.com/impact/benefits-in-switching-to-online-learning.html

By Dieter Holger, PC World

JavaScript is the language of the web. It makes websites interactive, creates animations, draws data-driven graphics, and more. It even runs natively in your web browser so you don’t have to install it and you can get to coding right away. Alongside HTML and CSS, JavaScript is an essential language for any aspiring or current web developer.  In any case, if you want to create for the web you’re going to need JavaScript. Because of the close relationship between HTML, CSS, and the web, it’s useful to have a well-rounded skill set, and fortunately, most of the courses we recommend will have you code HTML and CSS as you learn JS. There are a ton of online courses where you can get experience coding websites and apps. I’ve put together some of the best out there from a variety of sources. Some courses I tried myself, but others I selected based on their customer reviews, popularity, and breadth of material. With various lengths, difficulty levels, and specialization, you’re sure to find one that meets your particular needs.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3297962/application-development/learn-javascript.html

by Emily Alford, ClickZ

Here’s why knowing the difference could set your company apart.  Bots, chatbots, robots, and AI are some of the most buzzed words in the industry right now, but even insiders are sometimes unclear on their differences. We get to the bottom of some common myths around new technologies. So far, 2018 has been all about new technology, and that’s a really good thing. If predictions around the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) are correct, new technology is on track to revolutionize every industry from healthcare to finance. However, while other industries are still imagining future uses for machine learning, the martech industry is currently booming with automated solutions to common problems. As we rush to throw AI at all our pain points, myths and misconceptions abound. Here are some of the most common misconceptions, explained.

Bots, chatbots, robots, AI! Here’s why knowing the difference could set your company apart

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

The cornerstone of the American dream is the ability to succeed in life regardless of one’s family of origin. And, for most people, that requires a college education. Unfortunately, recent research shows that the most reliable ticket to the middle class—a college degree—is rather difficult for students from low-income families to obtain. While this problem has many dimensions, open educational resources (known as OER) can help overcome the higher education equity burden.

How OER Can Help Overcome the Higher Education Equity Barrier

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Protecting student data is a top priority for districts and schools, and the laws governing data protection can make navigating student privacy a difficult task, especially when users do not agree on privacy requirements.  Edtech companies face these seven big privacy concerns.

The 7 Biggest Privacy Concerns for Edtech

by Albert Cheng, Michael Henderson, Paul E. Peterson and Martin R. West; EdNext

An interactive graphic depicting trends in the poll through 2018 is available at this site. Full results from the 2018 Education Next-PEPG Poll are available are also linked here.

https://www.educationnext.org/2018-ednext-poll-interactive/

by Glassdoor Team

With college tuition soaring nationwide, many Americans don’t have the time or money to earn a college degree. However, that doesn’t mean your job prospects are diminished. Increasingly, there are many companies offering well-paying jobs to those with non-traditional education or a high-school diploma. “When you look at people who don’t go to school and make their way in the world, those are exceptional human beings. And we should do everything we can to find those people,” said Google’s former SVP of People Operations Laszlo Bock. “Academic qualifications will still be taken into account and indeed remain an important consideration when assessing candidates as a whole, but will no longer act as a barrier to getting a foot in the door,” added Maggie Stilwell, Ernst and Young’s managing partner for talent. Google and EY are just two of the champion companies who realize that book smarts don’t necessarily equal strong work ethic, grit and talent.

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/no-degree-required/

By Tanner Higgin, THE Journal

Whether your school or district has officially adopted social media or not, conversations are happening in and around your school on everything from Facebook to Snapchat. Schools must reckon with this reality and commit to supporting thoughtful and critical social media use among students, teachers and administrators. If not, schools and classrooms risk everything from digital distraction to privacy violations.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/08/09/how-to-craft-useful-student-centered-social-media-policies.aspx

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocatye

The advent of technology has brought considerable discussion about whether teachers or technology will dominate the profession. Research studies consistently have shown that the single most significant indicator of student success is the child’s teacher. An excellent teacher makes all the difference in student achievement, but naysayers insist that technology has come to take over and rid classrooms of the one thing that always creates significant student achievement. In many districts, teacher salaries take 80% of the budget; it’s the biggest expense districts have. It may seem cost-efficient to replace teachers with technology, but it won’t happen, and here’s why:

Why the Teachers vs Tech Narrative Must Go

by Neil J. Rubenking, PC Mag

When your PC slows down or acts weird, you don’t always know the cause. Most often, it’s probably just a glitch. But it could be an outward and visible sign of an inward and terrible malware infestation. Review the seven warning signs below. If any of them match your experience, malware may well have compromised your system’s security. The fact that you’ve got malware protection installed doesn’t mean you can ignore these warning signs. Software isn’t perfect, and sometimes a brand-new malware attack can slip past your security.

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2416788,00.asp

BY LAURA ASCIONE, eSchool News
A new survey reveals that vendor research is widely read, but most educators feel they can’t depend on it.  Although many educators rely on vendor-supplied reports for information on education technology tools, most educators have doubts about vendors’ ability to perform reliable research, according to a new survey. Ninety-one percent of educators in the Education Research Perspectives Survey say they rely heavily on general web searches, and almost half of those surveyed say they rely on vendor reports, for information on education technology tools.

Educators report low confidence in ed-tech research

by American Staffing Associations
A majority of Americans (62%) agree that apprenticeships—or “earn while learning” vocational opportunities—make people more employable than going to college, according to the results of the latest American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor® survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults conducted online by The Harris Poll. About seven in 10 U.S. adults say learning a specific trade is better for finding a job than a bachelor’s degree (68%) and that college degrees aren’t worth as much as they used to be (69%). A majority disagree that completing an apprenticeship will limit one’s future employment options (71%) and that earn-while-learning programs generally lead to a lower salary than occupations requiring a college degree (60%).

Apprenticeships Make People More Job-Ready Than College

by Adi Gaskell, Forbes

Sadly, few organizations seem to be adopting MOOCs as a way to provide employees with an easy and affordable way to keep their skills up to date, but one who most definitely are is the tech startup C3 IoT.  The company, which was founded by technology heavyweight Tom Siebel, offers employees over $1,000 for each MOOC they take. The aim is to provide employees who have been recruited in large part because of their desire and their willingness to learn, with the tools they require to keep their knowledge up to date. “In order for us to stay ahead of this, when we interview people we tend to self select for people who are well educated and who are challenged by interesting problems,” Siebel told me recently. “People who have a book in their hand. We like to think of our people as self learners, and this is part of our core values to be inquisitive and always learning.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2018/08/17/the-tech-legend-that-pays-staff-to-upskill/#8e63f697fc34