Educational Technology

by Helen Lee Bouygues, Forbes

Can children identify fake news? A growing number of organizations believe that the answer is a resounding yes. The most recent addition to the field is a free online game called NewsFeed Defenders, which helps train students to spot disinformation online. iCivics, an education nonprofit founded by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, co-created , the program along with the Annenberg Public Policy Center. I recently tried the game with my eight-year-old daughter, Daphné, and found it a useful exercise—although not for the reasons I’d anticipated.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/helenleebouygues/2018/12/02/a-new-front-on-the-war-against-fake-news-kids/#15ad1839fce8

Kentucky Bottom Line

Moving Kentucky into the Top Tier of states in education attainment and workforce quality is the focus of a new report released Monday (December 3, 2018), by the Kentucky Business-Education Roundtable. The Roundtable, comprising state education and business leaders and advocates, has developed an ambitious agenda to accelerate Kentucky’s progress by achieving four key goals:

1. Investing in early childhood and preschool – to give kids a solid start
2. Reinventing high school – to make a diploma relevant for the modern economy
3. Ensuring every adult obtains a marketable degree or credential
4. Engaging employers to define needed skills and develop talent supply chains

“Because Kentucky’s economic future depends directly on our state’s ability to produce and attract more talented workers for the modern economy, we must strive year over year to improve our workforce preparation and our rankings in critical measures of education,” the report noted.

https://kychamberbottomline.com/2018/12/03/new-report-sets-an-ambitious-agenda-for-education-workforce-improvement/

JAY MILLER, Crains Cleveland Business

A study released in July 2017 by the Regional Information Technology Engagement (RITE) Board, a nonprofit based at Lorain County Community College that works to reduce the gap between supply and demand for information workers in Northeast Ohio, reported that the region needed to expand the pipeline of trained IT workers to meet demand forecasts, even before Moreno set his workforce goal. According the report, “The findings of this research suggest that we may be falling farther behind changes in demand for IT professionals to fill entry-level positions” with “dramatic gaps” between numbers of potential hires employers pursue and the number of people completing postsecondary school programs. “Employers, across the board with the exception of (Hyland Software Inc.) and the ones with great brand recognition, are seeing an insufficient flow,” said Courtney DeOreo, director of the RITE Board, in an email. “There remain significant concerns about skills, as (employers) say they want well-rounded candidates.”

https://www.crainscleveland.com/technology/wanted-1000-blockchain-professionals-working-cleveland-end-2019

Darryn Pollock – Forbes

Ethereum and smart contracts have taken blockchain technology to a second generation where many different sectors are in the sights of its potential disruption. Even a third generation is being bandied about, with regards to Directed Acylic Graphs, but the fourth generation – which will be an essential part of the fourth industrial revolution – will need the help of some similar revolutionary technology.  Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been cutting a distinct but similar path through the nascent stage of technology development. Its uses and adoption have been growing, and its implementation has reached a critical point.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrynpollock/2018/11/30/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-built-on-blockchain-and-advanced-with-ai/#49eceacd4242

Lindsay Steet, State House Report

South Carolina schools struggling to fill open teacher positions have turned to online instruction over the last decade to keep basic classes available to students. But as online instruction seeks more taxpayer funds, some in the state warn the option is a Band-Aid, not a solution to the state’s teacher shortage. “To think it can replace teachers because we have a teacher shortage is a terrible idea,” S.C. Education Association President Sherry East told Statehouse Report.

http://www.statehousereport.com/2018/11/30/news-online-classes-helpful-but-not-solution-to-teacher-shortage-educators-say/

Madhu Krishnamurthy, Daily Herald

The new law lets Illinois school districts explore blended learning opportunities and other creative ideas to determine what constitutes a school day based on what improves student learning. “Each district now can (decide) locally how they want to define an instructional day and what does it look like,” said Tony Sanders, chief executive officer of Elgin Area School District U-46. “The exciting part is there is no structure the state is saying you must abide by. In the midst of a blizzard, there are high school districts that are able to do online learning as part of the (school) day.

https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181130/will-suburban-schools-opt-for-e-learning-on-snow-days

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Teachers, understandably, often focus on their students. And wise teachers recognize that their students will need to be technology-literate in order the succeed in the coming years. But in order to truly accomplish this goal, teachers might be well advised to start not with the students but rather with their parents. First, once you consider summers and holidays, children will spend more waking hours at home than at school. This means that a technology-literate home environment will benefit students in ways that a classroom infused with edtech will not. This makes it imperative to help parents become technologically literate and motivated to help their students navigate the digital world.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/want-technology-literate-students-start-with-their-parents/

by Jordan Friedman, US News

If there is flexibility with the sequence, many experts suggest mapping out which courses to take when, with the understanding that life happens and plans may change. “It’s highly recommended that the student has something laid out in front of them where they can see the path that they’re likely to take, so that way they can figure out how much time it’s going to take, what it’s going to cost, and plan their time accordingly,” says David Starnes, chief academic officer at Purdue University Global, which has online undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Here are some expert tips for completing this process at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

https://www.usnews.com/higher-education/online-education/articles/2018-11-29/how-to-map-out-courses-in-an-online-degree-program

by India Today

This is the age of online education and thousands across the world are gaining skills from online courses. But how do we know which one is good and which isn’t? Take a note of these 4 factors.

https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/tips-to-judge-the-quality-of-any-online-course-1399851-2018-11-30

Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Jessica Eiche, the mother of 10-year-old Namine, said she doesn’t know what her family would have done if virtual school hadn’t been an option. Namine has femoral facial syndrome, a condition that causes a heart defect and a spinal disorder which confines her to a wheelchair. “She has lots of hospital appointments and many different doctors she has to see regularly,” Jessica said. That need to work constant doctor appointments into their schedule, as well as the fact that her immune system is compromised, means that the flexibility of a virtual school is a necessity for Namine’s education.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/life/wisconsin-family/2018/11/30/online-learning-happens-virtual-schools-wisconsin/1670687002/

by Tom Vander Ark, Forbes

AI, particularly machine learning (ML), and related exponential technologies (ET) are quickly augmenting many tasks at home and work. They will increasingly displace jobs while creating new entrepreneurial opportunities. They will swamp communities with complex issues and a combination of predictable and unanticipated consequences. AI is not just a tech issue, it’s a social studies issue. Teaching youth to code may be part of the response, but even more important is asking them to consider issues of the changing civic and employment landscape. “The aim of social studies is the promotion of civic competence,” says the National Council for the Social Studies. Their standards are built around 10 themes that are being shaped by AI and ET.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2018/11/28/why-social-studies-is-becoming-ai-studies/

by Matthew Lynch, TechEdvocate

Parents and teachers can also specifically teach children techniques to improve mindfulness. A student in possession of these skills will be in a better position to resist the allure of using screen time to cope with unpleasant emotions—they will have other tools to use that are healthier. Teacher, in particular, may be tempted to overuse edtech tools, since these tools are usually engaging for students, can minimize problematic behavior in the classroom, and often have outstanding learning outcomes. But a child who spends the bulk of their school day in front of a screen is a child who is not learning how to have face-to-face conversations. They are not learning from immersion in the natural world. They are not gaining the benefits of engaging in physical activity or of being outdoors.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/balancing-screen-time-with-mindfulness/

By Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

The growing use of voice search and virtual digital assistants will have an increasing impact on how we deliver, search for and market higher education.  Voice enabling is the funnel through which we will access increasingly smart technologies. As these technologies evolve and further intertwine into a conversant smart system, we must respond and anticipate the changes that are only months away. A good place to begin is implementing VEO for all of our programs. Universities must be responding to this new trend to capture new prospective students, and to make sure you are sending current students to the proper resources that will enrich their time on campus. (thanks to Jordan DiMaggio UPCEA Associated Director of Policy and Communications for his assistance with this article)

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/hey-google-alexa-siri-and-higher-ed

By Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

The growing use of voice search and virtual digital assistants will have an increasing impact on how we deliver, search for and market higher education.  Voice enabling is the funnel through which we will access increasingly smart technologies. As these technologies evolve and further intertwine into a conversant smart system, we must respond and anticipate the changes that are only months away. A good place to begin is implementing VEO for all of our programs. Universities must be responding to this new trend to capture new prospective students, and to make sure you are sending current students to the proper resources that will enrich their time on campus. (thanks to Jordan DiMaggio UPCEA Associated Director of Policy and Communications for his assistance with this article)

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/hey-google-alexa-siri-and-higher-ed

Knowledge@Wharton

Developing countries such as India, Kenya and others in East Africa are discovering an increasing array of applications for blockchain, the decentralized ledger technology that promises a secure, peer-to-peer mechanism for verifying information.   Blockchain is essentially a growing list of so-called “blocks” (a record of transactions in a decentralized ledger), which form a “chain” in a peer-to-peer network. Participants in the network verify or validate the blocks, eliminating the need for a trusted entity like a regulator or an accounting firm to authenticate the information in them. According to experts, the blockchain is secure and tamper-proof by design because transactions cannot be changed once the network has verified them.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/blockchain-brings-social-benefits-emerging-economies/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Is it difficult to find fresh ways to sustain your students’ interest in math class, day after day? This is a common complaint among educators who know that math is an essential subject but struggle to find engaging ways to teach it. Amazon’s Alexa device offers an inexpensive way to start making math class enjoyable again. You can download several games to help quiz students on their math facts or challenge their minds. The best part is that these are activities they can do entirely on their own.

https://www.thetechedvocate.org/using-amazon-alexa-for-the-math-classroom/

ARINYA TALERNGSRI, Bankok Post

Formal education including schools and universities is part of learning — but it definitely isn’t the only way we can learn, nor does the learning stop there. Learning is a never-ending process, something you nurture at school and eventually bring to your work or business. Stanford Online High School is a great example of this. Although seemingly a formal educational institution and affiliated with the famous California university, it integrates extra-curricular activities, online learning and classroom study throughout the day. Even when they are not in the classroom, students are constantly learning through every activity they do. Nurturing learning in your organisation is important, and I think it’s especially critical for the newer generations that are starting to play a major role in the workplace.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1582098/transforming-organisational-learning

BY BEN MARKUS, Colarado Public Radio

Student loan debt across the U.S. grew 157 percent in the last 11 years, according to an analysis by Bloomberg. In Colorado, the Institute for College Access & Success said grads have an average student debt load of $26,530. Ben Wurzel, Money Sense program manager at CU Boulder, said some some students don’t “consider the impact of what they’re borrowing until they are wrapping up their college education.” Wurzel works with many students who are surprised how much and how long they’ll be paying off their loans.

http://www.cpr.org/news/story/a-job-of-your-dreams-may-not-be-in-the-cards-if-post-college-debt-weighs-you-down

By Anant Agarwal, Quartz

The jobs of the future will require a hybrid set of skills from a variety of subject areas. But our current education model has us spending at least three years studying the same singular discipline. As the en vogue skills will change several times as our careers progress, higher education degrees are also adapting, focusing on flexible and customizable credential offerings In this future, imagine that instead of graduating with a single degree from one university, you will design your own personalized degree from many online or residential programs. Smaller, modular chunks of education will reign, and our learning experience will become incredibly flexible and customizable.

https://qz.com/1469291/future-proofing-higher-education-starts-with-reinventing-the-college-degree/

by University of Nebraska-Lincoln

College classrooms are increasingly diverse places. Instructors need to consider not only the obvious diversity in their classroom such as gender and ethnicity, but also aspects such as students’ prior knowledge or preferred ways of learning. Inclusive teaching refers to using teaching methods to address the needs of all students in your classroom and ensure that all students are able to participate equitably in your class. Inclusive teaching requires preparation before entering the classroom and consistent efforts in the classrooms to create an environment that will be beneficial for all.

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1684

By Jeffrey R. Young, EdSurge

For designers of the online discussion, perhaps the biggest challenge was figuring out how to run such a large-scale online brainstorming session without it devolving into petty complaints about parking or a general airing of grievances. The solution was to make the online discussion feel like a game. Attendees submitted ideas in the form of cards (limited to 280-characters, like a Tweet), and let players win points when other users added links or other suggestions to the original idea.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-11-21-here-s-what-happened-when-one-university-asked-everyone-for-ideas-to-reinvent-campus