Educational Technology

By Katie Lepi, edudemic

MOOCs are still eliciting buzz in the academic world. But MOOCs are about more than just education – they are a huge social presence and inhabit a network of their own. Big name universities have signed on to back many of the courses, lending some credibility to the land of online learning. With MOOCs gaining traction quickly and millions of learners signing on, the appeal is quite powerful. The handy infographic linked below takes a look at some interesting facts and statistics about MOOCs.

http://www.edudemic.com/state-of-moocs/

By David Johnson, Edudemic

Use of education technology is a somewhat problematic premise, because it has generated a heated debate on whether it helps or hinders learning. Recent dramatic increases in technology in our society have led to proliferation of technology in the learning institutions (from elementary school to the graduate school) at a rapid rate. Integration of technology in schools has changed today’s education and also the way teachers and students use their classrooms. These changes have both positive and negative impact on learning. Here is how technology helps and hinders education.

http://www.edudemic.com/education-technology-pros-cons/

Lauren Hepler, Silicon Valley Business Journal

Education technology startup Udemy on has released its first Android app, adding to mobile competition for students interested in online classes. Coursera, a Stanford-bred Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) provider and Udemy rival released its first iOS application in late 2013. Udemy’s first Android applicationis a new frontier for providers of Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, which have only recently started experimenting with apps for iPhones and iPads.

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/01/10/udemy-takes-the-ed-tech-and-mooc.html

By David Nagel, Campus Technology

The Obama administration is asking colleges and universities for new ideas related to college affordability and technologies to advance student learning at all levels. As part of the Education Datapalooza event held today, the United States Department of Education expanded on its call for ideas to create “experimental sites” “to test alternative approaches for the administration of the federal student financial assistance programs….” According to ED: “The Department is asking the public, the higher education community, and others to send their ideas for experimental sites that would support a better-educated workforce and citizenry.”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/01/15/feds-call-on-universities-for-ideas-for-experimental-sites-new-learning-technologies.aspx

By David Raths, Campus Technology

Last semester, the Vanderbilt University (TN) Center for Teaching’s two most popular workshops were “Flipping the Classroom” and “Leading Classroom Discussion.” “A few years ago if I had said flipped classroom to them, most faculty would have given me a blank stare,” said Derek Bruff, director of the center and a senior lecturer in mathematics. “Now they are coming to us wanting more detail. The speed of that change and the pervasiveness of the interest has surprised me.” Indeed, a November 2013 survey from the Center for Digital Education and Sonic Foundry found that half of university faculty members have flipped their classroom or plan to within the next year. Despite that enthusiasm for the model, though, the truth is that many faculty members struggle with making their lecture-free classroom time interactive and engaging.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/01/15/how-to-make-the-most-of-the-flipped-classroom.aspx

By Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

What if you could look behind the scenes of a web page? What if you could easily make a video mashup or a fun meme? There are a few web tools from Mozilla that are definitely worth trying out. They may be some of the most fun and interesting tools you’ll try today. In fact, I could see any of these options becoming a fun tool to bring into your classroom of eager students. Imagine assigning students with a project (project-based learning anyone?!) to create a mashup of videos that tells a story or explains a key concepts you’re working on.

http://www.edudemic.com/fun-web-tools/

by KMOX

In one Metro East school district last week’s snow days were replaced by e-learning days. It doesn’t quite have the same ring, but Russ Hart, Gibault Catholic High School Principal said it’s saving them from tacking on those additional days at the end of the year. The system is called, My Big Campus, and it allows teachers to post assignments even instructional videos online. To get state credit for an E-Learning day teachers are required to post all assignments by 7:30 a.m., then students check-in by 9 a.m. This year was the first year for the program, but it has already proved its value outside the freak snow storm. Hart said one high school senior battling cancer has been using the program so he doesn’t fall behind.

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/01/14/illinois-school-drops-snow-days-for-e-learning-days/

By Jennifer LeClaire, CIO Today

The big data course offered by MIT should be required in any enterprise where business users interact with data. Business users crave big data and analytics tools, but without an understanding of what makes data good or bad they may make decisions based on insight that’s fallacious. MIT’s big data course is an important step for the industry.

http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=03100001OKIW

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

With less books, paper, and pencils and more laptops, smartphones, and tablets gracing our classrooms these days, it would be logical to say that the nature of note-taking in class has changed, too. Especially with digital tools such as Evernote, writing things down on paper seems less likely to be the #1 way of taking notes. That said, does taking notes really help? Does the physical act of writing something down help you to remember it? What is the most effective way to take notes? How does all of this play into a more digitally based classroom? The handy infographic linked below takes a look at these questions and more.

http://www.edudemic.com/digital-classroom-note-taking/

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

With a Kindle in one hand, a MacBook Air in the other, and an iPhone shoved in my pocket, I have nearly any information I could possibly want at my fingertips. Needless to say, I visit libraries much less often than I used to. With digitized archives, web based content, and e-books, the role of libraries and librarians has certainly changed over the years. That said, all of these digital resources have not made librarians obsolete. So what is the role of the librarian in the digital age? Take a gander at the handy infographic linked below to find out!

http://www.edudemic.com/librarian-digital-age/

by Mary Stegmeir, The Des Moines Register

Put the pencils down. In a growing number of Iowa’s classrooms, teens are going online to study for — and even take — semester exams. The change reflects an increasing use of technology in classrooms. Want students to study for and ultimately ace their finals? Then meet them in the digital land where they live, educators say. “It’s our job as teachers to find the best ways to get information to the kids,” said Graham Lundt, a Gilbert High School health teacher, who provides online study guides and tests. “For my students, this works.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/13/iowa-teens-technology-classrooms-testing/4467785/

by Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

I have recently received a couple of messages through the Facebook Page of Educational Technology and Mobile Learning about resources on teaching coding to kids soI decided to write this guide. All students are able to learn math, coding originates from mathematical concepts,so all students can learn coding.But why is it that coding and computer science are not yet compulsory subjects in schools? The technological world is advancing in spectacular speed and weirdly enough kids and teenagers are those who are catching up with it the most and yet we do not provide them with a nurturing environment to not only learn about how to use technology for educational purposes but more important learn how this technology works.

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/01/these-are-skills-students-learn-from.html

by Joe Sabado, Student Affairs and Technology Leadership

I have several reasons as to why I decided to commit my money towards this device. It’s the same reason as to why I spend so much time using social media and on my mobile devices. They are integral to my work and my life-long learning. I may be mistaken but I believe wearable computing and internet of things (pervasive/ubiquitous computing) will be part of the next wave of technologies that as a higher education technology professional, I will need to be ready for. I bought Google Glass as part of my preparation and to learn more about these technologies that will become more common sooner than we think. These technologies will bring new opportunities and challenges in higher education in the way we conduct our business and how we provide support and environment towards student learning.

http://joesabado.com/2014/01/my-goals-with-google-glass/

By Mike Orcutt, Technology Review

Sunglasses made with nanoscale optical technology hint at a near future of inconspicuous head-mounted displays. Head-mounted displays could transform computing applications such as navigation, translation, gaming, and assisting people with disabilities. For all the hype around smart glasses, none of them actually look like normal glasses. But Vuzix, which develops wearable display technology for military and industrial applications, plans to change that this summer by releasing a pair of sleek wraparound shades that will let users see colorful images projected over objects in the real world.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/523151/coming-soon-smart-glasses-that-look-like-regular-spectacles/

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

School isn’t just about learning and books, as teachers are already well aware. For students, going to school also teaches them about a slew of life lessons – and interacting with others is at the top of that list. We all know (having been young ourselves) that kids can sometimes be really mean. Bullying is serious business, and as bullys move online, there are a lot of resources popping up to help out parents, teachers, and students to understand bullying and what to do about it. The handy infographic below looks at some statistics regarding cyber bullying, demographics, and the effects it can have on a student.

http://www.edudemic.com/cyberbullying/

By AlishaEllis, Edudemic

When you’re talking about learning a language in the U.S., you’re generally talking about ESL which refers to “English as a second language” or the study or use of English by speakers with different native languages. Learning a new language seems quite tough but lucky for the students of today as technology has made it a lot simpler and easier. Many schools are now making plans to increase the availability and use of technology in classrooms in order to engage students in learning English language digitally.

http://www.edudemic.com/top-9-fantastic-ipad-apps-esl-students/

By Patrick Morris, Motley Fool

Getting a top-tier education just got a whole lot easier and a lot less expensive. There is no denying that college has gotten monumentally expensive, and as shown in the chart below, in constant dollars over the last 40 years, the price of college is more than 3 times higher at public schools, and almost that much at private schools. This equates to a roughly 3% rise in prices each year, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you consider that personal income in the United States has only doubled over the same time period (or grown by less than 1.7% each year), you can see that college is becoming less and less affordable for millions of Americans. Yet while the costs of college are seemingly spiraling out of control, thankfully there are five wonderful free resources that allow people to enhance their existing educations, and may one day even supplement college altogether.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/01/12/the-5-best-places-to-get-a-free-education.aspx

by Chronicle of Higher Ed

Education technology enjoyed a headline-grabbing year in 2013. Debate about the potential, and the limitations, of massive open online courses reached a fevered pitch. Technology-enabled, competency-based degrees got a green light from the U.S. Department of Education. And data analytics proved to be an increasingly important reference point in campus operations. The momentum shows little sign of abating in 2014. New tools are shaping everything from in-classroom instruction to White House policy making. The Chronicle asked five education-technology experts to think about the year ahead and identify major themes at the intersection of education technology and higher education.

http://chronicle.com/article/What-5-Tech-Experts-Expect-in/143829/

by Matthew Lynch, Huffington Post

There are so many ways that academics are enhanced by technology that simply did not exist ten years ago. Today, students can benefit from online learning modules if a major illness or suspension keeps them at home. For students who are struggling under the academic and social pressures of traditional schooling, online learning provides an alternative to stay on track from the comforts of home. Online learning is just a brushstroke on the contemporary portrait of learning technology. Within classrooms, teachers can encourage students to work individually on computer or mobile devices, freeing up some time to work in-person with those who might need the extra attention. Teachers can also communicate more effectively with parents and students regarding upcoming assignments, supplementary lesson plans and areas where students could benefit from extra practice. With browser-based technology, and cloud-based options, teachers can provide easy access to information and parents and students can log in at their convenience.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynch-edd/the-call-to-teach-the-rol_b_4583536.html

By Margaret Ramirez, the Hechinger Report

After 10 minutes, it’s time to do things a different way. Montero shines a red beam of light on the wall, signaling to students to take their positions. “Computer captain, please say, ‘All aboard,’” announces Montero, who favors iPads and laser pointers to paper and chalk. “All aboard!” replies Abigail Bueno, a 7-year-old with long dark braids and a dimpled smile. ) Soon, the class has split in two groups based on their particular learning needs. On the rug, Montero leads 13 students in learning about the long vowel “I” sound. At computers along the wall, the others strap on headphones and start reading books from a digital library program.

http://hechingerreport.org/content/will-co-teaching-with-computers-improve-student-learning_14404/