Educational Technology

December 31, 2014

A Look Inside the Classroom of the Future

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:39 am

by Dana Mortenson, Edutopia

Over the next generation, whether they work for corporations, small businesses, government organizations, nonprofits, or other organizations, many U.S. employees will move from working primarily with American colleagues, bosses, and customers for American organizations in U.S. cities, to being part of global teams. As leaders, they will use technology to bridge geographic divides, build organizations that transcend borders, and work together with colleagues from around the world on issues such as climate change, food security, and population growth — issues that require multinational teams coming together to effect change. For those whose work is closer to home, the changing demographics of the U.S. will mean that their colleagues, customers, and neighbors may look a lot less like them, and have fewer shared histories than American colleagues, customers, and neighbors have shared in the past.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/look-inside-classroom-of-future-dana-mortenson

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Net neutrality important to all Internet users

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

By Sean McGarvey, Iowa State Daily

Four million people have submitted their comments to the FCC about net neutrality. Disabling the free and open Internet goes against the founding principles of why it exists—creation and innovation of ideas and organizations that can help further the growth of our society. I believe net neutrality is very important to college students and online learning in general. If this two-tiered system of a fast lane and a slow lane goes into existence, students may not be guaranteed access to necessary information required to gain knowledge in the classroom. It will also be detrimental to distance learning on all levels of education.

http://www.iowastatedaily.com/opinion/article_ae0def02-7fc9-11e4-8dff-1b3d42e30feb.html

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Top 10 Ways iPads Are Key to Teaching Kids With Learning Disabilities

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

By Leah Levy, edudemic

By now, saying that “the iPad is a great tool for customizing the classroom” wouldn’t exactly be breaking news. But while this holds true for every student, each of whom learns in their own way, iPads are truly a lifeline for students with learning disabilities and the people who work hand-in-hand with them. For these students, iPads act as a translation, communication, and individualization tool with unrivaled effectiveness. In so doing, these devices reduce frustration, build confidence, and, well, just work in teaching students the skills they need to learn to thrive.

http://www.edudemic.com/top-10-ways-ipads-are-key-to-teaching-kids-with-learning-disabilities/

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December 30, 2014

Anthropomorphic Technology: Making Online Education Social

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

By Edudemic

The advent of online education has been a wonderful gift for both educators and students. It has allowed teachers to reach out to students in other parts of the globe and has allowed students to form a study group without actually being together physically. Online education is permitting students who live in a rural or isolated area to attend classes from the comfort of their own home and it has added to home school curriculums across America. However, there is one drawback to all of this innovative technology: The lack of socialization. Most problems have a solution if the creative thinkers of the world spend time to search for it. What is the solution to this particular drawback. There are several ways that online education can become more social and more closely mimic the benefits of an in-person education.

http://www.edudemic.com/making-online-education-social/

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Chromebook: Three things Google must do in 2015

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

By James Kendrick, ZD Net

The Chromebook has evolved nicely, resulting in acceptance by schools and some enterprises. Even so, there are three things Google must do next year to make it a better solution. Having used Chromebooks since they first appeared, it’s clear to me that they are a good solution. They can be used for both work and play, and they are more capable than many realize.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/chromebook-three-things-google-must-do-in-2015/

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2015: Year of the Windows renaissance?

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:27 am

By Larry Seltzer, ZD Net

After largely avoiding Windows 8, I really got to like Windows 8.1. When Windows 10 comes along I’ll feel a lot better about it and so, I suspect, will everyone else. I’ve heard many people say the same thing I concluded not long after I spent some time with Windows 10: If only this is what Windows 8 had been, things would have been different.I think Windows 10 will accelerate the rehabilitation of Windows’ public image. If you follow the Technical Preview you can see clearly that Microsoft is trying to listen to the customers and make Windows 10 the OS you want to use. It has the best of Windows 7 mixed into the good parts of Windows 8, and it uses Microsoft’s cloud services, like OneDrive, extensively.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/2015-year-of-the-windows-renaissance/

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December 29, 2014

New Online Education Credit Transfer Program Can Facilitate Degree Completion

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

By Bryan Lawver, US News

A new initiative from the American Council on Education (ACE) could make it easier for low-income and adult students to complete their degrees. More than 31 million Americans have some college education but no degree, according to the organization, and its plan to expand the number of colleges accepting transfer credits from online courses could help them finish school. The new initiative, which is launching with 25 pilot schools, would allow students to transfer credits earned through low-cost or free online education courses to other universities. Institutions across the country, including the Metropolitan State University of Denver, Northern Arizona University and the University of Baltimore, have signed on to join the pilot group. The schools in the first cohort include two-year and four-year, public and private, and nonprofit and for-profit schools.

http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/new-online-education-credit-transfer-program-can-f_14556.aspx#.VJn2zsAXs

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Coding educator boasts 80% employment for grads

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

By Keith Button, Education Dive

Code Fellows, a trade school offering an eight-week program for students to build their coding and development skills to a professional level, reports that 80% of its graduates received a job offer within three months. The average starting salary for those graduates: $75,600, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Seattle company also says that 18% of its graduates have created their own companies.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/coding-educator-boasts-80-employment-for-grads/346813/

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The Changing Framework of Online Learning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:28 am

By Janet Burns, PSFK

Regardless, perhaps, of which platform an educator chooses, the question of how effective online learning strategies are remains pivotal to both educators and platform suppliers. Addressing the online learning industry as a whole, recent studies do indicate growing student success rates with online platforms, whether used as supplementary tools or self-contained courses. Earlier this year, MIT physicist David Pritchard and a team of researchers released their findings from a study of Pritchard’s online Mechanics ReView course, which he taught parallel to a traditional, in-person version. As Pope noted, the study concluded that the MOOC version was effective at communicating such difficult material as Newtonian mechanics, “even to students who weren’t MIT caliber,” and that progress from online students mirrored the curve of in-person learners.

http://www.psfk.com/2014/12/changing-framework-online-learning.html

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December 28, 2014

Preferred Teaching Methods in Online Courses: Learners’ Views

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:39 am

by Mansureh Kebritchi, JOLT

Online learning platforms with asynchronous discussion boards provide such a different setting from traditional face-to-face classrooms that they urge educators to investigate online teaching methods. The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to identity the recommended online teaching methods in asynchronous discussion boards, and second, to explore learners’ perceptions about the identified teaching methods and correlate the learners’ perceptions with learners’ characteristics, including computer skills, experiences, and activity ratios in online discussions. Bruner’s classification of two modes of analytical and narrative thought was used as a theoretical framework. Accordingly, two teaching methods, narrative and episodic, were identified. Findings indicated that the narrative with a higher interactivity level, was the preferred method. The interactivity of online instructors and perceived success of courses were moderately correlated. Participants with stronger computer skills preferred teaching methods with lower interactivity. Some participants did not prefer a specific teaching method for performing various instructional tasks but rather preferred combining the narrative and episodic methods. Such findings inform educators about possible changes to improve the quality of online teaching.

http://jolt.merlot.org/vol10no3/Kebritchi_0914.pdf

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Virtually the Same?: Student Perceptions of the Equivalence of Online Classes to Face-to-Face Classes

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:36 am

by Carrie Anne Platt, et al; JOLT

Given the increasing number of online courses and the established association between student perceptions of learning environments and academic outcomes, this study investigated student perceptions of the equivalence of online classes and face-to-face classes. In contrast to previous studies on student perceptions of equivalence, which primarily used specific online classes as points of reference, this study focused on students’ perceptions of online courses in general. Overall, students did not perceive online and face-to-face classes to be equivalent, but previous exposure to online classes was positively associated with perceptions of general equivalence, comparative flexibility, comparative knowledge gained, and comparative level of interaction in online versus face-to-face classes. The final part of the paper applies these findings to the educational setting by discussing their implications for programs seeking to expand online course offerings.

http://jolt.merlot.org/vol10no3/Platt_0914.pdf

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SETDA launches digital learning implementation guide

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:29 am

by eSchool News

Free online resource helps states and districts plan for, implement smart digital learning initiatives: digital-SETDA, a new and free resource addressing six focus areas aims to help school leaders implement digital learning initiatives effectively. The Guide to Implementing Digital Learning (GIDL), from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), is a free web-based resource to support school and district leaders as they work to ensure that investments in digital learning spark positive results. “Digital learning is more important today than ever before. Our students are digital natives and when students utilize technology in the classroom, they are true 21st century learners,” said Tom Luna, Idaho’s superintendent of public instruction.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/12/19/setda-digital-implementation-022/

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December 27, 2014

Top 10 of 2014, No. 10: Mobile devices and mobile learning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:45 am

by eSchool News

Each year, the eSchool News editors compile 10 of the most influential ed-tech developments and examine how those topics dominated K-12 ed-tech conversations. No. 10 on our list for 2014 is mobile learning. This year, educators focused on putting mobile devices in students’ hands in an effort to help them learn valuable technology skills that will carry them through college and the workforce. Initiatives such as one-to-one pilots and bring-your-own-device programs popped up in more and more districts across the nation as school leaders sought to personalize learning and extend technology’s benefits and opportunities to all students.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/12/22/top-10-mobile-292/

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Predictions for K-12 Education in 2015

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

By Don Kilburn, Edudemic

Like many of today’s teachers, I used pencils and typewriters when I went to school. Today’s kindergartners arrive on their first day of school with tapping, swiping and “Googling” skills that it has taken many of us years to master. By middle school, they are texting, tweeting and posting photos on Instagram—tasks that no one had heard of even just a few years ago. There is no question that there are great education innovations on the horizon for 2015 and beyond, but it is also only realistic to recognize that these challenges will remain and new ones will emerge.

http://www.edudemic.com/predictions-for-k-12-education-in-2015/

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From Cartoons to College Courses: Professors Use The Simpsons To Reach Students

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

by Eric Carrell, LearnU

Professor Richard Pioreck of Hofstra University, says that he prefers to use “The Simpsons” and it’s unique way of referencing important literary works as a way to engage his students in their learning. His conviction that incorporating the perpetual elementary students, Bart and Lisa, as well as baby sister Maggie, dad Homer and mom Marg, as a part of his curriculum is pretty strong. So strong in fact, that he is phasing into a new online course in the spring semester entitled “The D’oh of Homer”, which will feature major literary works that have been referenced at some point in the shows lengthy history. Students can expect to cover the work of Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens and more.

http://www.learnu.org/from-cartoons-to-college-courses-professors-use-the-simpsons-to-reach-students/

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December 26, 2014

Cyber-bullying in the Online Classroom: Instructor Perceptions of Aggressive Student Behavior

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:38 am

by Michael T. Eskey, Cathy L. Taylor, Michael T. Eskey, Jr.; OJDLA

The advent of online learning has created the medium for cyber-bullying in the virtual classroom and also by e-mail. Bullying is usually expected in the workplace and between students in the classroom. Most recently, however, faculty members have become surprising targets of online bullying. For many, there are no established policies nor is training provided on how to react. The current research defines the problem, reviews the findings of a cyber-bullying survey, and explores recommendations for addressing cyber-bullying through policies, training, and professional development.

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter174/eskey_taylor_eskey174.html

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Schools replace snow days with online classes

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:32 am

by Bailey Loosemore,Courier Journal

On a Monday morning in November, Louisville awoke to it’s first snow day of the school year. With a layer of white covering lawns and roadways, Mercy Academy geometry teacher Amy Wheatley scrapped that day’s plan and came up with a new one — a video lesson her students could view without leaving their homes. She determined what type of problem they’d be tasked with solving, filmed a video of herself working through an example and uploaded it to an online classroom program, Edmodo. Then, she waited for questions to come via email.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/southeast/2014/12/18/schools-replace-snow-days-online-classes/20603225/

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FHSU joins other institutions in alternative-credit consortium

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:28 am

by The Hays Daily News

Fort Hays State University has signed an agreement with ACE, the American Council on Education, to join 24 other colleges and universities in an alternative credit consortium as part of an innovative initiative to create a more flexible pathway toward a college degree for millions of nontraditional learners. The 25 institutions serving in this pilot project have agreed to identify the criteria, quality and sources of potential alternative credit courses sought by students who successfully complete courses that are part of a selected pool of approximately 100 low-cost or no-cost lower division general education online courses.

http://hdnews.net/society/community/fhsuweb122114

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December 25, 2014

Review: Sony Digital Paper

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:40 am

By David Nagel, Campus Technology

Sony Digital PaperSony’s Digital Paper is probably unique in the tech universe. It’s a device that comes in a tablet form factor, but it’s decidedly unlike any tablet on the market. Sony digital paper is a purpose-built device for reviewing and annotating PDF documents. It doesn’t run games. It doesn’t run apps. It can’t connect to an online bookstore or even read e-books in common formats like epub. It doesn’t play music. It doesn’t have a mic, camera or speakers.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/12/15/review-sony-digital-paper.aspx

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The 5 Most Popular Educational Apps of 2014

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:35 am

By Graphite – Common Sense Media

These are five top-rated apps from Common Sense Graphite’s “Best Ed Tech of 2014” list. For complete reviews, and for each app’s “Learning Rating,” visit the Graphite website.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/12/17/the-top-5-apps-of-2014.aspx

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Creating the Technology Framework for Personalized Learning

Filed under: Educational Technology — admin @ 12:30 am

By Sonya Wrisley, THE Journal

To realize her vision of learning where students work in “makeries” and “collaboratories,” the principal of a new school needed a BYOD program and an adaptable personalized learning platform. The curriculum at D39C emphasizes self-paced, personalized learning; listening to understand; collaboration; creativity; and critical thinking in all subject areas. Integrating subject areas within projects is a key part of our process, since this approach encourages students to make connections in their learning. To help students discover their particular talents and interests, we dedicate the afternoons to exploring different topics. We then design related projects that will progressively build on students’ fluencies and skills. Each morning at D39C is designated as “integrated learning time,” when students participate in projects or small-group instruction. The afternoon is for “Deep Dives and Explorations,” three-to-12 week projects (depending on the grade) that can include computer coding, stop-motion animation, furniture design, musical theater, engineering, video-making or any activity that grabs a student’s interest.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/12/18/creating-the-technology-framework-for-personalized-learning.aspx

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