Educational Technology

BY DENNIS PIERCE, eSchool News

Technology has begun to transform how K-12 leaders track and manage student behavior, giving administrators real-time access to discipline information in the palm of their hand. But too often, the emphasis is on the negative behaviors students exhibit, such as being rude or late to class. Cedar Creek Middle School in Texas is flipping that idea on its head, using a student behavior management platform called Hero to track positive as well as negative behaviors in real time—and school leaders are noticing a significant change in student conduct, and overall school culture, as a result.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/06/09/positive-school-culture/

By Colleen Collins, EdSurge

Count Connie Scalzetti, a middle-school teacher at CICS West Belden in Chicago, among the believers. As she puts it, competency-based learning “gives students the chance. Equity isn’t everyone getting the same thing. It’s everyone getting what they need. Allowing students to move on when they’re ready—or revisit something when they need support—is giving everyone a fair chance at being successful.” At CICS West Belden, part of the Distinctive Schools network, we have been on a journey implementing personalized learning that takes a competency based approach. In this model, students learn at their level and move on to concepts when they have demonstrated mastery. This differs from traditional classrooms where the pacing is driven by the teacher and a new lesson is taught whether or not the student truly grasped the concept.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-06-09-distinctly-equitable-how-this-chicago-school-makes-competency-based-learning-work

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

*The Tech Edvocate is pleased to produce its “Best of the Best” resource lists. These lists provide our readers with rankings for edtech-related blogs, twitter accounts, influencers, products, etc. These lists are meant to be fluid, and for that reason, they are regularly updated to provide up to the moment information. Let’s face it. Edtech is here to stay. If you work in the field of education you need to keep abreast of the latest developments in edtech. We decided to help you out by creating a list of 88 amazing edtech tools, apps, and websites. Here they are, in no particular order.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/tech-edvocates-list-88-amazing-edtech-tools-apps-websites/

By Marian Accardi, Decatur Daily

The Athens school board Thursday night approved agreements with four school systems to provide them online and blended online/traditional education services for the 2017-18 school year. The school systems are Elmore County, Linden City, Marengo County and Elba City. The agreements give the school districts two options. Students can participate in the Athens Renaissance School’s virtual education program as guest enrollees, Holladay said, and “those school systems would pay Athens City Schools for the online or blended courses.” Or “students can enroll with Athens City Schools as full-time students, and we would pay the school district a percentage of the funding that we receive through the state’s foundation program.”

http://www.decaturdaily.com/news/limestone_county/athens-to-offer-courses-to-other-school-systems/article_c751027c-5a92-5a1b-ab5e-e71e598c7a99.html

by Business Wire

An online public high school for under-credited students, NVPA is designed to help students under the age of 21 who haven’t finished their high school education get back on track and earn a diploma. NVPA combines online coursework with classroom work taught by certified teachers to provide a unique individualized learning experience for each student. Flexible hours mean that school can be adapted to the student’s schedule, situation and life, allowing greater opportunities for the future. NVDCA is a career and technical education (CTE)-focused online public charter school program authorized by the White Pine School District for college- and technical career-minded high school students.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170609005580/en/Online-Public-Schools-Nevada-Celebrate-Graduating-Classes

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

L. Robert Furman urges educators to break the cycle of wash, dry, rinse, repeat. In other words, get out of the rut of the habitual ways of doing things and try something different. Furman is principal at South Park Elementary Center in South Park, PA, 12 miles outside of downtown Pittsburgh. He’s also an ISTE author, a regular public speaker and presenter, and a champion of tech-infused education for the 21st century.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/06/09/principal-robert-furman-urges-teachers-to-break-old-habits-and-go-digital.aspx

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

A Microsoft project will teach blind students from seven to 11 years-old how to program and apply design thinking to projects. “Project Torino,” as it’s called, uses a “physical programming language,” pods that are connected by the students to build programs. Learners string the pods together to create code that plays music, stories and poetry. The idea is to allow kids with visual impairment to participate in coding exercises in their classes right alongside seeing students — or to allow all students to learn the basics of coding in a tactile way.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/06/01/microsoft-project-develops-physical-programming-language-for-blind-students.aspx

BY TANIA BARDYN, eCampus News

University of Washington brings data to life in new “Idea Incubator” space with an interactive video wall for health sciences researchers. Our mission at the Health Sciences Library at the University of Washington is to advance the healthcare fields through scholarship, research, education and access to health information resources. We support not just university faculty, health researchers and students, but also a variety of other professionals and researchers in the Puget Sound and state of Washington. With that in mind, when the university library decided to add a new space on campus to enhance research data analysis and allow multidisciplinary collaboration, we didn’t want just another conference room; we wanted to give researchers something they couldn’t get elsewhere on campus.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/featured/featured-on-ecampus-news/university-of-washington-lab/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

Organizations today — whether colleges and universities or third-party providers — are investing considerable funds and effort in building technology platforms, content, features that make the content discoverable and usable, and an interface that allows users to navigate the resource. Creating and maintaining an accessible digital resource is no simple feat. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA standards require providers to support visual, auditory, and manual accessibility. To create accessible resources requires an understanding of these standards, routine monitoring, testing, evaluation, and most important, building accessibility into the DNA of code development and web design.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/opinion-creating-maintaining-accessible-digital-resources-neither-easy-optional/

by eSchool News

Apple recently held their Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and made a slew of announcements about some of the updates and new products that we can expect in the next year. The company seems to be ratcheting up their focus in the field of AR/VR. A new augmented reality platform, virtual reality development tools, the HomePod speaker, and improvements to iOS 11 on the iPad may not feel revolutionary or even particularly useful right now, but they are the building blocks for the technologies Apple is betting will power our future. Let’s break it down:

https://futurism.com/tim-cook-reveals-apples-10-year-plan-for-future-tech/

by Futurism

IBM announced its Science for Social Good initiative and the 12 projects that will comprise it for 2017. The program uses big data, deep learning, and AI to solve complex social problems. On June 6, IBM launched Science for Social Good, a new program designed to take on some of the world’s weightiest problems using technology and data. The team of researchers, nonprofits, and postdoctoral fellows will be working on 12 projects for the remainder of 2017 alone, each aligning with at least one of the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. These goals describe the most significant threats and inequalities that exist in the world today and sets them forth as problems to be solved by 2030.

https://futurism.com/ibms-newest-program-uses-ai-to-solve-the-biggest-problems-facing-humanity-today/

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvisor

The number of students with special needs is on the rise across the United States, making it increasingly difficult for educators to teach effectively to their entire student body. Did you know that only 62.7% of students with special needs in the US graduate high school? Advances in technology are making it possible for teachers to best assist students with special needs and or limited language skills, to learn alongside the average student. Through the use of computer programs and games and other devices, students with special needs can participate in the same activity as their peers or a slightly altered program based on their specific needs and skill set.

http://www.wthr.com/article/technology-helps-students-with-learning-disabilities-excel-in-the-college-classroom

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

Doug Levin, president of Ed Tech Strategies, a Virginia-based research and counsel consultancy, says that as K–12 schools increase their use and reliance on digital tools and services, the number of cyber incidents has also been on the rise — exponentially so. Since Jan. 1, 2016, 141 U.S. K–12 schools and districts experienced one or more publicly disclosed cyber incidents. Sixty-seven incidents were reported during 2016, and 74 have been reported during the first five months of 2017. If the pace continues at the current rate, that will represent a more than 100 percent increase in 2017, compared to last year. “Incidents and disruptions have been on the rise,” Levin said in an interview. “We have had more incidents in 2017 than all of 2016. We’ve seen more than double the number of incidents in schools.”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/06/08/k12-cyber-incidents-have-been-increasing-in-2017.aspx

by Nidhi Singh, Entrepreneur India

A report says India’s online education market is set to grow to $ 1.96 billion by 2021 from $ 247 million in 2016. EdTech is a sunrise industry now, attracting investments because of its promising potential to change the way students can learn and grow. The Indian education scenario is changing with a number of technology start-ups stepping into the zone to improve the method of learning. Edtech entrepreneurs are leveraging technology to bring in innovations, find solutions and improve the overall quality of education.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/295406

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

There’s no denying that the digital age has transformed education. However, education in this time of technological transformation needs to extend beyond the question of “How can we incorporate technology and digital tools into the classroom?” and into the realm of “How can we better prepare today’s students to be leaders in technology tomorrow?” Successfully preparing students to become future technology leaders requires a good deal more than simply equipping students to go off to college to study engineering, computer science, mathematics, or another technology-related field. It requires fostering curiosity, collaborative skills, and a willingness to try — and fail — in their quest to find new solutions and explore new ideas. Teachers, Ed techs, and other educators can support this effort by inspiring their students in a variety of ways.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/creating-tech-leaders-tomorrow-inspire-students-lead-digital-age/

by GWYN D’MELLO, India Times

Google has launched an educational program designed to teach children on how to be safe online, and also how to be civilised netizens. Called ‘Be Internet Awesome’, it has a classroom course and fun video games to teach safe password habits, raise awareness on scams, and discourage trolling and cyberbullying.

http://www.indiatimes.com/technology/news/google-has-a-course-that-teaches-kids-how-to-deal-with-trolls-and-online-scams-using-games-323342.html

by Heather Ballien, Detroit News

Virtual schools are expected to grow at an annual rate of 12.8 percent during the next four years. Nearly one million students currently participate in some form of online learning, with more than 25 virtual schools providing services in various states across the country. Additionally, five states require students to take at least one online course before graduating. As a virtual school educator, I see firsthand why this 21st century education model is working for students.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2017/06/07/online-schools/102567692/

by EdSurge

What does it take to prepare a district with the proper equipment and training to support online learning? A case study from New America explores how Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) in Virginia built out its technology infrastructure over the course of two decades. The experience “foreshadows what awaits states across the country that are just now connecting schools to sufficient broadband service to support online testing,” states the public policy think tank. According to the report, technology investments focused initially on supporting testing needs, leaving the ACPS educators “largely to its own devices” about how to best help teachers use technology for instruction. Its chief technology officer later restructured the technology department to include more teachers to help make important decisions concerning edtech tools.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-06-06-case-study-lessons-learned-from-how-one-virginia-district-prepared-for-online-learning

BY TARA BEAMS, eSchool News

Administrator discusses how to think about blended learning implementation in stages, refinement and honing. With the goal of making the learning experience more personalized and individual, a growing number of schools have embraced the concept of blended learning. The transition from more traditional pedagogies to one that’s centered on blended learning isn’t easy, but the rewards are certainly many. Here are a few dos and don’ts that we’ve discovered on our own journey down the blended learning path:

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/06/07/dos-donts-blended-learning/

BY LEE RAINIE, JANNA ANDERSON AND JONATHAN ALBRIGHT, Pew Research Center

Many experts fear uncivil and manipulative behaviors on the internet will persist – and may get worse. This will lead to a splintering of social media into AI-patrolled and regulated ‘safe spaces’ separated from free-for-all zones. Some worry this will hurt the open exchange of ideas and compromise privacy

http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/03/29/the-future-of-free-speech-trolls-anonymity-and-fake-news-online/

by Annie Almekinder, et.al., EDUCAUSE Review

Students often attempt to navigate the Internet without being given the space to intentionally think about and understand how the digital world works, how it influences their lives, and how they in turn can influence its direction. Liberal arts colleges emphasize preparing students to be lifelong learners, creative and critical thinkers, and engaged members of whatever communities they enter after college, but how do they prepare their students for the digital world? Following a workshop on liberal arts colleges and digital citizenship, representatives from four higher education institutions share their varied experiences in cultivating digital citizenship awareness and capabilities among their students.

http://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/6/digital-citizenship-liberal-arts-students-empowered-for-life