Let’s Talk About Your EdTech Career

By Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

The job of a educational technologist, be it a learning designer (you know how people learn and how to collaborate with faculty to create effective learning environments) or educational technologists (you know some about learning and course design, and also spend time running and improving technology platforms and negotiating with vendors), is the best job on campus. Our goal in the edtech profession is to figure out how to bring more resources to teaching and learning. More resources to faculty. More resources to students.

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/lets-talk-about-your-edtech-career

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The coming 20+ year disruption in Higher Education

by Mukond Mohan, Best Engaging Communities

With the advent of MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) I personally believe it is only a matter of time before many of the 4500 colleges shut down. I personally think 50% of colleges in the US will close down in 10+ years. Similar for Indian colleges – over 50% of colleges in India will shut down in 20 years. Most private colleges make money from endowments, grants, and then from tuition – in that order. Most of the moneyed institutions have “rich” students who then become alumni and donate to the college, many of the smaller colleges don’t.

http://bestengagingcommunities.com/2013/11/24/the-coming-20-year-disruption-in-higher-education/

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3 TED Talks For Teachers In Need Of Inspiration

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Sometimes it is important to take the time to examine how we work and how we can do better. Professional development is somewhat about that, but I’m talking more about personal development. We’re all human – we can get stuck in our routines before we know it, and pretty soon those habits are hard to break. The TED talks below are three that we’ve selected because we think they’re important reminders to us as humans. They talk about inspiring, leading, believing, and feeling. They’re applicable to teaching but they’re not always about teaching specifically. They’re about being human, and interacting with other humans, and we think they’ll give you a little inspiration in your life and in your classroom.

http://www.edudemic.com/ted-talks-for-teachers/

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Innovative Grammar Mind Map Is Perfect For Teaching English

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

I tend to be an extremely linear thinker, so I don’t always love mind maps. Even though each branch can be fairly linear, something about the whole branching visualization of it doesn’t usually speak to me. I ran across this one today, and despite its many branches, I really like it. The graphic below breaks down basic English grammar into eight branches, and then breaks down each branch a bit further. Despite my chronic linear thinking issue, I find that it is quite easy to understand. It might be a useful tool for your classroom, or even for yourself!

http://www.edudemic.com/grammar-mind-map/

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Bill Gates-backed history course now free online

by Tim Dodd, Financial Review

The Big History Project, the story of the past on the largest possible canvas, is now available as a free online course. Big History was originally a university course taught at Macquarie University by its inventor, historian David Christian. It spans the history of the universe from the big bang until now, explaining how galaxies, stars and planets came to be, and then how life evolved and eventually led to humanity. It also glimpses into where our future history may be heading. Five years ago, when Bill Gates heard about it, he paid for the development of a big history high- school course, which is now being piloted in schools in Australia and the US. His support has led to this MOOC, which is pitched at a level suitable for junior high school and older.

http://www.afr.com/p/national/education/bill_gates_backed_history_course_nsvX8VLdaka7×8NbKjuSmO

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Kickstarter Project cloudBoard Brings Tactile Learning To The iPad

By Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

If you have an iPad or use one in a classroom, then listen up. There’s a new Kickstarter project that, as of this writing, is still in need of some funding. It’s a fascinating take on the classic video game controller. The new project being called cloudBoard (lower case ‘c’ apparently) lets students create sequences to try and solve problems. They do this by playing adorably educational video games that require critical thinking and careful planning. It’s like learning to play chess but, you know, with iPads and video games. So, win-win.

http://www.edudemic.com/cloudboard-ipad-controller/

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5 Great #EdTech Twitter Chats

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

Twitter chats are probably the aspect of Twitter that I find to be the most interesting and most useful. I follow a lot of different people on Twitter for a lot of different reasons (I can easily find out what’s going on in town, what cool restaurants are opening, if my favorite online shop is having a sale, etc), Twitter chats give you the chance to focus on a specific topic with a like-minded group of people. Especially for professional development, this can be immensely helpful. You can connect with other educators around the globe who are doing what you’re doing. You can learn from their mistakes, share your experiences, get advice, and quite generally, learn from everyone around you. There are about a gazillion educational Twitter chats that happen regularly, but we thought we’d give you some information on a few of the big ones.

http://www.edudemic.com/great-edtech-twitter-chats/

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UWF online students can access robots remotely through Robo Explore Lab

by Rhema Thompson, PNJ

A new initiative is allowing University of West Florida students in Networking and Telecommunications online courses to conduct experiments remotely. UWF’s Robo Explore Lab, launched over the summer as part of the College of Professional Studies Emerge Program, will allow students to apply and test their knowledge online in ways similar to a classroom environment, according to the university. The interactive laboratory was developed by Lakshmi Prayaga, assistant professor in the UWF Department of Applied Science, Technology and Administration, through the physics department. It is among the nation’s first to utilize tele-robotics in an online classroom setting, according to a UWF release.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20131119/NEWS01/131119012/UWF-online-students-can-access-robots-remotely-through-Robo-Explore-Lab?nclick_check=1

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Debunking the Concerns of the Online Learning Experience for Adults

by Digital Journal

A recent Gallup poll discovered that many adults recognize the flexibility of online education, saying it provided a format most students can succeed in and that it provides a variety of choices for highly regarded curriculum. One-third of the more than 1,000 adults surveyed also said the value of tuition they paid is better than traditional classroom-based education, and 34 percent said it is equal to the value of a traditional education. Chancellor Gary Brahm of Brandman University in Irvine, California, part of the Chapman University System, has been at the forefront of providing high quality, cost efficient online education for adults. “Critical for those considering online education options in 2014, one should be thinking outside your geographical box. Whether you live in an area with many colleges or in an area with few or none, the beauty of online education is that the teaching comes to you,” said Brahm.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1596867

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Universities See Promise in ‘Disruptive’ Online Courses

By Jeffrey Sparshott, Wall Street Journal

The head of Maryland’s university system on Wednesday said higher education needs to embrace disruptive technologies such as massive online courses in an effort to serve more students and contain costs. “If at the end of the day this means there aren’t as many universities or some people don’t have jobs, you know, this is not a welfare business,” William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, said at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council annual meeting. “We have the interests of the nation at stake.” Mr. Kirwan said educators have to be “brutally honest” about the need to educate more people at a lower cost in an effort to create a better educated, more socially mobile society. “Higher education has got to be able to find ways of providing lower cost, high-quality education. Add I believe these disruptive technologies hold that promise,” he said.

http://on.wsj.com/1b67tFs

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Online game, learning tool fights world hunger while educating

by Your Houston News

Doing math and helping feed the world are two projects that don’t normally work together but in Courtney Barrington’s third grade class at Cline Elementary, the two worked well together. Barrington introduced a really fun learning website called Free Rice to her third grade students this past week when they started memorization of multiplication facts. The website freerice.com is a site that has many different topics to practice learning for students. For every answer that is right, 10 grains of rice are donated through the World Food Program to help end world hunger. Students find it fun to see the rice accumulate from correct answers.

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/friendswood/living/online-game-learning-tool-fights-world-hunger-while-educating/article_449a5294-f2d4-5243-8bab-5ed16e5aafa2.html

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10 Surprising Social Media Statistics That Will Make You Rethink Your Social Strategy

by BELLE BETH COOPER, Fast Company

If you’re managing social media for your business, it might be useful to know about some of the most surprising social media statistics this year. Here are 10 that might make you rethink the way you’re approaching social media.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3021749/work-smart/10-surprising-social-media-statistics-that-will-make-you-rethink-your-social-stra#!

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14 Web Tools For Teaching Without Student Logins

By talslome, Edudemic

As a result of my occasional frustration with web 2.0 tools that require the creation/ability to remember usernames and passwords, I’ve decided to start building a list of websites which can be used in the classroom without these. It is not that I am against usernames/passwords – they can often be extremely useful for tracking student progress, online safety etc, but here are some links that do not require these for teacher and student use.

http://www.edudemic.com/web-tools-for-teaching-without-student-logins/

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Review of Instructional Design Models Applied to K-12 Learning Environments

by Online Learning Insights

Over the last few months I’ve conducted extensive research into instructional design models used in the process of course design. I’ve researched the history of instructional design [also known as 'instructional systems design'] and its applications from the 1930’s to present. I’m writing, or least attempting to write, a book for educators that describes how to develop effective, relevant courses in our digital age using a dynamic instructional design model. The first chapter covers the history of instructional design with a focus on education learning environments as opposed to business or military settings. And though I’ve found considerable literature about design principles, methods and models applicable to higher education, there is dearth of published writings on instructional design models specific to K-12.

http://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/review-of-instructional-design-models-applied-to-k-12-learning-environments/

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Quick Feedback, Engaged Students

by: Kevin Brown, Magna

We often wonder what we can do to help students engage with the material so they can learn it at a deeper level. Students don’t make that an easy task. They arrive in class having not read the material or having not thought about it in meaningful ways, and that keeps them from being engaged in class. Several years ago, I read George Kuh’s article “What Student Engagement Data Tell Us about College Readiness,” in which he writes, “Students who talk about substantive matters with faculty and peers are challenged to perform at high levels, and receive frequent feedback on their performance typically get better grades, are more satisfied with college, and are more likely to persist” (Peer Review, January 1, 2007, p. 4). Here are three ways I try to provide feedback that engages students and not overwhelm myself with grading tasks in the process.

http://www.magnapubs.com/blog/teaching-and-learning/quick-feedback-engaged-students/

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It’s not about Windows: The repairable PC is dead

by Jason Perlow, ZD Net

This trend in the PC industry towards more appliance-like, non user-servicable devices and systems and away from those that are friendly to the home brewer/PC is analagous to how the automobile industry has also evolved, where component integration has driven down manufacturing costs. This has come at the expense of being able to self-service vehicles as well as no longer being able to repair or recondition many parts, and an increased dependency on dealership and authorized service center expertise. The car has become, in effect, an appliance as well. It’s not just the PC, Apple products are following the same path. As we have learned recently, maxxing out a commodity Mac and using Apple’s latest OS doesn’t necessarily yield optimal results.

http://www.zdnet.com/its-not-about-windows-the-repairable-pc-is-dead-7000023214/

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How To Use Scaffolding For Deeper Understanding

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

But how can you get your students to think as problem solvers? You can break down the learning process for them – scaffolding. If the students can begin to understand (even subconsciously) where their information is coming from and how to attain that information, they’ll become more efficient learners and excellent problem solvers. Mia MacMeekin has created this great infographic on scaffolding for deeper understanding in your classroom. It is broken down into nine simple steps, using ants as an example. Keep reading to learn more.

http://www.edudemic.com/scaffolding-for-deeper-understanding/

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How To Understand Anything Using The Inquiry Process

By Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

Hypothetical situation: you’re a student and your teacher has tasked you with identifying a topic that is important to you, understanding it, interpreting it, and then delivering a report to your classmates. Aside from the nerve-wracking part of talking at the front of the classroom (eep!) there are a lot of things to consider. Check out the fabulous visual below that maps out everything in a flowchart. It’s quite clear and great for someone looking to get the basics of the process plus have something colorful to print out. Who doesn’t love printing stuff out!?!

http://www.edudemic.com/inquiry-process/

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Evaluations of online learning activities based on LMS logs

by David Jones, David T. Jones Blog

Effective record-keeping, and extraction and interpretation of activity logs recorded in learning management systems (LMS), can reveal valuable iriformation to facilitate eLearning design, development and support. In universities with centralized Web-based teaching and learning systems, monitoring the logs can be accomplished because most LMS have inbuilt mechanisms to track and record a certain amount of information about online activities. Starting in 2006, we began to examine the logs of eLearning activities in LMS maintained centrally in our University (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) in order to provide a relatively easy method for the evaluation of the richness of eLearning resources and interactions.

http://davidtjones.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/evaluations-of-online-learning-activities-based-on-lms-logs/

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Traditional Styles of Obtaining Education are Dying – What matters now is Online

by Kerry Watson, Hastac

It’s news that the percentage of internet users is rising with absolute rapidity. Since the year 2000 till now, over 2.6 billion people have been found to be getting solely dependent on computers and mobile devices. In fact, the massive developments in technology have made it clear that books are no more going to be the priority in classrooms. Rather, the brick and mortar institutions are facing threats from online learning providers who have been found to be quite successful in making new age learners complete their curriculums with the help of kindles and even smartphones.

http://www.hastac.org/blogs/kerry-watson/2013/11/15/traditional-styles-obtaining-education-are-dying-%E2%80%93-what-matters-now-on

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Lurking Inside the iPad Is the Future of High-Def Displays

By Mike Orcutt, Technology Review

One of the most important innovations in Apple’s latest iPads lies behind the screen. In many of the tablets, the pixels in the display are controlled by transistors made of a material called indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), a promising replacement for the conventional amorphous silicon. Displays featuring “backplanes” of IGZO transistors should make it possible for tablets and TVs to have much higher-resolution displays while consuming significantly less power. The technology has already cropped up in low volumes of high-end smartphones and televisions, but its appearance in iPads suggests we can expect IGZO to improve several more popular products over the next year.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/521611/lurking-inside-the-ipad-is-the-future-of-high-def-displays/

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Study: Teachers Love EdTech, They Just Don’t Use It

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

I had a teacher recently say to me “It seems like EdTech is taking over”. Mulling that thought over brought to mind a lot of different possible responses. First off: the teacher who said this is older, approaching the end of their career, and not very tech-aware at all. Not just not tech-savvy, but not interested in becoming tech-savvy, either. A bit later in our discussion, this particular person admitted that they thought that technology could help improve students’ learning, but that still didn’t make them interested in it. While I’d probably place this person in the minority of teachers, it got me thinking. Is edtech really taking over? Are the majority of teachers integrating tech, or are there still a lot of ‘old school’ folks out there shunning tech? The visual below takes a look at some teachers’ opinions on edtech, and as the visual might have given away – it isn’t optional, it’s essential! Keep reading to learn more.

http://www.edudemic.com/teachers-edtech-study/

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Can An App Really Improve Learning?

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

We already know that mobile learning is the future, both in and out of the classroom. The number of smartphones being sold is soaring while other hardware (desktops, for example) are slumping. You can’t really beat having information at students’ fingertips whenever they need it. That doesn’t mean, however, that there aren’t skeptics out there. Just as parents and teachers questioned other innovations in education in years past, and the inclusion of other types of technology into educational environments, many are doing so with mobile learning as well. The big question they’re asking: Can mobile apps really improve learning? The handy infographic below takes a look at the role of mobile apps in learning.

http://www.edudemic.com/app-improve-learning/

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A Handy Visual Guide To Twitter Lingo

By Jeff Dunn, Edudemic

Are you tweeting a RLRT that’s NSFW and a MT? Did that sentence look like total nonsense? Do you hate acronyms? Me too! Does it mean you should avoid knowing what people are talking about on Twitter? No. In an effort to get you up to speed on the current language of Twitter, Mashable created this handy visual guide to Twitter lingo. It features just some of the countless acronyms and symbols that every Twitter user should know. From hashtags to mentions, there’s a lot going on with every tweet. It’s actually quite incredible to see how far it’s all come. Just a few years ago (before Twitter), this stuff was only used in email. Even then, not on a regular basis. Now with Twitter, it’s everywhere! Did you know all these symbols and acronyms? Which are new to you? Which are some that are being left out? Add yours (where else?!) by mentioning @edudemic on Twitter and I’ll retweet them!

http://www.edudemic.com/handy-visual-guide-twitter-lingo/

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Windows laptop, MacBook, or Chromebook? Let’s ask Amazon

by Ed Bott, ZD Net

Are you looking for a clamshell-style laptop? The world’s largest online market, Amazon.com, has a huge selection, with cheap Chromebooks at the top of the list. What does that list say about the three very different ecosystems for this familiar form factor? Tablets might be one of the fastest-growing categories in technology, but for sheer numbers conventional PCs still rule, especially those available in the classic clamshell format: Windows laptops, MacBooks, and Chromebooks.

http://www.zdnet.com/windows-laptop-macbook-or-chromebook-lets-ask-amazon-7000023120/

Windows laptop, MacBook, or Chromebook? Let’s ask Amazonby Ed Bott, ZD Net

Are you looking for a clamshell-style laptop? The world’s largest online market, Amazon.com, has a huge selection, with cheap Chromebooks at the top of the list. What does that list say about the three very different ecosystems for this familiar form factor? Tablets might be one of the fastest-growing categories in technology, but for sheer numbers conventional PCs still rule, especially those available in the classic clamshell format: Windows laptops, MacBooks, and Chromebooks.

http://www.zdnet.com/windows-laptop-macbook-or-chromebook-lets-ask-amazon-7000023120/

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Using Blogs to Add Value to the Writing Process

by Sean Dowling, Oxford University Press

There is no doubt that writing to a wider audience motivates the writer and results in work of higher quality being produced. However, it is rare that student writing goes beyond the teacher. It may be opened up for peer review, but this usually involves no more than one or two of the writer’s classmates. One way to create a wider audience is to post student work on blogs. In a previous post, I discussed how the comment area of a class blog post or page could be used by students to post their work. In this post, I will discuss how students can use their individual blogs to publish their work, thereby making it available to a wider audience.

http://oupeltglobalblog.com/2013/11/11/using-blogs-to-add-value-to-the-writing-process/

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Google Glass Release Date: How Are College Students Experimenting With The Wearable Technology?

By Melanie Ehrenkranz, idigitaltimes

“Ok, Glass, go to class.” Google announced in July that five film schools would receive Google Glass eyewear for the fall semester. The selected colleges include American Film Institute, California Institute of the Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California. The participating colleges were granted three pairs of the wearable computing devices and have since taken advantage of the futuristic gadget. Months have passed, and the Google Glass release date looms on the horizon (or perhaps on the San Francisco Bay). How have college students been experimenting with Glass?

http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/20726/20131111/google-glass-release-date-film-school-students.htm

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Sequester severely affecting America’s research capabilities

By Ananth Baliga, UPI

A survey of university leaders has shown that the sequester — mandatory budget cuts which will remain in effect for the next eight years unless Congress acts — will adversely affect the innovation and technology edge the U.S. enjoys. The survey, conducted by the Association of American Universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and The Science Coalition, asked leaders from 171 public and private research universities about the effects of the sequester. The survey suggests cuts to federal research grants and delayed federal projects have already had a negative impact.

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Blog/2013/11/11/Sequester-severely-affecting-Americas-research-capabilities/8271384205494/

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Survey: Nearly half of schools to move to BYOT in near future

by School CIO

A few years ago, the notion of using a smartphone as a legitimate learning tool seemed improbable, if not out-and-out foolish. Students, in most cases were either prohibited from bringing their mobile phones to school, or at the very least told to leave them in their lockers or turned off and stored in their backpacks during school hours. However, according to a recent survey conducted by MDR’s EdNET Insight research services for Mimio, what many students are going to hear is, “Class, turn on your mobile phone; it’s time to learn.” The nine-question survey polled more than 150 educational professionals, including school district technology, instructional media services, and curriculum directors, coordinators and specialists. Respondents were asked the impact that consumer technology devices and bring-your-own-technology (BYOT) initiatives were likely to have on future interactive classroom planning and purchases.

http://www.schoolcio.com/cio-trends-&-resources/0114/survey-nearly-half-of-schools-to-move-to-byot-in-near-future/52928

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Six laws of tech adoption (part 3 of 7)

By Gary Shattuck, CIO Advisor

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In my last blog, I began explaining the first of what I call the Six Laws of Technology Adoption in Education. This first law was the Law of Scarcity. Today’s blog is about the second of these six laws: The Law of Change. In 1970, Alvin Toffler in Future Shock predicted that in the 21st century accelerating change would become endemic. This eerily prophetic prediction is causing and will continue to cause major disruptions in education beyond any of our imaginations. The best we can hope for is to learn to quickly adapt to our fast-changing societal and educational issues. For example, in 2001, Marc Prensky described what he saw as a different type of student emerging in our society: the digital native. As Prensky articulated, these new type of students were born into the digital age and know nothing else but a digital world. In fact, Jane Healy described in Endangered Minds that these digital natives’ brains have been structurally changed by this digital technology. As a result, 90% of today’s students are visual learners. This is an example of the accelerating change that is disrupting education.

http://www.schoolcio.com/Default.aspx?tabid=136&entryid=6667

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Being digitally naked—are we too connected?

By Carl Hooker, CIO Advisor

You ever have that heart-stopping feeling of fright when you leave the house without your phone? What about that feeling of exposure when you are the dentist office and realize you don’t have your favorite tablet to help you pass the time while catching up on episodes of Orange is the New Black? Isn’t it amazing how quickly we’ve become attached to our devices? They’ve become more than an accessory, they’ve become part of our clothes. You wouldn’t leave the house without clothes on would you? In September, I attended the Mobile 2013 Experience in Arizona and was faced with quite a conundrum. My phone was about to die and we were heading into the networking reception part of the event. I didn’t want to carry an iPad or laptop around with me, but didn’t want to be disconnected. It dawned on me the irony that I was about to head into a networking event and felt the need the to carry my phone with me to stay connected. Much like Linus of Peanuts fame, my iPhone is my security blanket. I figured I had two options at that point: either stay in my room and communicate and connect digitally with folks or actually go into the event without my device.

http://www.schoolcio.com/Default.aspx?tabid=136&entryid=6726

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Distance learning expands course offerings in Neb.

by the Associated Press

Live from Beatrice High School, it’s Chinese class. Every school day Caroline Li greets her 16 Chinese language students through a screen on a wall. Through the power of distance learning technology, BHS students have had the chance to take classes that they wouldn’t be typically be offered. Beatrice Public Schools director of curriculum and assistant high school principal Jackie Nielsen said distance learning has been fairly successful since its start about six years ago at the high school and has saved the district money.

http://www.theindependent.com/news/state/distance-learning-expands-course-offerings-in-neb/article_c5b57bef-630a-5b13-a6b4-3ad4bd7b540b.html

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