5 Powerful Assistive Technologies Being Used In Classrooms

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

There are a ton of amazing technologies out there that help students who are hearing, visually, or physically impaired. Unfortunately, many of these technologies come with a huge price tag – that schools or districts may not always be able to afford. Luckily, the more widespread (education and non-education alike) market has seen the development of many new technologies that can be used as assistive technologies in your classroom, and many of them are low-cost or even free. Many of them can even be used in online as well as traditional classrooms. We’ve put together a list of a few of our favorites for you to check out!

http://www.edudemic.com/assistive-technologies/

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The Internet Access Gap in Education Infographic

by Elearning Info Graphics

As technology becomes increasingly advanced and prevalent in today’s society, access to these resources is becoming essential to learning. As digital technologies are becoming essential to the classroom, a gap in access to the Internet is forming between high-income and low-income students and school districts. These disparities, starting in middle and high school, may lead to students being poorly prepared for higher education and beyond. The Internet Access Gap in Education Infographic cites research reports of the impact the lack of Internet access is having on the education of low-income students.

http://elearninginfographics.com/the-internet-access-gap-in-education-infographic/

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Millennials View Education as Least Satisfying Segment for Empowerment, Workplace Collaboration

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

For young people seeking innovation in the organizations where they work, education as a sector may not be the most conducive environment. “Millennials,” who make up a quarter of the current workforce, consider educational institutions the least innovative, at least when compared to retail, technology, healthcare and advertising, marketing and PR. This segment of the population, also known as Generation Y, were born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, putting them somewhere in their early 30s and younger. Nearly half of this group — 46 percent — indicated that the school districts, colleges, and universities where they’re employed have outdated collaboration practices. More than half said they believe their employers make it tough for ideas to be shared or taken to the next level. Sixty-one percent disagree or strongly disagree that their organizations have a “simple process” for converting good ideas from brainstorming sessions into a “productive outcome.”

http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/12/10/millennials-view-education-as-least-satisfying-segment-for-empowerment-workplace-collaboration.aspx

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What Is Social Learning (And Does It Work)?

By Jessica Leach, Edudemic

Distance learning, e-learning, mobile learning, blended learning. There are a slew of educational learning trends that have been happening for years now. And now, we’re adding social learning to the mix. The something-learning trend is continuing to move forward, this time putting popular social media to use. Social learning employs things like gamification, peer feedback and review, ranking, and awards to engage students in the material and learning process. The handy infographic below takes a look at the growing number of internet users worldwide, the proliferation of smartphone usage, and how leveraging these tools can benefit both students and teachers.

http://www.edudemic.com/social-learning/

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5 Powerful Assistive Technologies Being Used In Classrooms

By Katie Lepi, Edudemic

One of the amazing things about technology is that it can do some of the work to bridge the gap between students. There are a ton of amazing technologies out there that help students who are hearing, visually, or physically impaired. Unfortunately, many of these technologies come with a huge price tag – that schools or districts may not always be able to afford. Luckily, the more widespread (education and non-education alike) market has seen the development of many new technologies that can be used as assistive technologies in your classroom, and many of them are low-cost or even free. Many of them can even be used in online as well as traditional classrooms. We’ve put together a list of a few of our favorites for you to check out!

http://www.edudemic.com/assistive-technologies/

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IBM predicts: Goodbye password, hello digital guardian

by GMA News

By 2018, people could be bidding goodbye to passwords as they will have so-called digital guardians protecting their identities online. The concept of a digital assistant is one of the innovations that IBM predicts will potentially change people’s lives in the next five years. “In five years, each of us could be protected with our own digital guardian that will become trained to focus on the people and items it is entrusted with, offering a new level of identity theft protection. Security will assimilate contextual, situational and historical data to verify a person’s identity on different devices,” it said. A digital guardian can also be trained to tell the difference between “normal or reasonable activity” and advise the owner if it senses something unusual.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/340769/scitech/technology/ibm-predicts-goodbye-password-hello-digital-guardian

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These tech trends will rule your life in 2014, says IEEE

By David Weldon, Fierce CIO

“Online courses demand seamless, ubiquitous approach,” IEEE says. Today, students throughout the world can sign up for online classes to study virtually anything, and everything. This is fueling growing interest in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). In turn, there will be a corresponding need for technology to support these new learning systems and styles. “Platforms such as Coursera, with more than 3 million users and 107 partners; and edX, a partnership between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University with 1.7 million users; are hosting classes with thousands of online enrollees each,” the association writes.

http://www.fiercecio.com/story/these-tech-trends-will-rule-your-life-2014-says-ieee/2013-12-20

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Innovative online school designed for students who are parents, too

by Linda Borg, Providence Journal

Imagine a high school where students attend class two days a week and work online the rest, where teachers are available by email and students get help with housing, public assistance and anything else they need. The Sheila C. “Skip” Nowell Leadership Academy, one of two new online charter schools in Providence, is designed to make it easier for young parents to complete high school. The school provides daycare on site, along with a full-time nurse and guidance counselor. A private agency provides psychological services. If a student has a need, the academy will handle it. Students spend two days a week on campus, studying in a classroom with their teachers. Two days a week, they work online, using a virtual curriculum that measures their progress, tests them regularly and allows teachers to monitor and comment on their work.

http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20131220-innovative-online-school-designed-for-students-who-are-parents-too.ece

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University CIOs Share the Biggest Challenges That Lie Ahead for Their Schools

by Molly Greenberg, BH Courier

Whether it’s budget cuts making research funding all the more difficult or new technology wreaking havoc on the traditional brick-and-mortar education world that has remained untouched for years on end, universities across the U.S. are facing a whole slew of challenges these days. Rather than make assumptions about what’s happening on school grounds, though, Education Dive took it upon themselves to spend a couple of months interviewing higher ed CIOS. They set out to gain a better understanding about what the biggest issues on campus are and will be over the duration of the next decade.

http://bhcourier.com/budget-reductions-spells-end-of-beloved-nj-place-educational-program/2013/12/20

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Top 100 Tools for Learning in 2014

By Katie Hurst, Business to Community

We are big fans of online tools here at OpenSesame. Websites and apps help us connect with others, keep up with current events, learn new skills, as well as can inspire us to think big. Online tools enable and empower us in ways never imagined, and thousands are being created every day. Last year we covered the top 100 tools for learning in 2013 to help you achieve your goals. This year, we’ve expanded on that list to include 100 new tools that have made us more effective, made a splash or made us think. As there are few repeats, we encourage you to take advantage of ALL the tools we’ve mentioned in your personal and professional pursuits for 2014.

http://www.business2community.com/human-resources/top-100-tools-learning-2014-0719766

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The Global Race for Online Learning: How Does America Compare?

by Matthew Lynch, Huffington Post

It seems that the tip of the iceberg has not even been chipped when it comes to online K-12 learning in the U.S. But how do we measure up to other countries? The short answer is that the U.S. is the leader in online learning due in part to our widespread access to broadband Internet and how common it is in households and schools. Other nations are racing to catch up, though.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynch-edd/the-global-race-for-onlin_b_4467118.html

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Blended school program working at Haverford

By LOIS PUGLIONESI, Daily Times

A blended school program is performing well and saving money, according to a recent presentation to the school board by Coordinator of Secondary Special Programs David Parker and special education instructor Nicole Battestelli. Parker noted that while blended school students take some or all of their courses online, they retain access to district resources associated with learning and emotional support, athletics/sports programs and other activities. They’re also eligible to earn a Haverford High School diploma, Parker said.Of the 16 students currently enrolled, nine are special ed and seven are regular ed. Additionally, 22 students participated in some level of blended programming. Battestelli said the program is useful to students taking recovery credit or accelerating.

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20131217/blended-school-program-working-at-haverford

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William Mitchell law school first to offer ABA-approved online degrees

by: MAURA LERNER, Star Tribune

Students will spend only a week or two on campus each semester, and take the rest of their classes online. It’s the first such program at a fully accredited law school. And depending on whom you ask, it’s a risky, or a long overdue, venture that could shake up the tradition-bound halls of legal education. “It moves them slightly forward into the 21st century,” said Robert Oliphant, a professor emeritus at William Mitchell who supports online teaching. “Law schools are about the last institutions in the world to try to change. They’re just very stuck in the mud.” The ABA, which accredits 203 law schools nationwide, has imposed strict limits on online classes for the past decade. But this month, for the first time, it approved a pilot project at William Mitchell that will permit students to complete up to half their coursework online.

http://www.startribune.com/local/236314681.html

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Virtual meetings and online learning praised by experts

by UK Virtual College

Video conferences and online lectures are effective means of employee training and development, audience members at the Associations Congress in London have been informed. According to experts speaking at the event, digital tools like webinars and live streaming offer workers a convenient way of accessing the information they need to thrive in their role. Wendy Holloway, operations manager for the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said the video content launched by her organisation has had a number of benefits for members. While 80 per cent of her trainees identified the technology as main resource they want to use when they sign up, “we have found over the last two or three years that web lectures and online learning has become the second most important membership delivery,” she explained. This is likely to be because e-learning is a much more engaging way to train, and offers both employers and staff the flexibility to manage and study at their own pace.

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/Virtual-meetings-and-online-learning-praised-by-experts-newsitems-801672894.aspx

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What Role Is Google Playing In Education?

By Eugene Rudenko, Edudemic

It’s not a secret that Google is omnipresent in the modern world. So Google’s attempts to penetrate into the sphere of education come as no surprise. About a year ago the company calmly expanded its presence in the sphere and today it increases its share at the educational goods market. Thanks to the Google Apps for Education program, which has been offered to schools for free and introduced by a number of them, Google make it clear that the company is interested in this sphere. But up to this moment the use of the program has been limited by cloud services. So with the release of Google Play for Education the intentions of the company have become crystal clear, as the company has presented a service which will combine their best software and hardware and their app market .

http://www.edudemic.com/google-in-education/

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What Is Social Learning (And Does It Work)

By Jessica Leach, Edudemic

Distance learning, e-learning, mobile learning, blended learning. There are a slew of educational learning trends that have been happening for years now. And now, we’re adding social learning to the mix. The something-learning trend is continuing to move forward, this time putting popular social media to use. Social learning employs things like gamification, peer feedback and review, ranking, and awards to engage students in the material and learning process. The handy infographic below takes a look at the growing number of internet users worldwide, the proliferation of smartphone usage, and how leveraging these tools can benefit both students and teachers.

http://www.edudemic.com/social-learning/

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GIBBON: PEER-TO-PEER ONLINE LEARNING

by Will Hagle, All My Faves

Gibbon is an online education platform that allows users to teach and learn from others about anything.Gibbon is an online education platform that allows users to teach and learn from others about anything. Gibbon is a peer-to-peer learning network that connects users that want to teach each other and learn about anything. The website was built upon the motto that “almost all knowledge is already available on the web, all you need is someone to guide you to it.” Gibbon makes it easy for users to guide each other to that knowledge and content. The site offers online learning with a different approach than most websites, which usually offer courses that mimic the lesson and test plans of college courses. Instead, Gibbon offers “Learning Flows,” which are like playlists of articles and other content created by experts of a certain subject. These learning flows are updated often, and they create a space for experts to post all of the articles, links, videos and books that helped them accomplish whatever goal it is other users are attempting to learn. The learning flows also display the other students in the various classes, making it easier to connect with other users.

http://www.allmyfaves.com/blog/education/gibbon-peer-to-peer-online-learning/

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Grab Your Free ThingLink EDU Upgrade

by Susan Oxnevad, Cool Tools

It’s no secret that ThingLink EDU is one of my favorite and most frequently used tools. I love ThingLink because it provides users with the ability to turn any image into a multimedia rich interactive graphic. Add video, images, audio, and links to any content on the web with the click of a button. Pack a lot of content into a small space and embed it into a variety of online learning platforms for easy access, 24/7. ThingLink is a user friendly and flexible tool that’s just gotten better for educators!

http://d97cooltools.blogspot.com/2013/12/grab-your-free-thinglink-edu-upgrade.html

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Why Does Google Need So Many Robots? To Jump From The Web To The Real World

by John Biggs, Tech Crunch

Robots, then will be the driver for a number of impressive feats in the next few decades including space exploration, improved mapping techniques, and massive changes in the manufacturing workspace. Robots like Baxter will replace millions of expensive humans – a move that I suspect will instigate a problematic rise of unemployment in the manufacturing sector – and companies like manufacturing giant Foxconn are investing in robotics at a clip. Drones, whether human-control or autonomous, are a true extension of our senses, placing us and keeping us apprised of situations far from home base. Home helpers will soon lift us out of bed when we’re sick, help us clean, and assist us near the end of our lives. Smaller hardware projects will help us lose weight and patrol our streets. The tech company not invested in robotics today will find itself far behind the curve in the coming decade. That’s why Google needs robots.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/14/why-does-google-need-so-many-robots-to-jump-from-the-web-to-the-read-world/

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Student access to digital options is still determined by zip code

BY: Amy Murin, Keeping Pace

There is one common theme to each Keeping Pace report in recent years: K-12 student access to digital options is still dependent on zip code for students in most states. While the broad and deep amount of activity in a state like Florida gets a lot of attention from the media, there are many more states where access is spotty. The Single-District section of Keeping Pace 2012 (pp. 20-21) looked at four different surveys / reports from 2010-2012. The National Center for Education Statistics released the first report in late 2011, the California eLearning Census reports from 2011 and 2012 , a survey from the Southern Regional Education Board, and a survey of blended learning activity in rural Colorado facilitated by our team here at Evergreen (link). All three made similar discoveries:

http://kpk12.com/blog/2013/12/student-access-to-digital-options-is-still-determined-by-zip-code/

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Increasing accessibility to computer science education across the U.S.

by the National Science Foundation

Jan Cuny, NSF program manager for computer education and broadening participation says “The challenges of underproduction of degrees, lack of a presence in K-12, and underrepresentation for computer science are significant and interrelated. The computing community has an unprecedented opportunity to affect K-12 education with its enthusiasm and experience, together with its best ideas on curriculum, pedagogy, and ways to engage a broader, more diverse group of students.” Central to NSF’s efforts is the CS 10K Project, which focuses on making computer science accessible in high schools. CS 10K is a nationwide effort to get engaging, rigorous academic computer science courses into 10,000 schools taught by 10,000 well-prepared teachers. The project pays careful attention to the inclusion of women and minorities–groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in computing.

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=129882&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click

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5 Great Live Blogging Tips For Teachers

By Jennifer Carey, Edudemic

Live Blogging is a popular medium to convey information as it is announced. Unless you’ve been privileged enough to get an invitation to the latest Apple or Google Event, then you have likely seen the release of information via Twitter or other live blog platforms. Live Blogs include not only writing, but images, video, links, and more. In essence, they are multimedia publications. Most conferences have access to wireless, and their inherent nature and culture – engaging, interactive, and open – lend to a live blog platform.

http://www.edudemic.com/live-blogging-tips-for-teachers/

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Find Your Perfect Tablet With This Flowchart

By Jeff Dunn, edudemic

If you’re looking to embrace education technology, you’re likely considering an Apple iPad, an Android tablet, or perhaps a few other options. There’s the built-for-education but getting-mixed-reviews Amplify tablet and a slew of options to consider. This useful flowchart from Mashable lays out exactly which of the newest tech goodies are right for you. Hunting for the perfect tablet? Use this as a jumping off point as you begin your epic journey.

http://www.edudemic.com/find-perfect-tablet-flowchart/

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The Next Phase Of Online Education: 24/7 Digital Video Channels

by Ariel Schwartz, Fast Co-exist

Want a new skill? Now you can channel flip at any time of day, just like on TV. Walk into CreativeLive’s airy San Francisco studios and you could be forgiven for thinking you’re in just another snazzy software startup office. That is, until you open one of the closed doors and notice the cameras, producers, presenters, and live studio audience. Co-founded by photographer Chase Jarvis in 2010, CreativeLive offers free, live online workshops taught by experts. You won’t learn how to code in CreativeLive classes (online education startups like Udacity and EdX can help with that), but you could learn about photography, design, the music business, e-mail marketing, and other hands-on topics. Think of it more as a replacement for enrichment classes at a community college than high-level classes at a university.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3023392/the-next-phase-of-online-education-24-7-digital-video-channels

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The Future of Online Higher Education

by Fred DiUlus, ExpertClick

According to futurist and online education pioneer, Dr. Fred DiUlus PhD, higher education is on an accelerated course headed for revolutionary change. Universities which formally fought against adopting any online protocols are now adopting hybrid programs (online and class based) at a staggering conversion rate. Schools offering online degree programs increased 700% in the past ten years while student enrollment in online degree programs is advancing an average of 12% a year. Thousands of colleges from among the 17,000 accredited universities worldwide are anxious to get onboard and grab their piece of the global education market.

http://www.expertclick.com/NRWire/Releasedetails.aspx?id=50325

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7 Excellent Free Blended Learning Resources – Understanding the Whys and Hows of Mixed Mode Instruction

by K. WALSH, Emerging EdTech

In this article, we offer a curated set of resources that can equip any educator to better understand how Blended Learning (a.k.a. “Hybrid Learning”, “Mix-Mode Instruction”, “Web-enhanced Instruction” and other terms) works and why it is increasingly understood to be an optimal approach to teaching and learning. Additionally, the tools and insights offered in these articles and videos can help the early adopter get up to speed and the experienced educator evolve their approach. Whether you are just beginning to learn about Blended Learning, or already ‘get it’ but want to learn more, you’ve come to the right place.

http://www.emergingedtech.com/2013/12/7-excellent-free-blended-learning-resources-understanding-the-whys-and-hows-of-mixed-mode-instruction/

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Study Measures Benefits of a ‘Flipped’ Pharmacy Course

by Lawrence Biemiller, Chronicle of Higher Ed

A study comparing traditional and “flipped” versions of a pharmacy-school course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that students much preferred the flipped course and got better grades on the final examination. The flipped course replaced in-class lectures with videos that the students watched before they came to class to take part in a series of activities—assessments, presentations, discussions, quizzes, and “microlectures.” The study is to be published in February in Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, but it is available online now (it can be downloaded using the “Article as PDF” tool). It reports on the 2011 and 2012 versions of a first-year course for graduate students, “Basic Pharmaceutics II.”

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/study-measures-benefits-of-a-flipped-pharmacy-course/48749

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How To Handle Broken Links in Online Courses

by eLearning Industry

The availability of excellent, free web-based resources has led millions of instructors to incorporate online content into their online courses. The problem is that these resources are not permanently available. Copyright violations and repository changes often lead to video and other resources links getting broken. What are instructors, faculty and trainers to do?

http://elearningindustry.com/how-to-handle-broken-links-in-online-courses

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PBS LearningMedia Seeks Digital Superstar Teachers

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

PBS LearningMedia is seeking teachers who are using innovative digital media in their classrooms to apply for membership in a corps of digital innovators. Those who make the cut will provide feedback to the organization, which provides a free media-on-demand service to educators nationwide. They’ll also participate in a year of professional development activities, including virtual training and events focused on using digital media and technology. Fifteen recipients will attend an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. in 2014 for a summit at PBS’ headquarters. The 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators Program requires candidates to submit a one- to two-minute video and answer two essay questions describing how they’ve become “digital superstars” within their schools. The online application is available at pbslearningmedia.org.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/12/12/pbs-learningmedia-seeks-digital-superstar-teachers.aspx?admgarea=News1

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U Colorado Boulder Tutorial Uses Video Games To Teach Coding

By Joshua Bolkan, THE Journal

A University of Colorado Boulder team has launched a tutorial to help students, teachers and others create a 3D video game in an effort to generate interest in computer programming. The “game-building program allows people with zero experience coding to design their own 3-D worlds by ‘inflating’ hand-drawn 2-D icons and then programming those objects to interact in defined ways,” according to a CU Boulder news release. “Programming should be easy and exciting,” said Alexander Repenning, CU Boulder computer science professor and lead on the project, in a prepared statement. “But that’s not where we are. The perception of the public is that it’s hard and boring. Our goal is to expose a much larger as well as broader audience to programming by reinventing computer science education in public schools.”

http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/12/11/u-colorado-boulder-tutorial-uses-video-games-to-teach-coding.aspx?admgarea=News1

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Chicago Public Schools Makes Computer Science Core Subject

By Leila Meyer, THE Journal

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett have launched plans to elevate computer science to a core subject in the district. According to information from the mayor’s office, every CPS high school will begin offering a foundational course called “Exploring Computer Science” within the next three years. Exploring Computer Science was originally developed for the Los Angeles Unified School District through a K-12/university partnership and has been available through CPS’s Career and Technical Education program since 2010. In the next five years, the initiative will also introduce an Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science course to at least half of all CPS high schools and offer K-8 computer science courses at one quarter of CPS elementary schools. The district also plans to allow computer science to count as a graduation requirement within five years.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2013/12/11/chicago-public-schools-makes-computer-science-core-subject.aspx

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Why design matters in digital higher education

by Keith Hampson, Management and Strategy in Digital Higher Ed

Design is having its moment. Apple’s Jonathan Ive, Philippe Starck and Michael Graves are among a growing number of designers enjoying rock-star status. Businessweek, Fast Company and other pubs now dedicate entire issues to design. Enrollment in college design programs has spiked. But what role does – or should – design play in education, specifically digital higher education? A lot, it turns out. As we move from the classroom to the screen, design matters more than ever. The qualities that create great design are also the qualities needed to create great online learning experiences. The relationship of design and higher education is the theme of a series of posts we’re kicking off. This first post highlights what great design and great educational experiences have in common. The parallels are many.

http://higheredmanagement.net/2013/12/11/why-design-matters-in-digital-higher-education/

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