Believe the hype: e-learning can revolutionise education in Africa

Natricia Duncan, Guardian

An African permanent secretary once told me that e-learning is the solution for education in Africa. I pointed out that I come from a generation that was schooled without that technology and is extremely well educated. What is vital, I argued, is adequate teacher training. But e-learning is also very important, especially in the internet, technology-driven world we live in. For Africa it can be a valuable tool in improving access to education. For example, to produce textbooks and distribute them across schools is hugely expensive and very difficult. Whereas online access to information such as teaching resources and lesson plans, which can be used to build a curriculum, is cheap and easy once the technology and infrastructure is in place and the teacher is trained to use it.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/may/26/elearning-africa-education-conference

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/AGk0ryq_0MA/

Colleges Now Recognize Robotics as Activity for Entrance Credit

by Utah Pulse

Beginning in August 2015, students applying to colleges through the Common Application, a standard entrance application being used by many universities, will be able to select robotics as an activity category that will now receive entrance evaluation credit for their participation in a recognized extracurricular learning activity.

http://utahpulse.com/index.php/features/technology/942-colleges-now-recognize-robotics-as-activity-for-entrance-credit

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/yjI7atmje2M/

The NYTimes Innovation Report and Higher Ed

By Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

Perhaps the most important document that we should read and discuss on campus says nothing at all about higher ed. It is the leaked 96 page New York Times Innovation report, called Strengthening Our Newsroom: Digital First, written by 10 Times employees. The authors of the report argue that the Times is failing in its mission to serve its readers because it has not embraced the potential of digital platforms. That the print first culture and organizational structure at the Times has resulted in digital journalism being a “bolt on” to a paper driven organizational structure. That the world’s best journalism is only one part of the equation, as journalism that does not reach a critical mass of citizens due to a failure to embrace digital platforms and to practice best digital practices will ultimately have little positive social impact.

http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/nytimes-innovation-report-and-higher-ed#sthash.aEoLokwf.dpbs

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/SpswXsqig40/

Fascinating Satellite Images of Earth’s Ever-Changing Landscape

The Landsat mission has been monitoring Earth from orbit for more than 40 years. It is by far the longest continuous record of the surface of the planet, and certainly one of the most valuable data sets in existence.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3b055792/sc/46/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A50Clandsat0E80Eanniversary0Eearth0Echange0C/story01.htm

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Tablet Competition Heats Up: Samsung, Apple Vie for Top Spot

By David Nagel, THE Journal

Apple and Samsung accounted for a full 71 percent of tablets shipped in the first quarter of 2014. Apple remained in the top spot for the quarter, though Android as a whole accounted for slightly more than half of all new tablets shipped through March, according to early results released by market research firm ABI Research. Of the top 3 vendors, only No. 2 Samsung showed positive growth in the quarter, which is typically the softest quarter for tablet sales. Samsung shipped 13 million units, up 10.8 percent from the same quarter in 2013.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/05/21/tablet-competition-heats-up-samsung-apple-vie-for-top-spot.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/hb35noUZ1b4/

Shifting Federal Priorities Mean More Funding for Ed Tech

By Geoffrey H. Fletcher, THE Journal

“Technology has changed; the needs of schools have changed; the E-rate program must reflect this change.” So said Tom Wheeler, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in a talk to a group assembled by the Council of Chief State School Officers in mid-March. His talk was but the latest in a flurry of activity around the E-rate in particular and the federal role in educational technology in general.The positive flurry began in June 2013. In a speech at Mooresville Middle School (NC), President Obama announced his ConnectED initiative and directed the FCC “to begin a process that will connect 99 percent of America’s students to high-speed broadband Internet within five years.”

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/05/22/shifting-federal-priorities-mean-more-funding-for-ed-tech.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/uoawc8SkaBg/

6 Shifts in Education Driven by Technology

By David Nagel, THE Journal

Six critical shifts are happening in education right now that are being driven, at least in part, by technology. According to preliminary findings from an upcoming report, these changes affect everything from the role of the teacher to a rethinking of how schools themselves work. The findings are part of a preliminary report introduced this week by the New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking. Each year, NMC releases an annual Horizon Report, detailing new and impending developments affecting K-12 education in the United States — including emerging trends, technology drivers and barriers to adoption. The findings are the result of research in coordination with an expert panel of Horizon Project participants, ranging from representatives of individual schools to the World Bank.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/05/21/6-shifts-in-education-driven-by-technology.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/Bhy_kQaz-nE/

Here’s Why an Obama Plan to Regulate Carbon Could Work

On Monday, the United States government will begin the single most important step it's ever taken to fight climate change: limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the country's largest climate polluter. Some fear the regulations will be catastrophic, a heavy-handed big-government overreach that will drive up the price of energy. Yet energy policy experts say those misgivings are unfounded. Indeed, there's good reason to think regulations will succeed.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3afbff7c/sc/1/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A50Cepa0Egreenhouse0Egas0Eplan0C/story01.htm

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Absurd Creature of the Week: The Parasitic Worm That Turns Crickets Into Suicidal Maniacs

The some 350 known species of horsehair worms invade insects. After developing for several months, the worms mind-control their hosts to make a kamikaze dive into water, and then escape through holes bored in the insect's exoskeleton. The parasites end up in a tangled knot that can be as heavy as the tattered---and oftentimes very much alive---host they leave behind.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3afbff7f/sc/10/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A50Cabsurd0Ecreature0Ehorsehair0Eworm0C/story01.htm

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New STEM app seeks to combat ‘summer learning loss’

By Michael Sharnoff, eSchool News

A new app aims to counter the ‘summer learning loss’ by piquing student interest in science and math and helping inform parents about STEM education. STEM-app-summer-lossNext month, students across the United States will toss aside their books for relaxation and outdoor summer activities. However, many parents and educators are concerned that summer vacation spent away from dedicated learning leads to learning loss known as the “summer slide.” The Wheelock College Aspire Institute may have found a unique solution. The STEM Activity App, a new free web app specifically designed to engage families with elementary-age students in STEM activities, provides engaging experiments for parents and children to learn more about science, tech, engineer and math.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/05/22/stem-app-summer-learning-234/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/0ROsTiRNTfw/

30 apps for educators and students

By Laura Devaney, Managing Editor, eSchool News

By now, apps have cemented their place as valuable resources for students, teachers, and administrators. But these apps go deeper, helping educators transform teaching and learning while promoting essential skills such as critical thinking and collaboration. “There’s no one app that’s better than all the others,” said Michelle Luhtala, head librarian at New Canaan High School in Connecticut, while presenting a list of 50 apps that educators and students might find useful. Luhtala featured apps that have been crowsourced by a handful of her colleagues and students. The apps promote and target 21st-century skills such as collaboration and creativity.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/05/22/30-apps-educators-634/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/uSgSoCYFkxY/

8 ways to jump into eBooks

By Laura Devaney, eSchool News

As districts increasingly move to digital content, many school leaders are chucking printed textbooks in favor of the more interactive content that eBooks and digital texts can offer. Ann Fondren, retired district library coordinator for Spotsylvania County Schools (Va.), outlined a number of key considerations district library media specialists and administrators must keep in mind as they move to eBooks during “Take the Plunge with eBooks,” an edWeb webinar.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/05/26/8-ways-ebooks-784/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/aP782eIjbNk/

SpaceX Unveils New Space Taxi for Astronauts

[HTML1] SpaceX will unveil the Dragon V2, its new spaceship that will be able to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, tonight at 7 p.m. Pacific. Watch Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla, reveal the new ship at the company’s California headquarters on the livestream above. The Dragon V2 […]

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3af7db0f/sc/32/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A50Cspacex0Edragon0Ev20Espace0Etaxi0Eunveiled0C/story01.htm

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Science Graphic of the Week: Incredible 3-D Map Shows 300,000 Molecules in a Single Synapse

Synapses are the key to communication inside the brain. These are the microscopic gaps where signals jump from one neuron to another. Your brain has trillions of them. Now, scientists have created a 3-D portrait of a single synapse in unprecedented molecular detail.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3af59baf/sc/38/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A50Csynapse0Eportrait0C/story01.htm

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Physicists Prove Surprising Rule of Threes

More than 40 years after a Soviet nuclear physicist proposed an outlandish theory that trios of particles can arrange themselves in an infinite nesting-doll configuration, experimentalists have reported strong evidence that this bizarre state of matter is real. Original story reprinted with permission from Quanta Magazine, an editorially independent division of SimonsFoundation.org whose mission is […]

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3af51bbb/sc/38/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A50Cphysicists0Erule0Eof0Ethrees0Eefimov0Etrimers0C/story01.htm

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Twilight school helps boost Savannah-Chatham graduation rates

By Jenel Few, Savannah Now

There are several members of the public school system’s Class of 2014 who have extra reason to celebrate. Aaliyah Davis is one of many students who would not be graduating if not for the Savannah-Chatham school system’s Twilight School. Because she repeated eighth grade, Davis thought she was destined to trail behind students her age. But Twilight School’s online classes enabled her to complete four years of high school coursework in three years and graduate on time with the class of 2014. “I changed middle schools twice, failed the math section of the CRCT and I had to repeat the eighth grade,” Davis said. “When I finally got to Johnson High, I was self-conscious about being older than everyone else.”

http://savannahnow.com/news/2014-05-24/twilight-school-helps-boost-savannah-chatham-graduation-rates

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/H7STDz_TQiU/

Ease of online education allows many to get degrees

by PETER CAMERON, Citizen’s Voice

When Maj. Chris Costello of the Pennsylvania National Guard received his fourth overseas deployment in a decade, this time to Kuwait in 2012, he decided to go back to school — in the Arabian Desert. Along with 20 other soldiers at Camp Buehring, about 10 miles south of the Iraqi border, Costello enrolled in an online MBA course through Marywood University, more than 6,000 miles away. Camels would roam the outskirts of the base. Most of the servicemen and -women lived in tents. And sandstorms sometimes knocked out the basewide Wi-Fi and sent some of the soldier-students scrambling through the stinging wind for a better connection in the recreation hall. As an officer, Costello had the benefit of living in an air-conditioned apartment on the base with his own Internet connection.

http://citizensvoice.com/news/ease-of-online-education-allows-many-to-get-degrees-1.1687840

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/EgaCXeXwggg/

Experts: Evolution of higher education inevitable

by Debra Erdley, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Buffeted by increasing costs, shrinking public subsidies, soaring student debt and growing public skepticism, American colleges are approaching a tipping point. More than 4,000 colleges and universities are scattered across the country, and experts agree that — with the exception of elite, well-endowed research universities — few will remain unchanged in 30 years. Some will close, others might merge, and leaner models likely will emerge to meet public demand. “I think all change is incremental, but what’s different about the period we’re in is there are so many forces out there that the cumulative effect of those forces will produce big changes,” said Patrick Callan, president of the Higher Education Policy Institute. Donald Heller, dean of the College of Education at Michigan State University, said colleges and universities will emphasize more online offerings as they reshape to survive.

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6035965-74/online-governors-percent#axzz32kvaS78T

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/qkRuQfDi4QE/

Here’s How People 100 Years Ago Thought We’d Be Living Today

In 100 years, there will be flying taxis and people will routinely travel to the moon. Knowledge will be instilled into school children by wires attached to their heads. These may sound like the predictions of modern-day futurists, but they're actually how people a century ago saw the future--otherwise known to you and me as the present. This selection of postcards from the collection of Xbox co-founder Ed Fries illustrates a view of the 21st century that is remarkably prescient in some ways and hilariously wrong in others.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3ae7cd38/sc/10/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A50Cvictorian0Epostcards0Epredict0Efuture0C/story01.htm

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