Sunday, 31 August 2014

How Students Learn From Games

by James M. Lang, Chronicle of Higher Ed


Kurt Squire, director of the Games+Learning+Society Center at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, says “Games are a good model for introducing a topic and raising interest,” he said, “because they situate content for learners so that they understand why it’s relevant.” The games accomplish that by establishing immediate goals that students can attain only by learning and applying course content. We often spend weeks throwing content at our students, and perhaps by the end of the semester we hope to have convinced them that what they have learned is relevant beyond the classroom. In a simulation game, by contrast, you are confronted immediately with the realization that what you are learning will help achieve a goal, one usually based on a real-world scenario.


http://chronicle.com/article/How-Students-Learn-From-Games/148445/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/hfFy2Nmmm4E/

Ohio Schools Invest Millions in Classroom Technology

By Jeremy P. Kelley, McClatchy


Kettering City Schools this year received an $8.3 million grant from the state’s Straight A Innovation Fund. The money will be used to upgrade library media centers this year, give each student access to a Google Chromebook or LearnPad tablet next year, and gradually increase distance-learning options with Sinclair Community College and the University of Dayton. Dru Miller, Kettering’s director of instructional services said when each child has a device to use, a teacher can assign an interactive lesson appropriate to one group of students, while the teacher works with others who need help on another skill. Upgrading the library media centers will mean one set of students could be teleconferencing with a Dayton Metro Library librarian, while another group does online research and others work with the library specialist on-site.


http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/271719691.html


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/Xmi2LQAEvzI/

Virtual Schools Blend Real Experiences with Online Learning

By Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Education


Self-directed learning and learning by experience are where education needs to go, said Sarah Luchs, K-12 program officer for Next Generation Learning Challenges. This type of learning allows students to solve real-world problems and prepares them for life as they master competencies, which include explicit, measurable and transferable learning objectives, according to CompetencyWorks. In the EDUHSD Virtual Academy, students have the flexibility to mix and match online courses with traditional face-to-face classes and internships in fields they’re interested in. They can also take classes at Folsom Lake College and other district high schools.


http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/Virtual-Schools-Blend-Real-Experiences-with-Online-Learning.html


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

Saturday, 30 August 2014

Auditory Awareness: Are Students Hearing the Lesson?

by Ben Johnson, Edutopia


How many choir performances, or especially school plays have you attended where you could not hear the performers clearly? No matter how well they performed, I benefitted little from the experience if the sound system was poor. Nothing is more frustrating than attending your own child’s performance and not being able to hear them. A while back, I went to International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) here in San Antonio. It was cool to see all the new trends in technology for education, but of the things that I saw planted a seed in my brain. It was simply this: Use technology to make sure every student can hear you in the classroom.


http://www.edutopia.org/blog/auditory-awareness-are-students-hearing-lesson-ben-johnson


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/O0Z69iOzYjI/

Students: We need coding skills

By Laura Devaney, eSchoolNews


Learning to code and using coding skills appear to be some of students’ top goals. A new report reveals that 59 percent of students who do not know how to code would like to learn, while just 23 percent of students actually know how to code. The survey from StudyMode.com surveyed 1,000 StudyMode.com student members, ranging from K-12 to graduate school, to learn more about students’ computer programming skills. Sixty-one percent of students said they believe coding skills will give them a competitive advantage in the job hunt.


http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/08/25/students-coding-skills-934/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/yfFGPFCH0p8/

Friday, 29 August 2014

Online testing looms

by eSchool News


Next spring, new state exams tied to the Common Core standards in reading and math will be given for the first time in more than 40 states—and there are big questions about whether schools and students will be ready. Students will be taking the exams online, and a lack of technology or training in some schools—especially those in rural areas—could make administering the new tests a challenge. “We could be in trouble,” Donald Childs, administrator of the Unified School District of Antigo, in north central Wisconsin, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We haven’t had an opportunity to test rural schools that just got wireless access to see if there is adequate bandwidth to administer the exams during the state testing window.”


http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/08/22/online-testing-looms-034/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/gbFBnR6kGhM/

3 Different Things You Can Do With Google Classroom

By Nikolaos Chatzopoulos, Edudemic


Google’s advance in the education field has brought to schools around the globe affordable devices and effortless access to educational content. Google’s latest solution for learning is called Google Classroom. Although Google Classroom will be available at the beginning of the school year to all schools that have adopted Google Apps for Education, the Mountain View based company granted access to Google Classroom to a select few individuals in July. I was fortunate enough to be one of these early adopters/testers of Google Classroom, and I can honestly say that I am impressed by its simplicity, and its ability to seamlessly integrate Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail, and more in order to provide a wonderful and highly productive user experience.


http://www.edudemic.com/3-different-things-can-google-classroom/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/6tJSJI3rE1c/

Get ready: iOS 8 is almost here

By Laura Devaney, eSchool News


Apple’s new iOS 8 release has big potential for education, but school networks must be prepared, experts say. But as most school IT leaders will agree, iOS 7 posed problems for school networks, in many cases leveling those networks as students attempted to update at least one, and often more than one, device on their school’s network. Apple has a huge stake in the education market, and iOS 8 promises some next-level features for educators and students. A major feature, called “extensibility,” enables apps to work together better and share more information. According to Business Insider, this means less time switching between apps and more time for productivity. Extensibility, coupled with other iOS 8 features, promise to put the latest upgrade at the top of Apple users’ priorities.


http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/08/22/ios-8-almost-here-376/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/3ZeIT7p05xc/

Absurd Creature of the Week: The 100-Foot Sea Critter That Deploys a Net of Death

These are the siphonophores, some 180 known species of gelatinous strings that can grow to 100 feet long, making them some of the longest critters on the planet. But instead of growing as a single body like virtually every other animal, siphonophores clone themselves thousands of times over into half a dozen different types of specialized cloned bodies, all strung together to work as a team---a very deadly team at that.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3df700b7/sc/10/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A80Cabsurd0Ecreature0Eof0Ethe0Eweek0Esiphonophore0C/story01.htm

via Science News

Turns Out Wolves’ Yawns Are Contagious, Too

In the yawns of wolves, scientists have found a hint of emotional depths once thought restricted to humans and our closest ancestors. Contagious yawning — the tendency to involuntarily follow suit when seeing another person yawn — is thought to be linked to empathy, drawing on some of the same cognitive mechanisms that underlie our ability to share the feelings of others. According to a new study, wolves yawn contagiously, too.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3df700c3/sc/31/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A80Cwolf0Eyawning0Eempathy0C/story01.htm

via Science News

Thursday, 28 August 2014

4 Ways to Enhance Your Class with Google Hangouts

By Jennifer Carey, Edudemic


If you are familiar with Google Tools, then you have probably heard of Google Hangouts or even used them yourself. Hangouts is Google’s video conferencing tool, and it’s an incredibly powerful way to engage with others. In addition to standard conference calls, Google Hangouts provide a broadcasting option called Hangouts on Air. This allows you to conduct your Hangout LIVE and record it to post on YouTube. You can participate in a Google Hangout from a web browser on your computer or use one of the free mobile apps for your Apple or Android device. It is important to note, however, that participating in a GHO does require that you enable Google+ (Google’s Social Media Service) and that you be at least 13 years old. However, people of any age may view a GHO broadcast “On Air” or posted to a YouTube channel.


http://www.edudemic.com/4-ways-enhance-class-google-hangouts/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/juUUDXYWQ4U/

Why the Future of Education Is Open

By Sean Michael Kerner, eWeek


Anant Agarwal, the CEO of online education platform edX, is on a mission to change the way that people learn. In a keynote address at the LinuxCon conference here, Agarwal explained how open source and big data techniques are being used at edX to help educate millions of people. The edX platform was founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with the promise of redefining the future of education. The edX platform has 2.7 million students around the world. One of edX’s most popular classes is an introduction to Linux course from the Linux Foundation, which has more than 250,000 students.


http://www.eweek.com/cloud/why-the-future-of-education-is-open.html


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/jOItp1Gh-Sc/

Students transition to online learning


by Jesselyn Bickley, Spectrum


As Virgin Valley students gear up to return to school Monday, some teachers are preparing a new type of class. Rob Leete, Virgin Valley High School (VVHS) geography teacher, said he is setting up his class in an online format but with more social interaction. “This year we are going all one-to-one laptop distribution,” Leete said. “It’s going to look the same as the online college classes.” Leete, who has master’s degree, said he did most of his post-secondary education online, so he knows what it should look like. He said he knows the pitfalls of an online class and plans to stay on top of his students and make sure they meet deadlines and get assignments done on time.


http://www.thespectrum.com/story/life/features/mesquite/2014/08/21/students-transition-online-learning/14418747/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/luuOdKfTkJ4/

Science Graphic of the Week: Where Roads Should and Should Not Be Built in the Future

Humans are going to pave over 15 million miles of new roads in the next 35 years. This map shows where those roads should and should not go.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3df2d565/sc/8/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A80Cgrawk0Eroadmaps0C/story01.htm

via Science News

How Movies Synchronize the Brains of an Audience

When people watch a movie together their brain activity is, to a remarkable degree, synchronized. It's a slightly creepy thought. It's also a testament to the captivating power of cinema, says Uri Hasson, a psychologist at Princeton University.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3dee312c/sc/14/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A80Ccinema0Escience0Emind0Emeld0C/story01.htm

via Science News

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Moocs are free – but for how much longer?

by Chris Parr, Times Higher Education


John Mitchell is vice-provost for online learning and overseer of Stanford’s Mooc programme, which has delivered more than 240 online and blended campus courses to about 2 million people since 2011 – more than 50 of them for free. Professor Mitchell, who is an instructor on a computer security Mooc offered by Stanford on the Coursera platform, said that professional development courses offered universities the best opportunity to grow the income they generate from online courses. “I think [Stanford] will have low cost, high volume, but non-free courses online that will help make our online programmes sustainable,” he said, adding that no college or university was able to continue funding free courses without finding a way to cover the costs.


http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/moocs-are-free-but-for-how-much-longer/2015204.article


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/l7CHqx43-wY/

Florida Polytechnic University opens with a bookless library

By CAROLYN KELLOGG, LA Times


Florida Polytechnic University is so new that it has only been open for a few days. It’s the latest campus in the Florida State University system, has plans to be part of a new Silicon Valley East, and boasts a striking main building designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The main building is the Innovation, Science and Technology Building, which is where most of the 500 new students will spend their time in class. Its second floor includes the Commons, an area that includes its library services. The Commons does have librarians and Internet connections to all the standard electronic resources of a university library. It provides access to a digital catalog that launched with 135,000 e-books. But take a look around the room, and it’s completely bookless.


http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-florida-polytechnic-opens-with-bookless-library-20140820-story.html


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

Online and in-person education — rolled into one

by Samantha Sadlier, the Spectrum


The Washington County School District is working in conjunction with Utah Online School to offer a blended model to middle and high school students allowing them to take some courses online while still attending traditional school. This blended model of online learning while still spending the majority of their time in a traditional classroom is a new “unique” type of education that is being kick started in Washington County School District, said Laura Belnap, Utah Online School director.


http://www.thespectrum.com/story/life/family/2014/08/19/online-person-education-rolled-one/14304299/


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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/PKk6-hNHf9E/

Scientists Turn Bad Memories Into Good Inside the Brains of Mice

Neuroscientists have devised a technique for switching the emotional association of a memory from bad to good by directly manipulating the neurons that encode it.

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3de84f1d/sc/38/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A80Cscientists0Eturn0Ebad0Emice0Ememories0Einto0Egood0C/story01.htm

via Science News

Fantastically Wrong: The Legend of the Homicidal Fire-Proof Salamander

In the first century AD, Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder threw a salamander into a fire. He wanted to see if it could indeed not only survive the flames, but extinguish them, as Aristotle had claimed such creatures could. But the salamander didn’t … uh … make it. [HTML1] Yet that didn’t stop the legend […]

















from WIRED » Science http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661470/s/3de57bc7/sc/10/l/0L0Swired0N0C20A140C0A80Cfantastically0Ewrong0Ehomicidal0Esalamander0C/story01.htm

via Science News