Tips for Using iPads in the Classroom

By Kristen Hicks, Edudemic

While for some teachers, iPads in the classroom are already a familiar part of everyday life, as of Pearson’s 2014 Student Mobile Device Survey, only 16% of students attended schools that provide tablets 1:1. For all the news stories and chatter in the educational industry about using iPads in education, many teachers haven’t gotten a good look at just what the technology can do for their students. But there’s reason to believe that could well change in coming years. The same Pearson report found that:

51% of students think their school should be providing them with tablets.

89% say tablets make learning more fun.

81% say using a tablet in the classroom allows them to learn in the way that’s best for them.

71% believe tablets help students perform better in class.

http://www.edudemic.com/ipad-tips-classroom/

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5 Women Just Designed an Online Game That Can Prevent Sexual Assault

by Samantha Cowan, TakePart

Although India boasts the fastest-growing economy in the world, recent headlines have shed light on a darker side of the country: its sexual assault epidemic. High-profile cases—including that of a woman allegedly attacked by her Uber driver, and the government’s decision to ban the film India’s Daughter, centering on the 2012 fatal attack of a 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi—have made women’s safety an urgent issue. While the government has developed harsher punishments to discourage assailants and protect women, a group of young engineers is working to create a new, online solution that can help prevent assault from occurring in the first place. Known as “We Are Women,” five female students from India’s Amrita University—Anjana S, Athira S, Durga S, Pooja Prakash and Sreedevi Pillai—have developed a virtual self-defense game to teach women and girls how to respond when they feel threatened.

https://www.takepart.com/article/2015/04/25/india-sexual-assault-prevention-game

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How E-Learning is Changing the Education Landscape in China

by Thibaud Andre, Tech.co

E-learning has been one of the biggest recent online trends. China is currently the market showing the biggest growth. Among all the questions related to open educational resources and e-learning, the most important one remains how technology will affect learning processes and the way students are trained. There are Already 100 Million E-learners in China! For students around the world, and especially in China, the development of the Internet usage has been an opportunity to get access to a limitless amount of information. Nowadays, the training and development of students require learning processes beyond traditional academics. This has led to the rise of a multitude of platforms dedicated to a new e-learning market. The global E-learning market is expected to continue its rapid growth in the coming years. As shown in this Docebo report, the last five years have seen an inflow of $6 billion investment in the E-learning industry worldwide. The global market will generate revenues of more than $15 billion by 2016.

http://tech.co/e-learning-changing-education-processes-china-2015-04

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10 free apps to build logic skills

By Stephen Noonoo, eSchool News

These days, logic games aren’t all crosswords and pairs matching, especially not on mobile devices. Dozens of challenging and engaging puzzles, games, and brain teasers are available, and a surprising number are free—either fully or via trial versions. The website APPitic.com, an app resource site with more than 6,000 apps in more than 300 subcategories, offers a number of apps pertaining to logic and gaming. Here, we’ve gathered a handful of those apps, and you can access more on the APPitic site.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/24/logic-apps-932/

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Teach students to learn by doing with Google school coding clubs

By Janice Mak, eSchool News

The support from Google CS First is tremendous. Upon request, they sent a loaner set of 30 headphones and peripheral materials for the students that included passports, sticker-badges for each day’s modules, detailed scripts, certificates of completion, and directions for exercises. All materials are also available for free download from the club site, with coding done in Scratch, a programming language that uses building blocks to form commands. All of these supporting materials make it seamless for anyone, be it a volunteer guru, teacher, or parent to come in and help out. A suggested script, as well as breakdown of time for each activity, is also included.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/23/google-cs-first-332/

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What Will Keep the CIO Pipeline Flowing?

By David Raths, Campus Technology

What skills and training will the next generation of CIOs require as technology becomes an essential part of teaching and learning? Where will those CIOs come from? Are they already working in university IT departments? Those are some of the questions that Wayne Brown, vice president and CIO at Excelsior College (NY), has sought to answer as founder of the Center for Higher Education Chief Information Officer Studies (CHECS). Since 2009, the nonprofit CHECS has been surveying CIOs and the technology leaders who work under them, as well as institutional leaders who hire CIOs, to provide insight into the career path of individuals in or aspiring to technology leadership positions in higher education.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/23/what-will-keep-the-cio-pipeline-flowing.aspx

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CC Students Face Uphill Climb in Succeeding with Online Courses

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

A recently presented study from the University of California Davis questions the effectiveness of allowing first-time students in community colleges to take online classes. The research examined the completion rates of 217,000 community college students between the school years of 2008-2009 and 2011-2012. The team’s work was led by Cassandra Hart, an assistant professor of education policy at UC Davis’ School of Education. “We found the same pattern of results across all course types,” she said in a statement. Students, on average, have poorer course completion outcomes in online courses. The results were even worse for students taking online courses outside the regular academic calendar and when enrolled in classes with “a relatively low” share of students enrolled through online sections.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/22/cc-students-face-uphill-climb-in-succeeding-with-online-courses.aspx?admgarea=news

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Teen seeks donations to take online classes at Duke University

by WSMV

A middle school student in Lawrenceburg is raising money to take online classes through Duke University. Taylor, 13, has received an award from President Barack Obama for excelling at her school work. She recently took the ACT and qualified to take college classes in most subjects. But she needs a little help. Her family has set up a GoFundMe account to raise $500 for a laptop. She’s already reached the mark, but the extra money will go towards her future tuition. Taylor said she hopes to take computer science classes through Duke University this summer.

http://www.wsmv.com/story/28864146/teen-seeks-donations-to-take-online-classes-at-duke-university

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Government to go: SHS will offer AP class online

By Ronnie Wachter, Chicago Tribune

The future of public education is coming to Stevenson High School, and it could someday blur the lines between who is a Patriot and who is not. The school’s first online class will be offered next year with no additional costs from its traditional counterpart. Advanced Placement teachers Dan Larsen and Andy Conneen, as well as Brad Smith, head of Stevenson’s social studies division, spoke with the board during its April 20 meeting about the version of AP American Government that they will offer digitally in the 2015-16 year, and what it could mean for the rest of the school if it succeeds. The class will be an experiment to see how well, and how many, high schoolers can handle study-at-home freedom, and whether SHS’ existing infrastructure can handle more offerings like it.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/vernon-hills/news/ct-lsr-online-classes-tl-0423-20150421-story.html

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Rural teachers, students seek AP classes

By Gene Lucht, Iowa Farmer Today

Nationally, 47.2 percent of rural school districts had no students enrolled in AP courses. The number fell to 5.4 percent for suburban districts and 2.6 percent for urban districts. The New Hampshire researchers found the size of the district wasn’t the only problem. The further the district was from an urbanized area also mattered. And, even where AP classes were offered, small and rural districts had lower levels of both participation and success. It is no secret that smaller districts have a more difficult time finding enough students and teachers to make offering an in-class AP course feasible, Mattingly explains. Rural schools are trying to deal with the problems of size and geography. In Iowa, the state has worked to deal with that problem by offering online AP classes through the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa.

http://www.iowafarmertoday.com/news/regional/rural-teachers-students-seek-ap-classes/article_3f80d844-e903-11e4-9f0e-2bf826aca797.html

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UA to expand online presence

By Kethia Kong, Daily Wildcat

The launch of UA Online comes at a timely period in higher education. For years, online learning has seen an unprecedented growth. In addition to the rising popularity of online learning, there is a growing demand for bachelor’s degrees from employers. There are not enough job seekers with bachelor’s degrees, and, as a result, there is a significant credential gap in employment. According to Burning Glass, a database that tracks millions of online job postings and the credentials employers ask for, the credential gap is above 20 percent in management, office and administrative services, business and financial operations, and computer and mathematical jobs. “Both the economy and society are demanding an increase in [bachelor’s degrees],” Del Casino said. “We have to meet certain expectations and demands so that we continue to have active, engaged students who can move the state forward.”

http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/article/2015/04/ua-to-expand-online-presence

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Tools That Limit Distraction May Raise Student Performance in Online Classes

by Casey Fabris, Chronicle of Higher Ed

For students taking courses online, the endless distractions of the Internet can be a hindrance to success. But using software to limit those diversions can make a big difference. That’s the takeaway from a new study, which found that limiting distractions can help students perform better and also improve course completion. A paper describing the study, “Can Behavioral Tools Improve Online Student Outcomes? Experimental Evidence From a Massive Open Online Course,” was published by the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute this month.

http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/tools-that-limit-distraction-may-raise-student-performance-in-online-classes/56413

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3 Reasons Chromebooks Are Shining in Education

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

For districts looking to get the most bang for their ed tech buck, devices that fall somewhere between tablets and traditional laptops can be just the right fit. The iPad buying frenzy may be over. The late 2013 introduction of the low-cost Chromebook has given school districts an affordable alternative that they’re gravitating to with gusto. Official numbers from market research firm IDC confirmed the news last December when the company announced that while Apple had shipped 702,000 iPads to educational buyers in the third quarter, Google partners had shipped 715,000 Chromebooks. While some observers might refer to this changing of the guard as a “return of the laptop” or the “tailing off of the tablet,” to those doing the buying, that’s not quite the case.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/04/14/3-reasons-chromebooks-are-shining-in-education.aspx

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25 Ways to Get the Most Out of Twitter

By Pamela DeLoatch, Edudemic

Imagine being able to connect with one hundred million people anytime you want. With that many people on Twitter each day (and that’s not counting the additional 184 million users who are on Twitter at least once each month), a great deal of knowledge, perspective, and news is accessible to you, just by clicking a few buttons. It’s no wonder educators are harnessing the power of Twitter to bring cutting edge ideas, trends, research, and best practices to use in their schools and classrooms. But just as Twitter can be a treasure trove of information, it can be overwhelming for new users to figure out how to use it effectively. We’ve compiled this list of the best ways to make Twitter a social media tool that works for you.

http://www.edudemic.com/25-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-twitter/

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How Adaptive Learning Technology Can Help Transform U.S. STEM Education

By Nishikant Sonwalkar, Edudemic

Adaptive learning systems organize content based on individual learning preferences and can maximize learning performance through continuous intelligent feedback. Utilizing technology to customize content helps make various modes of learning available in a single classroom, meaning diverse students can learn in ways that best suit their strengths. One example of the promise of adaptive learning comes from Boston-based intellADAPT, which provides user-friendly technology that can be easily integrated into the classroom and into current curricula.

http://www.edudemic.com/adaptive-learning-technology-can-help-transform-u-s-stem-education/

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Edtech Companies Hail New Rival LinkedIn As Industry Catalyst

Bernadette Tansey, Xconomy

LinkedIn’s $1.5 billion purchase of Lynda.com, a 20-year-old company offering courses ranging from Web design to data analysis, puts it in the pole position to take over a sizeable share of the market for online education and professional training, Stifel analysts wrote after LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD) announced the acquisition April 9. Lynda.com’s competitors in the online education industry, however, are thrilled with the LinkedIn deal, saying it affirms that there’s serious money to be made in selling online courses to adult workers who need to keep up with the rapidly changing pace of technology in all industries.

http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2015/04/20/edtech-companies-hail-new-rival-linkedin-as-industry-catalyst/

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5 Tech Trends that Will Drive IT Decision-Making for the Next 5 Years

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Today’s IT organizations face a big data challenge: unstoppable growth. Global data center IP traffic equaled 255 Exabytes per month in 2013, according to the Cisco Global Cloud Index — and by 2018, traffic is predicted to nearly triple. Fortunately, not all of that traffic will land in the data center, but it does call for response from the information technology organization, said Gartner Research Vice President David Cappuccio in a recent webinar. “The real questions that IT centers need to ask themselves are, how much of that traffic is important, how does that data need to be acted upon and how do we do it?” IT has to rethink how it will address infrastructure and operations planning in three important areas, he noted: demand, technologies and the organization itself. Here’s how trends and technologies will impact IT over the next five years.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/20/5-tech-trends-that-will-drive-it-decision-making-for-the-next-5-years.aspx

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‘Flipped classrooms’ provide better approach for instruction of students

by David Lockett, Daily News Journal

Flipping a classroom means switching the activities that normally occur at home versus in the classroom. Thus, rather than listening to an instructor in the classroom, students now watch video lectures from home before coming to class. Then, instead of doing homework independently, students solve problems in the classroom, where the teacher can facilitate this critical step in learning. By taking the burden of presenting content off of teachers, a flipped classroom enables these teachers to focus their efforts on improving students’ learning skills and deeper understanding of concepts. Results are showing that students both like the flipped classroom and also tend to outperform students taught the same material in a traditional classroom.

http://www.dnj.com/story/opinion/2015/04/18/guest-column-flipped-classrooms-provide-better-approach-instruction-students/26010047/

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U.S. teacher sparks online movement with #IWishMyTeacherKnew class exercise

by Larissa Cahute, the Province

An elementary school teacher in Colorado has sparked an online movement encouraging teachers across the world to better understand and support their students. Kyle Schwartz, a third grade teacher in Denver, started a lesson plan called “I Wish My Teacher Knew,” in which she asks her students to write out something that they wish their teacher knew about them. According to ABC News, Shwartz first started this exercise in an attempt to build trust between her and her students, many of whom come from underprivileged homes. “Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch,” Schwartz told ABC News. “As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my students’ lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn’t know about my students.”

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2015/04/17/u-s-teacher-sparks-online-movement-with-iwishmyteacherknew-class-exercise/

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Maker app turns 2D into 3D

by Meris Stansbury, eCampus News

MakerBot PrintShop app introduces new Shape Maker feature–turns 2D into 3D. MakerBot’s free iPad app MakerBot® PrintShop® version 1.5 is now available for update in the iTunes App Store and offers a brand new feature called MakerBot Shape Maker that takes drawings and sketches and instantaneously turns them into 3D printable files. MakerBot PrintShop Shape Maker aims to allow users to transform sketches, photos and screen captures into a 3D printable file, without any 3D design experience. Designed for beginners who want to get started quickly with 3D printing, MakerBot PrintShop with Shape Maker is what MakerBot believes to be an exiting new tool that will transform the way the industry moves from 2D to 3D.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/business-news/maker-app-turns-3d-188/

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Could high-speed Internet save Iowa’s schools?

by Jason Clayworth and Rodney White, DesMoines Register

Administrators of a rural school in far northern Iowa believe technology can temper the pain rising from Iowa’s lost schools crisis. And they took their message to the Capitol this month. “Everyone is mourning the loss of their schools when, instead, we should focus on the future of education and how to revolutionize education,” said John Carver, superintendent of Howard-Winneshiek schools. Carver and other employees from Howard-Winneshiek advocate that Iowa promote and invest in broadband so that every corner of the state has access to high-speed Internet. Many Iowa schools are already connected to the Iowa Communications Network, a high-speed fiber optic network run by the state. That’s a bright spot for Iowa.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/lost-schools/2015/04/18/lost-schools-technology-high-speed-internet/25936165/

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Set up your own digital media lab for next to nothing

By Donna DeLuca, eSchool News

With the advent of lightning-quick computers and gorgeous digital media tools, students are now dreaming up PowerPoint presentations, Prezis, websites, wikis, Photo Stories, and more—things limited only by their imaginations. Creating these types of digital projects has become second nature to them, and they have no concept of a time when these technologies were not available. In fact, creating digital media has become a very personal matter. Just look on Facebook, YouTube, Vine, Vimeo, Instagram, Twitter and you will see that our students are creating and sharing digital content on a daily basis. As educators, it behooves us to find ways to provide opportunities that allow our students to engage in learning activities relevant to their lives. As a library media specialist, I know there’s no better place to provide them with these opportunities than a school’s own library media center. If you think you would like to create a digital media lab in your school, here are some tips to get started.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/17/digital-media-lab-245/

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Teachers: Embrace Twitter for Professional Development

By Denise Scavitto, Edudemic

I created my first Twitter account in 2008. Four years later, I finally made the commitment to using Twitter during an edtech conference, where I found myself frantically tweeting, retweeting, and refreshing my feed as I tried to take it all in. Honestly, up until I used it at that conference, I thought Twitter was just another social media blackhole. But through essentially constant use for those few days, I began to see Twitter as an excellent resource for educators and an invaluable tool for professional development – one of the best out there. So, for you teachers wondering about all the hype…I promise, Twitter is worth it. (follow Ray at @rayschroeder)

http://www.edudemic.com/teachers-embrace-twitter-professional-development/

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Colorado Springs high school taking online learning in a new, more individualized direction

By Debbie Kelley, Colorado Springs Gazette

An online high school in Academy School District 20 will shift its focus to what the program creator believes is the next generation of online learning. “Initially, the philosophy behind online education was location – the idea that the student could do school from anywhere – and we built systems around that,” said Nathan Gorsch, principal of Academy Online High School. Now, the online movement is turning toward personalized learning as its main strength, he said, and his school will pilot a program in that direction. “We are going to give it our best attempt at what we think education can become,” Gorsch said. “Instead of building a system and fitting kids in, we’re building our system around the kids.”

http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-high-school-taking-online-learning-in-a-new-more-individualized-direction/article/1549886?custom_click=rss

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U Arizona Girds for Online Undergrads

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Now that the University of Arizona has launched an online campus, UA Online, the institution is ready to start up its first “General Education Academy” to help students prepare for their virtual education. UA Online is intended to be a distinct division with 21 undergraduate degree programs, 18 graduate programs and 23 graduate certificate programs. In an effort to compete for students living outside of Arizona, the school has set tuition rates for online courses the same for out-of-state and in-state students. The university announced the academy last year with several goals: to help the institution “manage the quality of its online general education offerings,” “create a community for online instructors,” and help develop “cutting-edge resources for online students and teachers.” The initial emphasis will be on helping non-typical online students — first-year and early-transfer undergraduates — succeed in their online programs.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/16/u-arizona-girds-for-online-undergrads.aspx

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How to Help Students Make the Most of Their Local Libraries

By Jeannie Tucker, Edudemic

In the age of information ubiquity and rapidly evolving media delivery formats, today’s librarians have learned how to evolve along with the technology. In addition, librarians actively seek out new means for creative expression and intellectual growth for student library users, and frequently volunteer as early adopters of these exciting resources. In turn, librarians partner with users in navigating a complex information landscape and in engaging them in enrichment programming. Check out 5 ways librarians are molding their libraries into community spaces for students.

http://www.edudemic.com/help-students-make-local-libraries/

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3 ways to solve international technology access barriers for girls

By Olimar Maisonet-Guzman, Devex

Every year, the international community comes together to commemorate the International Girls in ICT Day to raise awareness about the gender gap in the technology sector. Nonetheless, every year we continue to hear the same statistics: Women are 14 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone. Moreover, 25 percent fewer women and girls are online than men and boys; this gap grows over 40 percent in sub-Saharan Africa. That begs the question: What does the international community still needs to do to solve the gender gap in the access and use of technology? Closing the usage gap between girls and boys is important for the promotion of the information society. As interactions between governments and society continue to rely more on information and communication technologies, it becomes crucial that the voices of women and girls continue to be represented in the digital world.

https://www.devex.com/news/3-ways-to-solve-technology-access-barriers-for-girls-85929

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PC Shipments Continue Decline Despite Growth in Mobile PC Segment

By Joshua Bolkan, Campus Technology

The global decline of PC shipments continued in the first quarter of 2015, totaling 71 million units, according to a new report from Gartner. That total represents a 5.2 percent drop compared to the first quarter of 2014. “The PC industry received a boost in 2014 as many companies replaced their PCs due to the end of Windows XP support, but that replacement cycle faded in the first quarter of 2015,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, in a prepared statement. “However, this decline is not necessarily a sign of sluggish overall PC sales long term. Mobile PCs, including notebooks, hybrid and Windows tablets, grew compared with a year ago. The first quarter results support our projection of a moderate decline of PC shipments in 2015, which will lead to a slow, consistent growth stage for the next five years.”

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/15/pc-market-continues-decline-despite-growth-in-mobile-pc-segment.aspx

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Science, math, art valued more than technology in poll

By Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times

California education poll reveals that core subjects might trump technology access. Providing computers to public school students is important to California voters, but not as crucial as other factors affecting education, including a more intense focus on math, science and the arts, according to a new poll. In the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times survey, voters were given a list of options and asked to select the top two that would have the most positive impact on improving public education in California. Nearly half, 49 percent, picked “increasing funding for math, science and technology instruction,” according to the poll. Nearly a third said funding should be increased for subject like art and music education.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/14/science-technology-poll-893/

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Embracing Failure to Spur Success: A New Collaborative Innovation Model

by Kim Wilcox and Edward J. Ray, EDCUAUSE Review

On college and university campuses across the United States, we’re surrounded by a resource that leads to discovery, innovation, and growth—yet we don’t embrace it at the leadership level. That resource? Failure. Failure is happening every day in our labs and classrooms and is essential to the learning and discovery process in both settings. As our research scientists attempt to make breakthrough discoveries, they run through repeated trials that fail to deliver the hoped-for results, but each failure provides another clue pointing in the direction of a solution. In classrooms, we encourage students in every discipline to question and analyze the information we put before them. Have we ever criticized them for being “wrong”? Not at all. We congratulate them on having the courage to ask new questions, and we encourage them to keep going.

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/embracing-failure-spur-success-new-collaborative-innovation-model

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5 Lecture Capture Hacks for More Engaging Videos

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

As more and more instructors flip their classrooms or teach online courses, it’s become increasingly important to create videos that can hold students’ attention. Some instructors have experimented with new ways to make videos more interactive and engaging; for instance, including themselves in the picture along with their teaching materials. “Putting our face on the presentation allows us to offer nuances and to communicate with more richness and immediacy,” said John Lammers, professor of communication and director of the Health Communication program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Here are five ways to take lecture videos up a notch and better engage students.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/08/5-lecture-capture-hacks-for-more-engaging-videos.aspx?admgarea=News

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New tool aids game-based learning integration

by eSchoolNews

Digital learning system helps schools integrate game-based learning applications. RGS, a business unit of Avnet, Inc., has introduced the RGS Classroom Game Server (CGS), a new high-performance digital learning system designed to enable school districts to affordably integrate game-based learning (GBL) applications into their digital lesson plans for grades K-12. The unit is optimized for MinecraftEdu from TeacherGaming LLC. Each unit can support up to 35 players concurrently, in a variety of network environments including existing Ethernet or Wi-Fi LAN. For classrooms with no network access, the server can broadcast its own LAN, reducing the load on the school network infrastructure. In addition, offline mode allows for play without any Internet connection.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/13/game-based-integration-094/

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People with learning disabilities may become victim or perpetrator of crime while online

by News Medical

People with learning (intellectual) disabilities have historically been marginalised from mainstream society, and have had limited choice and control over their lives. While movements to achieve greater equality have had success, the rapid advancement of modern technology risks creating a new form of digital exclusion. For people with learning disabilities there may be a delicate balance between becoming a victim or perpetrator of crime while online. There are potential challenges that health professionals have to overcome when promoting safe and inclusive internet access. People with a learning disability walk a thin line between becoming a victim or perpetrator of online crime, according to authors writing in the journal Learning Disability Practice.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150413/People-with-learning-disabilities-may-become-victim-or-perpetrator-of-crime-while-online.aspx

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