How to sharpen students’ critical thinking skills online

BY IAN JAMISON, eSchool News

With smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, students have 24/7 access to news, information, and opinions—not all of which are well-informed or well-intentioned. In truth, we are flooded with a constant stream of information online, from legitimate news and facts to websites and social media posts taking sides in intense political debates. In an age when students get the majority of their information from the internet, how can we make sure they know that not everything they find online is reputable? How can we help students become critical thinkers and smart consumers of information who also have empathy for others?

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/09/22/sharpen-students-critical-thinking-skills-online/

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5 major cloud considerations for education

BY BRIDGET MCCREA, eSchool News

It’s no secret that being able to access enterprise applications and other types of software online—in a 24/7/365 environment—beats having to install, maintain, and upgrade individual applications across multiple desktops and laptops. Especially when maintaining software at school, classroom, teacher, and individual student levels is such an arduous task. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or “cloud computing” has helped districts and schools streamline their applications while at the same time introducing new challenges to the mix—such as online privacy and security concerns. These and other obstacles aside, cloud computing has been growing in popularity lately due to its low entry costs, short installation/implementation times, and the fact that it lessens the burden on schools’ IT teams when it comes to software maintenance and upgrades.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/09/21/5-major-cloud-considerations-education/

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How To Stop Online Harassment: Google Uses Machine Learning Tools To More Accurately Spot Abusive Content

By SUSMITA BARAL, International Business Times

A subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, Jigsaw, is using machine learning to fend off online trolling, reports Wired. The New York–based think tank is building open-source AI tools, collectively called Conversation AI, to filter out harassment and abusive language. “Few things poison conversations online more than abusive language, threats, and harassment,” reads the Conversation AI website. “We’re studying how computers can learn to understand the nuances and context of abusive language at scale. If successful, machine learning could help publishers and moderators improve comments on their platforms and enhance the exchange of ideas on the internet.”

http://www.ibtimes.com/how-stop-online-harassment-google-uses-machine-learning-tools-more-accurately-spot-2419964

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Mentors make the difference in online learning

BY NEIL MORAN, Rapid Growth Media

Online learning at the primary and secondary levels is growing exponentially, and so is the research around this topic, says Kathryn Kennedy, Ph.D., director of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute. One of the key components of online learning — and what often sets it apart from traditional classroom instruction — is the potential to support the learning experience via mentors who help guide students in their educational choices and learning.

http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/092216-mentors-make-the-difference-in-online-learning.aspx

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Thirteen universities adopt MicroMasters and launch 18 new programs via edX

by MIT News

In October 2015, MIT launched the MITx MicroMasters credential, which enables online learners to take a semester’s worth of master’s-level courses on the edX platform, then complete a master’s degree in a single full semester on campus at MIT. The first MicroMasters in supply chain management (SCM) has seen incredible success: Over 127,000 students have enrolled in at least one course — including representation from 189 countries — and more than 7,000 have signed up for verified ID certificates in at least one course. Just one year later, edX is now partnering with several other universities to bring the MicroMasters model to even more learners across the globe. EdX, which aims to bridge the knowledge gap between higher education and the workplace by offering 18 new programs from 13 universities in rapidly growing fields.

http://news.mit.edu/2016/thirteen-universities-adopt-micromasters-and-launch-18-new-programs-via-edx-0920

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iNACOL to Host Blended and Online Learning Symposium

by iNACOL

On October 25-28, 2016, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is hosting the iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium, the industry’s leading event for K-12 competency-based, blended and online learning. The mission of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) is to catalyze the transformation of K-12 education policy and practice to advance powerful, personalized, learner-centered experiences through competency-based, blended and online learning. iNACOL is a non-profit organization focusing on research, developing policy for student-centered education to ensure equity and access, developing quality standards for emerging learning models using competency-based, blended and online education, and supporting the ongoing professional development of school and district leaders for new learning models. Visit our website, like us on Facebook, connect with us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/inacol-host-blended-online-learning-symposium-120000639.html

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The CIO as educator: Experience brings trust, curricular advantages

By Roger Riddell, Education Dive

The path to the higher ed CIO’s office can vary quite a bit from the position’s corporate counterpart. While a fair share of college and university tech leaders have come from traditional IT backgrounds, many have also worked their way up through the faculty ranks. And given higher ed’s mission, doing so brings significant benefits both to their decisions as CIOs and their continuing work in the classroom. “I think if you have stood in front of a room of expectant students, struggling to get the technology to work as the minutes tick away — and as you think about all the material you want to cover and the experiences you want the students to have — that really changes your perspective when you think about classroom technology,” said Dr. Michael Berman, vice president for technology and communication and CIO at Cal State University Channel Islands. “The imperatives of simplicity and reliability start to take precedence over anything else.”

http://www.educationdive.com/news/the-cio-as-educator-experience-brings-trust-curricular-advantages/426571/

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No Correlation Between Evaluations and Learning

by Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed

A number of studies suggest that student evaluations of teaching are unreliable due to various kinds of biases against instructors. Yet conventional wisdom remains that students learn best from highly rated instructors; tenure cases have even hinged on it. A new study suggests that past analyses linking student achievement to high student teaching evaluation ratings are flawed, a mere “artifact of small sample sized studies and publication bias.” The study, in press with Studies in Educational Evaluation says “Our up-to-date meta-analysis of all multisection studies revealed no significant correlations between [evaluation] ratings and learning.”

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/09/21/new-study-could-be-another-nail-coffin-validity-student-evaluations-teaching

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Higher ed moving to embrace of ‘Internet of everything’

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Campus Technology explores the possibilities for higher education within the “Internet of Everything,” the emerging culture of online connectivity in devices and raw materials, which can create opportunities for analytics and teaching opportunities. According to Robbie K. Melton, associate vice chancellor for mobile and emerging technologies at the Tennessee Board of Regents, students will expect institutions to make use of environment-technology pairing to enhance the learning and living experience, and to gain real-time insight into student engagement and academic interest. Melton also cites the ability to purchase specific chapters of textbooks, which dramatically cuts spending for students, as an example of the growing technology.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/higher-ed-moving-to-embrace-of-internet-of-everything/426701/

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Online PD Supports Classroom Management, Ed Tech

by Samsung Insights

Nearly 60 percent of educators teaching preschool through 12th grade say they have taken some form of professional development (PD) course online, a new survey reveals — and their top three reasons for doing so were to learn how to use digital devices, learn how to use the educational software that runs on them and improve their classroom management skills. The survey of 589 educators was conducted by the Education Technology Industry Network (ETIN), a division of the Software & Information Industry Association. According to the survey, 75 percent of educators who say they’ve taken a professional development course online did so because they were personally interested in the topic and wanted to increase their knowledge in that area. Only 28 percent said it was for a job requirement, and 46 percent said they enrolled in an online PD course to receive continuing education credit.

https://insights.samsung.com/2016/09/19/online-pd-supports-classroom-management-ed-tech/

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U-M joins edX to announce three social innovation MicroMasters for online learners

by U Mich News

Online learners interested in educational leadership, social work and the growing field of user experience research and design now can earn more comprehensive certification or complete work toward an advanced degree at the University of Michigan. In some cases, learners can earn as much as a quarter of the required credit for enrolled master’s degrees through three MicroMasters announced today by the university in partnership with online platform edX. U-M and 13 other universities are launching 19 of the advance MOOC-based study programs on edX. Michigan is offering three MicroMasters: Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement; Social Work: Practice, Policy and Research; and User Experience (UX) Research and Design. What’s exciting, U-M leaders say, is that learners across the globe can advance in their professions by earning a certificate at the end of the series of courses or, if they become enrolled Michigan students, can work to earn credit toward several master’s programs before setting foot on campus.

http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/24200-u-m-joins-edx-to-announce-three-social-innovation-micromasters-for-online-learners

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Is Online Learning the Future of Further Education?

by Simon Davies, Tech.co

Leading universities will offer fully accredited undergraduate degrees online within the next five years, according to the founder of educational platform Coursera. Speaking at an educational conference in London, Professor Daphne Koller said the next stage for digital learning would be the introduction of online undergraduate courses with invigilated exams and full degrees. Though some still consider technology to be a distraction to learning, many education experts understand that embracing the digital era can enrich the classroom environment. The focus on technology in further education specifically has intensified in the last few years. A 2014 Association of Colleges report highlighted how the integration of tech solutions in schools is inevitable.

http://tech.co/online-learning-future-education-2016-09

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San Francisco 49ers First Pro Sports Organization To Partner With Khan Academy

by SportTechie

The San Francisco 49ers are the first professional sports organization to partner with Khan Academy, the world’s leading free online education platform. The online resources for students and teachers will help support the 49ers STEAM Education Program, which is in its third year of existence and provides learning opportunities across science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. “Khan Academy’s online learning platform is exceptional and we’re thrilled to work with them to take the next step in growing our STEAM Education Program,” 49ers Director of STEAM Education and the 49ers Museum Jesse Lovejoy said in a statement last week. “Khan Academy will enable our program to go beyond the walls of Levi’s Stadium and provide students who we couldn’t previously reach with unique, exciting content that combines STEAM with football.”

http://www.sporttechie.com/2016/09/18/sports/nfl/san-francisco-49ers-first-pro-sports-organization-to-partner-with-khan-academy/

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viNGN Offers Parents and Kids Tips on Digital Privacy, Internet Safety

BY St. Croix Source

Anita Davis of viNGN prepares to teach parents, kids and faculty about Internet Safety and Digial Privacy. With the theme “Invest to Protect,” the Virgin Islands Next Generation Network (viNGN) shared digital privacy and Internet safety tips with parents, faculty and students. Attendees learned about digital privacy advocates Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and they received informational worksheets for “6 Degrees of Information,” produced by NetSmartz/National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This short film highlights the many ways digital privacy and online safety can be compromised by leaving “digital footprints” – personal identifiable information (PII) of which we are not even aware.

http://stcroixsource.com/content/community/schools/2016/09/18/vingn-offers-parents-and-kids-tips-digital-privacy-internet-saf

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Laptops should be allowed in classrooms

BY GISELLE SUAZO, Daily Texan

The war on technology has arrived at UT as many professors are banning the use of laptops in their classrooms. Laptops and tablets are the norm in a modern classroom setting — many textbooks are offered online and some students use these forms of technology to take notes. The old pen and paper are a part of history, and it should stay there. Prohibiting technology is one more way of controlling students instead of letting them learn how to be adults. While the case for banning laptops from class is a valid one, teachers aren’t taking into consideration that many students would not benefit from this restriction. Course materials are usually more affordable as e-texts, not to mention that typing can be more efficient than writing. However, if students choose not to take notes and shop online instead, they should have the freedom to do so.

http://dailytexanonline.com/2016/09/18/laptops-should-be-allowed-in-classrooms

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Coding education in Bend gains momentum

By Kathleen McLaughlin, The Bulletin

In Bend, introductory computer science classes are in their second year at Mountain View and Summit high schools, and both schools are offering an advanced-placement computer science class for the first time this fall. No introductory computer science is available at Bend High, the largest in the district with about 1,600 students, or La Pine High School. Crook County High School in Prineville offers introductory computer science. Ridgeview High School in Redmond offers intro to programming, a second programming class and AP computer science. Redmond High does not. There are practical and philosophical reasons for the gaps. Elementary and middle school days are packed with required curriculum, and to add elective courses in high schools takes adequate equipment and willing, trained teachers, said Kathie Quick, a math teacher at Summit who launched the programming course.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/4663377-151/coding-education-in-bend-gains-momentum

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100 NYC Title I Schools to Adopt Coding Curriculum

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

A New York-based provider of classroom-friendly solutions for K–12 computer science instruction is bringing computer science to more than 5,000 students enrolled in 100 Title I schools in New York City. Codesters teaches students Python through its platform that enables students to create interactive graphics, animation, elements and other projects. The company provides a pre-built curriculum with step-by-step lessons that give students instant feedback and assessments. The Codesters curriculum also includes lessons that integrate Common Core mathematics, so that students can “improve math outcomes while learning critical literacy of coding,” according to the company’s website. Additionally, teachers can utilize Codesters’ learning management system to track student progress through a class dashboard.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/16/100-nyc-title-i-schools-to-adopt-coding-curriculum.aspx

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Learning outside of the classroom: The Contemporaries at the bring world culture to local students

by  Rusty Schramm, Temple Daily Telegram

Kites, kimonos and culture. The Contemporaries of the Azalee Marshall Cultural Activities Center held a “Journey to Japan” Tuesday as part of a program that introduces local students to other world cultures. The Contemporaries’ “Hands-On” program has been active for the past 20 years. The group selects a different world culture every year to share with children who come through the doors. “Each year, we choose a culture that, hopefully, the children don’t know that much about already. This year, we’ve chosen Japan,” Contemporaries chairman Beverly Kermode said. Over the next month, third-grade classes from throughout the area will file into the CAC to experience a taste of Japanese culture. The event is broken into four stations with various activities.

http://www.tdtnews.com/life/article_78f0c978-7b78-11e6-8d9f-33ac825724c7.html

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30 Middle Schools to Pilot OER Math Curriculua

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

A California-based nonprofit is bringing its openly-licensed and standards-aligned mathematics curricula to 30 middle schools in five school districts this year. The curricula from Open Up Resources, developed in partnership with Illustrative Mathematics, aims to provide the schools with quality open educational resources (OER) at a better price than traditional publishers. Open Up Resources launched earlier this week after raising $10 million in investments from its supporting philanthropic organizations. Prior to the launch it was called the K–12 OER Collaborative, an initiative founded by 13 states that wanted to create OER for K–12 mathematics and English language arts.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/16/30-middle-schools-to-pilot-oer-math-curriculum.aspx

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Companies Settle with New York to Stop Tracking Children Online

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

Hasbro, which makes the My Little Pony website, is among the companies that have illegally allowed children’s viewing habits to be tracked online. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has reached settlements with four major companies, blocking them from using tracking technology on their popular children’s websites. The settlements require that Viacom, Mattel and Jumpstart pay penalties totaling $835,000 following an investigation dubbed Operation Child Tracker, according to WABC-TV, the attorney general’s media site and other news sources. The two-year investigation found that the companies violated a 1998 federal law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, that prohibits unauthorized collection of children’s personal information on websites aimed at users under 13. “What we found, frankly, was shocking,” Schneiderman said during a press conference this week. “Many of the sites that are home to our most popular TV shows and toys were littered with technology that can be used to track every move a child makes on that site.”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/14/companies-settle-with-new-york-to-stop-tracking-children-online.aspx

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Buttercups and Orange Bus create online learning platform for pharmacy students

by Michael Feeley, the Drum

National training provider Buttercups has collaborated with Newcastle-based digital agency Orange Bus on an international project to develop the next generation of pharmacy talent. Orange Bus, which has offices in Newcastle, Edinburgh and London, was approached Buttercups to build a dedicated web-based platform that allows pharmacy support staff to study for nationally recognised qualifications. The open source platform from Drupal combines content management and learner reporting tools to allow the easy creation of engaging, social and interactive content for learners to access from any device. The project was launched after Buttercups discovered Pennsylvania State University had developed a new approach to building e-learning platforms. Experts at the university have spent years developing a feature-rich system that can be extended and adapted to any user need.

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/09/15/buttercups-and-orange-bus-create-online-learning-platform-pharmacy-students

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5 ways edu-tech is changing your learning experience

by J Vignesh & Varsha Bansal, Economic Times

Online courses and learning through mobile apps are gaining more acceptances among the student community. This is fuelling further development of data-driven education technologies, triggering fundamental changes in how school and college students as well as professionals seeking new skills are learning. Last week, the foundation started by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan co-led a $50-million investment in the Bengaluru-based startup Byju’s app. It has been downloaded by about 5.5 million students in more than 1,400 cities and towns. Take a look at how edu-tech is changing the learning experience of students.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/tech-life/five-ways-mobile-and-online-can-change-your-learning-experience/5-ways-edu-tech-is-changing-your-learning-experience/slideshow/54359457.cms

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The Growth of Online Video-Based Learning

Len Calderone, HomeToys

The demand for video-based learning is experiencing tremendous growth in the recent times. Video-based learning may soon become the most sought after educational process from the corporate level to the academic environment, mainly because of the growth of smartphones and tablets. The reason that we are seeing a growing trend in video-based learning is largely due to the increased strength of social media proliferation and social blogging in the everyday life of a student, along with mobile learning. The use of written material in education has become boring to today’s digital users. Neurological studies have proven that memories are reinforced when an emotion was attached to memory. The quality of learning (comprehension and understanding) is limited until our multiple senses are involved.

http://www.hometoys.com/article/2016/09/the-growth-of-online-video-based-learning-/35083

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High school juniors can apply for aerospace class

by Times-News

Idaho high school juniors can apply to take an aerospace class this spring, with the chance to visit the NASA Ames Research Center in Sunnyvale, Calif. Registration will be open through Nov. 18. The Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars program is offered through a cooperation between the Idaho Department of Education and NASA. Once accepted into the program, students will sign up for an online class offered through the Idaho Digital Learning Academy by going to their IDLA school site coordinator. The class will be offered from January through May and students will receive one science elective credit for completing the class.

http://magicvalley.com/news/local/education/high-school-juniors-can-apply-for-aerospace-class/article_c0aa6894-5d45-5023-b1ab-871041245f64.html

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Udacity Fuels Autonomous Vehicle Engineering Dreams

By Jack M. Germain, Linux Insider

Online education company Udacity on Tuesday introduced a new “nanodegree” program in self-driving auto engineering. President Sebastian Thrun made the announcement during an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt. The goal is to build a crowdsourced, open source self-driving car, he said. The program is the first of its kind, according to Thrun. Students will learn the skills and techniques used by self-driving car teams at the most innovative companies in the world, Udacity has promised. The course spans three 12-week terms and covers deep learning, computer vision, sensor fusion, localization and controllers. Each of the three terms will cost US$800. The first term begins in mid-October.

http://www.linuxinsider.com/story/83896.html?rss=1

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Sherman Oaks Teen Creates Anti-Bullying App

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

Natalie Hampton turned the hardest years of her life into a new app that can help other kids. The 16-year-old from Sherman Oaks, CA has created “Sit With Us,” a free mobile app that allows students to become “ambassadors” and privately invite other kids to join them in the cafeteria or lunchroom. Users may also find an “open table” where they can sit with other people. The app can help kids always find a lunch buddy and avoid the humiliation and embarrassment of being publicly rejected or isolated. Hampton experienced bullying in her own life in seventh and eight grade, and said she spent her entire seventh grade year eating alone. “I want to use social media, which can be harmful, and use it for a change and do something good,” she told the L.A. Daily News.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/13/sherman-oaks-teen-creates-anti-bullying-app.aspx

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Raspberry Pi Sells 10 Million Micrcomputers, Debuts Starter Kit

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has sold more than 10 million affordable microcomputers. To celebrate, the foundation is debuting a new starter kit. Since its launch in 2012, the foundation has sold more than 10 million of its $35 single board microcomputers to help students access computing and digital making skills. The “unashamedly premium” Raspberry Pi Starter Kit costs roughly $130, according to CEO Eben Upton.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/12/10-million-raspberry-pi-sold-company-releases-starter-kit.aspx

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Newest NMC/CoSN Horizon K-12 Report Emphasizes Kids as Creators

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

Over the next year K-12 will be placing more emphasis on coding as a form of literacy and on students as creators. Schools that don’t already have makerspaces will want to get them and online learning will start to look like something that’s typical rather than out of the norm. Those are the “short-term” trends and technologies that surfaced in the 2016 K-12 Edition of the NMC/CoSN Horizon Report. This annual publication charts a five-year horizon among school communities around the world, summarizing the latest research and discussions of a group of 59 technology and education experts working with the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/15/newest-nmccosn-horizon-k12-report-emphasizes-kids-as-creators.aspx

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Game On: How Four Community College Professors Spawned the CUNY Games Network

By George Lorenzo, EdSurge

When four professors from the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) started collaborating on game-based learning (GBL) in developmental math and writing instruction in the mid-2000s, they had no idea what they were setting in motion. Today, more than 160 GBL researchers and practitioners contribute to the dynamic CUNY Games Network (CGN), housed within the City University of New York (CUNY), with its more than 540,000 students on 24 campuses. The network links educators across disciplines who are interested in using games and other forms of interactive teaching to improve student success. And participants are showing that gameplay is serious business: data from BMCC classes suggests that when students have fun learning they appear to have more meaningful learning experiences.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-09-13-game-on-how-four-community-college-professors-spawned-the-cuny-games-network

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What technology initiatives are colleges and universities proud of?

by eSchool News

As the school year gets underway across the nation, many institutions are launching new technology initiatives and programs designed to improve teaching and learning. Educators love to share their successes, learn from the success of other institutions, and they also love to share lessons they learned along their journey. eSchool Media and Xirrus have teamed up on the Innovate to Educate Awards to give a national platform for educators to share what they’re most proud of in their colleges and universities. Here, we’ve highlighted the successes of four awards program applicants.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/curriculum/innovative-technology-initiatives/

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Ag Goes Online at Oklahoma State U

by Oklahoma Horizon

The world of education is available with the click of the mouse. The popularity of online education lead several traditional universities to make their own courses more accessible to the public. OKLAHOMA HORIZON’s Austin Moore shares how one of those universities started their program by teaching ag online. The idea is straight forward: offer a class, offer it online, make it available to anyone and accept everyone. Hence the term, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Throughout this emerging industry, you’ll find courses offered for credit, some of certifications and others simply for the sake of learning. It is no small way, the wild, wild west of post-secondary education.

http://www.rfdtv.com/story/33093573/ag-goes-online-at-osu

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U Idaho to use grant to study online courses for rural teachers

by the Spokesman-Review

Teachers in rural areas will be able to advance their math education through online courses and video coaching under a $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant awarded to the University of Idaho College of Education and the University of Rochester in New York. The four-year grant from the foundation’s Discovery Research PreK-12 program will support research of an online-based professional development model. The goal is to increase the quality of professional development opportunities for rural school teachers who may have less access to such support. “This program will ensure teachers in remote areas of Idaho are receiving instructional support that will ultimately influence student learning in mathematics,” said Julie Amador, assistant professor in the UI College of Education and director of the Idaho Region 1 Match Center in Coeur d’Alene.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/sep/14/ui-to-use-grant-to-study-online-courses-for-rural-/

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Study: Coding bootcamps yield high returns on job placement, diversity

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A new study authored by Course Report reveals surprising data about the economic and social benefits of the emerging for-profit training model. According to the study, more than 70% of bootcamp graduates report holding employment requiring use of the skills learned in the bootcamp, and more than 60% have received salary increases as a result of their completion. Women comprise more than 40% of the national bootcamp student profile, and African-Americans who complete coding bootcamps are the highest earners and most likely to be employed at a tech company.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/study-coding-bootcamps-yield-high-returns-on-job-placement-diversity/426349/

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