Real talk: This is what successful blended learning actually looks like

By Andy Franko, eSchool News

In theory, blended learning sounds straightforward: You replace a portion of the traditional face-to-face instruction with web-based online instruction. In practice, though, launching and sustaining a blended learning initiative takes planning, training, tech tools, and the flexibility to change course midstream. Colorado District 49, where I am superintendent of the iConnect Zone, started down the road to blended learning in 2009, and we are still learning. Here are five lessons we can share from our years of experience on sustaining a blended learning initiative.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/04/20/successful-blended-learning/

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British Council, UCL Inst develop online course for teachers

by India Today

The British Council today said along with UCL Institute of Education, UK, it has developed a free online course for teachers in India to develop their skills and knowledge. “We are launching our first free, online course designed to help teachers in India continue their professional development. Were bringing the best of UK expertise through our partner UCL Institute of Education together to provide a learning experience for thousands across the country who may not otherwise have access to this type of content,” British Council Director India Alan Gemmell said in a release. This online course is in simple steps to help teachers develop their reflective skills and improve their practise in the classroom

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/british-council-ucl-inst-develop-online-course-for-teachers/1/933939.html

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Rural Education at a Glance 2017

US Dept of Agriculture

Education is closely linked with economic outcomes. This report highlights key trends in educational attainment among rural Americans and the relationship between educational attainment and economic prosperity for rural people and places. Rural Americans are increasingly educated, but gains in educational attainment vary across demographic groups. Rural women are increasingly more highly educated than rural men, and educational attainment among rural Whites is higher than that of racial and ethnic minorities in rural areas. Compared with urban areas, rural areas are lagging in the share of adults with college degrees. Urban areas continue to offer employment and earnings advantages (relative to rural areas) for workers with college degrees. For rural counties, low educational attainment is closely related to higher poverty and child poverty rates as well as higher unemployment rates.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/eib171/eib-171.pdf?v=42830

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UC-Berkeley removing resources not compliant with accessibility standards

by Pat Donachie, Education Dive

The University of California at Berkeley is removing older videos, recordings and other resources from public platforms in accordance with a January ruling from the U.S. Department of Justice that all public online content must be accessible to all viewers, including those with disabilities, under federal law, University Business reports. Higher education institutions are not required to abide by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, but often choose to adhere to the standards, and most of Berkeley’s content since 2015 has been captured in a manner that meets accessibility standards. Though content that is not appropriately accessible will not be available to the public, UC-Berkeley students, teachers and staff will be able to log in to YouTube via school-supported IDs for continued access.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/uc-berkeley-removing-resources-not-compliant-with-accessibility-standards/440994/

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UM is offering an online course to teach the public on how fake news can be spotted

by Audri Taylors, UniversityHerald

Fake news has been everywhere, constantly confusing and misleading people from the truth. And now, they are even more difficult to spot, for which reason the University of Michigan prepares to offer an online course to help their citizens be equipped on effectively spotting fake news. The faculty members of University of Michigan is offering a free online course on Friday, April 21 entitled “Fake News, Facts, and Alternative Facts” on the edX website, Michigan Radio reported. This is the website that universities use to offer free online classes to the public. According to Brian Weeks who teach communication studies, it is good that Google and Facebook are launching new tools to better help the public be informed on how to distinguish what is true and what is not. He believes that one way to do it is through citizen education.

http://www.universityherald.com/articles/73355/20170419/university-michigan-offers-online-class-help-citizens-identify-fake-news.htm

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17 of our favorite Raspberry Pi projects

by ZDNet

It’s surprisingly easy to build your own retro gaming console, media center and smartphone — all from scratch. We’re big fans of the Raspberry Pi here at ZDNet. These inexpensive mini computers are amazing — you can turn them into retro gaming consoles, printer, media servers, smart speakers, and more. Making your own electronics from scratch may seem daunting at first, but we promise: There are plenty of simple, easy, and inexpensive Raspberry Pi projects that don’t require you to code. They’re great for tinkerers and makers of all ages. Here are our favorite projects.

http://www.zdnet.com/pictures/raspberry-pi-projects-you-can-build-retropie-kodi/

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Back to the Future of Edtech: A Meditation

by John O’Brien, EDUCAUSE

Understanding the past is important, and thinking about the future is fundamentally human, but more fascinating still is the combination, the history of the future. Ultimately, as I position myself at the crossroads between the past and the future… I imagine that it is possible that artificial intelligence developments in the years ahead might well improve learning without turning the keys to the kingdom over to Tay, the Microsoft chatbot who went from “humans are super cool” to holocaust-denying racist in a day. I imagine it is possible that personalized and adaptive learning could well preserve that which is sacred in the faculty-student relationship, freeing faculty to focus on what matters most. After all, what I cherish most about the colleges and universities I have attended are the human connections.

https://www.educause.edu/interactive/2017/4/back-to-the-future-of-edtech/

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Report measures colleges’ return on investment for students

by Pat Donachie, Education Dive

PayScale released its latest report measuring the return on investment for students graduating from 1,400 different public and private nonprofit colleges throughout the country, marking 10 years since it first published data measuring the money students from certain colleges made after graduating, according to Inside Higher Ed. The PayScale report mirrored results from other studies, revealing that colleges specializing in engineering or science disciplines offer the best ROI for students, in addition to finding that public colleges offer a better ROI, which is likely due to having much lower tuition and ancillary costs than private institutions.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/report-measures-colleges-return-on-investment-for-students/440780/

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Personalized Learning – What the Research Shows

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

As far as technology goes, some programs have proven to stand out among others in the arena of available tools for personalized learning. For example, some math programs are integrative and adaptive to the needs of each child using the program. These programs promote learning engagement and student motivation in ways that other models have failed to do so in previous years. Some studies have spent lots of time focusing on research for these various types of technology and techniques regarding personalized learning. Schools that participated in the study have experienced positive effects as a result of using these technologies and techniques. Math, science, and reading scores have improved over the two years these schools took place in the study, too. Most of these scores are at or above national averages as well.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/personalized-learning/

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Exercise devised to boost completion rates of some online learning courses: study

by Xinhua

A study indicates that a simple writing activity, lasting about eight minutes, increased completion rates for people from individualistic, but not collectivist, cultures to take online learning courses. While more than 58 million people have enrolled in MOOCs between 2011 and 2016, according to researchers who published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, course completion rates are only about 10 percent, and just 25 percent for learners categorized as “highly committed.” René Kizilcec, a Stanford University doctoral candidate in communication and the study’s lead author and Geoffrey Cohen, a professor at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and Department of Psychology and the study’s co-author, cite a lack of external or social pressure to complete courses and little support or guidance as reasons for high attrition in MOOCs.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1042970.shtml

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Google AI experiment may lead to robots that can learn WITHOUT human input

by Tim Collins Daily Mail

And creating robots that can learn without any input from humans is moving ever closer, thanks to the latest developments in artificial intelligence. One such project seeks to pit the wits of two AI algorithms against each other, with results that could one day lead to the emergence of such intelligent machines. Researchers at the Google Brain AI lab have developed a system known as a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). Conventional AI uses input to ‘teach’ an algorithm about a particular subject by feeding it massive amounts of information. This knowledge can then be employed for a specific task – facial recognition being just one example. GANs seek to generate new content from this learned information, creating digital content like pictures and video based on their understanding of similar real life images and footage.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4420804/Experiment-lead-machine-s-learning-without-humans.html

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A Russian hacker has created his own ’starter pack’ ransomware service

By Zack Whittaker, Zero Day

A new kind of highly-customized ransomware recently discovered by security researchers allows individual criminals to deliver “ransomware-as-a-service”. What sets this ransomware apart from other kinds of file-locking software is that criminals who buy this specialized malware, dubbed Karmen, can remotely control the ransomware from their web browser, allowing the attacker to see at-a-glance a centralized web dashboard of their entire ransomware campaign. That dashboard allows the attacker to manage their fleet of infected victims’ computers, such as by tracking how much money they’ve made. If this figure falls short, the attacker can then bump the price of the ransom they seek. In other words, it’s a “starter pack” for low-level criminals to engage in ransomware campaigns, said Andrei Barysevich, director of advanced collection at Recorded Future, who co-authored the report. “For $175, any script kiddie can carry out ransomware attacks,” he said on the phone.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/a-russian-hacker-has-created-his-own-starter-pack-ransomware-service/

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Makerspace comes to Case Western Reserve University

by Pat Donachie, Education Dive

Case Western University will soon open the think(box), which will act as a venue for students to engage in innovation and tinker with fresh ideas, according to the Chronicle for Higher Education. The university is encouraging students and others to utilize the new makerspace for construction and experimentation, with one floor housing woodworking tools and 3-D printers, as well as a paint shop and welding station. ​The notion of makerspaces first flourished at engineering schools, but now colleges are all kinds are approaching the spaces through a multidisciplinary lens, encouraging engineers to meet students on other tracks in the hopes of spurring all students involved to new creative heights.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/makerspace-comes-to-case-western-reserve-university/440666/

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Technology is key to reducing college education costs

by Brian Mulligan, the Irish Times

In 20 years’ time, fewer school leavers will go to college. Far more study options will be available, many on the internet – and much cheaper than what is offered now. Distance learning and work-based learning, including apprenticeships, will become more available, reducing the total cost of education by allowing school leavers to live at home and “earn while they learn”.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/technology-is-key-to-reducing-college-education-costs-1.3045100

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Online Music Composition Tool Helps Students Engage, Learn and Socialize

By Shelley Emslie, THE Journal

A fifth grade teacher from Montana reflects on how Soundtrap helped an unmotivated, unfocused student discover his voice and passion. One day in class during Genius Hour, I noticed this student really engaged on a Chromebook. He had earphones on, so I could not hear what he was listening to, but the smile on his face went from ear to ear. I had to find out what had him so captivated. After asking him what he was up to, he said, “I’m doing Soundtrap.” I had never heard of it, but soon learned about it from my colleague, Brianne Fuzesy, our music and band teacher. It is an online collaborative music and audio recording studio that runs on multiple platforms, including Chromebooks. Very easy to use, it gives students the tools to create music or podcasts and share them through the web with fellow students within an invited group.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/04/13/online-music-composition-tool-helps-students-engage-learn-and-socialize.aspx

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3 keys to student success with early college programs

BY DENNIS PIERCE, eSchool News

Guilford County, N.C., is a national leader in providing early college opportunities for students. Here’s what other districts can learn from its success. In all of these programs, students take high school courses taught by GCS instructors during their first two years. During their junior and senior years, they take college-level courses taught by college instructors, and they can graduate with up to two years of college credit tuition-free.At the STEM Early College at North Carolina A&T University, for instance, students can focus on one of three career pathways: biotechnology, engineering, or renewable and sustainable resources. “For many of our students, this program is their ticket to reaching their goals,” said Principal Jamisa Williams. “Their tuition is covered, and they are two years ahead of their peers when they graduate. That’s money in the bank for them.”

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/04/13/success-early-college-programs/

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This is what Gen Z-designed curriculum looks like for the future

BY DARREN FAUST, eSchool News

Cross-curricular lessons help Generation Z develop the problem-solving skills they will need in an ever-changing world for tomorrow’s jobs. Cross-curricular lessons are one way educators can prepare students for an uncertain future. With the national emphasis on STEM, cross-curricular learning teaches students about history, science, technology, engineering, and math (as well as art and literature), all while inspiring students to explore these subjects and make connections on their own. By making these connections and using multiple disciplines in their learning, students are learning creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, all of which will be relevant no matter which career path they choose.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/04/17/gen-z-designed-curriculum/

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11 Ways to Make Your Online Course Go Global as a Freelance Educator

By Sarah Cordiner, THE Journal

The continued growth of online courses and the introduction of alternative accreditations will spawn a growth in freelance or independent professors. By 2025, all you need to start your own university is a great online teaching style, course materials and marketing plan.” The booming demand for self-study, on-demand and access-anytime training and education is evident through the popularity of platforms like Udemy and Coursera. The online learner is ready and waiting for your course. Many educators are shifting away from their traditional teacher, trainer and professor roles at brick-and-mortar institutions and realizing the benefits of freelancing, such as sharing their expertise beyond the walls of their classroom and earning extra compensation.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/04/11/11-ways-to-make-your-online-course-go-global-as-a-freelance-professor.aspx

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Computer Science Ed Policies: ‘We Have a Long Way to Go’

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

If understanding of computer science is essential to being an informed citizen, then it makes sense that every child needs an education in the use of computing devices and software, digital literacy and computational processing. That’s the premise of a new report developed by half a dozen organizations that undertook a state-by-state survey of the current state of K-12 CS education. The report, titled “State of the States Landscape Report: State-Level Policies Supporting Equitable K–12 Computer Science Education,” was released during a workshop led by Google, the Education Development Center (EDC), and the Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network (MassCAN) on Google’s Cambridge campus.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/04/10/state-progress-on-k12-computer-science-ed-policies.aspx

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Are some Georgia dual enrollment classes making it too easy to earn an A?

By Maureen Downey, Atlanta Journal Constitution

The state encourages high school students to take college courses through Georgia’s Move on When Ready dual enrollment program. Some high school students have long contended dual enrollment college courses are easier than their school’s AP or IB classes. The AJC’s Will Robinson looked into a report that MOWR classes at a few local high schools awarded an inordinate number of A grades. We are talking all 27 or 28 kids in the class earning an A.

http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2017/04/14/are-some-georgia-dual-enrollment-classes-making-it-too-easy-to-earn-an-a/

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Seventeen jobs, five careers: learning in the age of automation

by Max Opray, the Guardian

Welcome to the fourth industrial revolution: the economy of always learning. Staying still is more likely than ever to result in obsolescence, as indicated by a report released last month by consultancy firm PwC, which estimated 30% of British jobs could be automated by 2030. As professionals need to update their skills more frequently than ever, so too the education sector is evolving to cater to a new state of affairs in which young people are projected to have 17 jobs over five different careers, according to the Foundation for Young Australians 2015 report, The New Work Order.

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/apr/15/seventeen-jobs-five-careers-learning-in-the-age-of-automation

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USU-Online to offer accelerated course options

by Mitch Henline, Cache Valley Daily

For students already competent in their field of study, Utah State University-Online is making it possible to get through courses faster – or just test out of them altogether. Starting this summer, USU-Online will be offering a limited number of its courses with accelerated options. At the professor’s discretion, three methods will be offered: A student can take a comprehensive assessment, complete a comprehensive project or complete the course material at a faster pace. USU’s distance education manager Kevin Shanley said competency-based education is a growing trend across the country.

http://www.cachevalleydaily.com/news/local/article_ef59fda8-2147-11e7-957b-9f4bc4e2bc2f.html

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5 EdTech Tools

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

With thousands of edtech products on the market, consumers are met with the daunting task of picking out products that address the needs of their students, better teaching practices or make the schooling experience better. With over $537 million spent on K12 education in 2015, there is no doubt that this industry is booming and that teaching establishments are investing in edtech more than ever. So, in the hopes of bringing to light some of the best edtech tools in the industry; below are 5 edtech tools that everyone should be using. Some are age specific, but most can be adapted to any classroom.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/5-edtech-tools-everyone-education-using/

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Non-profit organization works to end country-wide teacher shortage

by WMBF

The education nonprofit American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence hosted a meeting in Socastee Saturday to inform the public of their online program that certifies users to become teachers in one year. To qualify for the program, you must have any bachelor’s degree from any accredited university. Once registered for the program, all the courses are online. Users just need to take two exams at the end of the year to complete their certification. One of the exams tests individuals on the structure of a classroom and the routines of being a teacher, such as lesson planning. The other exam is targeted specifically to which subject the user plans on teaching. Once the online course is completed and both tests are passed, the user is now a certified teacher (ed. note:  ONLY IN 11 STATES) and can begin work in the county of their choice.

http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/35103348/non-profit-organization-works-to-end-country-wide-teacher-shortage

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Online lessons helping Forbes Road student come back from kidney transplant

by JAMIE MARTINES, Trib Live

On a snowy Friday morning in April, 16-year-old Jarrod Danka settled in at a desk in the cozy den of his family’s home in Natrona Heights. The 10th-grader had a 9 a.m. conference call, and he was running a few minutes late. Within moments, his teacher’s face popped up on a computer screen, and the two chatted about Jarrod’s recent assignments and plans for tackling future lessons. He’s excited to work in a rapidly changing field that will give him a chance to keep learning and master evolving technologies. For the past five weeks, online learning and video conference calls have been part of Jarrod’s daily routine. It’s how he keeps up with his studies at the Forbes Road Career and Technical Center in Monroeville while he recovers from a second kidney transplant.

http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/12161707-74/on-line-lessons-helping-forbes-road-student-come-back-from-kidney-transplant

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Lacking a teacher, Atlantic City High School offers chemistry on computers

by DIANE D’AMICO, Press of Atlantic City

he school district advertised three times for a certified chemistry teacher last summer and fall, and three times they failed to get a candidate to accept the job. So they turned to Edmentum, a provider of online courses, to fill the gap. This year, four classes at the high school are being taught via the online course, with backup support from a teacher. “This is the way of the future,” said Assistant Superintendent Sherry Yahn, who said they are looking at other online programs. Not everyone is happy with the shift. Students in the chemistry classes didn’t mind being able to work at their own pace, but almost all interviewed said they would prefer a live teacher.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/education/lacking-a-teacher-atlantic-city-high-school-offers-chemistry-on/article_d8c9c325-0455-5627-b4ec-59602e2a1923.html

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Exploring the Benefits and Downsides of Online Courses

by Christina Laderoute, UMass Lowell Connector

According to Mary Barrett, the associate director of Student Services, some benefits of online courses include their extensive flexibility. If a student has access to a computer, they can take classes from anywhere. Online courses provide higher education access to a wider range of students. Julian Zamudio, a senior computer engineering major, says he took online classes during the summer of his junior year, as well as this semester. Zamudio says that the benefits of taking online classes is that “[you are] able to do work under your own time under the restricted timeframe that you have to do it within.” When asked if he would recommend online courses, Zamudio says “Only for winter and summer seasons, because you are away from the distractions of your fellow peers and school activities. Also, you have more control of your comfort setting over the summer and winter and you are only engaged in those [online] classes.

http://umlconnector.com/2017/04/exploring-the-benefits-and-downsides-of-online-courses/

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13 epic stats and facts from The State of Social webinar

by Andrew Warren-Payne, ClickZ

On March 23, ClickZ Intelligence held the webinar ‘The State of Social 2017’ in association with Tracx. As part of the presentation, a huge number of stats and facts were shared about social media, both as a whole and in relation to individual networks. Practical tips given by National Geographic’s Mia Vallo and Shell’s Matt Owen helped demonstrate to viewers how they can apply these to their strategy. So what were the most interesting stats shared in the webinar? We’ve listed 13 of our favorites below.

https://www.clickz.com/13-epic-stats-and-facts-from-the-state-of-social-webinar/110510/

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Using Google Cardboard to Simulate Virtual Learning Experiences

By Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

The reason that many teachers strive for a more virtual experience instead of the traditional talking points is that the interaction makes the lesson more memorable to the students. Google Cardboard is an interesting and very low-cost solution to creating a virtual experience. You can compare it to the Oculus Rift, but without the $600 price tag for each unit. As the name suggests, the product is from Google, and it is made entirely of cardboard. You construct the equipment (fold the cardboard) into the shape of goggles. Download the app you want to use in your virtual reality lesson, and place the phone within the frame, and you can start seeing the world from the app. It helps you feel like you are in the locations being displayed or are experiencing the events taking place.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/using-google-cardboard-simulate-virtual-learning-experiences/

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State Progress on K-12 Computer Science Ed Policies: ‘We Have a Long Way to Go’

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

If understanding of computer science is essential to being an informed citizen, then it makes sense that every child needs an education in the use of computing devices and software, digital literacy and computational processing. That’s the premise of a new report developed by half a dozen organizations that undertook a state-by-state survey of the current state of K-12 CS education. The report, titled “State of the States Landscape Report: State-Level Policies Supporting Equitable K–12 Computer Science Education,” was released during a workshop led by Google, the Education Development Center (EDC), and the Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network (MassCAN) on Google’s Cambridge campus.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/04/10/state-progress-on-k12-computer-science-ed-policies.aspx

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Why Gen Z needs librarians now more than ever

By GINNY BOUGHTER, eSchool News

Whether guiding research or introducing new technology, today’s librarian gives Gen Z the skills and tools they need to move from ‘getting it right now’ to ‘getting it right.’Librarians and media specialists are in a unique position within schools, since they are very often the person responsible for introducing students to new technologies, and are also on the front lines when it comes to connecting students to meaningful sources for research. Today’s students have never known a world without the smartphone or tablet, and many of them have been using these devices independently since infancy. The answers to their questions have never been more than a click of a button away. In this brave new world of technological innovation and free-flowing information, librarians are now tasked with teaching these digital natives how to navigate these waters with discernment, while still taking full advantage of the opportunities these tools afford them.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/04/10/gen-z-needs-librarians/

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Indiana U Students Save $3.5 Million Through Digital Textbook Program

by Campus Technology

Indiana University (IU) is out with a numbers update for its eText initiative that delivers digital course materials to students: In the 2016-17 academic year, IU students saved an estimated $3.5 million more than what they would have otherwise spent on traditional programs, according to a campus official. The program uses an inclusive-access model that delivers digital course materials directly to students in time for their first day of class. More than 40,000 IU students purchased at least one digital textbook through the initiative in the same academic year. The university launched eText as a pilot in 2009. IU partnered with more than 20 higher ed publishers to drive costs down, while expanding catalogs and providing more options for teachers and students.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/04/06/indiana-u-students-save-3-5-million-through-digital-textbook-program.aspx

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Teaching and Learning Get Personal With Change to Proficiency-Based Grading

by Nora Doyle-Burr, Valley News

Instead of receiving traditional letter grades, students in seventh and eighth grades, and in ninth grade in the core courses of science, social studies and English, were evaluated in certain skills by their mastery — beginning, approaching, proficient and distinguished. Woodstock’s change in its grading system is linked to an imminent statewide change in graduation requirements and an accompanying push to emphasize a more personalized approach to teaching and learning. If Woodstock’s recent experience is any guide, other Vermont school districts should expect hiccups during the transition. In a proficiency-based system, teachers rely on standards such as the Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards and state Education Quality Standards to determine which skills they expect students to master. They use rubrics and “I can” statements to show students what they need to be able to do to become proficient in each skill.

http://www.vnews.com/Woodstock-Middle-and-High-Schools-Try-New-Grading-System-8548745

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How to Implement Blended Learning in the K-12 Classroom

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

First and foremost, educators need to know their students. Teachers at the K-12 level must be aware of the level of access to technology their students have at home. Blended learning will look very different in a school where the majority of students don’t have access to high-speed internet at home versus a school where every student can log in at home. For classrooms where most students can’t get online from home, blended learning is still an option. Teachers can set up a schedule where students alternate between digital and traditional learning modes in the classroom. Two or three days a week could be devoted to completing online activities, while the remaining days might look like a more traditional classroom.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/implement-blended-learning-k-12-classrooms/

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