Student outings enhance learning

BY SANDI KRASKOWSKI THE CHRONICLE-JOURNAL

Students at Westmount Public School are reaching higher in their education through a new learning academy program. The school is one of three pilot project learning academies that provides grades 7 and 8 students opportunities to learn in an experiential environment while meeting the requirements of the Ontario curriculum. Three academies, sports and recreation, fine arts, and global citizenship have been established at Westmount school, where students are required to choose two to study. Teacher Casey Charles spent the day with his class at the Boulder Bear Climbing Centre on Thursday teaching his students about climbing.

http://www.chroniclejournal.com/news/student-outings-enhance-learning/article_5fbba0b2-97a3-11e6-8cbe-27ee320e2983.html

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New online ‘learning passport’ a one-stop shop for teachers in Wales

BY GARETH EVANS, Wales Online

The passport will help school and college staff record, monitor and reflect on their professional learning and development. A “one-stop shop” for teachers, lecturers and support staff to record their progress and evaluate their experiences has been launched in Wales. The “professional learning passport” (PLP) is designed to help school and college staff record, monitor and reflect on their professional learning and development. Funded by the Welsh Government, it will be operated by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) – the body responsible for upholding classroom standards – and is available online via its website.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/new-online-learning-passport-one-12004160

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With cyberthreats ever-present in higher ed, prevention begins with users

By Roger Riddell, Naomi Eide, Education Dive

Security has often been an afterthought as technology evolved, and now many sectors are facing cyberthreats that are increasingly difficult to defend against. In higher ed, cybersecurity concerns are ever present as open networks create a broad attack surface, and limited budgets make defense a challenge. As the threat landscape evolves, there is only so much that campuses can do, but many defense strategies start with awareness, networking, enacting perimeter security and budgeting for the known unknowns organizations may face. IT security is “really about protecting your data and applications that matter most rather than endpoint devices,” said Sasi K. Pillay, vice president for IT services and CIO at Washington State University. “But in the meantime, we’re not there yet, so we have to come up with compensating controls.”

http://www.educationdive.com/news/cyber-threats-cybersecurity-higher-ed/427704/

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UR offers middle-school math teachers an online assist

By MIKE HIBBARD, Finger Lakes Times

Middle-school math teachers throughout Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES have an opportunity to participate in an online-based, professional development model geared toward rural school districts. The project is part of a $2.8 million grant awarded to the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education by the National Science Foundation. The funding covers a four-year period. “This program will expand our current professional development and research efforts to reach and benefit rural teachers, who have had limited access to high-quality professional development resources and experiences in the past due to geographic isolation,” said Jeffrey Choppin, chair of teaching and curriculum at the Warner School. “Our ultimate goal is to influence student learning and outcomes in all areas of the country, regardless of geographical access to resources.”

http://www.fltimes.com/news/ur-offers-middle-school-math-teachers-an-online-assist/article_8239c064-8840-11e6-809f-67440e78a026.html

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Udacity’s self-driving car engineering degree lures over 11,000 hopefuls

By Alexandria Sage and Paul Lienert, Reuters

Silicon Valley online education platform Udacity has already received more than 11,000 applicants for its so-called nanodegree in self-driving car engineering, Udacity president and Google X founder Sebastian Thrun said. The high number of applicants – for 250 spots in the course – underscores the pressing need for talent by technology leaders such as Alphabet’s Google and Apple, traditional car companies and automotive start-ups, as they race to develop production-ready autonomous-driving vehicles within the next decade. High-profile, costly acquisitions driven by the desire to acquire talent, such as General Motors Co’s purchase of automotive start-up Cruise, or Uber Technologies [UBER.UL] buying self-driving trucking start-up Otto, have marked the sector over the past year. “Self-driving car engineers are extremely in demand,” Thrun told Reuters in an interview.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/udacitys-self-driving-car-engineering-degree-lures-over-173116453–finance.html

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Learn how to deploy OpenStack for free

by CIO

The Linux Foundation is collaborating with edX to offer an online course titled, LFS152x. The course spans across seven chapters, with a quiz at the end of each chapter. Students must take a final exam in order to complete the course. The complete course is available free of cost. Students can obtain a verified certificate of completion for $99. OpenStack may be ruling the private cloud but it’s not very easy to get started with OpenStack. In fact, a survey sponsored by SUSE found that one of the biggest challenges for customers is OpenStack implementation.

http://www.cio.com/article/3123005/cloud-computing/learn-how-to-deploy-openstack-for-free.html

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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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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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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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Learning, unlearning and relearning — New media comes to the rescue

by BLOSSOM OZURUMBA, the Cable Lifestyle

Beyond the somewhat popular massive open online courses, there are other variants that are quite specific in their delivery style like the small private online courses and the synchronous massive online courses. They are all similar in the sense that you need access to the internet to participate in the learning experience. Some are free while others are paid subscriptions with options of getting certificated at the end of the learning session. I have some top favorites that have added immeasurable value to me over time and I will be sharing them below. Hopefully, you might share my excitement and please, endeavor to share with your network.

https://lifestyle.thecable.ng/learning-unlearning-relearning-new-media-comes-rescue/

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History Enrollments Drop

By Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed

From 2012-14 to 2014-15, undergraduate enrollments fell by 7.6 percent, survey finds. At a time of concern about the state of the humanities in American higher education, a new survey finds declining enrollments in history, one of the central humanities disciplines. From 2012-14 to 2014-15, undergraduate enrollments fell by 7.6 percent, according to a new survey released by the American Historical Association. The survey is based on results from 123 history departments and is focused on total enrollments, not the number of history majors.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/09/06/survey-finds-decline-history-enrollments

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Education professor develops progress-monitoring software

By Jessica Buterbaugh, Penn State

If there is a common complaint among teachers, it is that there is not enough time in the day to complete all the duties with which they are tasked. From lesson plans to assessments to grading and student reports, the day is gone, and for most teachers, so are their evenings. A new software suite out of Penn State’s Learning, Design and Technology program is addressing those time constraints, while also improving the literacy of young students. Named avenue pm for its audio-visual environment and progress monitoring capabilities, the suite helps teachers track the literacy development of school-aged children, specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. It consists of four different assessments that measure reading and writing aptitude, and is available for free for all educators and school districts.

http://news.psu.edu/story/421902/2016/08/22/research/education-professor-develops-progress-monitoring-software

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Canvas Network Reveals Series of Open Courses Focusing on Engaging Girls in STEM Fields

by Canvas

Canvas Network, an open online educational platform from Instructure, has announced that it will be hosting courses focusing on engaging girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives. This free online course series issues a call to action for educators, students and parents to prioritize STEM education for girls in elementary, middle and high school grades, as well as higher education. The massive online open courses (MOOCs) included in the series aim to provide a community for both girls and boys throughout the world to engage in STEM-related courses. Engaging girls in STEM is crucial at a time when more than half a million jobs in information technology are unfilled across all sectors of the economy, and projections from the White House estimate that in just two years there will be 2.4 million unfilled STEM positions.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canvas-network-reveals-series-of-open-courses-focusing-on-engaging-girls-in-stem-fields-300319318.html

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How technology strategy can generate billions for higher ed

By Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

Higher education commands nearly $70 billion in funded research, but many institutions do not take advantage of technological advancement which could generate billions by cutting delays in experiments and savings on personnel. Improving recruitment strategies for graduate assistants, building networks for peer review and publishing and implementing cloud-based data storage and virtual-lab work are ways to expedite the research process while cutting costs. Smaller laboratories are frequently hampered by the antiquated systems of research management, but all institutions can benefit from cost savings and expedited systems, specifically in areas like pharmaceuticals and disease research.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/how-technology-strategy-can-generate-billions-for-higher-ed/425128/

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Three Great Places to Find Free Online Courses

by Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

Today we are sharing with you three excellent websites that will help you find the best free online classes or MOOCs from top trending universities. You can lay back in your coach, search for the courses that interest you and sign up to embark on a new exciting learning journey.

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2016/08/three-excellent-places-to-find-free.html

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Vermont Schools Have More Computers Than Kids

By Richard Chang, Campus Technology

The number of laptops, tablets and other electronic devices now outnumber the number of K–12 students in Vermont, according to a new Agency of Education (AOE) technology survey. Vermont schools own about 85,000 devices for student use, up from about 45,000 in the same survey just two years ago, according to the Burlington Free Press. The state has about 77,000 students in kindergarten through high school, according to an online enrollment report for the most recent school year.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/08/16/vermont-schools-have-more-computers-than-kids.aspx

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Meet Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app for everyone

by Google

Video calling is the next best thing to being with someone in person, but too often it can be a frustrating or complicated experience. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether your call will connect, or if your friend is using the same type of device as you are. It’s no wonder that nearly half of us never make video calls on mobile*.  Today, we’re releasing Google Duo — a simple 1-to-1 video calling app available for Android and iOS. Duo takes the complexity out of video calling, so that you can be together in the moment wherever you are.

https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/meet-google-duo-simple-1-to-1-video.html

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Missouri schools get help preventing cyberbullying

by eSchool News

The Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet) and Gaggle have announced that K-12 schools throughout Missouri are now eligible for a consortium discount on Gaggle Safety Management. Gaggle Safety Management ensures the safety of students through early warning detection of cyberbullying, self-harm, drug or alcohol use, pornography and other harmful situations. By combining machine learning technology with expert Safety Representatives, schools and districts can create safe digital learning environments for communication, collaboration and learning.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/08/08/missouri-schools-get-help-preventing-cyberbullying/

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3 ways to improve online charter schools

By Amelia Hamilton, Education Watchdog

As the popularity of online charter schools continues to grow, so do concerns over their efficacy. The Fordham Institute has three recommendations to improve online charter schools. First, policymakers should fund e-schools based on performance metrics. Second, Fordham recommends the fit between students and e-schools be improved. Finally, policymakers should allow students to take online courses without enrolling full-time in e-learning.

http://watchdog.org/272748/3-ways-improve-online-charter-schools/

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How much are Georgia college students saving on textbooks?

by Janel Davis, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Efforts to cut college costs are paying off for Georgia students. Students in Georgia’s public University System saved the most money of any school or school system on textbooks last year through an open publishing program known as OpenStax, a Rice University-based publisher. The savings information released this week by Rice shows that the almost 36,000 University System of Georgia students participating in the textbook program saved more than $3.5 million during the 2015-2016 school year. OpenStax uses grants from nonprofit groups such as the Gates Foundation to publish textbooks in about 20 subject areas including biology, economics, and algebra that are popular on college campuses. The books are free for students online, and hard copies can be purchased at a much lower cost than traditional books.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/how-much-are-georgia-college-students-saving-on-te/nr86k/

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