District 203 opens door to possibility of course overload

by Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun

Naperville School District 203 could be warming to the idea of high school students taking more than seven courses in a semester as long as one of those classes is offered through the local online consortium. Giving students at Naperville Central and North the chance to overload their semester schedule is one of the options being weighed by District 203 officials to encourage more students to participate in the Expanding Learning Opportunities consortium, also known as eLo. Prior to the 2014-15 academic year, the district partnered with Indian Prairie School District 204 and Wheaton Warrenville School District 200 to create a consortium to give high school students access to online courses taught by teachers in the three districts. The classes would provide the same rigor and accountability students would receive if they took the course in a bricks-and-mortar classroom.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-203-online-numbers-down-st-1021-20161020-story.html

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Five considerations about accelerated learning for the next administration

by Liz Simon, Tech Crunch

Nearly 50 million adults in the U.S. have some kind of non-degree credential. And the relevance and number of non-degree credentials is only accelerating, as learners share what they know online and employers work to expand the talent pool and apply sophisticated analytics to find the right match. It is no surprise, then, that the Clinton campaign has made non-traditional education a focal point of its tech and innovation agenda. But while the campaign’s platform presents some exciting developments for accelerated learning providers, it also raises important questions as students and policymakers navigate an unfamiliar landscape of new educational offerings.

https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/14/five-considerations-about-accelerated-learning-for-the-next-administration/

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Virtual Reality, Makerspaces, and Online Learning on the Horizon for Education

BY: Kate DeNardi, MeriTalk

Over the next five years, technology is going to shake up K-12 education. The NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2016 K-12 Edition, published by the New Media Consortium and the Consortium for School Networking, shares the technology that politicians, education experts, school administrators, and teachers should be integrating into classrooms.

https://www.meritalk.com/articles/virtual-reality-makerspaces-and-online-learning-on-the-horizon-for-education/

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What they’re doing: Coach certification

by Andy Abeyta, QUAD-CITY TIMES

Once upon a time, almost anyone could coach football at the youth-league level. You needed to know the game, of course, but no special training or certification was necessary. Those days are gone, at least in the Quad-Cities. Every local youth football league in the metro area requires coaches to have some degree of training and certification before they can set foot on the field. Many local programs subscribe to Heads Up Football, a series of online courses to help educate coaches on proper tackling techniques and other fine points. Heads Up Football started in 2013 and was funded by a $45 million grant from the NFL.

http://qctimes.com/sports/football/what-they-re-doing-coach-certification/article_9a2a4363-0f90-5376-88de-78e9110f7632.html

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School district to expand distance learning

by HASANI GRAYSON, Elko Daily

Elko County schools have received grant funds to improve distance learning and provide telemedicine to students. Elko County School District was recently notified it would receive $431,255 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant requires an involved partnership between Great Basin College, the White Pine County School District, and Communities In Schools. Elko County School District Superintendent Jeff Zander said the telemedicine will come in the form of online counseling that will be available to students in Elko and White Pine County. “Communities In Schools will provide mental health counseling for students. We’re going to be able to use that counseling and it will be distributed to all the high schools and combined in Elko County and White Pine County,” he said. “In outlying areas we don’t have 4-year degreed nurses in some cases, so if they have a child who’s having some issues out there, they can call into here and have a nurse get on the interactive system and diagnose that kid long distance.”

http://elkodaily.com/elko/school-district-to-expand-distance-learning/article_0d291030-e659-5cb1-85f9-db1ce52eb4b4.html

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Data Can Help Schools Confront ‘Chronic Absence’

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

Half of “chronically absent” students are found in just four percent of the country’s school districts. Thirty districts in Texas and California alone account for 10 percent of the country’s total chronically absent kids. About 500 districts have chronic absenteeism that surpasses 30 percent — more than twice the national average. The data cited here isn’t new. It was shared in June by the Office for Civil Rights, which compiled it from a 2013-2014 survey completed by nearly every school district and school in the United States. What is new is a report from Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center that encourages schools and districts to use their own data to pinpoint ways to take on the challenge of chronic absenteeism. Both of those organizations promote improvements in school practices that will lead to higher graduation rates.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/09/22/data-can-help-schools-confront-chronic-absence.aspx

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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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Penn State Turns to 3D Printing, Online Learning to Teach Students About the Brain

By Michael Hart, Campus Technology

A Pennsylvania State University research project is exploring the use of 3D printing and interactive technology to teach middle school students about the human brain. Researchers in the Brain3M project, funded by the Penn State Social Science Research Institute, have come up with a tailored online learning platform that allows students to go through a series of virtual 3D structure models and descriptions of the brain along with photos and diagrams that illustrate the complex concepts concerning how the human brain works.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/09/13/3d-printing-online-learning-used-to-teach-students-about-the-brain.aspx

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Big data transforms an e-learning business, doubling staff productivity.

By Stacy Collett, Computerworld

When CPL Online opened for business in 2010, it offered 20,000 interactive online courses on food safety, health and safety, fire awareness and call centers. That number grew to 35,000 courses in 2011 and exploded to 160,000 by 2012. When its SQL platform couldn’t keep up anymore, CPL seized the opportunity to transform its business and deployed the HPCC Systems platform, a high-performance big data analytics system from LexisNexis Risk Solutions. CPL’s HPCC deployment uses data to track user trends, spot suspicious activity (to help root out cheaters) and identify the best-performing employees. Heat mapping shows how users work their way through every mouse-click of a course and helps CPL Online improve engagement and content.

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3117255/data-analytics/cpl-online.html

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Teaching and Learning Theories

by Ann Gravells and Susan Simpson in Stanford University Tomorrow’s Teaching and Learning

There are many different theories regarding the way people learn. This section will very briefly explore some of them (in alphabetical order), which you might like to research further and try out with your own learners. However, don’t get too concerned thinking you must teach in a certain way because a theorist says so. What works with one group or individual learner might not work with another. You might find at first you are teaching the way you were taught at school, college or university. It might have suited you at the time, or it might have had a detrimental effect. Don’t be afraid to try something different and step out of your comfort zone. You will need to find out through experience what works and what doesn’t work with your learners.

https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1505

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St. John’s E-Learning Academy offers another option to continue school

By Anita Hymel, NOLA.com

School has started, and St. John the Baptist school district plans to help everyone with desire and determination to work to further their education. The district is seeking students between the ages of 16 and 21 who are no longer enrolled in school in the parish for a new e-Learning Academy. This includes students who have dropped out of the system or who have chosen to be homeschooled. There is no cost to enroll in the academy. It’s never too late for school, and this district is making it simple for all to succeed.

http://blog.nola.com/river/2016/08/st_johns_e-learning_academy_of.html

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With High-Quality Lessons and Social Supports, Even Weak Teachers Do Better

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

A new study from 100Kin10 and the University of Chicago has found that giving middle school math teachers access to high-quality lesson plans and support can “significantly” impact student performance and teacher effectiveness. 100Kin10 is an organization focused on building up the number of American K-12 teachers who can teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects to 100,000 by the year 2021. The non-profit worked with U Chicago’s Urban Education Lab, which researches ways to help the educational outcomes for disadvantaged children growing up in urban neighborhoods. This particular study evaluated what impact there was by providing teachers with real-world lessons from Mathalicious and access to other teachers through Edmodo. Mathalicious is a company that develops standards-based lessons that explore the math of life — sports, shopping, game creation. The Edmodo interactions among teachers went by the name, “Project Groundswell.”

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/08/08/with-high-quality-lessons-and-social-supports-even-weak-teachers-do-better.aspx

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Struggling Students Find Success at Oklahoma Online School in 2016

by Business Wire

Students at Insight School of Oklahoma (ISOK), a tuition-free, online public school, began their 2016-2017 school year on August 16, thankful for a place where they can learn within a unique and highly supportive environment. Students attending ISOK come from diverse backgrounds, many of them struggling at traditional brick and mortar schools before finding ISOK. Oklahoma students in grades 7 through 12 are welcome to attend ISOK. The school’s comprehensive education approach focuses on providing struggling students with the academic, social and emotional support needed to succeed in school and beyond. The online learning environment allows students to work at their own pace, giving them time to progress faster in subjects at which they excel, while spending more time on subjects and lessons where they need more help.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/struggling-students-success-oklahoma-online-181300869.html

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A School Blended With Online and On Campus Learning

By EMILY CLARK, Good4Utah

AISU Virtual is a blended online and on-campus program to promote a K-12 School in Murray, Utah. This allows students to work at their own speed online as well as on-campus. AISU Virtual, blends online and on-campus to personalize students learning. Core classes in English Language Arts, Social Studies and Science are taken online throughout the year at student’s own pace. All other courses, including mathematics and electives, may be taken online throughtout the year or taken on-campus following AISU’s trimester schedule. Students participate in two week learning Intensives. Three times a year (fall, winter and spring), AISU students can enroll in a hands-on interactive learning experiences, earning 0.5 credit each intensive. Students choose from 30-40 courses designed by AISU teachers and guest instructors that fulfill most elective requirements.

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Kansas Online School Offers Students a Safe and Supportive Learning Environment

by Business Wire

Students at Kansas Virtual Academy (KSVA), an accredited, tuition-free, online public school, will begin their 2016-2017 school year on August 16 in a safe and engaging educational environment. The school is a program within the Spring Hill School District, however, is open to any student residing in Kansas. KSVA’s mission is to help students discover, develop and achieve their maximum learning potential. The individualized learning approach gives students in grades K through 6 an exceptional learning experience. The online environment allows students to work at their own pace within parameters, giving them time to progress faster in subjects at which they excel, while spending more time on subjects and lessons where they need more help.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kansas-online-school-offers-students-205700806.html

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Pearson Collaborates With Red Clay Consolidated School District to Offer GradPoint Online Courses to Hospitalized Students

By Pearson

Pearson announced a three-year collaboration with Red Clay Consolidated School District in Wilmington, Delaware, to provide GradPoint® online and blended learning courses to hospitalized students. The new collaboration gives students in grades 6-12 who are hospitalized and homebound with diabetes, sickle-cell anemia, severe asthma, cancer and other illnesses that preclude attendance at traditional school an opportunity to attend First State School with their peers at Wilmington Hospital while receiving the medical treatment they need. First State School is co-sponsored by Christiana Care and the Delaware Department of Education through Red Clay Consolidated School District.

http://www.pressreleaserocket.net/pearson-collaborates-with-red-clay-consolidated-school-district-to-offer-gradpoint-online-courses-to-hospitalized-students/477298/

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What Makes A Successful Online Learner

By Elana Goodwin, ULoop

Nowadays, there are a lot of different opportunities online to continue your education, take classes, or earn a degree. However, you shouldn’t necessarily consider becoming an online learner an easy feat — here are some characteristics and abilities you’ll want to have in order to be a successful online learner.

http://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/208702/What-Makes-A-Successful-Online-Learner

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16627

Beaumont teen tries online public school program

by Leah Durain, KBMT

A Beaumont teen, who’s an aspiring actress, says taking high school classes online has created great flexibility in her schedule. Isabelle Scott is a remarkable 16-year-old. She’s already published two children’s books and added big projects to her acting resume like ABC’s American Crime and an NBA app commercial. Scott wants to be get into the film industry one day and she’s hitting the pavement hard now Recently, the teen was met with a dilemna: how to juggle classes at Hamshire Fannett High School and make it to acting gigs. “I kept missing school for acting,” said Scott.

http://www.12newsnow.com/news/local/beaumont-teen-tries-online-public-school-program/279786843

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16411

La Serna High Student Inspires Launch of STEM Classes

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

A girl who knows how to code can change the world. At least, that’s what Markie Wagner of Whittier, CA, thinks. She’s a soon-to-be senior at La Serna High School in Whittier, and she believes all girls should try their hand at computer science. Her efforts and enthusiasm have inspired her school to launch two new STEM classes in the fall — Intro to Engineering and Advanced Placement Computer Science. “That was very exciting to hear,” said Wagner, who recently finished a computer coding immersion program at UCLA. Last summer, she participated in an eight-week program offered by Girls Who Code, a nationally respected nonprofit organization that aims to close the gender gap in technology education and the industry.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/07/14/la-serna-high-student-inspires-launch-of-stem-classes.aspx

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Coursera Relaunches Classic Computer Science Courses

by Sue Gee, I Programmer

Many of the Computer Science courses that we feared had been assigned to the scrapheap have reappeared in Coursera’s catalog. This has been done unobtrusively and without any announcement and so might miss the attention it deserves. Based on information received by several course providers, many believed that in the move from the original to the new Coursera platform a large number of courses were likely to be lost. On request Coursera provided a list of 90 courses that have transitioned to the new platform since the old one shut on June 30th and it includes the following 25 Computer Science ones; they are listed at the link below.

http://www.i-programmer.info/news/150-training-a-education/9910-coursera-relaunches-classic-computer-science-courses.html

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