Free online course teaches parents how to protect kids from sexual predators

BY JENNIFER BISRAM, PIX 11

Suffolk County Community College unveiled a free, online course Monday designed to help parents protect their kids from sexual predators. “The Apple of my Eye” online classroom was started by Parents for Megan’s Law. The organization, which focuses on preventing sex abuse, has teamed up with the Crime Victims Center and Suffolk County leaders to offer the course. It teaches parents how to prevent, detect and report child sex abuse – including how predators groom kids and teens and signs that your child may be a victim.

Free online course teaches parents how to protect kids from sexual predators

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38644

Online Ed Leaders Agree Top 2 Indicators of Program Quality Are Student Success Rates, Student Evaluations

By Rhea Kelly, Campus Technology

The majority of online education leaders agree that most relied-upon metrics currently in use by online programs are student retention and graduation rates and student course/program evaluations, according to a recent survey from Quality Matters and Eduventures Research. While those two indicators topped the list by far, other quality measures, such as faculty training, summative student assessment, program reputation and external rankings, were less commonly cited by the survey respondents.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/04/02/online-ed-leaders-agree-top-2-indicators-of-program-quality.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38614

Snow days might mean extra school for some

by Alexandra Radovic, Campus Current

AACC professors may choose to extend their classes for two extra school days in May to make up for time lost to snow. The college has built-in make-up days on May 7 and 8 between the end of the usual semester and final exam week, which begins on May 9. Since the semester began on Jan. 17, AACC has closed the campus on school days for two full days; opened late four times; and closed early once. The college is not requiring professors to hold classes on May 7 and 8, however. Instead, they may opt to cover missed class content via Canvas, the campus online learning management system. “There needs to be a continuum of learning even if there is an interruption in the academic calendar,” Dr. Michael Gavin, AACC’s vice president for learning, said. That’s why professors have been required to use the Canvas system since last fall, he said. Even so, some professors have said they can only cover content appropriately by meeting for additional in-class hours.

Snow days might mean extra school for some

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38434

A deep dive into college data: The state of higher ed marketing analytics 2018

by Karine Joly, University Business

Why is digital marketing—so easily measurable—not measured in higher education at the level it is in other industries?  Since this project was conducted around an assessment—and not a mere survey—of the gap between best and current practices, the study participants all received a final grade computed on a 100-point scale to illustrate the distance completed on the road to digital marketing analytics, the HEDMAR score. The distribution of these resulting scores is a great tool to visualize the digital marketing analytics maturity of the industry. With 77 percent of participants scoring under 50 on the HEDMAR scale, the need for improvement across the industry couldn’t be clearer. Yet, the 14 percent of participants scoring between 55 and 80 prove that higher levels of analytics maturity are possible in higher education.

https://www.universitybusiness.com/article/deep-dive-college-data

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38304

How Does Apple’s New iPad Stack Up to Chromebooks?

By Henry T. Casey, Lapotop
Apple has announced a new iPad targeted at the education market to challenge the Chromebook, which is starting to dominate classrooms. But are Apple Pencil support and AR apps enough to compete with the most popular laptops with Google’s OS?  While many expected Apple to launch this tablet with a new, lower price point, Apple kept this iPad at the same pricing the 2017 model had: $329 for consumers and $299 for schools. By comparison, the Asus Chromebook C202SA, most popular Chromebook on Amazon, which we like, is a more affordable $223.

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/ipad-vs-chromebooks

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38194

Top 10 TED talks for EdTech

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) formed in 1984, and since then, its series of short videos have revolutionized motivational speeches and the technology. With the click of a button, you can access powerful speeches that will make you help you embrace change and new ideas. Are you looking for some inspiration? TED-Ed offers tons of great educational content, and it has a significant amount of comment aimed at the EdTech industry. By watching these talks, you will gain insight into how students think and what teachers want in the classroom.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/top-10-ted-talks-edtech/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38154

Enhancing Learning with Robots

by Michigan State University
Michigan State University is leading the way in the research and use of robots in higher education online classes. To help advance online learning, MSU researchers are using robots to help distance learners feel more connected in their classes. Christine Greenhow, MSU associate professor of educational psychology and educational technology, was one of the first in higher education to put robots to work in the classroom. Her studies have found that using robots can contribute to a better, richer learning experience for both remote and in-class students and their professors.

https://msutoday.msu.edu/feature/2018/enhancing-learning-with-robots/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37969

3 Ways to Help Students Build Empathy Using Technology

By THE Journal
Can your students build empathy skills even while using technology? Yes! In fact, exercises that help students build empathy in digital spaces are a crucial part of positive social and emotional learning. Can your students build empathy skills even while using technology? Yes! In fact, exercises that help students build empathy in digital spaces are a crucial part of positive social and emotional learning. Plus, using empathy skills online is integral for helping kids become responsible digital citizens. Here are three ways teachers can give students practice using empathy online — just like they would in face-to-face situations.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/03/13/3-ways-to-help-students-build-empathy-using-technology.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37934

Paralegal distance learning in real time at Wilson Community College

by Jane Albright, WRAL

Carrie Wilson Morris, a student in the paralegal program at Wilson Community College, was in Raleigh three counties away watching on her office computer as a Wilson attorney discussed his work. As an online student, Marris was accustomed to not being in a classroom. What was new this time is that the action was taking place in real time, at that very moment. She raised her hand, virtually speaking. She typed into the chat box, “Have you ever dealt with a case where the victim was unwilling to give testimony?” “Yes,” the attorney replied, “in a domestic abuse case.”

 

Paralegal distance learning in real time at Wilson Community College

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37910

7 popular online courses in STEM and gaming that are taught by female leaders in their fields

by Connie Chen, Business Insider

Since men hold more jobs in these fields, it’s not surprising that when you browse online learning sites, there tends to be more male teachers in those subjects as well. However, for a woman looking to approach something like STEM or gaming, the impact of seeing a teacher who looks like her cannot be understated. Similar to how representation in media affects how groups of people perceive themselves and are perceived in the world, representation in STEM and gaming plays an important role in motivating women to overcome and fight back against gender-related barriers in their own career journeys.

http://www.businessinsider.com/online-stem-gaming-python-courses-taught-by-women-2018-3

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37806

TECH COMPANIES TRY TO RETRAIN THE WORKERS THEY’RE DISPLACING

by Sandra Upson, Wired

Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda says the platform had not previously hosted anything similar; more typical fare includes programming, business and English language classes (along with the popular-among-Canadians Mountains 101). But Maggioncalda and his staff had seen the hunger for onramps to tech careers in the reviews visitors had given earlier courses. “People are saying, I know the jobs are going to be in computers and technology, and it’s great to tell me I should get those jobs. But I don’t know how to do that,” he says. “You tell me how I’m supposed to do that with a family and a mortgage.”

https://www.wired.com/story/tech-companies-try-to-retrain-the-workers-theyre-displacing/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37782