Tackling the ‘learning styles’ myth

by Tanya Vaughan, ACER

The common myth for learning styles as an effective teaching and learning approach is that students will improve their learning if they are taught in their particular learning style (Evidence for Learning, 2017a). There is a range of different types of learning styles, for example auditory, visual, tactile or kinaesthetic styles (Hattie, 2009). There is very limited evidence for any consistent set of learning ‘styles’ that can be used reliably to identify genuine differences in the learning needs of young people, and evidence suggests that it is unhelpful to assign learners to groups or categories on the basis of a supposed learning style (Evidence for Learning, 2017a).

https://www.teachermagazine.com.au/article/tackling-the-learning-styles-myth

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=25622

Study finds social media course impacts online behavior in first-year medical students

by Phys.org

Researchers at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences found a majority of first-year medical students changed their online behavior after participating in a social media and professionalism course. The study results show that a formal education on responsible social media use is beneficial to medical students as they develop professional habits that are inclusive of social media, and look to avoid behavior that would be detrimental to their careers. The study, published in Teaching and Learning in Medicine, includes analysis of social media and professionalism courses hosted in 2012-2014. A six-month follow-up survey found 94 percent of students reported increased awareness of their social media behavior as it relates to their careers and 64 percent made changes to their social media behavior as a result of the session.

https://phys.org/news/2017-03-social-media-impacts-online-behavior.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=25602

Can coding improve your child’s writing skills?

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

There’s a big push in education right now to teach kids how to code. Coding is undoubtedly an important skill that will help students in the job marketplace. It’s an in-demand skill and a useful one. But can coding help students in other areas? Some are now suggesting that coding can help improve students’ writing skills.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/can-coding-improve-your-childs-writing-skills/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=25592

How Competency-Based Courses Are Changing the Education Game

by Dave Doucette, EdTech Magazine

Technology-backed learning offers opportunities to institutions and students, as long as IT can keep pace with the new requirements. When Southern New Hampshire University President Paul LeBlanc stepped onto the stage at Campus Tech 2015 in July, he painted a bright picture of competency-based higher ed. “Today, 500 institutions are moving to competency-based education, and they are not-for-profit,” he said. “There’s a lot of opportunity.” LeBlanc certainly had that right. In the eight months that have passed since that technology conference, I’ve heard more and more higher ed administrators discuss competency-based education. And whether institutions are creating new programs or expanding existing ones, the bandwagon is slowly but surely filling up.

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2016/03/how-competency-based-courses-are-changing-education-game

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15470

Waynesboro teachers make learning online fun

By Matthew Fultz, WHSV

Teachers at Berkeley Glenn Elementary School are teaching their students using a new online program. Tabitha Jonhson is one of the teachers using the program for her class. The website is called Tenmark, and allows teachers to pick from a bunch of assignments to use for their classes. It focuses on math and prepares kids for the SOL’s. Math teacher Erin Shifflett first introduced the site to faculty at the school. Now, she and Johnson use the site in their classrooms. Not only does the program help teach kids but it allows for friendly competition in classes too.

http://www.whsv.com/content/news/Waynesboro-teachers-make-learning-online-fun–373915791.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15467

White House Unveils $240 Million in New STEM Commitments

By Joshua Bolkan0, THE Journal

President Obama unveiled more than $240 million in new STEM commitments this week at the fifth annual White House Science Fair. The new private sector commitments are designed “to inspire and prepare more girls and boys — especially those from underrepresented groups — to excel in the STEM fields,” according to a White House news release. “With the commitments being made today, the President’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign has resulted in over $1 billion in financial and in-kind support for STEM programs.” A new philanthropic effort, led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Simons Foundation, will launch a Faculty Scholars Program with approximately $150 million over five years.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/03/24/white-house-unveils-240-million-in-new-stem-commitments.aspx

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5 Ways to Use StumbleUpon in Education

By Siobhan Tumelty, Edudemic

Whether you’re a StumbleUpon aficionado or have yet to get to grips with this awesome content discovery site, keep reading, because it has the potential to be of real benefit in your classroom. Whilst StumbleUpon isn’t the content discovery powerhouse it was back in January 2011, it’s far from had its day. It’s a powerful, user-friendly, educational tool that can help you become inspired, plan lessons, and connect with your students in a way that’s significant to them. Fourth after Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for social media referrals, StumbleUpon provides a more focused way of browsing the Internet for useful, relevant material than relying on the attention-vortex that is Google. Just tell it what your interests are, and voila, it serves up a healthy helping of websites, photos and videos.

http://www.edudemic.com/5-ways-teachers-can-use-stumbleupon/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/uVv9JM7C2-A/

How To Use Google Voice Commands In Google Drive

By Aiden Wolfe, Edudemic

Since its inception, Google Drive has been a source of excitement for innovation-minded educators. However, as with any new teaching technology, you may find yourself thinking “it sounds intriguing, but will it really make a difference?” In regards to Drive features like audio feedback, the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes. Aside from offering convenience and helping spare teachers from endless amounts of typing, the addition of voice commenting brings with it profound benefits to the learning experience as a whole. Below, you’ll find five compelling reasons to give it a try, as well as a simple guide on how to get started.

http://www.edudemic.com/use-google-voice-commands-google-drive/

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US State Department to Offer Massive Online Course for English Language Educators

by IVN

The U.S. Department of State announces the launch of Shaping the Way We Teach English, a massive open online course (MOOC) for English as a foreign language (EFL) educators. The ten-week university-level course was developed by the University of Oregon and is currently available on the Coursera platform. By strengthening the quality of English teaching around the world, the Department hopes to open economic opportunities in science, business, technology, and higher education for more of our international partners and offer skills for a better future. Designed both for professionals already working in the area of EFL and for those pursuing the field as a career, the MOOC aims to assist EFL educators worldwide in updating and augmenting their teaching methods. When educators employ the teaching methods and technologies learned throughout the course, they improve leaning outcomes for their students and build leadership among their peers.

http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/jobs/7835-department-of-state-to-offer-massive-online-course-for-english-language-educators.html

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Online classes surge in popularity among Michigan K-12 students

By Lori Higgins, Detroit Free Press

The number of K-12 students taking online courses in Michigan surged 52% in the last three years, according to a report released this week that provides a first-of-its-kind — but limited — look at the effectiveness of online learning in the state. During the 2012-13 school year, 55,271 students took at least one online course, up from 36,348 during the 2010-11 school year. The overall number of courses taken surged from 89,921 to 185,053 during that period.

http://www.freep.com/article/20140326/NEWS06/303260121/Michigan-students-online-classes

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Digital learning transforming education and learning

by UK Virtual College

Digital learning technologies are transforming how education views itself and how students learn – to the extent that the sector 20 years ago probably wouldn’t even recognise itself today. That is according to a discussion forum held in the US by Penn State University, in which expert educators discussed the sea change in methods that has been brought about by the rise of the internet. From online learning courses to social media and other such technologies, education has been transformed around the world and subsequently the role of both teachers and students is changing. As such, educators are thinking about pedagogy (the science of learning) more than they ever have before, seeking to identify the next in a line of innovations to change how students learn – be that in physical environments or virtual ones.

http://www.virtual-college.co.uk/news/Digital-learning-transforming-education-and-learning-newsitems-801707456.aspx

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