ChildCare Education Institute Offers No-Cost Online Course on Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders

by Globe Newswire

The goal of this course is introduce participants to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the characteristics of children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Participants will also be introduced to several students with autism spectrum disorders and many of the classroom strategies that support these students. When child care providers work together with parents, therapists, and other professionals to create a plan of action, it is quite realistic to expect that the child with autism will be successful in an inclusive environment. Open communication and creating a strong support system are the first steps to take when creating the consistency necessary for this success.

https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/04/03/1458840/0/en/ChildCare-Education-Institute-Offers-No-Cost-Online-Course-on-Understanding-Autism-Spectrum-Disorders.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38654

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

Why an iTunes Model for Online Learning Is Bad for Educators

By Amy Ahearn, EdSurge

Many online learning platforms, such as LinkedIn Learning and MasterClass, are indeed pivoting towards business models that look a lot like subscription-based streaming services Pandora, Spotify or Netflix. Customers can now pay a monthly fee to get access to a library of content. However, just as the iTunes business model is deeply disadvantageous to artists, online learning platforms are now granting online instructors smaller and smaller shares of the revenue as they steer business models in the streaming direction. Data journalist David McCandless calculated it would take over one million plays on Spotify for a solo artist to earn the U.S. monthly minimum wage. We could be pushing online teachers in a similar direction.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-04-03-why-an-itunes-model-for-online-learning-is-bad-for-educators

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=38634

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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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=26391

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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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=26371

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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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=26356

Chicago Mayor Emanuel touts plan to expand cyber use in city

by Marwa Eltagouri, Chicago Tribune

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announces an initiative April 16, 2016, aimed at raising $10 million over the next three years to improve opportunities for Chicagoans to receive digital and computer training. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and city officials Saturday unveiled Connect Chicago, an initiative aimed at raising $10 million over the next three years to create more opportunities for Chicagoans to receive digital and computer training. “If you are technically capable, the doors of tomorrow are open to you. If you are not, those doors are shut,” Emanuel said. “Now the question is, ‘Are we going to make sure every child and every family is conversant?’” Among Connect Chicago’s first efforts to bridge the digital divide is the expansion of the Chicago Public Library’s Cyber Navigator Program to 78 libraries from 49, and expanding the program to 11 community development centers.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-emanuel-touts-plan-to-expand-cyber-use-in-city-20160416-story.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15618

Grant will help Cisco ISD offer more blended learning opportunities

by the Abilene Reporter-News

The Cisco Independent School District will receive up to $500,000 in grant funding and support over three years to help implement its blended learning initiatives, the district said Wednesday. Cisco ISD is part of a group including four Texas school districts and one public charter school to receive a grant totaling about $3 million sponsored by Raise Your Hand Texas, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to inspire innovative leadership and advocacy for public education, according to the nonprofit’s website.

http://www.reporternews.com/news/education/grant-will-help-cisco-isd-offer-more-blended-learning-opportunities-306398fe-6ab1-3a43-e053-0100007f-375625781.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15616

Are libraries still relevant? Of course they are

by JENN SAVEDGE, Mother Nature Netork

The digital age is making them more important than ever. Libraries have much more to offer than simply books on a shelf — although this, in and of itself, is still powerful. But as the Pew survey also found, most Americans have no idea of the myriad educational and community-related services that the local library has to offer.

http://www.mnn.com/family/family-activities/blogs/are-libraries-still-relevant-yes-yes-they-are

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15613

U Arizona Girds for Online Undergrads

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Now that the University of Arizona has launched an online campus, UA Online, the institution is ready to start up its first “General Education Academy” to help students prepare for their virtual education. UA Online is intended to be a distinct division with 21 undergraduate degree programs, 18 graduate programs and 23 graduate certificate programs. In an effort to compete for students living outside of Arizona, the school has set tuition rates for online courses the same for out-of-state and in-state students. The university announced the academy last year with several goals: to help the institution “manage the quality of its online general education offerings,” “create a community for online instructors,” and help develop “cutting-edge resources for online students and teachers.” The initial emphasis will be on helping non-typical online students — first-year and early-transfer undergraduates — succeed in their online programs.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/16/u-arizona-girds-for-online-undergrads.aspx

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How to Help Students Make the Most of Their Local Libraries

By Jeannie Tucker, Edudemic

In the age of information ubiquity and rapidly evolving media delivery formats, today’s librarians have learned how to evolve along with the technology. In addition, librarians actively seek out new means for creative expression and intellectual growth for student library users, and frequently volunteer as early adopters of these exciting resources. In turn, librarians partner with users in navigating a complex information landscape and in engaging them in enrichment programming. Check out 5 ways librarians are molding their libraries into community spaces for students.

http://www.edudemic.com/help-students-make-local-libraries/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/zmkYKrWRHRc/

3 ways to solve international technology access barriers for girls

By Olimar Maisonet-Guzman, Devex

Every year, the international community comes together to commemorate the International Girls in ICT Day to raise awareness about the gender gap in the technology sector. Nonetheless, every year we continue to hear the same statistics: Women are 14 percent less likely than men to own a mobile phone. Moreover, 25 percent fewer women and girls are online than men and boys; this gap grows over 40 percent in sub-Saharan Africa. That begs the question: What does the international community still needs to do to solve the gender gap in the access and use of technology? Closing the usage gap between girls and boys is important for the promotion of the information society. As interactions between governments and society continue to rely more on information and communication technologies, it becomes crucial that the voices of women and girls continue to be represented in the digital world.

https://www.devex.com/news/3-ways-to-solve-technology-access-barriers-for-girls-85929

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No, Not Everyone Needs to Learn to Code – But Here’s What They Should Know

by Greg Pollack, Huffington Post

Not everyone is meant to be a coder though–or has the motivation to code. This has left a huge part of the population wondering how to respond to the “learn to code” movement, and what actually makes sense for them to do. It’s one of the reasons why I believe the “learn to code” conversation is distracting us from a much more important question, which is this: “What should everyone know about code, even if they don’t learn to program?” In my view, the answer is basic code literacy, which ultimately boils down to knowing enough to successfully communicate in the technology-powered environment we live in. If your occupation requires you to speak to or email programmers, you’ll have a leg up if you have a basic knowledge of code.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gregg-pollack/no-not-everyone-needs-to-_b_5155549.html

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/Yk37jxKPiTY/

Course evaluation could go public

By Meghan Holden, Minnesota Daily

University of Minnesota students may get access to their peers’ course evaluations when registering for classes next year. Some faculty members, administrators and students have pushed for years to make teacher and course evaluations more accessible. The course assessments, at least, could finally be made public when the University Faculty and Student senates vote on the issue in May. “I think it’s good for faculty, and I think it’s really good for students,” Faculty Senate Consultative Committee Chair Will Durfee said.

http://www.mndaily.com/news/campus/2014/04/15/course-evals-could-go-public

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/YbIc8zxgI_s/

Why rural schools need online courses

by David Kaplan, WDBJ7.COM

It’s an online, Spanish language learning program that students at Highland County High School took for a spin. Whether it’s shrinking budgets, lack of interest, or a combination of the two, some smaller rural school districts like Highland County don’t have full-time foreign language teachers. That means students take some of these courses online. School leaders expect this new program to take learning to the next level. “I’m very excited about this. This is an awesome opportunity,” said Sophomore Cesar Ruiz. Through the eyes of the rural Virginia student interested in taking spanish, this is exciting stuff.

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/why-rural-schools-need-online-courses/25499962

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