How an Online Personalized Preschool Experiment Could Change the Way Rural America Does Early Education

by the 74 million

Upstart launched in Utah in 2009 as a low-cost option to expand preschool in a state that didn’t have a state-funded program. Since then, it has been a particular boon for the state’s rural areas. About 30,000 Utah children have gone through the program over the past eight years, with about 14,150 participating this school year. It has also now spread to seven other states, where 700 early learners are enrolled. State and federal policymakers are increasingly recognizing the value of early education, especially in keeping the achievement gap more at bay for disadvantaged children before they enter kindergarten. Preschool programs teach younger children early literacy and math skills alongside essential social-emotional skills. About 1.5 million 3- and 4-year-olds were served in state-funded preschool programs in the 2015–16 school year, more than double the number enrolled in such programs in 2002, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

How an Online Personalized Preschool Experiment Could Change the Way Rural America Does Early Education

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=34230

Scramble for dual-credit certification

By Ashley A. Smith
Some states and colleges are scrambling to offer incentives and develop programs that help dual-enrollment instructors meet a change in accreditation guidelines for teaching the increasingly popular courses. But concerns remain about whether colleges will have enough qualified dual-credit instructors by the time the accreditor’s deadline arrives.
The issue began about two years ago, when the Higher Learning Commission, the country’s largest regional accreditor, issued a policy clarification stating that high school teachers in dual-credit courses, along with all instructional college faculty, must have a master’s degree in the specialty they’re teaching, or they need at least 18 graduate-level credit hours within that specialty. Dual-credit or dual-enrollment courses allow high school students to take college courses and earn credits before graduation. The courses are frequently taught by high school teachers.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/11/27/institutions-grapple-accreditors-changes-dual-credit-instruction

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=34220

Indian school kids are learning to build robots with DIY kits and online courses

by Sushma UN, Quartz

SP Robotic Works (SPRW) is one of the several educational tech startups in India. These firms work to bridge a critical gap in conventional education, teaching technologies such as robotics, the internet of things (IoT), and virtual reality (VR). “The course is very one-to-one,” his mother Meenu told Quartz, describing the structured online classes that include videos and other learning tools. “Although it is online, it is as if (a teacher) is teaching you.” Although robotics is a broad concept including areas such as automation, embedded systems, mechanical engineering, IoT, etc, these ed-tech startups start with the basics. They design small kits containing breadboards, wires, sensors, and other such components, and get children to play with them

https://qz.com/1112876/indian-school-kids-are-learning-to-build-robots-with-diy-kits-and-online-courses/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=34210

Visionary: How 4 institutions are venturing into a new mixed reality

BY LAURA DEVANEY, eCampus News

Mixed reality combines virtual and augmented realities for enhanced learning experiences–and institutions are already implementing it. A new collaboration between Pearson and Microsoft is using a self-contained holographic computer to develop “mixed reality” learning experiences for students. The collaboration will explore how mixed reality can help solve real challenges in areas of learning, ranging from online tutoring and coaching, nursing education, and engineering to construction and surveyor training. Microsoft says its HoloLens is the world’s first self-contained holographic computer. Pearson is developing and piloting mixed reality content at colleges, universities and secondary schools in the United States and around the world.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/disruptions-and-innovations/institutions-mixed-reality/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=20902

An agreement in New Mexico provides an expedited path to multiple degrees in only 5 years

BY RICK NATHANSON, ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL

Imagine getting an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and a master’s of business administration in five years, and paying as little as $20,000 for the entire trio. That’s the crux of the 2+1+2 Program, created by University of New Mexico’s Innovation Academy in partnership with UNM and Central New Mexico Community College. The $20,000 cost applies to students who remain qualified on the New Mexico Lottery Scholarship program. Those who do not qualify for the lottery would pay just under $30,000 for the three degrees.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/news/3-degrees-just-5-years/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=20894

How to grow your online brand and generate offline results for success in campus branding

BY KRYSTAL PUTMAN-GARCIA, eCampus News

If you walk on any campus today, you’d be hard-pressed to find a student that didn’t have a laptop or smart phone. In fact, 96 percent of young adults ages 18-29 use the internet – and those with a college education are more likely to use the internet than those who do not, according to a Pew Research Study. Your college can benefit from strengthening its online brand by reaching prospective students, current college attendees and alumni. The stronger the online brand, the more likely students and visitors will engage with a school. Fortunately, there are some simple ways colleges can grow their online brands that ultimately lead to offline results.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/campus-administration/technology-campus-branding/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=20882

Talking Tech: Leverage Your Learning

by Associations Now

Online learning can encompass much more than certifications. Barry Kelly, CEO of Thought Industries, explains some of the added services associations can offer through an online learning platform. While certifications are essential components of an online learning program, associations can also consider a more comprehensive and strategic learning approach in order to drive conversion, bolster engagement and renewals, and increase member lifetime value. Think of learning experiences as engaging content. You can offer webinars, short-form courses, or presentations, as well as tips and guides on areas like new research, strategy, or technology updates. For audience development and conversion, add email capture or membership paywalls or cascade campaigns with learning content.

http://associationsnow.com/2015/12/talking-tech-leverage-online-learning/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14441

When Someone Else Takes Your Online College Class

BY KENT MCDILL, Millionaire Corner

It has also become easily possible for a “college student’’ to have someone else take some or all of their college courses, so that they can instead play Frisbee golf or earn a paycheck at the same time. There are services, multiplying as you read this, that offer the services of a human being who will “attend’’ any online college course you want a surrogate for, with a promise of getting a passing grade, or even a high grade if you are willing to pay for that add-on. These cheating services advertise openly on websites frequented by college students, on sites like Craigslist, which advertise to students within the specific areas the colleges are “located” in. So even if you are part of a “blended’’ program, which combines online classes with on-campus classes, the cheating services can help you get through that class you don’t have to show up for.

http://millionairecorner.com/Content_Free/online-cheating-for-college.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14438

Students Outline Challenges With Online AP, IB Classes

By Alexandra Pannoni, High School Notes

Juliette Woodrow, a 16-year-old junior at Aspen High School in Colorado, wanted to complete the full International Baccalaureate diploma program, but she also wanted to take an aeronautics class. “I’m actually getting my pilot’s license through that and I didn’t want to give that up,” she says. Taking an online IB class, in addition to eight other courses​, has allowed her to do just that. ​Online IB and Advanced Placement classes give high schoolers another option for stretching their course load. ​But before students enroll in an online AP or IB course, they should consider the following.

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2015/11/30/students-outline-challenges-with-online-ap-ib-classes

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14435

Oklahoma State U offers in-depth view of agriculture through ‘Farm to Fork’ Massive Open Online Course

By Melissa Mourer, Oklahoma State University

Bailey Norwood, associate professor in the department of agricultural education for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Oklahoma State University, will be using the latest teaching methods to take learning to a new level with a Massive Open Online Course titled “Farm to Fork: A Panoramic View of Agriculture.” The 16-week course will be conducted entirely online and is open to anyone. It will focus on topics including livestock-care techniques, the industrialization of agriculture, the impact of local food on the local economy and the role of politics and culture in food. The format of the online course provides Norwood with an opportunity to explore new and contemporary teaching methods.

http://www.hpj.com/archives/2014/dec14/dec1/1120FarmtoForkOSUClassrt.cfm

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

Some schools to avoid snow days through e-learning

by Kristine Guerra, Indianapolis Star

The Internet is bringing an end to snow days for some Indiana schoolchildren. Northwestern Consolidated Schools in Shelby County is among 29 public school systems and eight private schools that have received approval from the Indiana Department of Education to use a virtual learning option on days when students have to stay home from school due to inclement weather. On those days, Northwestern students at Triton Central, Triton Middle and Triton Elementary schools will use their school-issued iPads and Chromebooks to do their homework, work through lessons and communicate with their teachers.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2014/11/28/schools-avoid-snow-days-learning/19619607/

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Private companies want to scoop up your child’s data enrolled in MOOCs

By CAITLIN EMMA, Politico

Massive open online courses, first envisioned as a way to democratize higher education, have made their way into high schools, but Washington is powerless to stop the flood of personal data about teenage students from flowing to private companies, thanks to loopholes in federal privacy laws. But when middle and high school students participate in classes with names like “Mars: The Next Frontier” or “The Road to Selective College Admissions,” they may be unwittingly transmitting into private hands a torrent of data about their academic strengths and weaknesses, their learning styles and thought processes — even the way they approach challenges. They may also be handing over birth dates, addresses and even drivers license information.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/11/online-education-run-amok-113208.html

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/O03k11KLikw/

5 Online Classes To Pump Up IT Careers

by Kevin Case, Information Week

Strengthen your IT skill set on these in-demand topics. New online classes make it easier than ever to bolster your portfolio. That whole constant learning thing can be done, at least in part, without leaving your couch. An explosion in online learning opportunities, offered by prestigious universities and Internet startups alike, shrinks the list of available excuses for folks who swore they’d never again set foot in a classroom. Better still, many of these opportunities are offered free, eliminating another popular excuse. And if you’re lucky, you work for a smart boss at a company willing to invest in its internal IT skills. If that’s the case, you can likely make the case for taking online courses on company time.

http://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/team-building-and-staffing/5-online-classes-to-pump-up-it-careers/d/d-id/898915

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Renowned UC San Diego Scientists Offer Free Online Climate Change Course

by UC San Diego

Four renowned scientists from the University of California San Diego and Scripps Institution of Oceanography are offering a free online climate change course starting in January 2014. “Climate Change in Four Dimensions: Scientific, Policy, International and Social” is one of the first massive open online courses (MOOC) being offered as a non-credit course by UC San Diego. The course is being taught by professors Charles Kennel, Naomi Oreskes, Richard Somerville and David Victor, with a special lecture by Veerabhadran Ramanathan. Students will view climate change from a variety of perspectives at the intersection of the natural sciences, technology, the social sciences and the humanities. The course also introduces new topics currently confronting the science and policy communities, such as geoengineering. The course provides the same quality learning and instruction that UC San Diego is known for, including complete video lectures and online activities to enhance learning and instruction.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1609032

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/98sSm3Kq0H0/

How (And Why) It’s Time To Create Digital Student Portfolios

By Holly Clark, Edudemic

Digital Student Portfolios are becoming more important now than ever! Students are creating and remixing information like never before – and where is all that amazing work going? At my old school it was wiped off the devices at the end of the year – a heart-wrenching idea that I was personally against. This is why we need to publish student work in one place and let it serve as a home of student reflection, and a become a destination to unleash student pride and curiosity. There are many reasons to begin the journey to digital portfolios – here are just a few.

http://www.edudemic.com/digital-student-portfolios/

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