A year in the life of a student-centered library

BY JOHN MILBURN AND KIMBERLY DEFUSCO, eSchool News

We often get inquiries about our district’s overall vision for our libraries. The truth is, libraries in our schools are far from cookie-cutter, and that’s what makes us successful. One of the reasons we feel our libraries are so effective is because each school is equipped with a full-time certified library media specialist. Additionally, each library’s resources are curated and customized for each school to meet the needs of its diverse student population. It sounds like a big task, but it’s what our students need, so the effort is worth it. When students enter the real world, they’ll be exposed to a variety of print and digital text, and libraries are great equalizers for different forms of media. Our media specialists are experts in collaborating with teachers, knowing their student population, identifying the right mix of print and digital resources, and detecting student preferences

A year in the life of a student-centered library

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=35839

Purdue announces name for new public university: Purdue University Global to serve working adults, online

by Purdue University
Purdue University on Thursday (Jan. 11) announced the name of its new online public university for working adults — Purdue University Global. The name was approved by the Executive Committee of the Purdue University Board of Trustees and the Board of Trustees of Purdue NewU. The name will become effective when the acquisition of Kaplan University by Purdue clears the last step in the approval process – review by the Higher Learning Commission, the regional accreditor for both Purdue University and Kaplan University, which is scheduled for Feb. 22.

http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2018/Q1/purdue-announces-name-for-new-public-university-purdue-university-global-to-serve-working-adults,-online.html

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OPINION: Technology can be overused, but proves helpful tool in the classroom at MHS

By msmith, Daily Republic

The use of smartphones has been making headlines lately. Some articles cite studies linking internet usage to depression in teens. But while smartphones and other technologies can be associated with addictive and harmful effects on children and teens, the positive uses of technology are pervasive and indisputable in today’s world and are only becoming more critical to success in school and future careers. Currently at Mitchell High School, there are students enrolled in 216 dual credit courses, most of which are taken online. And for many, they’re beneficial. “The independence of online classes has helped me learn self-accountability,” said Jamison Gross, a junior at Mitchell High School.

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/opinion/columns/4385901-opinion-technology-can-be-overused-proves-helpful-tool-classroom-mhs

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5 WAYS TO CREATE VIRTUAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN YOUR CLASSROOM

BY MATTHEW LYNCH, Tech Edvocate

The reason that many teachers strive for a more virtual experience instead of the traditional talking points is that the interaction makes the lesson more memorable to the students. Concepts and ideas that seem too complicated under time-honored instruction methods are easier to grasp when the students can experience the lessons. This does not mean that you need a VR machine to create a virtual experience either. There are a number of tools that can help you establish a virtual environment that makes lessons more entertaining while making the concepts easier to understand. One of the biggest problems with edtech is the price tag – it can be incredibly cost prohibitive. However, that does not mean that you and your students have to be relegated to using only the old learning methods. Regardless of your budget, there are several things you can do to create a virtual learning experience that will make lessons feel more relevant.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/5-ways-to-create-virtual-learning-experiences-in-your-classroom/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=22553

Students: Dodging high textbook costs becoming art form

BY MERIS STANSBURY, eCampus News

At Bluefield College in Virginia, students can pay one flat, discounted fee that allows them to receive all their required textbooks before classes start. “It’s no wonder that colleges and students need to think outside the box when it comes to textbooks; they represent a staggering cost that just seems to get worse,” says Chris Manns, managing director of the price-comparison websites CheapestTextbooks.com and TextbookRentals.com. Both free services aim to help students locate the cheapest prices for millions of books. One study by the Student Public Interest Research Groups showed that the cost for college textbooks has risen 73 percent over the last decade – more than four times the inflation rate.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/featured/featured-on-ecampus-news/high-textbook-costs/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=22541

Students Zap Their Brains For a Boost, For Better Or Worse

By Riley Beggin, WBUR

The neurotechnology is called transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS for short. At its simplest, the method involves a device that uses little more than a 9-volt battery and some electrodes to send a low-intensity electrical current to a targeted area of the brain, typically via a headset. More than a 1,000 studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals over the last decade suggesting benefits of the technique — maybe regulating mood, possibly improving language skills — but its effects, good or bad, are far from clear. Although researchers see possibilities for tDCS in treating diseases and boosting performance, it’s still an exploratory technology, says Mark George, editor-in-chief of Brain Stimulation, a leading journal on neuromodulation. And leading experts have warned against at-home use of such devices.

http://www.wbur.org/npr/507133313/students-zap-their-brains-for-a-boost-for-better-or-worse

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=22532

New platform assesses students with cognitive disabilities

by eSchool News

Open-source assessment system is based on alternate achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Breakthrough Technologies and the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) have partnered on and completed development of an online delivery platform for a new assessment program for students with cognitive disabilities. The NCSC alternate assessment evaluates knowledge of Common Core Math and ELA (reading and writing) standards at grades 3-8 and 11. NCSC’s goal is to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities achieve increasingly higher academic outcomes and leave high school ready for postsecondary options. To achieve this goal, it applies lessons learned from the past decade of research to alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AAAAS) to develop a multistate comprehensive assessment system for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/01/15/new-platform-assesses-students-with-cognitive-disabilities/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14844

A Spanish immersion program makes full use of technology in the classroom

BY SCOTT SPENCER, eSchool News

The thought of preparing our students for their 21st century futures conjures up a number of different ideas. There’s imparting the necessary technology skills students will need to thrive in their careers, as well as interpersonal skills such as collaboration and communication and making sure students can function in an increasingly globalized world. On that last point, my school, Shiloh Elementary School in Monroe, N.C., wondered if we were doing enough. Wouldn’t teaching fluency a foreign language be the ultimate means to prepare students for a diverse and multicultural world? Since 2012, Shiloh has been very proud to have hosted what we call the SPLASH Spanish immersion program.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/01/15/inside-the-school-that-immerses-students-in-spanish-and-technology/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=14842

6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month

by Matt Davis, Edutopia

Black History Month provides a great opportunity for students to explore and learn more about a variety of issues. But it’s important that teachers “reinforce that ‘black history’ is American history,” writes Pat Russo in Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching Black History Month. Russo’s article is a great place to start when determining how to best incorporate black history into your lesson plans. Really, it’s a topic that should be incorporated throughout the year, Russo writes, but in February, teachers can dig deeper, provide students with more context, and connect the past to the present.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/black-history-month-teaching-resources-matthew-davis

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Google launches Classroom app

by eSchool News

Google Classroom users have another way to access the tool with the Jan. 14 launch of the Classroom app for both Android and iOS. Teachers also have two new tools at their disposal–a teacher assignments page and the ability to archive classes, according to a Google for Education blog post by Jorge Lugo, a software engineer for Google Classroom. Google Classroom launched 6 months ago, and in that time, students and teachers have turned in more than 30 million assignments–enough to stretch from New York to Los Angeles if they were paper assignments laid end-to-end, Lugo noted.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/01/15/google-classroom-app-237/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/n0L5sSxtlhM/

Google Glass Pilot: Lessons Learned So Far

By Jim Dutcher, Campus Technology

In the early days of piloting Google Glass for hands-on, experiential learning, SUNY Cobleskill’s CIO shares what IT and faculty are learning from the project. Our Project WAVE-ExSEL pilot began with an initial baseline project plan as per the grant requirements (and more importantly as needed in any proper IT management capacity). But once any project starts, it inevitably needs to be changed as circumstances and environmental factors dictate. So far we are in the implementation stages of the project, before we go live with Google Glass in academic labs this semester. We have to go through a number of technology iterations during these initial sprints. With each iteration, we want to be able to reflect on what went right and what could be improved. Plus, just being reminded of the lessons learned/re-learned helps establish good long-term habits.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/01/14/google-glass-pilot-lessons-learned-so-far.aspx

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SUNY expands online degrees and computer classes

by AP

New York state’s 64-campus university system is undertaking a major virtual expansion, adding new online degree programs and enhancing academic and technical support for students taking classes via computer. The State University of New York went live Tuesday with the initiative it’s calling “Open SUNY.” It’s set to launch eight new online degree programs at six campuses, with plans to add more in September. Chancellor Nancy Zimpher announced plans for the expansion a year ago. The goal is to enroll 100,000 new online students over the next five years. SUNY currently has about 465,000 students overall.

http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=993612

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Illinois School Drops Snow Days for E-Learning Days

by KMOX

In one Metro East school district last week’s snow days were replaced by e-learning days. It doesn’t quite have the same ring, but Russ Hart, Gibault Catholic High School Principal said it’s saving them from tacking on those additional days at the end of the year. The system is called, My Big Campus, and it allows teachers to post assignments even instructional videos online. To get state credit for an E-Learning day teachers are required to post all assignments by 7:30 a.m., then students check-in by 9 a.m. This year was the first year for the program, but it has already proved its value outside the freak snow storm. Hart said one high school senior battling cancer has been using the program so he doesn’t fall behind.

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/01/14/illinois-school-drops-snow-days-for-e-learning-days/

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MIT Rolls Out Big Data Course for Professionals

By Jennifer LeClaire, CIO Today

The big data course offered by MIT should be required in any enterprise where business users interact with data. Business users crave big data and analytics tools, but without an understanding of what makes data good or bad they may make decisions based on insight that’s fallacious. MIT’s big data course is an important step for the industry.

http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=03100001OKIW

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