Fixing the Textbook Model

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Indiana University’s Brad Wheeler explains how his institution is ditching the college textbook and replacing it with digital alternatives that are accessible to students from day one. Here’s the idea that kicked off the pilot: to negotiate with willing publishers to lower the pricing of their textbooks in return for getting the near-guarantee that every student in a course section would pay for it all upfront as a course fee and receive it in digital form. That included the ancillary content (“digital thingies” in Wheeler’s parlance) such as labs, flash cards and other digitized resources, which the university would take over and distribute — reducing support hassles.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/06/21/fixing-the-textbook-model.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=29245

How to drive digital transformation in urban schools

by Dwight Jones, eSchool News

It’s generally understood that integrating edtech into schools can be complex, but what’s less often discussed is that it represents one of the most universal pain points for administrators and educators today. And when you look at larger, more densely populated school districts–in urban markets like Los Angeles, Philadelphia, or Chicago–district leaders often face added pressures and challenges to do digital right, and often with little support. Yet, those urban districts seem to have some of the greatest appetites for edtech. According to the National Education Association, educators in urban schools are more likely to strongly agree about the value of technology, both for themselves and for their students.

https://www.eschoolnews.com/2017/06/21/digital-urban-districts

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=29237

MEL Science Launches Virtual Reality Chemistry Lessons

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

MEL Science, based in London, has launched a series of virtual reality (VR) chemistry lessons for K–12. The 3-year-old company this week released a MEL Chemistry VR app, featuring a virtual chemistry lab, for free on Google Daydream. This free version, which contains the first six chemistry lessons, is available at this MEL Science site. According to MEL Science, chemistry is filled with abstract concepts that may prove difficult for young students to understand. The best method for kids to learn is through hands-on interaction, so MEL Science developed these VR chemistry lessons to enliven molecular-level science and illustrate it on an immersive, life-sized level.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/06/15/mel-science-launches-virtual-reality-chemistry-lessons.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=29229

Learn to speak Manx with online course

By ION Today

Culture Vannin has launched an innovative online Manx language course for beginners or people who want to improve their Manx. The course has been produced in conjunction with online course provider Say Something in Welsh. Adrian Cain, Manx Language Development Officer of Culture Vannin, said: ‘It has been a real coup for us to work with the team at SSIW. ‘Their unique methodology is a real eye opener to people and learners will be amazed at by the complex sentences they will be able to pick up and use within a remarkably short period of time’.

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/learn-to-speak-manx-with-online-course-1-7986209

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Popular Online Learning Game PaGamO Now Available as Android App

by BoniO

PaGamO is a unique learning game that allows users to study virtually any subject while competing in a game based on the principles of classic board games like Risk and Settlers of Catan. The game encourages players to build their own kingdom of knowledge, wealth and land by answering questions and solving quizzes. While the game offers academic Common Core-aligned content to hone math and spelling skills, it also offers game missions that allow users to brush up on general knowledge, from science to history to pop culture and news

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/popular-online-learning-game-pagamo-now-available-as-android-app-300291974.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16243

Chromebook Bundle Handles Web Filtering and Class Controls

By Dian Schaffhauser, THE Journal

Educators overseeing Chromebook programs have a new tool to help them manage those devices. Lightspeed Systems has unveiled the Bundle for Chrome. The company also introduced a new cloud filter for schools to ensure CIPA compliance. Both announcements came during the International Society for Technology in Education 2016 Conference, taking place this week in Denver. The Chrome release provides features to educators for classroom controls and to IT people for device security. A bundled version of the new release pulls together two of Lightspeed’s products: Web Filter and Classroom Orchestrator.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/06/30/chromebook-bundle-handles-web-filtering-and-class-controls.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16249

Spicing Up Student Learning With History and STEM Podcasts

By Leah Levy, Edudemic

Podcasts have been around for a long time now, but they have only just begun to surge into mainstream popularity. That’s all thanks to a little podcast called Serial, a true crime program that reopened investigation into the murder of a high school student committed in 1999. With tens of millions of downloads, this podcast is officially the most popular of all time. To those of us who are longtime podcast fans, the potential of the medium to both captivate and set minds whirring is no surprise. There are so many great podcasts out there, that we found we couldn’t narrow them all down into one article. Let’s take a look at some of the greatest podcasts to adapt for classroom and at-home learning within the fields of History and STEM, and we’ll follow up with other subjects in coming weeks.

http://www.edudemic.com/learning-history-stem-podcasts/

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Degree on Their Own Time

by Jacqueline Thomsen, Inside Higher Ed

One women’s college is making sure that all students who want a degree can earn one. Alverno College, an all-women’s institution in Wisconsin, is phasing out its once popular weekend courses in favor of a hybrid option for students, a move the college’s president said will allow the student body to better balance personal and professional demands while still pursuing a degree. President Mary Meehan said when the weekend program at Alverno began more than 40 years ago, the institution would see women travel from as far as Colorado to attend the courses. But over the years, students found working full-time during the week and giving up weekends to be too demanding. Enrollment numbers fell from about 1,000 a decade ago to roughly 100 now, and the college started exploring other options.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/29/one-womens-college-introduces-hybrid-degree-program-help-women-juggle-their

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Searching For The Next Wave Of Education Innovation

by Danny Crichton, Tech Crunch

With the rise of the internet, it seemed like education was on the cusp of a complete revolution. Today, though, you would be excused for not seeing much of a difference between the way we learn and how we did so twenty years ago. I have attempted to tease out these challenges in two previous essays on what the modern university still offers us and how we might learn in the future. One thesis that becomes more clearer over time is simply that we have ignored the more human aspects of education, replacing it instead with a “give ’em tablets and they will learn” mentality. The next wave of education innovation won’t come from dumping technology on the problem. Instead, it will come from deeply engaging with people and empowering them to make learning all their own.

http://techcrunch.com/2015/06/27/education-next-wave/

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Watch: a viral economics course that can be completed in one sitting

by Gregory Ferenstein, Venture Beat

The next frontier in higher education may be viral courses that can be completed in a single day. One of my favorite economists, Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution, is out with a new course on “Everyday Economics”, complete with short quizzes and eye-candy visual lectures. The one below, on the rise of human prosperity, is intellectually delicious. “For this type of material, let’s face it: We’re competing with BuzzFeed,” Alex Tabarrok told the Chronicle of Higher Education. Tabarrok is a professor at George Mason University and co-founder of Marginal Revolution University, which is offering the course. Indeed, there appears to be a trend in one-shot courses. Vocational online course provider, Udacity, has teamed up with Google to offer advanced web programming courses that can be completed in a single day.

http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/26/watch-a-viral-economics-course-that-can-be-completed-in-one-sitting/

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Online Education Can Mean Year-Round Learning

By North American Precis Syndicate

While summer can be a great time for family fun, it can also pose a challenge to many students. That’s because students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer than they do at the beginning. This is commonly known as the “summer slide.” Without the continuation of education online virtually year-round, children can lose knowledge and skills. This is particularly true for those in low-income families who may not have access to enrichment opportunities such as camp, tutoring and regular trips to the library. The good news is, there’s a wealth of educational resources available online for free, so families can turn the “summer slide” into a chance for academic growth.

http://scoopsandiego.com/online_features/tech_talk_and_innovation/online-education-can-mean-year-round-learning/article_0c4315c5-a0f4-5eba-ba18-56d6535c0528.html

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Where Teaching Meets Technology

Where Teaching Meets Technology

by Sophia Hollander, Wall Street Journal

In late May, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $20 million investment in new devices and software to increase classroom connectivity—and a $650 million capital investment over the next five years. And on Friday, city officials are set to announce a series of summer courses for teachers on the topic—offered through partners including PBS, Google and Microsoft—to meet the expanding need. The courses will be free and include in-person and online elements. Last spring, the Department of Education started a Blended Learning Institute to train science teachers like Mr. Larsen how to teach with technology more effectively. This year, it launched a track in computer science; classes led by the 60 newly trained high-school teachers will begin next fall.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/where-teaching-meets-technology-1403833224?mod=WSJ_LatestHeadlines

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