USE MOOCS TO BUILD COMMUNITY

BY RAEGAN JOHNSON, Associations Now

Does your association provide massive open online courses (MOOCs) or virtual continuing education courses to members? Perhaps you should suggest that your members do their learning together. Taking an online class can be solitary experience. But Lifehacker notes that online courses can be turned into group activity. “I say meet up with a couple of friends instead and turn one of these courses into something that feels like a real classroom,” recommends Patrick Allan. Keep participants engaged by facilitating group get-togethers, classrooms, or study sessions. A group setting may make it easier for your members to learn from the material, ask questions, and talk about ideas. “Almost every online course has a forum or some place you can chat with other students, but it’s not the same as having an open debate in person,” writes Allan.

http://associationsnow.com/2017/07/wednesday-buzz-use-moocs-build-community/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=29697

How to Build a Successful Blended Learning Model

By Tara Beams, THE Journal

When you make the switch to a blended learning model, you find yourself making instructional choices for students that empower them to utilize technology in a very independent and deliberate manner. Defined by the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank Clayton Christensen Institute as any formal education program in which students learn at least in part through online learning with “student control over time, place, path and/or pace,” blended learning needs to be a purposeful and thoughtful endeavor.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/07/12/how-to-build-a-successful-blended-learning-model.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=29682

These 5 Teachers Showcase the Future of Blended Learning’s ‘Station Rotation’ Model

By Clifford Maxwell and Julia Freeland Fisher, EdSurge

The report builds upon over five years of research that the Christensen Institute has conducted on the rise of different blended learning models in K-12 schools. Typically, as schools and classrooms integrate online learning into instruction, the choreography of online and offline learning coalesces into a particular architecture. In 2012, we codified 7 models of blended learning that were cropping up in schools. Among the most popular is the Station Rotation model, which builds on the decades-long tradition of rotating students among “learning centers”—self-contained sections of a classroom where students could engage in various independent learning activities. Increasingly we’ve begun to observe how schools treat these discrete models, particularly the Station Rotation, as a starting point, rather than the finish line. As the teachers we interviewed and observed illustrate, to fit their students needs educators often want elbow room from the strict schedule and flow of a rotation model.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-07-13-these-5-teachers-showcase-the-future-of-blended-learning-s-station-rotation-model

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=29667

Facebook Commits $15 Million to Code.org to Diversify Computer Science Education

By Sri Ravipati, THE Journal

In an effort to increase the number of women and other underrepresented groups in the computer science field, Facebook is pledging $15 million over the next five years to Code.org to enable the nonprofit to train teachers to teach computer science in urban public school districts and to expand learning opportunities for students. Facebook released a report on the diversity of its own employees earlier today, admitting the company has a long way to go before it has a diverse employee base, particularly for its technical departments and senior leadership. Only 17 percent of technical workers are women, while 3 percent are Hispanic and 1 percent is African American. For senior leadership, 27 percent are women, 3 percent are African American and 3 percent are Hispanic.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/07/14/facebook-commits-$15-million-to-code.org-to-diversify-coding-education.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16364

La Serna High Student Inspires Launch of STEM Classes

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

A girl who knows how to code can change the world. At least, that’s what Markie Wagner of Whittier, CA, thinks. She’s a soon-to-be senior at La Serna High School in Whittier, and she believes all girls should try their hand at computer science. Her efforts and enthusiasm have inspired her school to launch two new STEM classes in the fall — Intro to Engineering and Advanced Placement Computer Science. “That was very exciting to hear,” said Wagner, who recently finished a computer coding immersion program at UCLA. Last summer, she participated in an eight-week program offered by Girls Who Code, a nationally respected nonprofit organization that aims to close the gender gap in technology education and the industry.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/07/14/la-serna-high-student-inspires-launch-of-stem-classes.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16361

Getting Through a Wireless Overhaul

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

Michigan’s Oakland University is in the throes of its third major wireless network rollout in 10 years. Here’s how the institution is tackling user demand, the Internet of Things, signal management and more. For its third-generation network, the university wanted to provide pervasive high-density service, such as at a hotel conference center or football stadium, but throughout the entire campus. The IT team sent out a request for information (RFI), considered several vendors, conducted some prototypes and then settled on Aruba.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/07/14/getting-through-a-wireless-overhaul.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=16355

Penn State offers class on teaching veterans

BY LORI FALCE, Centre Daily

“At Penn State, and especially with the World Campus, the military population is growing,” said Drew Tatusko, assistant director of faculty development for World Campus, the university’s online arm. The World Campus’s enrollment has the highest concentration of military students across all of Penn State’s locations, with 17.2 percent of the student body being service members. From deployment to training to sudden and unexpected relocation, there are often extenuating circumstances that require adjustments or allowances from instructors. Joan Smeltzer, a Penn State York math instructor, has seen the impact firsthand with her students. She had one who was being deployed, and while she was encouraging and trying to be helpful, he was also insistent that he expected no special treatment.

http://www.centredaily.com/2015/07/14/4835275/penn-state-offers-class-on-teaching.html

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Keep Kids Learning This Summer with Google’s Free Online Science Program

by Melanie Pinola, Lifehacker

Google has partnered with NASA, National Geographic, Khan Academy and other major organizations to teach kids science over the summer. It’s called Camp Google and the first week takes kids underwater. Virtually, that is. Kids sign on at camp.withgoogle.com to watch videos, participate in activities, and earn badges. After this week’s Ocean Week, they’ll explore space, nature, and music to do things like create space food, grow crystals, and turn a smartphone into a booming stereo. It’s tough entertaining and educating kids when they’re home all day in the summer, so thank you Google.

http://lifehacker.com/keep-kids-learning-this-summer-with-googles-free-online-1717750067

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Surprise! This Career is One of the Happiest Around

BY Jeremy Goldman, INC

If you’re unhappy at work, don’t complain to your coder friends. Chances are they won’t be able to relate. The stereotype of web developers is that they don’t get up from their workstations except to grab another Red Bull. However, a new survey from education site SkilledUP (and conducted by market research firm ProvokeInsights) indicates that most developers are happier than you are, largely due to a high degree of freedom and rewarding salaries. Among the survey’s findings: Of the 303 developers surveyed, 88% indicated that they were completely satisfied with their career. Another 11% indicated they were somewhat satisfied. Perhaps surprisingly, only 1% of developers surveyed were not at all satisfied. Out of different specialties, the happiest developers on average worked in mobile/responsive programming.

http://www.inc.com/jeremy-goldman/surprise-this-career-is-one-of-the-happiest-around.html

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School-Wide Twitter Chats

by Stephen Baker, Edutopia

Kidsedchatnz is a weekly Twitter chat between New Zealand classes and students, every Thursday at 2:00-3:00PM. It is organised by seven New Zealand teachers via Twitter, each taking a turn to run the chats. Each week, a topic is chosen, and 5-10 discussion questions are generated on that topic. All topics and questions are posted on the Kidsedchatnz blog prior to the chat so that students can prepare beforehand. The teacher in charge is responsible for picking the topics, generating the questions and moderating the chats on the day. Moderating involves posting the questions and encouraging conversation between the students.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/school-wide-twitter-chats-stephen-baker

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Wi-Fi technology paves road for spread of e-learning

BY SAMUEL MUNGADZE, Business Day

With Wi-Fi becoming more high-speed and reliable in South Africa, it is paving a new road for e-learning . As the traditional model of education evolves , educational institutions are facing the increasing challenge of providing Wi-Fi services to their students and staff, industry experts say. The institutions are now looking beyond 3G and fixed-line services to the new generation of Wi-Fi technology to support more users and diverse applications.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/education/2014/07/10/wi-fi-technology-paves-road-for-spread-of-e-learning

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The Beginner’s Guide To Competitive Gaming In Schools

By Jason Cross, Edudemic

If you are thinking I am joking, the United States recently recognized League of Legends as an official sport so they could issue visas to players, just as they do for sports like the NBA. And yes, there are even fantasy leagues where you can put together teams of your favorite League of Legends competitors and earn points for your virtual team online. And with millions in prize money and sponsorships for players, more and more people are pursuing competitive gaming careers. You no longer need to be a programmer to get a job in games. You can now select from hundreds of related careers like announcer, PR representative or business development director.

http://www.edudemic.com/competitive-gaming-school-sports-programs/

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