Building the Ship while Sailing: Faculty Learning Communities and Technology

By: Allen S. Brown and Qiaona Yu, Faculty Focus

Dana Schutz has a visually cacophonous, 13-foot-long painting titled Building the Boat While Sailing. In reviewing the work for the New Yorker, Andrea Scott referred to it as, “an allegory for the process of making a painting.” We think this painting might also serve as an allegory for teaching, which is very much its own creative process. Even in courses with clearly stated objectives and fastidious alignment, the learning environment changes shape frequently as a given term unfolds. Moreover, with each new section and group of learners the process begins anew. Diligent instructional design is an ongoing and iterative process, and it presents time and knowledge demands that can be difficult for faculty to resource on their own. The challenges presented by such a dynamic situation are particularly evident when one attempts to incorporate new digital technologies into the teaching and learning process.

https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/faculty-development/faculty-learning-communities-technology/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37090

Williamson Schools to take ‘blended learning’ approach to online courses

by Melanie Balakit, USA TODAY

Williamson County Schools will offer online courses this fall, joining a growing number of districts nationwide offering virtual learning. The district already embraces technology in the classroom — students bring their own devices for classwork and teachers draft lesson plans that incorporate technology. But this is the first time the district will oversee online high school courses. Only high school students will be able to take online courses in the district’s first year of implementation. The coursework won’t be completely virtual; as of now, the district will require students to meet with teachers at least twice a week. This combination of online coursework and in-person meetings is known as blended learning.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/2018/02/19/williamson-schools-take-blended-learning-approach-online-courses/345075002/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37080

Online predators, cyberbullies addressed at InfraGard meeting

by CHRISTIE BLECK, Mining Journal

In the digital age, adults need to always be on guard to protect themselves and their children from online predators and cyberbullies. That was the focus of a Feb. 8 Michigan InfraGard quarterly meeting, which took place at the Learning Resource Center on the Northern Michigan University’s campus. Michigan InfraGard is a public-private partnership with the FBI dedicated to the protection of Americans, particularly infrastructures and resources.

http://www.miningjournal.net/news/front-page-news/2018/02/online-predators-cyberbullies-addressed-at-infragard-meeting/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37070

Mid-Tier Colleges Do Better Job of Upward Mobility

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

The mobility rate defined by the Equality of Opportunity Project considers a college’s access, the size of the population of students from families in the bottom fifth of income distribution and its success rate in helping those students move into the top fifth of income distribution. According to the researchers, the colleges that have the highest upward mobility rates are typically mid-tier public schools that have two elements: the largest numbers of low-income students and “very good outcomes.” Nobody in the ranking has a mobility rate of 10 percent or higher. California State University, Los Angeles came closest with a mobility rate of 9.9 percent. The access rate for Cal State LA was 33.1 percent; and the success rate was 29.9 percent. Pace University and Stony Brook University in New York both came in second with a mobility rate of 8.4 percent. Access at Pace was 15.2 percent; the success rate was 55.6 percent. The access rate at Stony Brook was 16.4 percent, and the success rate was 51.2 percent.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2017/02/21/mid-tier-colleges-do-better-job-of-upward-mobility.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=24254

Why We Should Invest in STEM Education

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

While many careers today require STEM-educated employees, they aren’t necessarily requiring that those employees have a higher education degree. A report done by the Brookings Institution revealed that nearly half of STEM careers available to employees today do not require a four-year college degree, and those jobs pay ten percent higher than jobs that do require a college degree. This evolution in how we view the relation between jobs and education needs to be reflected in our children’s educational priorities. By investing in STEM education in k-12 schools, our education system can work to close the STEM skills gap that has left open a wide opportunity for employment. To ensure that our children and the next generation are job secure and have equal opportunities for their future success, it’s important that we invest in STEM education. STEM programs inspire children, boost creativity and work to create the next generation of scientist, engineers, and computer programmers.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/why-should-we-invest-in-stem-education/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=24239

Campuses are putting IoT into action in advising, services and beyond

by Jarrett Carter, Education Dive

A University of Southern California project using cameras and sensors to gather analytical data about student engagement and the intersections of teaching and learning is just one of a growing number of initiatives on campuses nationwide to harness the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve outcomes and create innovation within the burgeoning tech sector, Ed Tech: Focus on Higher Ed reported. Schools including Case Western University and Carnegie Mellon University are using IoT to develop innovative ideas, including measuring energy produced by people and machinery, and apps that can be helpful in specific surroundings as a way to improve the campus experience. Syracuse University has been researching machine-to-machine communication for more than a decade, and officials there say the work is a platform for higher education to pioneer technology that can make work and data processing faster and more efficient.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/college-campus-internet-of-things-iot-syracuse-usc-case-western-carnegie-mellon/436668/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=24229

How blended learning is sweeping the country

by Peter Kilcoyne, TES

“Many hands make light work,” the saying goes. While technology has increasingly helped us to make work lighter, it is teamwork with like-minded individuals that will make this lighter still. With that in mind, and with the ever-increasing influence of technology on our daily lives, Heart of Worcestershire (HoW) College set out to create a blended learning consortium; pooling resources with fellow colleges in order to continually deliver high-quality online provision for our learners. As winner of the “outstanding use of technology” category at the TES FE Awards last year, the college has externally-recognised expertise in this area. We are now in the fifth year of delivering a cross-college blended learning curriculum (combining face-to-face and online learning), and have found that fully embracing online components in courses brings great benefits for students and colleges.

https://www.tes.com/news/further-education/breaking-views/how-blended-learning-sweeping-country

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15185

Studying Online: The Latest Trend in Education

by SWNS Reporter

An ever-increasing number of students are choosing to ditch traditional education methods, instead undertaking their study purely over the internet. This method, known as online learning or e-learning, has attracted much attention in recent years from students in both the U.S and the Ukraine alike. Online learning makes it easier for students to be in control of their study, helps to save money and provides access to a wealth of valuable resources, text materials, and teaching professionals.

http://swns.com/news/studying-online-the-latest-trend-in-education-71676/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15183

Don’t go to the gym: Here are the best live stream workouts you can do at home

by Jenny Hewett, news.com.au

Forget paying for gym memberships. You can live stream workouts at home — sometimes for free. According to fitness experts, our humble abodes, offices and hotel rooms are where the future of fitness is headed. Workouts that can be live-streamed online and on demand are one of the fastest growing trends in the industry and they’re only expected to gain momentum (forgive the pun) as our desire for instant gratification peaks. Gone are the days of grainy DVDs and outdated aerobic workouts rife with sexual innuendo. The home fitness genre has re-emerged more sophisticated than ever. Where once YouTube dominated the online exercise sphere with low quality streams, a polished, new virtual studio has risen from the rubble.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fitness/exercise/dont-go-to-the-gym-here-are-the-best-live-stream-workouts-you-can-do-at-home/news-story/dc71b122fae46eb264723a12d15436a7

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15188

In ‘flipped classrooms,’ teachers lecture online, use class for practice

by Jeffrey S. Solochek, Tampa Bay Times

“She makes a video for us and she makes a quiz,” said 9-year-old Justin Velez, who got called over because he forgot to do the lesson. “Then, depending how we do on the quiz, we get separated into groups the next day. I like it.” Sheridan is among a growing number of teachers using a “flipped” classroom structure, in which students learn concepts outside class, leaving more time to practice with teachers and peers during school. She adopted the model last year, and positive results led to an expansion this year into the second and third grades at Sand Pine Elementary in Wesley Chapel. “We see an increase in collaboration,” said Sand Pine principal Scott Atkins, whose daughter participates and has improved her math skills. “I’ve just seen a difference with our kids’ understanding.”

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/in-flipped-classrooms-teachers-lecture-online-use-class-for-practice/2218710

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Study reveals tough economic road for young adults

by Dan DeLuca, News-Press

Millennials are the best educated group of young adults in American history but are earning about $2,000 less per year than their parents did in 1980. That seemingly contradictory equation is among the demographic data revealed in a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau, “Young Adults Then and Now,” which focuses on the 18-34 age group. The analysis included data from the 1980, 1990 and 2000 censuses as well as the 2009-13 American Community Survey.

http://www.news-press.com/story/news/local/2015/02/07/study-reveals-tough-economic-road-young-adults/23035755/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/48zbaDSVDBk/

How learning repositories enable personalized instruction

By Laura Devaney, eSchool News

The emergence of open educational resources, coupled with students’ desire for more personalized learning, has fueled a need for content repositories that enable teachers, students, and parents to locate effective learning resources and educational content quickly. Now, the state of Illinois is developing efforts to help teachers and students leverage tagged educational content to make learning more customized, and effective, for students. The Illinois Shared Learning Environment (ISLE) will help educators use data and other tools to connect students with the learning resources and instructional content best suited to their needs.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/02/24/learning-repositories-personalize-927/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/bPInRvJd12M/

Shmoop Uses Humor to Make Learning, Test-Prep Fun

By ALAN FARNHAM, GOOD MORNING AMERICA

There’s a reason why nearly 10 million kids a month come to Shmoop to get help with test-prep and studying: The site is funny — funny in an adolescent way — their way. Why the yuks? Because Shmoop surveyed students and found that what they disliked most about conventional test-prep and online learning was that it’s boring. So, Shmoop adds jokes, word-play, sarcasm and whimsy. Its philosophy is best summed up by a quip from its introduction to SAT-prep: “Why learn about geometry without ninjas when you can learn about it with ninjas?” The company is on track to offer some 2,200 educational videos by year’s end on topics ranging from Victorian fiction to the periodic table of elements. Its learning guides cover math, science, social science, literature, the arts and music. It offers test prep for the ACT, the SAT, AP exams and more. The one thing tying together this multiplicity of offerings is Shmoop’s irreverent, sophomoric sensibility.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/shmoop-humor-makes-test-prep-learning-fun/story?id=22607323

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/ZwbDj16Js1o/

The Same Old Story with a New Cover: Growing Controversy over Online Learning Leadership

By Jay Halfond, the Evolllution

In just a few years, digital learning has emerged front-and-center as the critical component of the future of higher education, and schools are scurrying to figure out their strategy for entering this sphere. This visibility and prominence has led to clashes over who will lead these now-important efforts, what direction should be taken and how this will impact the traditional mainstream order. Despite its newness, this controversy resurrects century-old unresolved conflicts within the academy. The online factor is simply the current nuance for otherwise perpetual dilemmas. Should online education be run professionally or professorially? Should it run through a centralized structure or remain respectful of a more decentralized model? What should be the incentives and priorities for faculty? How should scarce resources be distributed? What is the proper division of labor for new online initiatives?

http://www.evolllution.com/media_resources/story-cover-growing-controversy-online-learning-leadership/

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