UTEP’s New Online Chicano Studies Program Growing

by Sammy G. Allen, Diverse Education

An online multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary program that offers intuitive understanding of the dynamics of the U.S.-Mexico border and the Latino presence in the U.S. is gaining momentum at The University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Dennis Bixler-Márquez, director of Chicano Studies at UTEP, said a new Chicano Studies degree there allows students to learn about U.S.-Mexico economics, culture, history and arts.

http://diverseeducation.com/article/111936/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37918

Paralegal distance learning in real time at Wilson Community College

by Jane Albright, WRAL

Carrie Wilson Morris, a student in the paralegal program at Wilson Community College, was in Raleigh three counties away watching on her office computer as a Wilson attorney discussed his work. As an online student, Marris was accustomed to not being in a classroom. What was new this time is that the action was taking place in real time, at that very moment. She raised her hand, virtually speaking. She typed into the chat box, “Have you ever dealt with a case where the victim was unwilling to give testimony?” “Yes,” the attorney replied, “in a domestic abuse case.”

 

Paralegal distance learning in real time at Wilson Community College

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37910

Why Do We Need Blockchain Technologies in Education?

by NewsBTC

There is a real buzz around new EdTech companies such as NTOK.io at the moment. They are creating a future vision of global learning and tuition that uses blockchain technology at its core. Although EdTech is in its early stages, it’s likely that education will be disrupted in the same way that FinTech has changed the financial world. Cryptocurrency transactions are made secure by blockchain technology allowing for significant decentralization of finances. In other words, the big banks and governments no longer have power over finances. The blockchain makes all data transactions untraceable, including financial ones. If we extend this idea of secured blockchain currency and data transactions to EdTech, it’s clear to see that this will transform education into something far more democratic.

Why Do We Need Blockchain Technologies in Education?

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=37902

6 growing trends taking over academic libraries

BY MERIS STANSBURY, eCampus News

Spreading digital fluency is now a core responsibility of academic libraries, and Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) are poised to amplify the utility and reach of library services like never before. These are just two of the revelations part of the New Media Consortium’s (NMC)Annual Horizon Report: 2017 Library Edition. The report, which decides the trends and technologies that will have a dramatic influence on academic libraries in the next 5 years—thanks to a panel of 75 experts composed of library leaders, librarians, technologists, industry leaders, and other key stakeholders from 14 countries—aims to help leaders seeking inspiration, models, and tactical insight around strategy and technology deployment for academic libaries.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/featured/featured-on-ecampus-news/growing-trends-academic-libraries/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=25367

Blockchain: Letting Students Own Their Credentials

By Dian Schaffhauser, Campus Technology

Very soon this nascent technology could securely enable registrars to help students verify credentials without the hassle of ordering copies of transcripts. While truth may seem evasive on many fronts, a joint academic and industry effort is underway to codify it for credentialing. At the core of the effort is blockchain, a trust technology developed for bitcoin and used in solving other forms of validation between individuals and organizations. Still in its nascent stage, the technology could, within just a year or two, provide the core services that would enable schools to stop acting as if they own proof of learning and help students verify their credentials as needed — without waiting on a records office to do it for them.

https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2017/03/23/Blockchain-Letting-Students-Own-Their-Credentials.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=25352

Teachers want to ban Wi-Fi in the classroom

by LLOYD ALTER, Mother Nature Network

In Kingston Ontario, two teachers unions want to have Wi-Fi turned off because they believe the signals post a health risk. Ashely Csanady writes in the National Post: “We’re concerned because Wi-Fi and microwave communications have not been determined to be safe, and we’ve never received any training about the hazards such as all the warnings that come with your cellphones or wireless devices.” A few years back there was a campaign to remove Wi-Fi from a school district north of Toronto. But thousands of studies and most reputable scientists suggest there’s little risk, primarily because the energy output of a router is so low. As Dr. Steven Novella of the NeuroLogica blog noted, From a basic science perspective, there is little plausibility to the notion that Wi-Fi radiation would have any health effects. The amount of energy that is absorbed by a person living in a Wi-Fi field is negligible — less than 1% of exposure from a typical cellphone and well below current safety levels.

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/computers/blogs/teachers-want-ban-wifi-classroom

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15428

Deeper Learning Demands Deeper Leading—and Technology Can Help

by Barnett Berry, EdSurge

Teachers feel disconnected from decisions relevant to their jobs, and their working conditions do not encourage ongoing professional growth. How can we then expect them to exercise energy and enthusiasm as they engage students in deeper learning?It is time for policymakers and practitioners to create an effective system of teacher learning and leadership. For deeper learning to spread, teachers must be able to evaluate the impact of new practices on student learning and broaden their own reach. To borrow Elmore’s terms, growing numbers of teachers will need to “go public” with their practices and expand their “web” of influence, no longer thinking of themselves as “solo practitioners.” And schools will need to take new organizational approaches that develop teachers as leaders and create the conditions that allow (and encourage) their expertise to be tapped and spread.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-03-26-deeper-learning-demands-deeper-leading-and-technology-can-help

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15425

Redefining the art of learning

by Cindy Mosedale, Rutland Herald

We teachers have joined together to stretch our comfort levels and expand our expertise by employing artistic media to foster higher-order thinking and understanding in science content. In our classrooms, learning is centered around a growth mindset and the habits of mind that allow students to develop: persistence, listening with understanding, questioning, and communicating with precision and accuracy. Participants are taught to constructively critique and craft their products and performances as an infinite process. The team uses phrases such as, “I notice that…” and, “I wonder what would happen if…” with each other and students, with a goal of providing additional information and building on what the students have already mastered, rather than destroying what they’ve created by implying that it is lacking and suggesting a need to start over.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20160327/OPINION06/160329566

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=15422

6 Ways Social Media Can Change Your Classroom

By Amanda Ronan by Amanda Ronan, Edudemic

Remember when schools had policies outlawing cell phones in the classroom? Teachers used to tell students, “Keep it in your locker, in your backpack, in your car, or at home, just don’t bring it in here. Your phone is a distraction.” Yet here we are, a handful of years later handing out laptops and tablets to every student, holding Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) days, and encouraging students to engage in class work online in ways we never imagined tolerable, or even possible. Today, many forward-thinking teachers are embracing gadgets and social media as a way to connect with students, families, and other classrooms.

http://www.edudemic.com/twitter-college-lecture/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/hnhO3k4S-cg/

Everything you never knew about using Google in the classroom

By Stephen Noonoo, eSchool News

Did you know you can see all your copy/paste history in Chrome in a click? Bookmark all your browser tabs at once? Create choose your own adventures in Google Slides? More than half a dozen Google Certified Teachers recently descended on Palm Springs to share their favorite tips, tricks, add-ons, and extensions during a packed session at the Annual CUE 2015 conference. Each presenter shared a micro-presentation honing in on their top ways for teachers and students to make the most out of the Google ecosystem.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/03/24/google-classroom-978/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/2Azbdz4cTMI/

Google Glass headset isn’t dead, says Eric Schmidt

By Charlie Osborne, ZDNet

The Explorer program, a scheme which allowed interested parties to apply for a headset, ended abruptly in January. At the time, Google said the program was being closed so its developers could “focus on what’s coming next,” and there will be “future versions of Glass when they are ready.” The Google Glass project has now moved out of the Google X research lab, where the headset was first developed, and is now a stand-alone unit overseen by Tony Fadell, the leader of Google’s Nest connected devices and Internet of Things (IoT) division. Nest was acquired by Google last year for $3.2 billion.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/google-glass-headset-isnt-dead-says-schmidt/

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/K5Yu30nd-aU/

7 Apps That Teach Literacy Skills

By Katharina I. Boser, Sarah Wayland; THE Journal

Visual and sonic aids can help students with language disorders improve their reading, writing and speaking. You can see more great feature articles in the latest issue of our monthly digital edition. Mobile devices can help students who have trouble communicating orally by allowing them to converse using pictures and the written word (what’s known as augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC). Any number of apps can facilitate AAC, but some of them are particularly well-suited for helping students with language disorders learn how to read and how to effectively express themselves in writing. See the link below for reviews of some exciting new features in apps that teach these skills.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/03/20/7-apps-that-teach-literacy-skills.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/WFG0l8109uo/

7 Apps and Websites to Help You Teach Algebra

By Graphite

Common Sense Media’s service Graphite, which offers independent ratings and reviews on learning apps and websites, has compiled this list of its top apps and websites that help teach algebra. See the apps/sites at the link below. For complete reviews, and for each app’s “Learning Rating,” visit the Graphite website.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/03/20/algebra-apps.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/uis/edtech/~3/rQxzAh8vNuU/

The Role of Technology in an Outcomes-Based Funding Environment

By Mary Grush, Campus Technology

The University of Tennessee, Martin has a strategy in place to comply with a statewide outcomes-based funding mandate. Their initial work, completed during the 3-year “hold harmless” implementation window, was done in response to the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010, which rewards institutions for outcomes related to retention, progression, and student success. All state-funded higher education institutions in Tennessee, through the Tennessee Board of Regents and the UT system, are aligned with the state’s master plan and the “Drive to 55″ — the governor’s push toward a 55 percent rate of Tennessee residents possessing a higher education credential. These institutions, along with the independent schools of the state, work in consort to help more citizens achieve their credentials, and those colleges and universities receiving state funding must demonstrate specific outcomes — rather than just tracking enrollments as was done in the past.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/03/19/the-role-of-technology-in-an-outcomes-based-funding-environment.aspx

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