How Tech Can Help Students with Disabilities Thrive in STEM Education

by Calvin Hennick, edTech Magazine

When Stephanie Talalai began as the technology coordinator at A. Harry Moore School 26 years ago, nonverbal students communicated using pieces of paper with “yes” and “no” on them. Today, students can control computers using their eyes. “In terms of providing access,” Talalai says, “the technology has come a long way.” For students with disabilities, tech tools can help provide new and engaging ways to access content in science, technology, engineering and math. EdTech asked educators to share tips about how to use technology to give students with special needs the same access to STEM activities as other schoolchildren. Here are their recommendations.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/10/how-tech-can-help-students-disabilities-thrive-stem-education

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5 Apps to Help All Students with Math

by Calvin Hennick, edTech Magazine

A big part of offering up science, technology and math (STEM) opportunities for students of all abilities is differentiating instruction for each students’ needs. “Anything can be adapted for students with disabilities,” says A. Harry Moore School Technology Coordinator Stephanie Talalai in an EdTech article. “It’s just a matter of what accommodation you are going to give them.” One great way to provide accommodations for all students is through the use of mobile apps. For the “M” of STEM in particular, several mobile apps let teachers help students access high-interest, leveled math content.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/10/5-apps-help-all-students-math

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Student-Run Help Desks Provide Advantages to Schools, Learners

by Ryan Petersen

Does that new help desk aide look, well, young? As in, really young — as in, your student? Don’t be surprised. Several school districts have launched IT support programs that give students an opportunity to get hands-on with tech and also extend the help that they can provide to the classroom, staff and students. IT professionals are stretched thin in K–12 school districts. And the strategy of staffing help desks with student workers has become an increasingly successful approach to combat an influx of help requests that come with the proliferation of educational technology. For these programs, schools tap computer-savvy students as a resource, preserving the IT staff’s time for other responsibilities.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/10/student-run-help-desks-provide-advantages-schools-learners

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Microsoft Unveils 5 MOOCs on K–12 Digital Pedagogy and Leadership

By Richard Chang, THE Journal

Microsoft’s education team is sponsoring five new online courses designed to help guide K–12 principals, headmasters, superintendents and school leaders through the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation. The courses have been developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Michigan and the University of Queensland, offered in partnership with edX, the nonprofit online learning hub founded by Harvard and MIT. The massive open online courses (MOOCs) start in January.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/10/12/microsoft-unveils-5-moocs-on-k12-digital-pedagogy-and-leadership.aspx

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Pima County Library launches online high school program for adults

By Yoohyun Jung, Arizona Daily Star

Borrowing books isn’t the only thing one can do with a library card in Pima County. It also opens up a world of other media and resources available at the library branches and online. And now, it can also enable those who never finished high school to have another go at getting a diploma. The Pima County Public Library has launched a new program for county residents who are at least 22 years old to get their high school diplomas through an online high school program as part of the county’s larger plan for workforce development.

http://tucson.com/news/local/education/pima-county-library-launches-online-high-school-program-for-adults/article_a8d02628-59ba-5a19-a743-45e87f64b79e.html

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Missouri pushes initiative for students to take more classes and graduate quicker

By Ashley Jost, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In an attempt to address college affordability, Missouri rolled out a new initiative Wednesday morning, flanked with the Legislature’s support. The “15 to Finish” initiative encourages college students to take 15 credit hours each semester, increasing their odds of graduating on time and leaving college with less debt. “Lots of our students are holding full-time jobs, making it more difficult to have students managing a workload of 40 to 50 hours per week and classes,” Byrd said. “But we’ve done this already. We’ll just work case-by-case, look at their work schedule and class schedule. In many cases, our students find they can pick up an online class to get them those extra three credit hours.”

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/missouri-pushes-initiative-for-students-to-take-more-classes-and/article_9f08feea-f859-58c6-a623-ebf35fc6be79.html

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Stanford invites faculty to customize new course evaluations

by Kathleen J. Sullivan, Stanford

The university has created a new course evaluation form that faculty members can customize by identifying the learning goals of the course and adding questions of their own. The deadline for faculty to customize course evaluations for autumn quarter is Nov. 13. The new course evaluations represent a significant change for Stanford because the questions – both standard and customized – are designed to elicit responses about the success of the course in promoting student learning. Previous course evaluation forms focused almost exclusively on the performance of the instructor.

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/october/new-course-evaluations-101615.html

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3 Academic Advantages of Online Programs

By Lila Romero, US News

Online students can enjoy enhanced classroom discussions and acquire digital communication skills. Some people believe that online education provides a sub-par learning experience. But I think that’s hardly the case. As an online student earning a master’s degree in communication from Purdue University, I have come to know that some of my most memorable and enriching learning experiences happen within the virtual classroom. In my mind, there are three unique academic advantages of an online program.

http://www.usnews.com/education/online-learning-lessons/2015/10/16/3-academic-advantages-of-online-programs

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Microsoft offers online course: Learn C# programming

by India Today

Microsoft has come up with a new course that allows candidates to enroll themselves for an online course on “Programming with C#”. This course is not for beginners or those new to programming. The candidates must have prior programming experience in an object-oriented programming language as there are concepts that are mentioned in the course that are assumed to be prior knowledge and are not explained in detail. Learning C# provides a solid foundation in object-oriented programming knowledge, paves the way for learning other programming languages, and positions those who complete this course for a wide variety of in-demand computer programming jobs.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/microsoft/1/500987.html

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Ubiquitous Everything and Then Some

by Mara Hancock, EDUCAUSE Review Online

The media is buzzing about the “Internet of Everything.” The term ubiquitous computing became old-school before it even became reality, replaced by the Internet of Everything (IoE), aka the Internet of Things (IoT). This new conceptual framework—which essentially refers to the interconnectivity of devices, data, and people to one another and to the Internet—offers a rapidly evolving foundation on which to conjecture about the impact this connected technology will have on the future of society, learning, and education. Since 2008, the number of physical items connected to the Internet has exceeded the number of people on earth.¹ Sensors are embedded in the phones in our pockets and also in common consumer devices such as refrigerators and cars; in addition, stand-alone sensors can be placed throughout our environment and set to communicate to our phones, clothes, watches, or jewelry. Campuses are now dealing not only with bring your own device (BYOD) but also with bring your own sensor (BYOS)!

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/ubiquitous-everything-and-then-some

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How will the Internet of Everything change education by 2018?

By Cisco, ZD Net

As we all know, technology is evolving rapidly. It has, and will continue to, profoundly change our lives in the years to come. What kind of positive changes can we expect to see rising out of the Internet of Everything (IoE) by 2018? For example, IoE is changing the ways in which students with disabilities are able to learn. Technology is being put to use in schools in Australia, with sensors changing the ways students learn sign language. Elsewhere sensors are being used to improve learning for students with ADHD by monitoring brain activity and providing rewards for improved learning. This process perfectly captures how a connection between the four pillars of IoE – people, process, data and things – is already influencing. Though currently, physical attendance is the norm; by 2018 we could expect to see tuition taking place through any device, anywhere. Through IoE, the linear knowledge-sharing dialogue between teacher and student can evolve into something entirely within the student’s control. They will be able to learn at their own pace, focusing more on what they perceive as relevant to them. This, in turn, could lower the price of education with students customising a course of learning that is specific to their needs, paying only for what they want rather than a ‘one size fits all model’.

http://www.zdnet.com/how-will-the-internet-of-everything-change-education-by-2018-7000034585/

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