Home schooled: How to evaluate an online degree program

by Craig Guillot CTW

Institutions like Duke, MIT and Stanford now offer online programs, and many employers are holding some of these degrees in the same regard as they might from a 4-year institution. Some working professionals find it more convenient to pursue online degrees while balancing a career and family, and are also enrolling in a growing array of online graduate programs. While online programs now offer a high level of credibility with employers, students still must evaluate the programs carefully. The FTC warns consumers at its website about signs a school might be a “diploma mill.” Some of these warning signs include advertising a flat fee for the degree, a short completion time, pushy advertising tactics and accreditations from phony agencies.

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/jobs-and-employment/home-schooled-how-to-evaluate-an-online-degree-program/article_9fe52a7b-a0e6-5533-a817-a64104dd0fd6.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=31606

Is Your School Prepared for the Future of Education

by Matthew Lynch, Tech Edvocate

The future of education is digital. We live in an increasingly digital world, where technology is a part of our lives in so many ways. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we incorporate digital technology into education. To prepare students for higher education and future jobs, we must ensure that they are familiar with technology.  Administrators who want to prepare their K-12 school for the future of education should look at the ways they use technology in the classroom. Schools that are future-ready are those that blend technology with learning seamlessly and include technology in nearly every lesson. To prepare for this digital future, many schools are adopting a one-to-one program. In this type of program, there is one computer or tablet for every student. Schools with one-to-one programs have seen a boost in students’ achievement, especially when it comes to their 21st-century skills.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/school-ready-future-education/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=31616

Google and Udacity offering scholarships to 75,000 aspiring developers

By Kavita Iyer, Tech Worm

Google Is Offering 75,000 Web And Android Scholarships There is some good news for all those aspiring developers looking to make a career in coding or already pursuing coding. Google in partnership with Udacity are now offering 75,000 Android and Web Development scholarships for aspiring developers and data scientists looking to follow careers in the digital field. Over the past two years, Google and Udacity have been able to roll out 1,000 and 10,000 scholarships for coders in 2015 and 2016, respectively. This year, German media company Bertelsmann too will be involved in their latest initiative.

https://www.techworm.net/2017/09/google-udacity-offering-scholarships-75000-aspiring-developers.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=31626

Online classrooms combating teacher shortage

by Nichole Osinski, the Spectrum

A nationwide teaching shortage is forcing some districts to take a more creative look at how to continue providing education for students. Schools within approximately 150 districts throughout the U.S. are now streaming in certified teachers through a partnership with Proximity Learning, an Austin-based education company. The teachers head up the classroom lessons until a full-time faculty member can be hired. Proximity Learning CEO Evan Erdberg said the program started about seven years ago when a number of schools were trying to incorporate Chinese learning into classrooms. Erdberg said since expanding to other subjects, specifically in areas that have been harder for districts to find educators, he has seen more schools bringing in streaming classrooms.

http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2016/09/08/online-classrooms-combating-teacher-shortage/89974390/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18191

Experts’ top tips for success in online classes

by Colorado State University Online

Nearly 5,000 students are enrolled in online courses at CSU this semester. Many study fully online, and others are taking just one or a few of their classes online. Regardless of your online course load, it’s important to remember that studying online comes with a unique set of advantages and challenges. Several CSU professors and instructors have offered their advice for success in online courses. Here are some of their best tips.

http://source.colostate.edu/experts-top-tips-for-success-in-online-classes/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18176

LaGuardia Community College: Where Business and Tech Education Meet

by Rian Ervin, EdSurge

LaGuardia’s program, known as TechIMPACT, will partner with tech education companies including General Assembly, Udacity and The Software Guild to provide accelerated tech training for more than 300 low-income young adults over the next three years. “We think it is critical that tech jobs are taken by the diversity of people who make up America—namely women and people of color,” Mellow says.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-09-06-laguardia-community-college-where-business-and-tech-education-meet

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=18161

Is E-learning the future?

by Stephen Chartrand, Brock Press

Despite the stereotype that university students are beer-guzzling spendthrifts, the reality is that most students today have to take on one or two part-time jobs just to make ends meet. When you add up the hours, going to lecture, writing papers, preparing for exams and working part-time it can be incredibly difficult to maintain a flexible and balanced schedule.As Dhirendra Kumar wrote in a white paper for North Carolina State University, “Online methods of education can be a highly effective alternative method of education for the students who are matured, self-disciplined and motivated, well organized and having a high degree of time management skills, but it is an inappropriate learning environment for more dependent learners and has difficulty assuming responsibilities required by the online courses.”

http://www.brockpress.com/2015/09/is-e-learning-the-future/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13790

CalArts Launches Open Online Game Design: Art and Concepts Courses on Coursera

by University of California Institute of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is launching a cluster of online courses titled Game Design: Art and Concepts on Coursera, the world’s largest open online education provider. With the first course launching on September 15th, the Game Design Specialization will be taught by the college’s top faculty and accessible to anyone who registers online. “When Coursera approached us to develop a new video game design Specialization, we saw it as a great opportunity—not only to grow our relationship with them, but also to bring our unique creative pedagogy to a broader online audience,” said CalArts Provost Jeannene Przyblyski. “Through courses designed by CalArts faculty, this Specialization will help learners create compelling story-driven visual worlds with engaging characters that keep game players coming back for more. At CalArts ‘story’ is a tradition that becomes even more exciting as we explore new possibilities for interactive user experience.”

https://calarts.edu/news/2015-sep-10/calarts-launches-open-online-game-design-art-and-concepts-courses-coursera

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13788

MOOCs: Did We Expect Too Much Too Soon?

by Pranab Chakraborty, ATD

Are MOOCs (massive open online courses) the next big thing in higher education, or merely a distraction that won’t change the current system? Is the MOOC revolution only just starting to change how people learn, or has it already failed? It all depends on who you ask. But the real question is: Did we expect too much too soon?

https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Learning-Technologies-Blog/2015/09/Moocs-Did-We-Expect-Too-Much-Too-Soon

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=13785

Open-Source Texts Take Root At Md. Colleges

by Alissa Gulin, Associated Press

The majority of participating students and faculty reported an overall positive experience and said they’d work with open-source materials again, according to the system’s recent review of the program, which was launched in collaboration with Lumen Learning LLC, an Oregon-based provider of open-source educational materials. Students saved a cumulative $130,000 in textbook costs, based on the prices of books that would have been assigned for those 11 courses. “Higher education needs to be more efficient at handling resources and course materials,” said Zachary McGee, a senior at Towson University and president of the University System of Maryland Student Council, which developed the idea for the MOST Initiative. “And I think this is the answer.”

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/09/07/open-source-texts-take-root-at-md-colleges/

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Class of 2015 is first required to pass a digital learning course

By Kimberly Wiggins, Fox Orlando

The race is on for the class of 2015. This year’s Florida seniors are the first who must complete an online course to graduate, but numbers show many students still need to squeeze in the class. Call it a sign of the times. Sanjana Pratti is logging on for her school lesson. The 16-year-old is taking three courses at Florida Virtual School or FLVS. “Chemistry, Physics, Latin,” said Pratti. The Freedom High School senior enrolled in her first online course three years ago.

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/26462837/class-of-2015-is-first-required-to-pass-a-digital-learning-course

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So how will online P.E. classes work, exactly?

by Randy Stapilus, Idaho Press

Here’s a concept to get your mind around: online physical education in schools. That is, taught from outside of school. Or something. This unlikely idea surfaced at the Lapwai School District after voters there on Aug. 26 turned down a quarter-million dollar one-year levy. It wasn’t close; just 41 percent of voters approved it. It was the second recent levy failure after voters rejected a larger one in May. Afterward, district Superintendent David Aiken said the effects will include elimination of in-person physical education. The school gym and equipment will remain available but, he told the Lewiston Tribune, “the teacher is on the other side of the computer.”

http://www.idahopress.com/members/so-how-will-online-p-e-classes-work-exactly/article_0e80a1f4-3574-11e4-9752-001a4bcf887a.html

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