The Changing Role of the CTO

By Michael Hart, THE Journal

As technology has changed K–12 education, so has it changed the role of the chief technology officer, a job title that just barely existed 15 years ago. Today’s CTO is not your grandfather’s infrastructure manager! Technology is ubiquitous in today’s classroom, so we sometimes forget it was just a short while ago that not even teachers had their own computers, let alone their students, who now sometimes come to school with two or three electronic devices. THE Journal contributing writer Michael Hart spoke recently with four veteran chief technology officers who were present at almost the very introduction of technology to K–12 education and asked them how their jobs have changed over the last 15 to 20 years.

https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/08/25/the-changing-role-of-the-cto.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=17811

3 Key Steps for Digital Transformation Initiatives

By Leila Meyer, Campus Technology

Digital transformation has the potential to revolutionize citizen services, but efforts to bring about that change are “often hindered by top-down hierarchies, cultural legacies and the lack of a compelling vision,” according to information from Gartner, an information technology research and advisory company. Gartner spoke with numerous public sector CIOs who have lead successful digital transformation initiatives. Based on those conversations, Gartner identified three key steps to effective organizational change. The first step is to promote a compelling new vision for the organization as a whole, including the role of IT in that transformation.

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/08/29/3-key-steps-for-digital-transformation-initiatives.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=17796

Penn State Athletics and EON Sports VR Launch Virtual Reality Channel

By Sri Ravipati, Campus Technology

With LionVision VR, as the channel is called, fans will be able to access access “behind-the-scenes views of practice, pre- and post-game locker room coaches’ talks and a wide array of iconic Penn State experiences, while immersed inside a customized virtual reality environment,” according to a news release. The channel is compatible with iOS (iPhone 6 or higher) and Android (Samsung S5 or equivalent) smartphone devices. “LionVision VR will allow Nittany Lion fans spread across the world to see, hear and feel what it’s like to be part of practice and game day in ways that were never previously possible,” said Michael Cross, assistant athletic director for new business development, in a statement. “This is the next best thing to being in State College. If you love Penn State, you can look forward to having regular experiences with LionVision VR.”

https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/08/26/penn-state-athletics-and-eon-sports-vr-launch-virtual-reality-channel.aspx

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=17786

Homeschooling: DIY learning works

by Jocelyn R. Uy, Inquirer.net

In the Mendoza household, learning knows no age and boundaries. When he was nine, 10-year-old Edan started exploring basic botany his way: he grew and cared for small carnivorous plants that he was curious about. Around the same time, his now 13-year-old brother, Elijah, signed up for a free online course on coding that taught him how to program, build and design websites and applications. He also built a stock portfolio and joined his dad in giving financial seminars. The brothers, as well as their three other siblings—aged eight, six and three—are homeschoolers.

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/236458/homeschooling-diy-learning-works

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=17773

St. John’s E-Learning Academy offers another option to continue school

By Anita Hymel, NOLA.com

School has started, and St. John the Baptist school district plans to help everyone with desire and determination to work to further their education. The district is seeking students between the ages of 16 and 21 who are no longer enrolled in school in the parish for a new e-Learning Academy. This includes students who have dropped out of the system or who have chosen to be homeschooled. There is no cost to enroll in the academy. It’s never too late for school, and this district is making it simple for all to succeed.

http://blog.nola.com/river/2016/08/st_johns_e-learning_academy_of.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=17765

StudySoup raises $1.7M to help students buy and sell class notes

by Lucia Maffei, Tech Crunch

San Francisco-based education startup StudySoup, which calls itself “a peer-to-peer learning marketplace,” announced it has raised $1.7 million in seed funding. The company works as an online study group where students can sell or purchase class notes and study guides. “We realized that a lot of students come to college on very different levels,” Sieva Kozinsky, 26, co-founder and CEO, said in a phone interview with TechCrunch. “They’re all expected to hit the ground running and to get on the same page, and unfortunately it leads to a lot of failures, because people are totally unprepared and there isn’t the right support there.”

https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/26/studysoup-raises-1-7m-to-help-students-buy-and-sell-class-notes/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=17753

What kind of K-12 education do Millennials want for their kids?

by Sarah D. Young, Consumer Affairs

Millennials may have gotten a traditional public school education, but they’re not holding their kids to the same standard. According to a new survey, the vast majority of Millennial moms and dads are supportive of alternative approaches to education. Rather than following the well-worn path, 77% of Millennial parents believe it’s a good idea to create a path to graduation that suits their child’s unique needs. Their view of K-12 public school education involves the inclusion of online courses and blended learning. Additionally, almost all Millennials (92%) believe online learning options should be offered tuition-free.

https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/what-kind-of-k-12-education-do-millennials-want-for-their-kids-082616.html

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=17741