The future ‘hybrid’ classrooms

by Irene Fang, the Voice Kaleo

Paul McKimmy, Director of Technology & Distance Programs and recipient of UH Mānoa’s Excellence in Online Teaching award, acknowledged that there are downsides to online learning but also pointed out some overlooked advantages. In first place, online classes are not meant to be a copy of physical classrooms. Replicating a face-to-face classroom, McKimmy said, “may or may not be the best strategy” for a given course. With the development of technology in the past decade, online learning tools have advanced beyond a mere replication and now allow integrating with traditional methods. One such innovative tool is Blackboard Collaborate, a licensable platform also accessible through UH Mānoa’s College of Education.

http://www.kaleo.org/news/campus/the-future-hybrid-classrooms/article_93d10dea-0d8b-11e5-bfa4-5f81abcd3ff7.html

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E-Learning Motivation Made Easy: How To Keep Learners Engaged

by Training Zone

We think E-Learning is great. It’s cost-effective, time-efficient and ideal for delivering standardised training to huge groups of learners spanning even greater geographical areas. However, it does not come without its challenges. One of the key issues with E-Learning lies in its struggle to retain, engage and motivate learners. Today, we’ll tackle the topic of motivation, giving you sound advice and simple ideas to help you excite and motivate learners.

http://www.trainingzone.co.uk/blogs-post/e-learning-motivation-made-easy-how-keep-learners-engaged/188874

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Class scores above rest of state in online math program

by Aaron Knapp, Journal-Times

Strange though it seemed, a class of fifth-graders at Jefferson Lighthouse Elementary School, 1722 West Sixth St., were boisterous and ecstatic about their progress in a computer program called First in Math Thursday afternoon. And they were well within their rights to be ecstatic. Of all classes in the state using the program this year, Room 215 at Jefferson Lighthouse ranked first in Wisconsin and 22nd in the country, according to their teacher, Jim Moes. “I believe and this district believes that (the program) does help on assessments,” he said. Basically, it’s a supplemental math program that really works in my opinion.”

http://journaltimes.com/news/local/education/class-scores-above-rest-of-state-in-online-math-program/article_7fd05ab7-487f-519f-b9ba-140bba5da898.html

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Daphne Koller: Online ed won’t replace the traditional model

By Tara García Mathewson, Education Dive

Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller argues that online courses are more effective for teaching basic skills but expects traditional classroom experiences to hold their prestige and social benefits. In a conversation about the future of education with the Wall Street Journal, Koller advocated a blended model in which core content is learned online and classroom time is used for more interactive assignments. With Coursera, Koller plans to expand international enrollment with courses in languages other than English, and she’s gearing up for the first online MBA program at the University of Illinois, according to the article.

http://www.educationdive.com/news/daphne-koller-online-ed-wont-replace-the-traditional-model/400391/

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Largest MOOC ever credits ELL

By Meris Stansbury, eCampus News

Hundreds of thousands across the world enroll in a MOOC that targets English. The humanities aren’t often known for their pull when it comes to attracting a MOOC crowd, but one online learning platform may have found a global crowd pleaser with its current English Language Learning (ELL) course that’s quickly become the largest attended MOOC on record. The biggest single run of a free online course began on FutureLearn last month, with more than 400,000 learners enrolled from over 150 counties.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/largest-mooc-english-278/

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Should You Upgrade to 802.11ac?

By Leila Meyer, THE Journal

As districts upgrade or expand their wireless networking infrastructure to support 1-to-1, online assessments and other digital learning initiatives, many are future-proofing their investment by moving to 802.11ac technology, the latest WiFi specification. Erik Heinrich, the former director of IT for San Francisco Unified School District, oversaw that district’s 802.11ac implementation. According to Heinrich, 802.11n devices may experience a performance boost when connected to 802.11ac infrastructure because the “newer access points that support the 802.11ac standard are built with newer engineering, and the faster processors improve the performance for older clients because it’s processing the data more quickly,” he said. “So even for the older 802.11n devices, they’re seeing better range and performance, even if they’re not leveraging 802.11ac protocol. It’s just better hardware inside the access point.”

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/05/28/should-you-upgrade-to-802.11ac.aspx

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Raspberry Pi + iPad = countless maker possibilities

By Mike Amante, eSchool News

pi-ipadPart of the magic of the magic of the iPad are all the great apps that can turn them into so much more than a tablet. With the maker movement in schools in full force across the country, it seems like students everywhere are excited and interested in learning about programming, electronics, robotics, and more. When apps can help them make and learn, all the better. How can these two ideas be melded together to create a stellar learning experience? This is where the Raspberry Pi, a small credit card size computer that was created in England just a few years ago, comes in. The Raspberry Pi, which runs an open source Linux operating system, was created with the intention of teaching programming and computer science concepts to students. The beauty of the Pi is that you can plug it into a TV or monitor, add a keyboard, and you have a fully functional computer for under $40.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/06/08/raspberry-pi-ipad-136/

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