Check out this video explaining the European Union - what do you think of this video?
Showing posts with label Educational Article. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Educational Article. Show all posts
5.02.2013
Education Article: The Do's and Don'ts of Picking Technology for Schools
Check out this Education Article: "The Do's and Don'ts of Picking Technology for Schools" as it states it sets realistic goals for tech solutions.
3.22.2013
Educational Resource: Studies of iPad Use in Education
For iPad users, supporters, or detractors - I recommend checking out the Educational Resource: "Studies of iPad Use in Education."
Richard Byrne wanted to step beyond anecdotal stories about iPads in the classrooms so he provided links to several studies investigating the impact iPads have on the classroom. Many of these studies occur abroad - as he cites the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for Victoria, Australia's report "iPads for Learning - In Their Hands field trial." In addition he sites "The iPad as a Tool for Education" study based in Longfield Academy, Kent, England. He also references a few other studies of note.
Below are the links to the studies he provides but I recommend checking out Byrne's post "Studies of iPad Use in Education" for more of his thoughts.
Richard Byrne wanted to step beyond anecdotal stories about iPads in the classrooms so he provided links to several studies investigating the impact iPads have on the classroom. Many of these studies occur abroad - as he cites the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for Victoria, Australia's report "iPads for Learning - In Their Hands field trial." In addition he sites "The iPad as a Tool for Education" study based in Longfield Academy, Kent, England. He also references a few other studies of note.
Below are the links to the studies he provides but I recommend checking out Byrne's post "Studies of iPad Use in Education" for more of his thoughts.
3.20.2013
Education: USGBC to GAO: 'Schools need over $271 billion in maintenance fixes'
The article "USGBC to GAO: 'Schools need over $271 billion in maintenance fixes'" highlights a few interesting observations on the state of educational buildings in the US.
To quote the article:
"The Center for Green Schools, which is part of the U.S. Green Building Council, estimates that simply covering deferred maintenance at elementary, middle and high schools across the U.S. carries a tab of $271 billion, and that's got nothing to do with modernizing any buildings or their infrastructures."
Another article point was:
An 18-year-old report from the General Accounting Office said that in 1995, the air being pumped through 15,000 schools would not be considered fit to breathe, and USGBC is urging the GAO to update its assessment to reflect how things are now, after local governments have faced declining revenues for several years.
To end article explains:
The USGBC's estimate is that covering repairs and modernizing schools would run $542 billion.
To quote the article:
"The Center for Green Schools, which is part of the U.S. Green Building Council, estimates that simply covering deferred maintenance at elementary, middle and high schools across the U.S. carries a tab of $271 billion, and that's got nothing to do with modernizing any buildings or their infrastructures."
Another article point was:
An 18-year-old report from the General Accounting Office said that in 1995, the air being pumped through 15,000 schools would not be considered fit to breathe, and USGBC is urging the GAO to update its assessment to reflect how things are now, after local governments have faced declining revenues for several years.
To end article explains:
The USGBC's estimate is that covering repairs and modernizing schools would run $542 billion.
3.18.2013
Must Read Post: The Ed-Tech Startup Crunch
One of my favorite bloggers recently published an unbelievable must read post for anyone in education. The Must Read Post: The Ed-Tech Startup Crunch - is where Watters investigates education start ups and current funding - using as she admits incomplete and elusive data she provides a list of the top 25 funded start ups. I recommend checking out her post here for the list.
But it is the end of Audrey Watters post where she asks the great questions:
"Which metrics are the startup ecosystem tracking that give us the wrong signals for which education startups are interesting or important or tranformative?
Which signals do investors (and by extension Crunchbase and Techcrunch… to name a few) follow that do not mean much when it comes to questions of learning, equity, justice? (i.e. user sign-ups, funding amounts)?
And finally, how can I make my research on this topic more relevant? What questions should I be asking of the Crunchbase(ish) data?
What questions does this data fail to answer? How can I make this research and data open and accessible to others?"
EdTech is a crowded and confusing field - but the goal and the possibilities are great. Helping educate students - helping create an easier, more effective, and efficient way to enable our students to learn is our goal.
I am excited to see what happens next.
But it is the end of Audrey Watters post where she asks the great questions:
"Which metrics are the startup ecosystem tracking that give us the wrong signals for which education startups are interesting or important or tranformative?
Which signals do investors (and by extension Crunchbase and Techcrunch… to name a few) follow that do not mean much when it comes to questions of learning, equity, justice? (i.e. user sign-ups, funding amounts)?
And finally, how can I make my research on this topic more relevant? What questions should I be asking of the Crunchbase(ish) data?
What questions does this data fail to answer? How can I make this research and data open and accessible to others?"
EdTech is a crowded and confusing field - but the goal and the possibilities are great. Helping educate students - helping create an easier, more effective, and efficient way to enable our students to learn is our goal.
I am excited to see what happens next.
3.09.2013
Educational Article: The Learning Curve
As the site explains:
"The Learning Curve is a programme of quantitative and qualitative analysis designed to further understanding of the factors which lead to better educational performance within countries and school systems, and ultimately to better socio-economic outcomes.
"The Learning Curve is a programme of quantitative and qualitative analysis designed to further understanding of the factors which lead to better educational performance within countries and school systems, and ultimately to better socio-economic outcomes.
The quantitative component of the programme consists of a large bank of internationally comparable education data covering 50 countries; an index covering 40 countries; and also a correlation analysis to test the strength of relationships between education inputs and outputs, as well between these and socio-economic outcomes. Our qualitative analysis is contained in The Learning Curve Report 2012 and an accompanying series of case studies and articles. Video interviews with education practitioners and experts are an additional element of the programme.
An interactive website presenting all the aforementioned data and analysis can be found at http://thelearningcurve.pearson.com
All the programme content has been developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit and is published by Pearson.
Read more: http://www.managementthinking.eiu.com/learning-curve.html?fsrc=scn/tw/te/co/EIUdec18#ixzz2MouhSc35"
I recommend checking out and reading this research.
3.07.2013
Educational Article: Donald Clark's Plan B
It is important to discuss ideas and concepts to better understand your own point of view and understand the perception of others.
I recommend reading the Educational Article: Donald Clark's Plan B "Too cool for school: 7 reasons why tablets should NOT be used in education" - but then consider he presents one point of view.
I am clearly biased - I have a 1:1 iPad classroom --- and I love my classroom - and my students love learning in my classroom.
I want to address several of Clark's points. First he states that students do not purchase iPads. It is true students do not have the disposable income to purchase a $400 machine. But if they could they would. And you can see this any time you walk into an Apple store. Clark transitions and state do employees use them - to which he responds no. Clark is incorrectly generalizing. Salesmen for many companies are provided a iPad with specific tools to help them sell their merchandize - see GE, Enterprise, and many more companies for examples.
In my classroom iPads enable my students to write. Students create blogs. Students create Google Docs for research. Students create Google Docs and write current event papers. Students create lab reports. Students are able to research the internet, or iBooks, and so much more on an iPad.
iPads allow students to create presentations - see Haiku Decks. Videos see Pinnacle Studio. Websites. And so much more.
Students are able to travel with their iPads to discuss with peers and travel the school searching for answers. Everyone must realize that iPads are not laptops. If you treat iPad like a laptop you are preventing yourself from maximizing the iPads potential.
Visit my classroom and witness iPads transforming education - as iPads enable individualized tailored education helping students learn how to read, write, and think critically and independently.
I recommend reading the Educational Article: Donald Clark's Plan B "Too cool for school: 7 reasons why tablets should NOT be used in education" - but then consider he presents one point of view.
I am clearly biased - I have a 1:1 iPad classroom --- and I love my classroom - and my students love learning in my classroom.
I want to address several of Clark's points. First he states that students do not purchase iPads. It is true students do not have the disposable income to purchase a $400 machine. But if they could they would. And you can see this any time you walk into an Apple store. Clark transitions and state do employees use them - to which he responds no. Clark is incorrectly generalizing. Salesmen for many companies are provided a iPad with specific tools to help them sell their merchandize - see GE, Enterprise, and many more companies for examples.
In my classroom iPads enable my students to write. Students create blogs. Students create Google Docs for research. Students create Google Docs and write current event papers. Students create lab reports. Students are able to research the internet, or iBooks, and so much more on an iPad.
iPads allow students to create presentations - see Haiku Decks. Videos see Pinnacle Studio. Websites. And so much more.
Students are able to travel with their iPads to discuss with peers and travel the school searching for answers. Everyone must realize that iPads are not laptops. If you treat iPad like a laptop you are preventing yourself from maximizing the iPads potential.
Visit my classroom and witness iPads transforming education - as iPads enable individualized tailored education helping students learn how to read, write, and think critically and independently.
3.02.2013
Educational Article: Who Owns Your Education Data? #ETMOOC
One of my favorite writers discusses a topic that I have thought about a lot recently. The topic has no solution - but instead must spark conversation. Through the conversation answers will be discovered.
In the Educational Article: "Who Owns Your Education Data? #ETMOOC" Audrey Watters links to the several talks and thought she has shared on the topic. I recommend checking out the information if you are an educator or a citizen with links to school.
This concept must be addressed and hashed out by educators and stakeholders sooner rather than later.
In the Educational Article: "Who Owns Your Education Data? #ETMOOC" Audrey Watters links to the several talks and thought she has shared on the topic. I recommend checking out the information if you are an educator or a citizen with links to school.
This concept must be addressed and hashed out by educators and stakeholders sooner rather than later.
2.25.2013
Educational Post: If Education Technology Was A Baseball Team
I highly recommend checking out this Educational Post: If Education Technology Was A Baseball Team.I like the concept of building a baseball team as we are getting closer to opening day. In addition, I believe he hits the mark with many of his evaluations. Check out the article here.
2.18.2013
Educational Article: 17 ways iPads will be used in schools in 2013
Educational Drive's article "17 ways iPads will be used in schools in 2013" asks how will iPads be used as their classroom roles evolve in 2013? Education Dive found 17 examples.
These examples highlight the iPads ability to transform education and I recommend checking out the list.
These examples highlight the iPads ability to transform education and I recommend checking out the list.
2.14.2013
Mini Rant and Educational Article: Why schools must move beyond ‘one-to-one computing’
A good article to read and think about is: Educational Article: "Why schools must move beyond ‘one-to-one computing’"
The article makes a few important points that I want to address and respond to.
First the article explains: "As many schools and districts are now rushing to buy every student a digital device, I’m concerned that most one-to-one implementation strategies are based on the new tool as the focus of the program. Unless we break out of this limited vision that one-to-one computing is about the device, we are doomed to waste our resources."
And then the article concludes with "In every case of failure I have observed, the one-to-one computing plan puts enormous focus on the device itself, the enhancement of the network, and training teachers to use the technology. Then, teachers are instructed to go! But go where? That’s the critical question that must be addressed first."
As a teacher who has 1:1 iPads many of these critiques are important to address; but there are solutions. The device in 1:1 programs is not a solution. The device - be an iPad, laptop, etc - is not the magical pill that will fix a classroom.
Instead the device - the 1:1 tool - provides a teacher with the ability to tailor and individualize lessons to help students read, write, and think critically and independently. The device unlocks the internet - but the internet alone is not a solution either. Teachers must first understand what their students need to learn - students must master the ability to consume information - by reading; reading books, reading articles, reading graphs, reading visuals, comprehending videos, audio books, and so much more. The types of consumption material allows a myriad of types of learners to succeed and thrive. Second students must master how to produce information - to write - by writing comments, papers, graphs, charts, scripts for videos, and so much more. And then finally students must learn how to think for themselves - not to repeat information but to synthesize and analyze information to draw their own conclusions. Today's world provides a near infinite amount of information but processing the information is the new challenge.
These 1:1 classrooms provide the opportunity for every child to learn - to open the world up to the possibilities. 1:1 classrooms will transform education - but these plans are not the solution. There must be directions determined by the teacher, by the district, to prevent learning from being lost in the possibilities.
The article makes a few important points that I want to address and respond to.
First the article explains: "As many schools and districts are now rushing to buy every student a digital device, I’m concerned that most one-to-one implementation strategies are based on the new tool as the focus of the program. Unless we break out of this limited vision that one-to-one computing is about the device, we are doomed to waste our resources."
And then the article concludes with "In every case of failure I have observed, the one-to-one computing plan puts enormous focus on the device itself, the enhancement of the network, and training teachers to use the technology. Then, teachers are instructed to go! But go where? That’s the critical question that must be addressed first."
As a teacher who has 1:1 iPads many of these critiques are important to address; but there are solutions. The device in 1:1 programs is not a solution. The device - be an iPad, laptop, etc - is not the magical pill that will fix a classroom.
Instead the device - the 1:1 tool - provides a teacher with the ability to tailor and individualize lessons to help students read, write, and think critically and independently. The device unlocks the internet - but the internet alone is not a solution either. Teachers must first understand what their students need to learn - students must master the ability to consume information - by reading; reading books, reading articles, reading graphs, reading visuals, comprehending videos, audio books, and so much more. The types of consumption material allows a myriad of types of learners to succeed and thrive. Second students must master how to produce information - to write - by writing comments, papers, graphs, charts, scripts for videos, and so much more. And then finally students must learn how to think for themselves - not to repeat information but to synthesize and analyze information to draw their own conclusions. Today's world provides a near infinite amount of information but processing the information is the new challenge.These 1:1 classrooms provide the opportunity for every child to learn - to open the world up to the possibilities. 1:1 classrooms will transform education - but these plans are not the solution. There must be directions determined by the teacher, by the district, to prevent learning from being lost in the possibilities.
2.12.2013
Educational Article: 12 learning management system providers and what they bring to classrooms
The Educational Article: "12 learning management system providers and what they bring to classrooms" examines learning management systems (LMSs); identifying "12 of the biggest names among LMS providers, as well as how they have distinguished themselves and what they provide"
The author provides a positive opinion of too many of these systems in my opinion. I believe the future of LMSs will transform and provide a more functional and flexible system for educators and teachers.
Check out the current "12 learning management system providers and what they bring to classrooms"
The author provides a positive opinion of too many of these systems in my opinion. I believe the future of LMSs will transform and provide a more functional and flexible system for educators and teachers.
Check out the current "12 learning management system providers and what they bring to classrooms"
2.10.2013
Educational Article: Gates Foundation-backed InBloom frees up data to personalize k-12 education
The Educational Article: "Gates Foundation-backed InBloom frees up data to personalize k-12 education" investigates the growing trend of personalizing education. As the article summarizes "Supported with $100 million from the Gates Foundation, Carnegie Corporation and others, InBloom launches out of the Shared Learning Collaborative to help educators aggregate education data to personalize student learning."I believe this individualization of education will be tailored by data processing algorithms, teacher input, student input, and beyond. This is not easy solution and will take time and tinkering. Check out the article here.
1.30.2013
Educational Article: 12 Classroom Rules We Could All Learn From
The Educational Article: "12 Classroom Rules We Could All Learn From" - simply discusses the poster below which has recently been sold on Etsy.
1.15.2013
Educational Article: 4 COUNTRIES NEW APPROACH TO EDUCATION
The educational article: "4 Countries New Approach to Education" is a fascinating look at Finland, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Korea. Each country is using the global network to change and alter their educational system.The global network can truly help transform -education. I highly recommend reading this article "4 Countries New Approach to Education"
Flawed Article: "Mobile Learning: 5 Advantages and 5 Disadvantages"
The article "Mobile Learning: 5 Advantages and 5 Disadvantages" provides their take on the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning.
As the article states "Studying is no longer confined inside the four walls of the classroom. As iPhones, BlackBerrys, iPads and other devices grow in number, learning is becoming more mobile and easier for the average student. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning?"
I do not agree with much of the findings in the article - in fact, I do not believe there is much evidence to support their findings. This shows how many are making conclusions without empirical evidence or real life experience.
I decided to share this article to highlight the need for real research and studying of the growing trend to mobile learning.
As the article states "Studying is no longer confined inside the four walls of the classroom. As iPhones, BlackBerrys, iPads and other devices grow in number, learning is becoming more mobile and easier for the average student. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning?"
I do not agree with much of the findings in the article - in fact, I do not believe there is much evidence to support their findings. This shows how many are making conclusions without empirical evidence or real life experience.
I decided to share this article to highlight the need for real research and studying of the growing trend to mobile learning.
1.14.2013
Educational Article: Going 1:1? How Would You Respond To Comments Like This?
The Educational Article: "Going 1:1? How Would You Respond To Comments Like This?" provides a skeptics point of view to 1:1 classrooms.As I try to teach my students there are several ways to learn - you can reflect, discover - but also you can debate and discuss. It is important that Ed-tech partakes in the conversation and the discussion with skeptics about 1:1.
Consider think and read "Going 1:1? How Would You Respond To Comments Like This?"
Education Article: San Antonio’s Launching the First Completely Bookless Public Library
The Education Article: "San Antonio’s Launching the First Completely Bookless Public Library" examines a possible trend for both education and the government.As the article states: "The new book-free library, called "BiblioTech," is intended to open in the fall and is part of a an entire bookless public library system planned for the entire county of Bexar. And it's not "bring your own device" either. The library will actually lend out e-readers (of an unspecified brand) for two weeks at a time. There will also be computers and the like, but no books, and presumably no card catalog (!) either."
Libraries are going to adapt and change - the question is how. This is one possibility. What do you think?
1.13.2013
Educational Article: Tablet Use Surges Among Campus Professionals
The Educational Article: "Tablet Use Surges Among Campus Professionals" is a great read for those looking to the power and capabilities of tablet computers.
The three important points are
The three important points are
- "A recent CDW-G poll illustrates the surge of work-related tablet use by higher education professionals, with 88% of the 153 tablet users surveyed reporting that they have been using their devices for one year or less."
- "With 75% of respondents to the December poll reporting that they still use a laptop for work and 71% still using desktop computers, it remains unlikely that tablets will replace standard computers in the immediate future."
- "The top five software programs/applications reported by the tablet users included e-mail, web browser, office/productivity suites, file storage and social media, and 78% said they felt that using a tablet made them a better multitasker."
Educational Article: Re-Imagination of Everything
The Educational Article: "Re-Imagination of Everything" highlights a few important points for the future of education.
The article examines the work of "Mary Meeker, a venture capitalist with Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, recently presented at Stanford University on web trends...Her message is that the evolving web forces us to re-imagine everything."
The article highlights three trends
The article examines the work of "Mary Meeker, a venture capitalist with Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, recently presented at Stanford University on web trends...Her message is that the evolving web forces us to re-imagine everything."
The article highlights three trends
- "USA adults who own tablets or eReaders has grown from 2% to 29% in three years
- Mobile internet traffic has surpassed desktop internet traffic in India. When will that happen in USA?
- During the recent Black Friday shopping, one-quarter of shopping traffic was on mobile devices rather than desktops, up from only 6 percent two years ago.
The key to these trends is simple to me - mobile devices - namely tablets - more specifically iPads (in my humble opinion) are going to transform education. And in doing so we will have to re-imagine everything.
Below I have included Mary Meeker's 88 slide presentation that provides other thought provoking ideas as well.
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