Tablets are certainly the current hot item in educational technology. Teachers are willing to forgo some functionality in exchange for portability and a smaller price tag. The leader in this emerging category is clearly the iPad. Apple has hit it out of the park with this device, selling it before consumers even realized they wanted such a tool.
One of the reasons for iPad's success is its extensive collection of applications. Here's a list of the 40 Most Awesome iPad Applications for Science Students. And remember, this is just the beginning of tablet computing.
Education Week echoes much of what we already know: online and blended learning options are here to stay. In fact, we will see a growth in popularity. This is because virtual models provide a variety of advantages including: flexible scheduling, on demand assessments, immediate feedback, and cost savings. As public schools continue to face declining financial aid, administrators and teachers need to develop creative pathways to advance student achievement. Read it all here.
I recently came across a report from the Innosight Institute outlining the immense growth in popularity for blended learning models in K-12 environments. In 2000, 45,000 students participated in an online course. By 2009, that number has increased to over 3 million and it is projected that by 2019, half of all high school courses will be offered online. In my opinion, technology advancements and increasing costs are driving the online learning boom. Take a look at the report here.
The National Staff Development Council posted an interestingpiece on its blog on the importance of collaboration among educators. It uses the fashion industry as an example of how imitation, whether welcomed or not, drives innovation. "They understand that this openness to copy provides the fuel for rapid innovation and improvement," writes Rene Islas, "the fact that they are free to copy allows them to take a great base product and embellish it in a way that meets the needs and demands of a consumer."
Edutopia does it again as it provides this awesome clip. James Paul Gee talks about how the memorization of facts alone is no longer a sufficient education for students. Today's student must solve complex problems. Where can schools look for a model of instruction? Video Games.
Our friends up north are to credit for thispiece in the Calgary Herald that provides a link between classroom technology and student success. The Fraser Report measures elementary schools across Alberta based upon standardized test scores. This year's theme: schools that embrace technology see the largest gains. Students report increased engagement, interest, and a subsequent greater understanding of class content. Teachers report much of the same: a marked improvement in on-task behavior and student focus. Perhaps 7-year-old Katalina makes the best argument for increased technology use: "This doesn't make a mess like chalk make's messes on your hands."
Ars Technica reports that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak was a featured speaker at Abilene Christian University's recent Connected Summit. Wozniak spoke about the need for teachers to embrace new technologies as a way to reach out to students that may soon consider themselves "failures." A long time advocate for technology in the classroom, he cited that very little has changed over the last 40 years to foster student creativity or alter information delivery methods.
Digital Directions reports that the Virginia State Board of Education is considering limiting communication between teachers and students. At the forefront of the proposed guidelines is the issue of text messages between teachers and students. It is the goal of the VA BoE to ebb sexual misconduct in the classroom. If the policy passes, a final vote will be held on February 17, school districts still have the choice to fully adopt the new limitations, edit the plan, or not adopt them at all. This ruling is therefore more symbolic than revolutionary, but it raises several questions regarding teacher-student interactions.
There was an interesting story in the New York Times a couple days ago. It seems that with every new technology Apple creates, schools are always major focus of their sales and marketing strategy. The high school I work at owns over 1,900 MacBooks, while iPod Touch labs are also becoming a familiar sight in schools. It isn't surprising that we are now seeing Apple's newest product, the iPad, infiltrate our classrooms, too. The article does a great job of analyzing the academic benefits of iPads versus the costs of iPads. Sure iPads are beautiful, engaging, and probably a great classroom resources, but they're also expensive. The school in the article payed $750 for each new device. It's an expensive hobby, but is it worth it?
Bill Gates is everywhere in education these days. I've written about him on this blog before. He's making ripples throughout K-12 education, and now is setting his sights on higher education. The Gates Foundation is now working to open education to more learners by providing online courses, particularly for community college and low income populations. The timing seems right as even President Obama is pushing for increased use of community colleges. Many leaders see the value of education, particularly higher education, for tomorrow's workforce, and community colleges are excellent resources that are too often overlooked when considering post-secondary learning options.
Recently, his name is all over the news. A biopic about his time at Harvard and the creation of Facebook is currently number one in the box office. Everywhere we turn, Mark Zuckerberg is making headlines, even in education. Zuckerberg announced last week, on Oprah, that he was giving $100 million to the Newark Public Schools. It's the largest known gift from Zuckerberg and is also only an initial investment in what is to become a foundation for education reform.
I made this video podcast for a graduate class. We can always do better, but I think it nicely outlines the first steps in the transition from 20th century classrooms of obedience and memorization to the 21st century classroom of exploration and problem-solving. It should open in iTunes.
I was excited when I looked in my mailbox last week and found the newest issue of Timewas focused on education reform. The magazine touts 16 pages of coverage on our education system. My excitement was short-lived. Once I read that one of their feature articles was on the upcoming documentary, Waiting for Superman, I was worried that this issue would simply be additional anti-teacher, pro-charter school propaganda. As an avid reader of Time, and a longtime subscriber, I wish this assessment was wrong.
Although I normally focus on secondary education, this study found my interest. The Wall Street Journal compiled a report of the 25 favorite universities of recruiters. The top of the list might surprise you, it certainly surprised me. You won't find traditional post-secondary academic powerhouses. Instead you will find mostly state schools. Proudly, my alma mater gets favorable results.
I credit The Unofficial Apple Weblog for finding this artifact, and I think it's a great way to kickstart the grand reopening of Technology&Education. This video is so accurate that if we just updated the video quality and some of the outfits, I think most wouldn't guess it's over 20 years old.
It's been nearly a year since I last posted. My apologies. I think you'll find the evolution of the blog, to be unrolled slowly over the upcoming weeks, to be both more streamlined and focused. Gone are the days when I posted reviews of various Web 2.0 resources. I'll still mention notable resources that peak my interest, but I will also provide the reader with much more. Expect to see more news and opinion on the role of technology in the classroom. I'll pull from international headlines and focus on my local community in eastern Pennsylvania.
I hope you like the new concept. I hope you visit often.
iphoto is a program that comes pre-installed on every mac. it is used to import, organize, edit, & publish photos. like most mac products, iphoto is extremely easy to use & makes a professional looking product. if you have macs in your classroom, iphoto should be your go-to application for any projects requiring photographs either imported from the web or taken by your own students.
a great software addition for your computer is miro. it's a cross-platform, zero-headache, free, video player and can be used as a great classroom resource when videos are needed. miro can subscribe, download, and organize video podcasts. although it sounds like simply a replicate of itunes, miro provides far more support and attention for video entertainment. users can actually search for new videos via google, yahoo, youtube, or others directly from within the program. miro is most useful because of its versatility, as it handles a wide variety of file types and allows you to pull videos from a wide variety of sources.
animoto allows users to create online video presentations. it marks a clear evolution from the standard photo slideshow in ease of use, entertainment value, and educational worth. animoto takes your photos and music and creates a captivating slideshow that can be viewed via a specific url or embedded elsewhere. with its newer education branch, animoto is a great resource to create exciting multimedia presentations.
quizlet is a flashcard application, allowing teachers to use pre-built sets of vocabulary or create a custom word list. quizlet is free to use & provides a variety of resources. the interface is easy to understand. vocabulary lists can be shared by providing the targeted user with a link or url.
