Educational Technology News

Why MOOCs are Good for Teacher Professional Development

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:53:18 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“While I am not a huge fan of MOOCs (See, MOOCs – The Opium of the Masses, I think that there is one area in which they might actually be extremely useful – ongoing teacher professional development (PD). They are a good fit to help meet a very specific need, which they could do quite well given teachers’ experience with education.”

EDTC@UTB’s insight:

Professional development is one area where I believe MOOCs serve a useful purpose.

See on onlineuniversities.com

The BYOT movement's socioeconomic problem

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:49:54 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“According to the latest trend, schools are adopting BYOT policies and allowing students to bring in smartphones, iPod Touches, tablet computers and laptops to school. While there are many mobile and Web-integrated technologies that can support this kind of initiative, the real issue lies in the socioeconomic status of the students. This simple act of bringing your own technology to school may also widen the achievement gap, and more importantly impose a new type of technology segregation. There is much more at stake with a BYOT policy than meets the eye.”

See on smartblogs.com

Vice Chancellor warns, embrace Moocs or face decline

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:40:38 -0500

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“‘It’s Mooc or die’, a university vice-chancellor has said, claiming that institutions must embrace the massive open online course movement and adapt their teaching methods or face a tough future.”

See on timeshighereducation.co.uk

Infographic: 18 Myths About Education That Are All Too Easy To Believe

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:33:31 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

These 18 myths about education are all too easy to believe.

See on teachthought.com

4 Keys To Designing A Project-Based Learning Classroom

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:31:06 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“In a PBL classroom, teachers present problems that students must solve together in groups. Rather than reciting facts and hoping some of them stick, teachers give students the resources they need to research concepts and apply them in a practical form. Mistakes are allowed and even expected in the course of meaningful learning. The result: Students become active rather than passive learners and build important workplace skills… Here are four essential elements of a successful PBL classroom.”

See on teachthought.com

Humor: What Happens When You Turn Your Back In A 21st Century Classroom?

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:54 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

What happens when you turn your back in a 21st century classroom? BYOT, indeed.

See on teachthought.com

Humor: What Happens When You Turn Your Back In A 21st Century Classroom?

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:00 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

What happens when you turn your back in a 21st century classroom? BYOT, indeed.

See on teachthought.com

4 Keys To Designing A Project-Based Learning Classroom

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:28:26 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

See on teachthought.com

12 Sure-Fire Ways to Make People Hate Your eLearning

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:15:57 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“One of the tenets of eLearning is not to annoy. So why it is that many courses are still chock full of the elements that so many learners have regrets over and over? If you’re planning on creating a course– or if you’re doing a review of your existing ones – take a peak at this list of some of the top things people hate about eLearning. We have compiled this list to act as a sort of guide for what not to do when designing your courses.”

See on info.shiftelearning.com

Infographic: The Rise of EduTech in K-12 Classrooms

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:10:40 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“Technology affects the lesson planning and professional development of teachers. Respondents to the Pew survey were described as tech-savvy overall, but they still had to put in extra work to master technological tools.

Refer to the infographic below to take a tour of the classrooms of Ms. Digital and Mr. Tech, and explore how EduTech is used in education, how successful it is, and how it affects students and educators.”

See on fluency21.com

The Future of Gamification

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:08:49 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“Tech stakeholders and analysts generally believe the use of game mechanics, feedback loops, and rewards will become more embedded in daily life by 2020, but they are split about how widely the trend will extend. Some say the move to implement more game elements in networked communications will be mostly positive, aiding education, health, business, and training. Some warn it can take the form of invisible, insidious behavioral manipulation.”

See on fluency21.com

MOOCs may eye the world market, but does the world want them?

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:06:15 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“Online higher education is increasingly hailed as a chance for educators in the developed world to expand access and quality across the globe. Yet it may not be quite so easy. Not only does much of the world not have broadband or speak English, but American-made educational material may be unfit for and unwanted in developing countries, according to academics who have worked for years on online distance education and with open educational resources, or OER.”

See on insidehighered.com

'Laptop U' Article Misses the Real Story About E-Learning in Higher Ed

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:03:16 -0500

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“Nathan Heller’s terrific New Yorker article Laptop U has been making the rounds in our professional networks. By Tweet and e-mail, photocopy and blog post, many of us are spending some quality time with some of the good folks responsible for bringing higher education to scale… The one problem with Laptop U is that in all of its 9,000 words the online and blended education world, really the higher ed world, that most of us spend our days fails to make any appearance.”

See on insidehighered.com

Autism and Online Learning: A Guide for Teachers

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:58:18 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

Online learning environments present an opportunity to better serve autistic students that teachers can learn to use effectively.

See on onlineeducation.net

Infographic: What Does an Educational Technologist Do?

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:48:48 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

As online technologies have exploded into mainstream education and corporate training, the need for professionals who are highly qualified in designing, developing, implementing, and assessing instruction has increased. However, the roles and responsibilities of educational technologists have become as varied as the employers who hire them and the tools they use. In order to shed some light on the matter, 161 EdTech professionals were surveyed in order to define the role(s) they play in K-12, higher education, corporate, and government work environments.

See on infogr.am

Make Your Own Video Game With No Coding Required

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:25:50 -0500

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“Want to make video games? Awesome! First, just learn to code and then get ready for a lot of hard work. Or maybe not. Pixel Press wants to let anyone of any age create their own video game levels with just a pencil, graph paper, and an iPad or iPhone… ’Pixel Press’ is a game where players create their own levels using pencil and graph paper, without knowing how to code.”

See on mashable.com

Smartphones In The Classroom: Working Smarter, Not Harder

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:07:54 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“Mobile computing is the wave of the future. While the high school economics book still has a chapter on ‘balancing the checkbook,’ I do my banking between grocery lines with mobile banking apps, rarely even seeing a check. I shop on Amazon, I send gifts remotely, and Google share important business and school materials for collaboration. Then I Skype or do a Google Hangout for remote collaboration. Why, then must students use paper agendas, put their phones away, and use a pencil and paper? Students can do so much with an iPhone (or an Android, or even a BlackBerry). It can truly help them work smarter, not harder. How?”

See on teachthought.com

Call for National Education Technology Plan

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:04:29 -0500

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The U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation in February 2013 that will help develop a national education technology plan.

See on dominicanu.com

5 Must-Have Elements for Every Online Class

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:58:37 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“Online Teacher of the Year Renee Citlau offers advice for taking K–12 learning virtual. Itching to launch an online course at your school? Here are five steps the nation’s best online teacher says every program should take.”

See on edtechmagazine.com

Who owns the future? Those who invest in it!

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:54:19 -0500

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

“…in a political environment hostile to taxes, many public universities are desperately short of the funding needed to sustain their goals of providing equitable access to all who are qualified as well as to continue to lead the world with the best opportunities for advanced education. Like private universities, public institutions have little alternative other than raising fees, which increases the cynicism of conservative politicians towards higher education and puts a degree out of reach of ever more young Americans.”

See on insidehighered.com