Doug Levin
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
I’ve established that I am a fan of open educational resources (OER) and think that K-12 educators and policymakers would benefit from thinking more deeply about the ownership of instructional materials. I’ve even offered up ideas on issues the K-12 OER movement needs to confront and work through in the coming years as it struggles with the success of greater adoption.
More Verbs
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
The Learning Through Technology Team at the Maine Department of Education is looking for a high energy, entrepreneurial-thinking, collaborative educator who would like to work with us. Are you making great things happen in your classroom, school, district, or region? Consider joining us and make great things happen across Maine! We currently have one opening for a Regional Education Representative: Digital Learning Specialist (and anticipate two more in the coming months).
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EdTech Magazine
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
By D. Frank Smith MakerBot showcases two students whose 3D printing designs give MS and Parkinson’s patients tools to open pill bottles, hold a fork.
Ditch That Textbook
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
Timelines are excellent tools for showing spans of time, but many people forget to use the tools for critical thinking and meaningful lessons. Timelines are great graphic organizers because of their linear, but discrete, nature. Each event is separated on the line itself – and two events can occupy the same time, just on opposite [.].
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How can we actively engage learners 24/7, on their level and according to their interests, while respecting their learning styles? It’s not impossible. In this guide: Explore how to transform traditional, one-way videos into two-way interactive learning experiences Understand different types of artificial intelligence (AI), including - Generative vs.
Digital Promise
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Sara is the Director of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. You can reach her on Twitter at @sschappy. Members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools serve as examples of how forward-thinking leadership can transform learning. Since we launched the League in 2011, we’ve been proud to recognize over 70 school districts and their superintendents as they work to solve the challenges facing today’s K-12 schools through innovative strategies.
The CoolCatTeacher
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
Nurturing an Innovator's Mindset with George Couros From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Risk taking is not a bad word. If we want to help students read, write, and learn anything – we have to learn to take risks. But how can we understand what risks are worth taking? How can principals, teachers, and students learn how to take acceptable risks?
EdTech Update brings together the best content for education technology professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
A Principal's Reflections
FEBRUARY 21, 2016
There is a great deal of talk these days about micro-credentials and digital badging as a means to acknowledge professional learning of educators. While many organizations are trying to seize an opportunity to monetize this space for their own benefit, a pioneer in micro-credentials created a free platform for any educator to use over three years ago.
Ed Tech from the Ground Up
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Don't undertake a name change for your company lightly, but if it's the correct strategy, here's how to do it. Click the headline to read the full post. Questions? Email websupport@epe.org.
The CoolCatTeacher
FEBRUARY 26, 2016
Level Up a Little Bit Every Day From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Sometimes as you teach others, you end up changing yourself. It is happening so much lately to me. Here’s a peek. Game based keyboarding. My keyboarding classroom is completely game based using ClassCraft (thanks, Shawn Young ) and the kids run to class.
The Journal
FEBRUARY 23, 2016
The dominant pedagogy in classrooms today is still direct instruction, the pedagogy underlying so-called computer-based, “personalized learning” environments. But, we argue in this week’s blog that truly 1-to-1 implementations, which are only now becoming feasible, are the opportunity needed to transform classrooms and support educators in moving to an inquiry pedagogy, a pedagogy that develops students’ critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.
Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape
The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.
Doug Levin
FEBRUARY 21, 2016
I’ve been engaged in thinking deeply about the promise and opportunity afforded the U.S. K-12 education system by open educational resources (OER) since 2009, although my first exposure to the ideas and leaders of the movement stretch back to the launch of the MIT OpenCourseWare initiative. I’m deeply grateful for the support and collegiality of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation over this time, including for allowing me to attend this year’s annual OER meeting.
Ask a Tech Teacher
FEBRUARY 26, 2016
Whiteboards have long been a de rigeur staple in classrooms, occupying pride-of-place at the front of the room. Despite the popularity of hi-tech Smartscreens, the simple whiteboard remains the favored method of sharing information during class time. But one change has revolutionized their use: They can now be projected from your iPad. Before introducing three amazing must-have whiteboard apps, let me note that there are dozens of options , all with varied traits and prices.
The CoolCatTeacher
FEBRUARY 21, 2016
Simple Steps to Ignite a Love of Reading and Writing From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Teaching kids to love reading is a challenge. Pam Allyn , the author of 23 books, is a literacy expert who helps schools, parents, and teachers help kids love reading. On today’s show, she shares two important ways to help struggling students become lifelong readers.
Battelle for Kids
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Volume 3, Issue 2, Number 11. Driving Question: How Can We Communicate 21st Century Learning to Parents?What is the enduring value of narrative? Students in our classrooms have parents who attended elementary and secondary school in the 20th century. Many are struggling to understand what their child does in class or is expected to do for homework. Many parents expect to see nightly worksheets or a constant stream of graded papers flowing home, because that's what they're accustomed to from thei
This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.
EdTech Magazine
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
By D. Frank Smith Next year's budget proposal for education is all about equity of access — but to get there, some educational technology items need to be funded.
Ask a Tech Teacher
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
I recently chatted with a tech coordinator on the East coast who asked about software alternatives to the webtools we were discussing. That surprised me. Usually, teachers want free, easily-accessible-from-anywhere webtools in place of expensive, installed software. When I asked why she had some excellent reasons: No ads. Almost all free online tools and apps include advertising.
Doug Levin
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
As quoted in: Solochek, Jeffrey. “ Despite fixes, computer testing troubles still likely for Florida schools in 2016.” Tampa Bay Times. 19 February 2016. Yet there’s almost no way to guarantee trouble-free computerized testing on a stage as large as Florida’s, experts said. That’s because the undertaking is “not just a test, but a massive technology project” that involves so many moving parts in a decentralized system, said Doug Levin, founder of EdTech Strategies,
Brilliant or Insane
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
Brilliant or Insane. Think of methods you use that might be considered old-school — lecture, worksheets, text activities, and traditional homework, to name a few. Now, consider how you might replace any or all of these, in order to create a vibrant, student-centered learning environment. Here are a few places to begin, outlined in this Hack Learning Podcast […].
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Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t
Digital Promise
FEBRUARY 23, 2016
According to a national report from Tyton Partners on the state of adult education and technology, 86 percent of administrators want technology for their students and are willing to use their resources to get the best products possible. Yet there’s a bit of a dilemma when looking deeper into how adult education sites purchase digital learning tools.
Ask a Tech Teacher
FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Every summer, Ask a Tech Teacher offers summer training on a variety of topics from specific skills (how to use Google Forms, how to use Tellagami–that sort) to overarching concepts (how to differentiate, how to scaffold learning, how to build a curriculum map). This is where we need your… Help! In the form below, please vote for all choices that fit your interests.
Dangerously Irrelevant
FEBRUARY 25, 2016
BloomBoard invited me to be part of its February blogging campaign and to create a collection over at its site. I tried to pull together a few resources related to acceptable use policies (AUPs): Rethinking acceptable use policies (AUPs). The blogger that follows me in BloomBoard’s campaign is Shannon Holden over at NewTeacherHelp. You also can check out others’ contributions at the BloomBoard blog.
Battelle for Kids
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
Volume 3, Issue 2, Number 10. Driving Question: What is the enduring value of narrative? If you are like me, the promise of a story perks you up, makes you a little more alert. You expect news. Eudora Welty says that when she was a child listening to the talk of adults around her, she listened not only to stories but also for them. According to Reynolds Price, this appetite is built in.
Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions
There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.
Digital Promise
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
Dr. Brent Maddin is the Provost at the Relay Graduate School of Education, Director of TeacherSquared, and a member of the Digital Promise Micro-credential Advisory Board. Consider a principal hiring a new teacher. Beyond scanning candidates’ resumes and extrapolating effectiveness from one interview and sample lesson, how can a principal quickly and confidently identify those candidates best prepared to lead their students to success?
Voyager Sopris Learning
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
While many language skills and comprehension strategies are embedded in daily lessons, teachers know that the overall purpose of each lesson sequence is to understand content related to a theme. The reason for reading a text is clear: The text is worthwhile. It is complex and rich. The topic is inherently interesting—or if it isn’t, yet, it will be once the students know something about it.
Hapara
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
In their first and second year using Google Apps for Education (GAFE), many organizations focus evaluation metrics purely on adoption rather than how teachers are using the technology or how the technology is impacting teaching and learning.
The Web20Classroom
FEBRUARY 26, 2016
Y'all know I love Graphit e and the work that the folks over at Common Sense Media are doing for educators and students. Their site is full of helpful tips for digital citizenship, the best apps and sites for a plethora of content areas and so much more. There are lesson plans , boards to share your favorite groups of content, and a community to connect with other educators.
Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions
The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.
Digital Promise
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
Members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools serve as examples of how forward-thinking leadership can transform learning. Since we launched the League in 2011, we’ve been proud to recognize over 70 school districts and their superintendents as they work to solve the challenges facing today’s K-12 schools through innovative strategies.
Ditch That Textbook
FEBRUARY 22, 2016
Have you ever thought what your funeral will be like? Who will be there? What will people say about you? What will your loved ones remember about you? Thinking about these things can make us feel morbid or sad or frightened. But thinking about our last days can help us envision the impact we’re having [.].
Education Elements
FEBRUARY 24, 2016
I often hear frustration from students that “Math just isn’t for me!” This exclamation is even more troublesome when it comes from middle school girls, because young girls start off strong in math and science but lose interest and confidence as they get older. The Nation’s Report Card revealed in October 2015 that overall U.S. math scores declined for the first time in 25 years, signaling a need for change within the learning process.
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
FEBRUARY 26, 2016
February 26, 2016 Below is a collection of some very good web tools you can use with your students to create educational posters,flyers, brochures, and newspapers.The tools are simple and easy to use.read more.
This whitepaper explores integrating the PowerTeaching pedagogical approach within a HyFlex (Hybrid Flexible) educational model, focusing on employing cooperative learning strategies and efficient classroom management techniques.
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