Archive: Feb 2012
The Green Schoolhouse Series – 21st century learning classrooms
It used to be educationally valuable to use Styrofoam balls to create a fairly basic representation of the solar system or to study simple earth science through a paper mache volcano craft project. Likewise, chalk and erasers were precious tools of the trade for teachers, while yellow number two pencils and plastic protractors were the standard of choice for students. Lunch hall dining used to consist of fast-food quality meals--but not anymore.
Ohio Digital Learning Day
Getting Smart Founder and Blogger Tom Vander Ark discusses digital learning in Ohio for the first-ever Digital Learning Day February 1, 2012.
CoSN, SITE and SXSWedu Conferences Announce Collaboration with the First-Ever Joint Teleconference Spotlight Session
SXSWedu, CoSN and SITE plan to team up Tuesday, March 6, 2012 for a teleconference in the session "On The Horizon: Harnessing Emerging Technologies In Education," featuring Larry Johnson, CEO of New Media Consortium.
Webinar: How to Implement OER In Your Classroom
The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) will host a webinar on Thursday, February 16, guiding online teachers on how to implement open educational resources (OER) in the classroom.
4.0 Schools Sweeps Startup Weekend NYC EDU Awards
4.0 Schools, which provides resources and training to launch schools and education businesses in the Southeastern US, members made a clean sweep at the Startup Weekend NYC EDU awards, winning all three placements among more than 50 potential business concepts.
National STEM Video Game Challenge Launches
The 2012 National STEM Video Game Challenge, which is a collaboration between E-Line Media and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop (JGCC) with generous support from AMD Foundation, Entertainment Software Association(ESA), Microsoft and CPB/PBS KIDS Ready to Learn, is well underway.
SmartTech Roundup: Open Textbooks, Phone Learning, Common Core Content
What Textbooks Are You Opening? OpenStax College, a new non-profit publisher, plans to provide free, online course materials for five common introductory courses using Rice University’s Connexions platform. Utah announced this week that it plans to offer free online textbooks in math, Language arts and science.
5 Cool Things About Online Education
Early in life, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My mom and grandma were teachers, and I fully intended to join the ranks in a traditional classroom setting. I hadn’t heard of a virtual charter school before, but I’ve always been intrigued by technology, so I decided to check it out. After doing some research, I came to the realization that not only did I prefer it over substitute-teaching for a year but also that there actually wasn’t anything else I would rather do.
10 Things School Leaders Should Do to Boost Blended Learning
During a couple breakout sessions at a Rhode Island conference on Innovation Powered by Technology (#iptrideconf) I spent time with teachers and principals thinking about next steps as they prepare for the shift to personal digital learning. We discussed 10 next steps.
Good Work: Bureaucracy Busting Starts With a Positive Presupposition
I watched Rhode Island Commissioner Deb Gist in action yesterday, first on television answering tough questions from a panel of reporters then speaking to and interacting with a conference of educators. She is struggling with the limitations of an old bureaucracy while helping her colleagues invent the future. She set’s the vision, outlines the challenges, encourages collaboration, and does it all with unusual grace and charm. It looks like her positive presupposition has earned the benefit of the doubt.