SMARTtech Top 10: Quick Headlines Before the Holiday Break

Quick! Hurry! Before your head fills with sugar plums and presents, read the top 10 news headlines you need to know at the close of 2012.

Blended Schools & Tools

1. Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White recently made a push for an “a la carte school,” which would allow students to build a custom curriculum by selecting from hundreds of classes offered by public institutions and private vendors.
2. Michael Horn and Heath Staker announced 10 predictions for 2013 around blended learning.

Digital Developments

3. The Office of Education technology released a new draft report, Evidence Framework Initiative, Expanding Evidence Approaches for Learning in a Digital World.
4. Digital Promise announced a partnership with the Poses Family Foundation and Oak Foundation to support an inaugural Digital Promise Prize Fellowship.
5. SIIA estimated in its recent edtech report that the U.S. market for educational software and digital content is worth $7.76 billion.

The Science of Getting Smart

6. CompetencyWorks released The Learning Edge: Supporting Student Success in a Competency-Based Learning Environment, a new report written by Laura Shubilla and Chris Sturgis on how student supports are necessary to ensure each student remains engaged and achieving at their “learning edge” to maximize potential and provide continuous support for learning

Getting to the Core

7. NEA, AFT and Student Achievement Partners won an $11 million grant to build online warehouse of instructional tools for the Common Core State Standards.

Come On Get App-Y

8. The U.S. State Department unveiled an online 3D video game and website designed to teach English language skills by Sean Cavanagh.

Higher, Deeper, Further, Faster Learning

9. Top Minnesota education leaders announced a mission to draft a plan to reinvent and to better align high school with higher education goals.

Movers, Shakers & Ground-breakers

10. Video education provider lynda.com announced the addition of Frits Habermann to its executive team as chief technology officer.