Archive: 2012
SMARTtech Top 10: Nearing the New Year
Can you believe it's December? Neither can we. We're on the count down to the New Year and the news is still alive and kicking with innovation. The market is on full speed ahead to 2013 with some exciting possibilities in education.
Udemy Raises $12 Million in Series B Funding
Udemy, the leading online education marketplace, today announced the completion of a $12 million Series B financing round led by Insight Venture Partners, with additional support from existing investors Lightbank, MHS Capital and Learn Capital, bringing Udemy’s total funding to $16 million.
Great Boards for Great Schools
Two decades of experience with performance contracting in the delivery of public education has wrought some hard earned lessons. We know what good authorizing looks like. We know how to open great new schools.
Embarking on Year Two: Moving Beyond Blended Learning
After successfully piloting our first blended program in math last year, we challenged ourselves to dive deeper into the potential of blended learning with the goal of creating a school model that could optimize every aspect of our students’ learning experience.
Four Strategies in Four Years that Will Transform a Community Forever
Annually, for more than 45 years, the city of Reynoldsburg, Ohio has celebrated the Tomato Festival-- a nod to its heritage as the birthplace of the commercial tomato. This middle-America town also boasts one other claim to fame: A so-called "traditional" LEA, namely Reynoldsburg City Schools (RCS), which is poised to be a breakout star among serious implementers of thoroughly re-engineered conceptions of learning and schooling.
Infographic: How Do Professors Use Social Media?
We all know college students are using social media. Yet, how are professors and faculty members at their universities picking up on the trend? As it turns out, nearly two-thirds of faculty are using social media - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, etc. - each month for personal and sometimes professional uses.
How the Flipped Classroom Turned Me into a Better Student
My first two years of high school were a continuous struggle. I wasn’t very engaged during class, had a difficult time doing my homework, and was unable to get help from my parents because they didn’t know the material that I was being assigned. After my sophomore year I took the ACT test and scored a 13 – which was not good enough to have many options after high school.
5 Megatrends That Shaped 2012 Education
Five big trends that will shape education for the next decade became fully evident this year.
Infographic: How Are Students Using Smart Phones?
Did you know that 53 percent of college students own smart phones? And it's their lifeline to the greater world. Students are pulling up news articles, headlines, feeds, and alerts at home, work, class, and elsewhere.
Share Student Voices & Gather Audiences With 10+ Tech Tools
Once the essays were written, students used my shared Symbaloo webmix, “Creative Gallery,” to locate an appropriate technology tool to showcase their essays. Although the majority chose Blogger, students also used Wix, Weebly, Storybird, Google Docs, Windows Movie Maker Live and YouTube to share their viewpoints. Furthermore, students were encouraged to suggest any mode of sharing their essays, whether it be an unknown app, website, or some overlooked traditional method. Take a look at my "Creative Gallery" webmix below.