Getting Smart Staff

EdTech 10: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

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Education is commonplace for dreamers. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s often said that education is the “ladder to success.” That ladder, as metaphorical as it is and difficult as it is becoming to climb, must be built from strong rungs braced by rails, supports, and craftsmanship. Students who dream to achieve through skilling up and earning credentials need that ladder to climb, and it’s the teamwork of companies, institutions, schools and leaders who work together to build that ladder to make the dreams of students possible.

This week’s EdTech 10 features news stories of companies teaming up and overall happenings of people coming together, be it through sharing resources or opinions, towards the common goal of enriching learning and teaching experiences.

Blended Schools & Tools

1. P is for Partnerships. This week The Learning Accelerator‘s Luis Rodriguez (@LCRodriguez_edu) shared his thoughts on how to pick the best blended learning services partners. Keep an eye out for a new paper by Getting Smart and our Advocacy Partner, Fuel Education, that will share details on blended learning partnerships from the perspective of current teachers and school leaders.

Digital Developments

2. And The Award Goes To. Instructure, Getting Smart Advocacy Partner has been awarded a contract to provide Canvas to community colleges in The Golden State.

Rumor has it that Instructure closed a big round of financing this week and plans to launch a corporate learning platform. We also heard that they may win a big K-12 contract.  All this Instructure news makes us think… is Canvas by Instructure the perfect LMS? Quite possibly.

3. PBL FTW. New project-based high school digital literacy course, Project NextTech from Learning.com, is now supporting students develop tech, information, and media literacy proficiency skills that are vital for today’s job seekers.

4. Tools In The Shed. Fellow EdTech bloggers edSurge, released From Pre-Fab to Personalized: How Districts Are Retooling Professional Development, an in-depth report on the tools advancing teacher training.

5. Hot Off The Press. The Foundation for Excellence in Education, Getting Smart Advocacy Partner, reported that data from the Michigan Dept. of Education shows an increase in enrollment in online learning courses by 38% with a majority from secondary levels in Michigan according to Michigan’s Virtual University’s Michigan’s K-12 Virtual Learning Effectiveness Report.

6. Micro-credentials, Major Impact. 40 micro-credentials for educators, and information on the skills students need to succeed in college and career are featured in a new report by Digital Promise dubbed Developing a System of Micro-credentials: Supporting Deeper Learning in the Classroom.

 

Dollars & Deals

7. Introducing (Booming Voice)… The Jefferson Education Accelerator. Spearheaded by the University of Virginia Curry School of Education Foundation, and with $11 million in new support from the Curry School and USA Funds, the accelerator is building a nationwide network of K-12 and postsecondary schools to test promising EdTech products and services.

8. Double Shot of Support. Big week for NoRedInk and NVBots raised $6 million and $2 million in investments. Fueled by importance of grammar and writing in CCSS, NoRedInk is using the funding to increase hiring and content creation. NVBot is using the support to fuel the production of their NVPro printer.

Higher, Deeper, Further, Faster Learning

9. Teamwork. Coursera, Google and Snapdeal have teamed up to offer job oriented courses called ‘Capstones’. With additional support from postsecondary partnerships with Instagram, 500 startups, and Shazam, the new offerings reflect a shared responsibility by companies as well as universities to provide relevant job training and education.

10. Online Opps. American community college learners are more often, commuters, employed and parents. That’s why these students should provided with enhanced flexible learning opportunities. New America’s Education Policy Program in their report, Community College Online, featured in Washington Monthly shares how online learning options can enrich LX for associate degree seekers.

Getting Smart Staff

The Getting Smart Staff believes in learning out loud and always being an advocate for things that we are excited about. As a result, we write a lot. Do you have a story we should cover? Email [email protected]

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