Getting Smart Staff

EdTech 10: Coming Together to Focus on What Works

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This week’s news takes a cue from the launch of Getting Smart on Next-Gen School Design. The new Smart Bundle shares the stories of six regional hubs for innovation through NGLC’s Regional Funds for Breakthrough Schools. In this week’s news startups, organizations, teachers and students are huddling over new tools, partnerships, and reports that are moving the needle and creating real progress on what’s working to support next-gen learning.

Blended Schools & Tools

Blended data. The Clayton Christensen and the Evergreen Education Group teamed up to share first-of-its-kind data on schools implementing blended learning. Looking for blended implementation strategies? Check out the Blended Learning Implementation Guide 3.0.

Integrating in Space City schools. Houston Independent School District uses IMS Global’s Learning Tools Interoperability Standards to integrate data from different sources. HISD uses IMS OneRoster and informed the new IMS how-to guide.  

Sharpest tools in the shed. Two news stories to note on the new tools front:Search giant Google will be soon be offering a VR field-trip simulator system, called Expeditions. LittleBits, Getting Smart Advocacy Partner, released four new projects as part of their launch of LittleBits Education to enhance making the classroom. 

Digital Developments

Just because everyone is using it doesn’t mean it works. Based on the data of 200,000+ teachers, OpenEd found that the most widely-used online education resources may not be the most effective. Ron Drabkin, VP of Marketing at OpenEd recently joined the Getting Smart blog community in asking, should teachers share formative assessment results in the classroom?

Making the connection. According to a new survey from Pearson, student mobile device ownership is increasing while connectivity at schools continues to lag. Connectivity is critical, here are 33 reasons broadband boosts learning.  

From the locals. If you follow Getting Smart on Instagram, you’d know that we aren’t shy to show our #PNWwonderland love. That’s why we were so excited to learn that Washington State community colleges are now offering a new flexible competency-based business degree modeled after and with support from Western Governors University.

Dollars & Deals

Charting the course. The U.S. Department of Education announced new grants totaling more than $157 million through its Charter Schools Program, which funds the creation and expansion of public charter schools across the nation. These grants have had a major impact on the nation’s charter school sector, with nearly half of the nation’s public charter schools benefitting from these investments in 2013-14.

The Big “D”

Better understanding on better data. Data Quality Campaign, who we recently joined us for Getting Smart on Personalization and Privacy, released a new analysis that sheds light on the continuing evolution of student privacy legislation.

For the folks. Parents deserve a more thorough look into how their students are performing in the classroom, especially with new developments in assessment. This was the belief behind the My School Information Challenge. This idea gained greater support from the findings of Future of Privacy Forum’s new survey that set out to gain a better understanding of what public school parents actually know and want concerning the use of technology and collection of data.  

Movers, Shakers & Groundbreakers

Going big. Ten emerging leaders were selected by Big Picture Learning and Internationals Network for Public Schools for an initial cohort of Deeper Learning Equity Fellows. We recently sat down with Andrew Frishman, Executive Director of Big Picture Learning to talk about the supports that all learners deserve — listen to the podcast here.

For more more EdTech 10s, check out:

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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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