Posts by Guest Author

EdTech

Why College Students Should Invest in New Learning Innovations

Throughout young students’ educations, the topics they study have largely been decided for them. They’ve probably spent most of their academic time studying core topics like English, mathematics, science and history, with the possibility of some elective courses and extracurricular activities during high school.

EdTech

How to Find the Magic in an Educational App

The concept of how to find the magic in an educational app came up recently during our weekly EducationalAppTalk forum. The question arose, “Why should educational apps be field-tested?” Well, we (teacherswithapps) field test apps with kids on a regular basis and have found that most often it is the kids who find the MAGIC.

Personalized Learning

Distance Learning and Online Relationships

I never get to meet most of my students in person, because I teach asynchronous online courses via Blackboard, for the City University of New York (CUNY). I was part of a cohort of Ph.D. students who began teaching after fully online programs were available.

Personalized Learning

How Online Learning Prepared Me for University Life

Choice is a basic fiber of Western Civilization. Today, a growing number of students and parents when given a choice are leaning towards virtual learning experiences rather than the more traditional options. As a graduate of an online public school and a current member of the class of 2014 at the University of Washington, I have spent some time reflecting on the ways I benefited from having the option to attend an online school and the unique ways it prepared me for college.

Personalized Learning

Students Thrive in Blended Math Program

by Jane Roberts, first appeared on Commercial Appel on 2/15 Early afternoon math class at Presbyterian Day School (Memphis) looks unusually like a think tank. Wifi work stations are scattered around a large room. Boys of all ages are working individually or in groups. Some are sprawled…

Personalized Learning

Why Education Should Be Free

For most, the single greatest barrier to accessing higher education is cost. In the last decade, tuition has skyrocketed across the United States. Crippling student loan debt in America has now surpassed a staggering $1 trillion. Many students find the return on investment just isn’t there and they’re walking away from college without graduating, disenfranchised and deeply in debt. The international community is even less likely to attend college, with less than five percent of the world’s population ever achieving post-secondary education of any kind.

Personalized Learning

Connecting Smart Cities

For several months now, Tom Vander Ark has been issuing rich installments in his Smart Cities series, building a detailed map of where innovations in learning are happening. Here, we profile an organization connecting Smart Cities—the Cities for Education Entrepreneurship Trust (CEE-Trust)—and its work helping city-based organizations support the emergence of high-quality blended learning.