EdTech
A Lesson In Funding 1:1 Access From Spearfish, South Dakota
Steve Morford is the principal of Spearfish High School in Spearfish, South Dakota—a 1:1 teaching and learning environment. With close to seven years of experience leading a 1:1 school, Mr. Morford has a lot of wisdom to share, especially when it comes to financing improved student access to technology.
EdTech
SCE Launches Digital Learning Challenge
SCE, a Chicago-based social investment organization, launched a “Digital Learning Challenge” by inviting letters of inquiry that could lead to up to $250,000 in grants. The announcement is worth reading just because it is an interesting premise--that shifting even a portion of the out-of-school media time of low income youth to productive learning activities can make a big difference.
Personalized Learning
Changing the Economics of Higher Education
Sal Khan sees a mismatch of expectations in higher education between institutions and some consumers. He thinks open learning and skills certification will grow in importance. A transformation of higher ed is takin place in four categories: super low-cost post-sec, competency-based credits, job certification, and degree alternatives.
EdTech
Urban Elementary Students Publish Their Own Math E-textbook
Jon Smith, or @theipodteacher as I’ve come to know him, caught my attention on Twitter this week. Students in Mr. Smith’s sixth grade classroom at Gibbs Elementary in Ohio’s Canton City Schools just published their own math textbook, released just days ago on iTunes!
Leadership
Good Work: Quality Products
You may have had the good fortune to have an encouraging teacher or a demanding boss that helped to create an indelible life-long image of quality results. Most adults are preoccupied with effort and activity rather than results. When that image is internalized, you begin holding yourself to a high standard of performance even when it seems that others do what they can get by with. Quality work, and the quality effort that goes into it, is its own reward.
EdTech
NYTimes: Online Scoring Will Lead to More & Better Writing
The Hewlett Foundation sponsored a study of automated essay-scoring engines now offered by commercial vendors. The researchers found that these produced scores effectively identical to those of human graders. Barbara Chow, education program director at the Hewlett Foundation, says: “We had heard the claim that the machine algorithms are as good as human graders, but we wanted to create a neutral and fair platform to assess the various claims of the vendors. It turns out the claims are not hype.”
EdTech
Review: Game Changers–Education & IT
Information technology is transforming higher education by making it more convenient, personal, and affordable. Those and other conclusions are found in Game Changers: Education and Information Technologies, a free ebook released this week by Educause, an association of higher ed IT leaders. Director Diana G. Oblinger edited the volume and contributed a chapter.
EdTech
Graduation Reflections From an Edreform Pioneer
Back in 2003, my family took a chance. It was a big one. Not like changing to soy milk or getting a pet snake. Not anything like that. We put our kids in a new school.
Leadership
Staff Picks: Online Speech, Partisanship, Online PD, Bill Nye
Tom Picks “Telepractice Brings Online Speech Services to School Districts of all Sizes” Tom says, “It’s great to see innovations in blended learning benefiting special needs student. Online speech therapy works better for students, teachers and districts.” Karen Picks “Partisanship is Ruining Public Education” Karen says,…
Personalized Learning
Every State Needs A Leadership & Empowerment Agenda
While states and districts are trying to figure out how to blend schools they should let student blend their own learning. It’s time for every state to build a digital learning leadership agenda and an empowerment agenda.