EdTech
SmartTech Roundup: Deals, Raises, Launches & Smart Assessment
Combinatoriality No, we’re not talking about the twelve tone musical technique, we’re talking deals—and we had some interesting ones in the last week. Blackboard announced the launch of Blackboard Education Open Source Services with the purchase of MoodleRooms. Tom thinks it’s a good thing for…
Personalized Learning
Bridging Policy & Practice: Reflections From an Online Educator & Digital Learning Advocate
My students are adults—graduate students in fact—most of them practicing educators. They’ve enrolled in the University of Cincinnati Masters in Educational Leadership Online Program and they will spend the next two years with their online cohort and me. While we will never meet face-to-face, the cohort will transform from a group of individual strangers to a tight cadre of peers who will come to rely on each other professionally and personally for years to come.
Leadership
Good Work: A Whack in the Head
A non-voluntary job change is hard. Returning to zero means creating a new identity around competency and calling, a set of possibilities, rather than a title on a business card. It requires an inventory that takes perspective that other people may need to help you assemble. It requires you to ask, “What do I enjoy doing? ‘What am I good at?’ and ‘Where have I found success and satisfaction?” Coming from a new place requires a break with the past. It always requires introspection deep enough to find a new center, a new calling, and a new purpose.
EdTech
Review: JFF’s Curricular Opportunities in the Digital Age
“Historically, most classrooms have been “curriculum centered” rather than “student centered.” David Rose, a Harvard developmental neuropsychologist, and Jenna Gravel, a doctoral student, open their recent paper Curricular Opportunities in the Digital Age. If you’ve been working with adpative technologies, you won’t find any new information here. If you teach in a traditional environment, this would be a good paper to discuss in a professional development session, but pair it with The Rise of Blended Learning.
Personalized Learning
Chip Kimball to Lead Prestigious Singapore School
Chip Kimball is one of the only district tech directors to become a superintendent. He made the transition in a community with a lot of tech savvy people—the Lake Washington school district, located in Redmond Washington, home of Microsoft. Chip has been there more than 15 years, serving as superintendent for the last five years. This summer Chip is taking on an interesting new challenge as head of the Singapore American School (SAS), what may be the largest and most prestigious international school in the world. SAS serves about 4,000 students P-12.
Uncategorized
Students Report On the Oakland Occupy Movement
Students from the Media Enterprise Alliance at KDOL-TV reported on the Occupy Movement at Frank Ogawa Plaza and other locations in Oakland, Calif. in late January 2012. These students demonstrated talented reporting, telling the story of the protest through a different lens than the mainstream media.
EdTech
LearnZillion Raise Will Support More Common Core Lessons
LearnZillion, the DC-based developer of a web-based platform that features videos of 3-5 minute math and literacy lessons taught by teachers from around the country, said on Thursday it has raised $2.4 million in its first round of funding.
Personalized Learning
Getting Ready for Online Assessment
Online assessment are at the heart of the promise of digital learning. Online assessments provide real time diagnostics that identify learning levels and gaps. Online assessment provides instant feedback in reading, writing, math and other subjects. Online assessment will power the future of customized learning—the best chance we have to dramatically boost achievement levels. It's time for states and districts to get ready for online assessment.
EdTech
FCC & ED Push Digital Textbooks
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Education is hosting a meeting today with the goal of getting digital textbooks in every child’s hands in five years. Karen Cator, the Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education, helped organize the meeting and provides energy and insight to the Departments focus on the shift to digital learning.
Personalized Learning
Can Six Year Olds Really Demonstrate Their Learning?
This week we finished up another one of our project based learning (PBL) or inquiry-based units in my first grade classroom. It had the grand title of rules, relationships and responsibilities.