Startups Say a New Platform is Dawning in the Wake of LMS
A new generation of learning management systems (LMS) is currently dawning, says CEO Paul Lambert of the upcoming startup Matygo. Matygo, a course delivery platform developed in Vancouver, B.C., was a LAUNCHedu finalist at SXSWedu in Austin, Texas this March.
NYCan Makes the Case for Early College
NYCan just released Start College Early, Finish College Strong. Students participating in early college programs can earn up to two years of college credit while in high school and potentially graduate with an associate’s degree. As the NYCan blog says, “Right now, these programs are only reaching a small portion of the kids who need them most.” Read the story of Precious and tell me why we shouldn’t dramatically expand early college.
Technovation Challenge Launches to Build Women in Technology
The Technovation Challenge, a program to promote women in technology by giving girls the skills and confidence they need to be successful in computer science and entrepreneurship, will be held on Saturday, April 28th and the National Pitch Night will be held on Thursday, May 3rd from 6-9PM.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.