EdTech
Education Technology is a multi-billion dollar sector of companies innovating in both software and hardware for teaching, learning, and running schools, districts, and state and federal education departments. We document some of the most essential technical innovations and companies that support learning, teaching and more.
Foundations Urged to Utilize Return-Seeking Investments as Part of Their Impact Strategy
In a paper released today, three experienced investors suggest that recent changes make it possible to produce a substantial impact and achieve market rate returns. Learning Returns: Impact Investing at the Education Turning Point, is the first paper in a series focused on accelerating and improving the shift to personal digital learning.
Steelcase Invites Students to Imagine Their Future
This year, Steelcase launched the 100 Dreams Classroom Project as a part of our “100 Dreams, 100 Minds, 100 Years” centennial celebration. Steelcase is a company dedicated to providing great environments where employees can do their best work. To commemorate its 100th anniversary, the company is looking to the leaders of tomorrow to see what dreams they have and how they hope to achieve these advancements. For the project, we designed a simple lesson plan for teachers to download online and implement in their classrooms, which invites children to use crayons to envision the future.
SmartTech Roundup: From Blended Learning to Justin Bieber
Three minute foray into the future. Intel’s three minute video provides a peek into the blended classroom of the future. In response to the video, Tom noted on Getting Smart that the video shows a good partial picture of blended learning but leaves out some of the more compelling reasons for the shift such leveraging teaching talent with technology.
35 Sources for Curated Educational Videos
Like explorers approaching an unfamiliar landscape, teachers who are ready to take the plunge into flipped classrooms and blended learning often approach the opportunity with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Just dipping a toe into the virtual waters of online content can be overwhelming, and there’s a risk that even the most fearless educator can become paralyzed by the bottomless depths of content and endless pools of resources.
Higher Ed Leaders & Laggards
The Chamber released a state-by-state report card on public post secondary education. The report suggests that public colleges must do a better job of measuring their efficiency and quality. The report points to seven reasons that completion rates, cost efficiency and improved outcomes matter:
Intel Vision Video: Partial Picture of Blended Future
Intel released a video highlighting the not too distant classroom of the future, a blend of personal digital learning and hands-on, high engagement learning.
Become a Power Searcher: Join Google MOOC
Last week Google opened registration for Power Searching with Google, a free online course on advanced search skills. The six 50-minute classes will blend the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) learning format pioneered by Stanford and MIT with social and communication tools to create a community learning experience.
Udemy Launches Redesigned Website
Udemy expands online learning features, including student-teacher Q&A, progress tracking, and a personalized recommendation engine. The online learning platform Udemy.com today debuted a complete website redesign, enabling students to track their progress, interact more deeply with instructors and discover new courses relevant to them.
SmartTech Roundup: Tablets, Blended Learning, STEM
Keeping Tabs On Tablets Nexus News. Google unveiled its Nexus tablet, coming in at $199, specs reveal both an 8GB and 16 GB option for the 7-in Jelly-Bean-powered tablet. In other Google news. Over 500 School Districts in US and Europe Use Chromebooks. Google launched new…
Who Governs The Child?
North Carolina is host to the latest battle over expanding digital learning, charter schools, and parent choice. It involves attempts by the State Board of Education (SBE) and the NC School Boards Association to block a proposed online public charter school, North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA) from serving students this Fall. Yet, beyond the details of this one new charter school, this issue has sparked a renewed debate over governance, and whether the principal virtue of “local control” in education is district control or parent choice.