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.

EdTech

North Carolina Blocks Online Public Charter

Getting Smart Staff

Jun 13, 2012

Parents in the State of North Carolina want a new, online public charter school, North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA), that would expand school choice options and individualized instruction for students. The school received preliminary approval to operate under the Cabarrus County Board of Education. Yet, the North Carolina School Boards Association (NCSBA), State Board of Education (SBE) and 60 school districts are trying to block it. What went wrong?

EdTech

K-12 Center Releases Summary of Findings at Assessment Symposium

Getting Smart Staff

Jun 13, 2012

The Center for K-12 Assessment & Performance Management at ETS (K-12 Center) released a summary of its Tech Enhanced Assessment (TEA) Symposium, co-sponsored by the K-12 Center and CCSSO, this May in Washington D.C. as a supplement in the June edition of Education Week.

EdTech

Infographic: The Rise of the AP

Getting Smart Staff

Jun 12, 2012

Tom Vander Ark often says that one of the best ways to introduce online or blended learning in high schools is to offer additional Advanced Placement (AP) courses online. It’s a win-win for the school and students. Schools offer additional desirable classes without dramatically increasing costs and while testing…

EdTech

A Lesson In Funding 1:1 Access From Spearfish, South Dakota

Carri Schneider

Jun 12, 2012

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

Tom Vander Ark

Jun 11, 2012

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.

EdTech

Urban Elementary Students Publish Their Own Math E-textbook

Carri Schneider

Jun 11, 2012

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!

EdTech

NYTimes: Online Scoring Will Lead to More & Better Writing

Getting Smart Staff

Jun 9, 2012

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

Tom Vander Ark

Jun 9, 2012

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

Guest Author

Jun 9, 2012

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.

EdTech

Bill Nye “The Science Guy” Changes the World One Summer Science Video at a Time

Getting Smart Staff

Jun 8, 2012

Many teachers remember the excitement on kids faces when the theme song for Bill Nye The Science Guy came on in the classroom: “Bill! Bill! Bill!.” Lots of kids of the 90s have memories of learning about the science of storms, outer space, brains and more from his wacky and…

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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