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
Digital Learning Day Fast Approaches, Are You Ready?
The Alliance for Excellent Education invites the education community of ed leaders, policymakers, educators, students, and parents to join in its first-ever Digital Learning Day on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.
EdTech
iLearn Project & Digital Learning Now! Host Wash. Online Learning Symposium
iLearn Project partnered with Digital Learning Now! to host a Washington Online Learning Symposium for state policymakers to cover the basics of online learning, Washington's current policies, and the next steps toward unlocking the full potential of online learning in Washington.
EdTech
Kaggle Driving Innovation By Hosting Big Data Competitions
Kaggle hosts data competitions. They call it "An innovative solution for statistical/analytics outsourcing." Kaggle invites companies, governments and NGOs to present datasets and problems and then invites the world's best data scientists then compete to produce the best solutions. Grockit is sponsoring the first education prize on Kaggle. OpenEd announced an education prize partnership with Kaggle yesterday.
EdTech
Technology as a Passport to Personalized Education
Daphne Koller recently made an excellent case for online learning in her New York Times article "Death Knell for the Lecture: Technology as a Passport to Personalized Education." Her article brings logic to the shift toward increased classroom technology with a view back into history about the ways technology improved our lives over time.
EdTech
Digital Learning Addresses Challenges in K-12
Two years ago Bob Wise and the Alliance issued an important Online Learning Imperative. They recently updated it and the EdWeek Digital Education Team reviewed it.
EdTech
Review: Top iPad Guide for Teaching Special Needs Students
Brian S. Friedlander and Christine Besko-Maughan published "Enhancing Learning & Communication for Students With Special Needs," a six-page reference guide to using the iPad for reading, writing, science, social studies, math and more. This is an excellent personal digital learning guide for any educator who is working with students who have learning disabilities, ADD or ADHD, communication impairments, autism spectrum disorders, speech or language delays, or cognitive difficulties.
EdTech
Infographic: Consequences of Teaching to the Test
Learning today has become highly standardized. We ask students to reach a learning standard and test it with statewide tests that identify whether we successfully taught them what they needed to know to clear the bar. Yet, are we only teaching students to pass a standardized test? Best Masters in Education published some compelling data recently that makes us think twice about "teaching to the test."
EdTech
10 Tips for Kindle in the Classroom
I have been using a Kindle eReader for some time now and really enjoy the convenience and ease of use of these dedicated devices. When I travel to schools, I see more and more schools pilot eReaders in the classroom, especially for students who struggle or who are unmotivated to read. For many students who struggle in reading many are now more inspired to read books on an eReader device as compared to a traditional book. Here are 10 tips for using Kindles in the classroom that I know you will find helpful.
EdTech
SmartTech Roundup: 2012 Predictions & Digital Reading
Wow, what a year: Google got social, Netflix screwed up, Kindle lit a fire, and Steve Jobs left us. Murdoch bought Wireless, Pearson bought Connections, America's Choice, and China-based Global Education and Technology. Venture and M&A activity doubled (deal & dollars) from 2009 to 2011. Now that we’ve wrapped up 2011, experts are looking to the horizon of 2012 with new predictions for what will shape the next year. See highlights of digital reading and eReaders.
EdTech
Science Worth Reading in the New Year
Lisa Randall, a Professor of Physics at Harvard, was Fareed Zakaria’s GPS this morning talking about her new book Knocking on Heaven’s Door. Fareed also interviewed Daniel Kaheman, author of Thinking, Fast and Slow. We added a few more recommendations for great science reading in 2012. What's on your reading list?