blended learning
Personalized Learning
Project-Based Blends
Proejct-Based Learning is a great way to engage students and encourage deeper learning. Blended environments makes it easier to create time for projects. New tools make it easier to create consistently rigorous projects. Digital learning makes it easier to build skills to successfully participate in a PBL environment.
EdTech
iNACOL Releases 5 Policy Reforms for Online Learning
The International Association for K-12 Online Learning's (iNACOL) Director of Policy, David Teeter, recently published "Online Learning: Top 5 Federal Policy Issues Brief," which takes a close look at reforms to improve student-centered, competency-based policies for online learning.
Personalized Learning
The Shift to Personal Digital Learning-Palm Springs Edition
At CUE12 we discussed the shift to personal digital learning and the importance of instructional design and the challenging state of affairs in California.
EdTech
Q&A: PLATO Launches New Virtual Academy
PLATO Learning introduced PLATO Virtual Academy earlier this March to deliver flexible, standards-based courses with certified, online teachers to meet the needs of 21st century learners. The PLATO Virtual Academy will begin helping students with summer school 2012 implementations, with over 50 virtual courses across a wide range of subject areas.
EdTech
1:1 in Peru Suggests Instruction is Important
The OLPC program in Peru appears to be content-light and naive. Kids appears to spend a lot of time on non-academic software (which may have some cognitive benefit) but there is no evidence that student spend more time reading. Unlike top blended models in the states, UNESCO points out that "the time allocated to activities directly related to school does not seem to have changed." With no effort to change time and literacy and numeracy instruction it is not surprising that academic impacts appear to be weak.
EdTech
Portugal’s 1:1 Initiative Propels PISA Improvement
The Portugal model of subsidized sliding scale hardware and connectivity is a great example for states to consider as they consider development of high access learning environments over the next three years in preparation for and adoption of the Common Core State Standards and online assessments. If Portugal and Turkey can figure this out, leaders of each of these United States should be able to orchestrate the development of 21st century learning environments.
EdTech
10 Conversations at COSN
The COSN conference is underway in Washington DC. School district edtech directors find themselves in a very dynamic situation these days. Here’s 10 of session and hallway conversation topics from yesterday:
EdTech
FLVS Offers Leadership & Professional Development Training for Online & Blended Learning
Florida Virtual School (FLVS) plans to offer a two-day Virtual Leadership Training (VLT) workshop April 25-26, 2012 to give school administrators expert feedback and training on the blueprint of its award-winning virtual school program. The FLVS Professional Learning Team also plans to offer FLVS Professional Development courses through the Custom Professional Development service year round and on demand through online webinars and face-to-face workshops.
Personalized Learning
24 Getting Smart Blogs About Blended Learning
Twenty-four articles and posts getting smart about blended learning.
Personalized Learning
Welcome to the Post Textbook World: Ten Elements
A friend asked what I thought about Jay Mathew’s post on textbooks. I thought the rear view mirror critique of a process to pick better textbooks read more like a 1982, not a 2012 discussion – and certainly not the 2015 conversation we should be having.