Archive
element:for-whom
Staff Picks: mLearning, ePortfolios, intellectual work & Rethinking ED
Tom Picks “Celling a Great Idea” Tom says, “I agree that the flip from bans to widespread daily use will happen fast and that the BS era (before smartphone that is) will soon seem like a strange and distant past.” Caroline Picks “Technology…
Why My Six-Year-Old Students Have Digital Portfolios
From the first week of school, the six-year-olds in my classroom begin to create an online presence in the form of a blog and digital portfolio. We use a blogging platform to do this, and include artifacts that show their progress in writing, reading, math, social studies, and science.
Digital Portfolios for Primary Students
“Mrs. Cassidy, I showed my blog to my parents last night. I showed them everything on my blog. I showed them all the things on the computer!” That was my morning greeting from one of my six-year-old students not long ago. He had received a surplus computer1 from my school division the day before, and had suddenly been able to show his parents all of the learning artifacts he’d been adding to his digital portfolio through the course of the school year.
SchoolTube Student Video Demonstrates Power of Digital Storytelling
Welcome to our first post for our new, Friday Films by SchoolTube series. Each week, we intend to share a little innovation, inspiration, and awe from students and teachers via video. Today we're excited to share with you a Tamalpais High School student's interpretation of a famous poem.
Innosight Institue Announces New Case Study On Data Systems for Competency-Based Learning
Innosight Institute announced today the release of “The engine behind WGU: Configuration of a competency-based information system,” a new case study by Senior Research Fellow Heath Staker about the Western Governors University (WSU) data system used to support competency-based learning.
Evaluation of Arkansas Virtual Shows Significant Growth
University of Arkansas recently conducted an in-depth evaluation on the Arkansas Virtual Academy and concluded the school demonstrated very positive academic results, "The ARVA cohort improved significantly as compared to their matched peers." Despite bad press, this and five other stories indicate strong academic results.
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.
ProProfs Training Creates Advanced Web-Based Courses
ProProfs launched ProProfs Training, a new tool aiming to make online training much easier for non-tech-savvy teachers and educators. ProProfs Training is a brand new web-based software that allows anyone to easily create advanced multi-media online courses.
California Reports Charter Schools Deliver Positive Impact for Low-Income Students
The California Charter School Association (CCSA) released today its second annual Portrait of the Movement: How Charters are Transforming California Education report, detailing academic performance of California's charter schools. The report finds that low-income students continue to be well-served by charters; and confirms that charters are having a positive impact on delivering high student achievement.
Competency-based Approach Can Support Personalized Learning in Ohio
Nearly 40 percent of college freshmen in Ohio need to take remedial courses because they are unprepared for college-level work. The total bill for remedial classes in 2009 came to $130 million, rising to $147 million in 2010. Remediation is most costly to students who take longer to complete their degrees and are more likely to drop out.