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EdTech
3 Trends You May Have Missed At ISTE
I tend to eschew the advice of seasoned, world-weary attendees to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference each year. “Ignore the exhibit hall,” they implore. “All the real action is in the sessions. The exhibits are just products.”
Leadership
Staff Picks: EdTech, Blended Learning, Summer Learning
Karen Picks “Book Review: Born to Rise“ Karen says, “Deborah’s heart warming story of turning a painful life event into a chance to make a difference is powerful. She was relentless in her pursuit to open schools in tough neighborhoods for students that needed them most. She built schools…
EdTech
SMARTtech Roundup: STEM, Core and More
Blended Schools & Tools Learn Now, Lecture Later. A new survey called “Learn Now, Lecture Later” from CDW-G found that high schoolers want more hands-on projects, independent study and virtual learning. The report is based on a spring 2012 survey of 1,015 public high school and higher education students,…
Personalized Learning
Ed-Tech Innovators: Get Results Now by Leveraging Great Teachers
We're excited about the prospects, but we all know it will take time for digital learning to transform education. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of teachers will continue to be the single most important school factor in student learning.
Personalized Learning
It’s Time to Disrupt the System
For as long as I have been involved in education, the focus for finding the key to fixing education has always been about providing professional development for the teachers and administrators. The philosophy is top-down with the intent that knowledge will eventually trickle down to benefit the students.
EdTech
A Brief Guide to Tech Training for Faculty
Educators deal with a reality that most tech users do not: responsibility to their students. And, students can be a tricky sort, at least according to reports claiming that some want more tech use in the classroom, while others say that they prefer traditional books and lectures.
Personalized Learning
An Inside View of Blended Integration at Rocketship Education
At Rocketship Education our mission is to close the achievement gap within our lifetimes. The three pillars of our model are: parent and community engagement, rich professional development for our teachers and school leaders, and individualized learning for our students. Toward the end of individualized learning, we utilize a blended learning model in our K-5 elementary schools. Students use technology and small group tutoring in our Learning Lab for individualized basic skills practice, allowing our teachers to focus on higher-order thinking skills in the classroom.
Personalized Learning
Christensen’s Curve & The Digital Learning Revolution
In the prophetic Disrupting Class: How Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (2008, 2011), Clayton Christensen argued that innovations in technology will proliferate in the 21st century, generate “student-centric” forms of digital learning, create customized learning for the individual, and provide innovative alternatives to traditional teaching and learning tools.
Personalized Learning
Lease vs. Buy
Schools considering 1:1 use of $500 laptops can make the full shift using leasing or phase in a purchase plan over three years. Here’s the key—if your school or district has the discipline to phase in a tech plan and manage an annual refresh program that is clearly going to be cheaper than leasing. On the other hand, if you want to shift the whole school (or district) simultaneously and want some certainty on your refresh schedule, then leasing is the way to go.
Personalized Learning
North Carolina Should Welcome Online Schools
As a state, North Carolina should welcome more digital learning options, including online schools, that can meet the individual needs of children, rather than clinging to a one-size-fits-all model.