vendors

Achieving a quick “Pair & Share” method of teaching using the Cisco Webex Meeting Center [Christian]

On 04/07/2020, in active learning, adjunct faculty, adult learning, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, collaboration, colleges, communications, community colleges, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, faculty/staff, ideas, innovation, instructional design, interactivity, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, online learning, participation, pedagogy, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, social learning / networks, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, telecommunications, tools, universities, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual K-12 schools, webinars, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
The “Pair & Share” method allows students to find a fellow student to talk about the question/topic at hand. Then, depending upon time and your learning objectives/lesson plans, some students can report back to the larger classroom about what they discussed. In the digital, synchronous realm, one can achieve this with private chat rooms — given that you’ve changed a setting to allow this to occur. Posting the pairings ahead of time should help establish a quick, smooth transition.

(The graphic below is for the Cisco Webex Meeting Center on a MacBook Pro).

“Some healthcare providers had dabbled in this before COVID-19, but the interest has increased now that social distancing is mandated in many areas.”

DC: And, hopefully, #telelegal won’t be too far behind #telemedicine / #virtualhealth https://t.co/1Wv9uvv7Kj

— Daniel Christian (@dchristian5) April 7, 2020

Excerpt:

5. Telemedicine
Have you received the emails from your healthcare professionals that they are open for telemedicine or virtual consultations? To curb traffic at hospitals and other healthcare practitioners’ offices, many are implementing or reminding their patients that consultations can be done through video. Rather than rush to the doctor or healthcare center, remote care enables clinical services without an in-person visit. Some healthcare providers had dabbled in this before COVID-19, but the interest has increased now that social distancing is mandated in many areas.

NYC classrooms cancel Zoom after trolls make ‘Zoombombing’ a thing [Clark]

On 04/07/2020, in education, education technology, ethics, hearts -- matters of the heart, K-12 related, morals/values, society, tools, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual K-12 schools, web-based collaboration, webinars, by Daniel Christian

NYC classrooms cancel Zoom after trolls make ‘Zoombombing’ a thing — from thenextweb.com by Bryan Clark

From DSC:
I’m a sinner. I know that all too well. But I’m tagging this with ethics, morals, and matters of the heart because I don’t have a tag for “I’m bumbed out that a solid technology gets ruined by a few bad apples.” It’s not the technology’s fault, per se. It has everything to do with the human heart….whether we like to admit/recognize it or not.

Also see:

“Zoombombing problems are more likely to occur for online events for which the link is circulated widely, or even posted on a public website.” (source)

Homeschooling During the COVID-19 Pandemic — from cato.org by Kerry McDonald

Excerpt:

In a recent three-part Cato Daily Podcast series, I spoke with host Caleb Brown about this unprecedented educational moment, including sharing strategies and resources for overcoming the challenges of unexpected, unchosen homeschooling, as well as possible outcomes as more parents seek alternatives to conventional schooling post-pandemic.

More Free Resources For New Homeschoolers — from forbes.com by Nick Morrison

Excerpt:

Last month I highlighted some of the free resources available for parents — and teachers — during the pandemic, but since then a number of other organizations have offered their resources, expertise and support for free, so here is another selection, for the benefit of ordinary homeschoolers in these extraordinary times.

From DSC:
Below are excerpts from a recent email that I received as a cc: to our son and am passing it along in case it helps others out there.
I would like to share with you important guidance on how to get the most out of your online learning experience.

ORGANIZING YOUR SPACE
Set up your home classroom space. This is important. Be sure you have a space that is comfortable and where you can focus on your studies, your practice, your craft and your learning. This can be private or shared, whatever works for you and your family.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Computer
Internet Access, preferably high-speed broadband, is required for video conferencing and class assignments. Most of the expected work will not require streaming, but a secure internet connection will help a lot.
Headphones help minimize extraneous noise. They can also help signal to others in your home that you are online and on-task.
Zoom, our preferred video conferencing software, can be downloaded here.

SCHEDULE
You will complete your work and engage in your lessons in two ways. Some assignments are laid out in your Canvas class and can be completed at your own pace, turning work in when due. And some of your classes and lessons will require you to connect with faculty and students in real time. When a real-time option is possible, be sure to take it.

STAYING CONNECTED
Again, be sure to connect in real time as often as possible. There are lots of opportunities to connect with faculty and students every day.
…
Join in as many real time experiences as you can. These human connections, across the internet, are so important during this time when we are all separated physically.

NORMS FOR VIDEO-CONFERENCING

Log in on time, and be fully prepared with any necessary materials, notebooks, etc.
Wear clothes like what you would wear to school.
Remain present and engaged throughout the session. Do not open additional windows or use other technology during the session, unless it is part of class.
Join sessions in a quiet space, if you can, where you will not distract others and not be distracted.
Mute your microphone when not speaking.

SUMMARY OF STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Establish a daily routine for your school work.
Find a comfortable, distraction-free place in your home where you can work.
Check email and Canvas each day to learn about the expectations for your work.
Perform tasks as outlined by instructors in Canvas and seek clarification from teachers on any assignments where you need it.
For classes meeting “live,” login to real-time video services (Zoom) for dialogue with teachers and members of your class. Attend faculty office hours. They want to see you!
Put forth your best effort.
Communicate with your instructors, your advisor, your residence life coordinator, and/or Academic and College Counseling.
If you need anything, let us know.

Under the Table and Teaching: 11 Expert Tips for Schooling Kids with ADHD from Home — from additudemag.com
Unschooling. Homeschooling. Crisis schooling. What is the difference? And what are the best learning strategies for your child with ADHD at this stressful time? Here are tips and strategies from education experts who understand the distinctions and today’s inescapable realities.

Excerpts:

11 Ways to Support Learning at Home

1. Focus learning on your child’s natural interests.
2. If your child gets stressed, take a break.
3. Make learning a game.
4. Embrace Minecraft.
5. Add movement to promote learning.
6. Build focus with busy hands and feet.
7. Tap into online tutors.
8. Ditch the worksheets. Use educational videos, phone apps, educational podcasts, or other media to introduce or expand on a subject.
9. Take things one day at a time.
10. Follow your child’s lead.
11. Accept that homeschooling may not work for you.

Research Quest Live sign up
Though the museum is currently closed, the Natural History Museum of Utah is allowing kids around the globe the opportunity to transport back in time to a past where dinosaurs roamed the world. With the recently launched Research Quest Live, offering a taste of the world with virtual tours and free access to daily online science classes taught by museum educators.

Common Sense Launches Wide Open School to Help Families and Educators Transition to Students Learning from Home — from commonsensemedia.org
As Schools Continue to Close as a Result of the Coronavirus Pandemic, Some of the Most Respected Companies in Education, Media, and Tech Join Forces to Offer a Free and Open Collection of Quality Online Learning Resources to Educators and Families.

Excerpt:

SAN FRANCISCO, March 31, 2020—Common Sense, the leading nonprofit organization whose mission is to help kids, families, and educators thrive in a world of media and technology, has convened a group of education, media, and tech partners to launch WideOpenSchool.org, a free online resource to support families and educators who are transitioning to remote learning as a result of the coronavirus.

Wide Open School features the very best resources from publishers, nonprofits, and education companies, including the American Federation of Teachers, Amplify, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Head Start, Khan Academy, National Geographic, Noggin, PBS, Scholastic, Sesame Workshop,Time for Kids, XQ Institute, and YouTube. Find the full site at WideOpenSchool.org.

Why combine law with design? [Hagan]

On 04/02/2020, in Access to Justice (A2J), design, entrepreneurship, experimentation, innovation, law schools, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, United States, universities, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Law by Design — a book by Margaret Hagan

Excerpt:

Why combine law with design? Even if these two fields have traditionally not intersected, I see three main points of value in bringing them together.

Experimental Culture: To be more forward-thinking in how we as legal professionals generate solutions for problems in the legal sector;
User Centered Innovation: To put greater focus on the client and the lay person who has to use legal systems, to deliver them better services tailored their function and their experiential needs;
New Paths for Legal Work & Serving Justice: To build a new set of professional paths and opportunities for people who want to work in law — and especially those who see that traditional ways of being law students and lawyers do not enable them to make the positive changes in society that originally drove them into law.

Also see:

“COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom ” + 2 other items from Learning Solutions

On 04/01/2020, in adult learning, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, health, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, online learning, platforms, presentations, professional development, remote teaching and learning, training / L&D, vendors, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom — from learningsolutionsmag.com by Bill Brandon

Excerpt:

The eLearning Guild and Learning Solutions have a lot of archived material that will be useful as you plan and execute for change. This article is the first of three, plus a coming eBook, that will focus on making that transition.

How to Deliver Learning in Virtual Classrooms During Pandemic — from learningsolutionsmag.com by Bill Brandon

Excerpt:

In the first article of this series, “COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom” (March 20, 2020), I asked: How is it possible to meet workers where they are and support them effectively there during a pandemic? We are challenged today by having to design formal training for delivery in settings where workers are dispersed and where gatherings of people for training are not practical or permitted. In this article, here are five more resources that offer detailed help for virtual delivery.

Expert’s Guide to Presenting Solo in a Virtual Classroom — from from learningsolutionsmag.com by Pamela Hogle

Excerpt:

Sometimes there’s no way around it; you’re presenting solo in a virtual classroom session. While presenting without a facilitator is challenging, it’s also common. But, with adequate planning and preparation, your polished presentation will convince learners that you’ve got an army of facilitators at your beck and call. Guild Master Karen Hyder, a certified technical trainer (CTT+) and online event producer, offers tips and advice that can help make that solo virtual classroom session proceed smoothly.

From DSC:
Given the attached graphic…what do you suppose, how might this type of thing impact #telelegal (i.e., akin to what’s currently building with #telemedicine for the healthcare industry)?

If things blow over in 3 weeks, not much will likely change within the legal realm. But if the impacts from the Coronavirus go on for 6 months or more (like we still have with tighter airport security resulting from what occurred on 9/11/2001), I’d say we’ll see more lawyers strike out on their own and/or join firms that support telelegal. Or, we’ll see fewer people go into law…which is NOT what our society needs given our current Access to Justice (#A2J) crisis involving civil law cases.

Another possibility could be an explosive growth in legaltech / cloud-based apps for providing legal services.

Regardless…this is what a wave looks like when it starts to build. Firms, individual lawyers, and even law schools can ride it or be crushed by it.

Addendum on 4/1 and this is NOT an April Fool’s joke:

Dam breaking on law firm layoffs. Many more to come. Also cuts to partner draws, cancelation of summer programs and other measures underway.

— Kent M. Zimmermann (@kentzimmermann) March 30, 2020

Important settings to turn on when using @zoom_us:

?Disable “Join Before Host”
? Enable “Co-Host”
? Disable “File Transfer”
? Disable “Allow Removed Participants to Rejoin”
? Disable “Anyone Can Share Screen”#RemoteLearning https://t.co/5oQGFuh5xd

— Jake Miller (@JakeMillerTech) March 30, 2020

Per Techcrunch article:

The world is vulnerable to a new type of trolling as people turn to Zoom video calls to feel connected amidst quarantines. Jerks are using Zoom’s screensharing feature to blast other viewers with the most awful videos from across the internet, from violence to shocking pornography.

Canvas Video Resources

On 03/29/2020, in adjunct faculty, Canvas - and other Instructure-related items, CMS/LMS, colleges, community colleges, education technology, faculty/staff, higher education, K-12 related, online learning, online media, online tutoring, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Canvas Video Resources — from instructure.com

Are you in the middle of #remotelearning, and could you use a refresher on how to do certain things w/Canvas LMS? Don’t worry, a group of community members came together & produced videos about key features to help you get moving.

#edtech #onlinelearning #coronavirus #education #highered #k12 #CMS #LMS #Canvas

My thanks to a friend for causing me to further reflect on this article: “Can computers ever replace the classroom?” [Beard]

On 03/26/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, analytics, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Asia, career development, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, CMS/LMS, collaboration, colleges, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, data related items, digital learning, distance education, education, education reform, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, Europe, experimentation, future, game-changing environment, global / globalization, heutagogy, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, India, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, internet, K-12 related, law schools, leadership, learner profiles, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, more voice more choice more control, online learning, online media, online tutoring, personalized/customized learning, platforms, policy, political science, programming, society, teachers, teaching & learning, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, training / L&D, UK, United States, vendors, videoconferencing, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I’d like to thank Mr. Eric Osterberg — a fraternity brother and friend of mine — for sending me the following article. I wrote back to him. After thanking Eric for the article, I said:

Such an article makes me reflect on things — which is always a good thing for me to try to see my blindspots and/or to think about the good and bad of things. Technologies are becoming more powerful and integrated into our lives — for better at times and for worse at other times.

I’m wondering how the legal realm can assist and/or help create a positive future for societies throughout the globe…any thoughts?

Can computers ever replace the classroom? — from theguardian.com by Alex Beard
With 850 million children worldwide shut out of schools, tech evangelists claim now is the time for AI education. But as the technology’s power grows, so too do the dangers that come with it.

Excerpts:

But it’s in China, where President Xi Jinping has called for the nation to lead the world in AI innovation by 2030, that the fastest progress is being made. In 2018 alone, Li told me, 60 new AI companies entered China’s private education market. Squirrel AI is part of this new generation of education start-ups. The company has already enrolled 2 million student users, opened 2,600 learning centres in 700 cities across China, and raised $150m from investors.
…
The supposed AI education revolution is not here yet, and it is likely that the majority of projects will collapse under the weight of their own hype.

The point, in short, is that AI doesn’t have to match the general intelligence of humans to be useful – or indeed powerful. This is both the promise of AI, and the danger it poses.

It was a reminder that Squirrel AI’s platform, like those of its competitors worldwide, doesn’t have to be better than the best human teachers – to improve people’s lives, it just needs to be good enough, at the right price, to supplement what we’ve got. The problem is that it is hard to see technology companies stopping there. For better and worse, their ambitions are bigger. “We could make a lot of geniuses,” Li told me.

Moving to remote instruction immediately: Where to get started — from thejournal.com by Dian Schaffhauser
To help schools make the transition as quickly and comprehensively as possible, THE Journal reached out to education technology experts across the country to answer the questions we believe nearly every educator is rushing to answer right now.

[Just out] The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Survey

On 03/24/2020, in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, education technology, elearning, faculty/staff, higher education, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, online learning, online media, online tutoring, United States, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

In its fourth year, the Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Survey — conducted by Quality Matters and Eduventures Research — delved deeper into key online learning topics, including faculty preparation, OPM partnerships, online support services, enrollment trends, course design, and quality assurance practices.

The results — available in the report “CHLOE 4 The Changing Landscape of Online Education: Navigating the Mainstream” — reflect how institutions have embraced online learning as well as the range of approaches they have taken that have moved online learning from the periphery to the mainstream. Highlights from the 61-page report include:

Faculty Preparation — Required preparation of faculty members to teach online was reported by 60% of respondents.
OPM Partnerships — OPM partnerships have doubled since 2017 – from 12% to 24%.
Support Services — Support services for online learners are largely handled by units that also serve the on-campus population. Some services such as student recruitment, orientation and advising are more likely to be separately administered for online students.
Online Orientation — Online student orientation is surprisingly uncommon with only 30% of respondents reporting that it is required at their institution.

Coursera, EdX offer free access to courses for universities impacted by Coronavirus [Kelly]

On 03/19/2020, in colleges, community colleges, health, K-12 related, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, online learning, online media, open courseware and systems, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Coursera, EdX offer free access to courses for universities impacted by Coronavirus
— from campustechnology.com by Rhea Kelly
With universities all over the world looking to quickly move face-to-face classes online, massive open online course companies Coursera and edX have stepped in to offer access to their vast portfolios of course content.

Excerpt:

Coursera announced today it will provide the Coursera for Campus platform free to higher education institutions impacted by coronavirus. “Universities can sign up to provide their enrolled students with access to more than 3,800 courses and 400 specializations from Coursera’s top university and industry partners,” explained Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda, in a blog post. The access will last through the end of July….

Also see:

Updated list of statewide school closures with closure dates — from thejournal.com by David Nagel
Getting Smart has launched the Getting Through series to support educators, leaders and families on the path forward during such an uncertain time.
Excerpt:
Getting Smart has launched the Getting Through series to support educators, leaders and families on the path forward during such an uncertain time. This series will provide resources and inspiration as we face long term school closures, new learning environments, and address equity and access from a new lens. Whether you are just getting started with distance or online learning, or you’ve had plans in place and have the opportunity to share your work and guidance with others, there is a place for your voice and an opportunity to learn.

Next-gen supercomputers are fast-tracking treatments for the coronavirus in a race against time [Wood]

On 03/19/2020, in 21st century, biology, health, IBM, research, science, society, STEAM-related, universities, vendors, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
On one hand:

Next-gen supercomputers are fast-tracking treatments for the coronavirus in a race against time — from cnbc.com by Charlie Wood

Key points:

Scientists are using IBM’s Summit, the world’s fastest supercomputer, to help find promising candidate drugs to fight the coronavirus epidemic.
Using the computer’s muscle, researchers digitally simulated how 8,000 different molecules would interact with the virus.
The project was able to identify 77 candidate molecules that other researchers can now test in trials.
Supercomputing is also being used to tackle other major global issues, such as climate change.

On the other hand:

AI could help with the next pandemic—but not with this one — from technologyreview.comby Will Douglas Heaven
Some things need to change if we want AI to be useful next time, and you might not like them.

“The hype outstrips the reality. In fact, the narrative that has appeared in many news reports & breathless press releases—that AI is a powerful new weapon against diseases—is only partly true & risks becoming counterproductive.”

Amazon rolls out Alexa-powered voice shopping experience in India [Singh ]

On 03/18/2020, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Amazon, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, human-computer interaction (HCI), India, mobile technologies, Natural Language Processing (NLP), platforms, vendors, voice recognition / voice enabled interfaces, by Daniel Christian

Amazon rolls out Alexa-powered voice shopping experience in India — from techcrunch.com by Manish Singh

Excerpt:

Amazon [on 3/12/20] rolled out an Alexa-enabled voice-powered shopping feature in India as the e-commerce giant looks for new ways to engage with customers in one of its key overseas markets.

Customers will be able to use Alexa to search for items on the e-commerce platform, add them to the cart and proceed to checkout — by tapping the in-app mic icon and saying commands such as “Alexa, show me sarees,” “Alexa, add saree to my cart” and “Alexa, go to checkout.”

Learning Ecosystems

And, hopefully, #telelegal won’t be too far behind #telemedicine / #virtualhealth [Christian]

Why combine law with design? [Hagan]

“COVID-19 and L&D Response: Moving to the Virtual Classroom ” + 2 other items from Learning Solutions

Given the attached graphic…what do you suppose, how might this type of thing impact #telelegal? [Christian]

[Just out] The Changing Landscape of Online Education (CHLOE) Survey

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