K-12

Report on education technology investments

On 12/07/2010, in assessment, change, education technology, future of higher education, game-changing environment, innovation, online learning, trends, virtual K-12 schools, by Daniel Christian

Report on education technology investments — from Education Stormfront

Student advancement will be determined by mastery of subject, not the time spent in class. Through real time and ongoing assessment, the ability to do on-the-fly prescription and “one-on-one” instruction is made possible. “Adaptive Technology” which is used with overwhelming success at companies like Amazon and Netflix, is being incorporated in learning technology that is getting smarter and more personalized with each click. Dreambox Learning is a window to the future showing remarkable results with kids playing math games and learning at an incredibly fast rate. Agilix/Brain Honey is in part a next generation learning management system (LMS) and in part a next generation learning platform that has great traction.

An exceprt from the report at:
http://www.nextupresearch.com/Site/NEXT_up!_files/neXtup%2012.5.10.pdf

The “quiet” growth has been impressive. Currently there are 1.5 million K-12 students online with either a virtual class or blended mode, up from zero students 10 years ago. 38 States have virtual Charter School laws and Alaska has a statewide online program. “Innovator Dilemma” guru Clayton Christensen estimates that 50% of all K-12 classes will be online by 2019.

From DSC:
Thanks crudbasher for publishing this posting. What I found interesting was the amount being invested in the Kno tablet — $46 million. Wow. Change is around the corner…again.

Tagged with: assessment • change • educational technology • future of higher education • game-changing environment • innovation • K-12 • online learning • trends • virtual schools

Tagged with: future • innovation • K-12 • youth

Tagged with: educational technology • innovation • K-12 • pedagogy

Cisco WebEx brings mobile video conferencing to the Apple iPad

On 12/06/2010, in collaboration, education technology, emerging technologies, higher education, K-12 related, mobile learning, mobile technologies, tools, vendors, videoconferencing, web-based collaboration, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Also see:

http://www.webex.com/apple/

Tagged with: collaboration • educational technology • emerging technologies • higher education • iPad • K-12 • Mobile learning • mobile technology • tools • vendors • videoconferencing • web-based collaboration • workplace

Publishing students’ work: Incredibly motivating/rewarding for them! Nice work AJ!

On 12/04/2010, in creativity, digital audio, engagement / engaging students, K-12 related, love of learning, music, student-related, by Daniel Christian

I have long wanted…er… better make that dreamed of having our own kids enjoy the same energy that I experience when I create something on a computer. Computers can be used as tools for exercising and developing our creativity.

So when our son, A.J., put a song together on Garageband (see link below), I was thrilled! He played the song for me and, to me, it sounded great.

But something inside him wanted to have this music published somewhere — for others to hear it as well. So I told him I would post it on my blog and that — via the Internet — people all of the world could hear this song. Boy was he ever excited! His eyes lit up and I could see the gears turning in his head, wanting to go back and create another song. 🙂

“I could be famous he said!” And I told him, “Yes, AJ, you could be famous.” (That’s not the point, but it’s still motivating to him.)

Even though both he and I have stage fright when it comes to sharing our musical interests and (not even half-baked) abilities, he was still excited to think that this song might be heard by others.

I’m posting it for him, but I’m also posting it to put an “Amen!” to the many folks who have already written that publishing students’ work for others to see/hear is an incredibly motivating event.

So without further adieu, here is the song AJ created on a Mac laptop while on the road, simply entitled, “Car Trip.”

Nice work AJ! 🙂

Tagged with: creativity • engagement • K-12 • Keeping students engaged • music • student-related

Tagged with: educational technology • K-12 • trends

New website from iNACOL re: establishing an online learning program

On 12/03/2010, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, K-12 related, leadership, online learning, policy, strategy, by Daniel Christian

Tagged with: 1:1 • 21st century • 24x7x365 • K-12 • leadership • online learning • policy • strategy

Tagged with: K-12

Hopes and challenges of virtual education: 5 questions with Julie Young

On 12/01/2010, in K-12 related, leadership, online learning, strategy, virtual K-12 schools, by Daniel Christian

Hopes and challenges of virtual education: 5 questions with Julie Young — from The Journal by Natasha Wanchek

Florida Virtual School’s Julie Young: “… [A]s leaders in education, we need to create educational experiences that mirror life beyond the schoolhouse.”

Julie Young began focusing on technology initiatives as a classroom teacher and elementary school administrator, but she found her direction in 1995 when she joined a team to explore the concept of online learning. That project aimed to provide high-quality courses to students in rural and high-minority districts. Two years later, Young continued this path when she founded Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the country’s first state-wide, Internet-based public high school.

Now president and CEO of FLVS, Young said her interest in virtual education started at a time when her family was just starting out and she was considering how technology advancements were changing the world.

Tagged with: K-12 • leadership • online learning • strategy • virtual schools

Digital Learning Now — Vision/Roadmap

On 12/01/2010, in dangers of the status quo, digital learning, education reform, game-changing environment, K-12 related, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, strategy, trends, by Daniel Christian

Also see:

Jeb Bush and Bob Wise Unveil 10 Elements of Quality Digital Learning — from capitalsoup.com
The 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning outline the roadmap for local, state and federal officials to integrate digital learning in education. The Digital Learning Council unites a diverse group of more than 100 leaders in education, government, philanthropy, business, technology and policy to develop the policies to advance digital learning.
Bush-Wise Statement on High Quality Digital Learning — from edreformer.com
Digital Learning Council Releases ‘Road Map’ to Ed. Overhaul — edweek.org

Tagged with: dangers of the status quo • digital learning • education reform • game-changing environment • K-12 • leadership • legislation • strategy • trends

A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning (Version 2)

On 12/01/2010, in education technology, engagement / engaging students, game-changing environment, K-12 related, leadership, online learning, organizational change, strategy, trends, by Daniel Christian

A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning — iNACOL

What does an online course look like?
How do students interact with their teacher?
What qualifications and training are required of teachers?
Does online learning really work?
What state or school district policies are needed to implement online learning?

The National Primer on K-12 Online Learning provides a comprehensive overview of online learning by examining the basics about online teaching and learning, evaluating academic success, professional development, technology and other topics.

Tagged with: educational technology • engagement • game-changing environment • K-12 • leadership • online learning • organizational change • strategy • trends

Tagged with: K-12 • new publishing models • publishing

From DSC: This is where the “chalkboards of the future” are (or should be) heading…

On 11/29/2010, in Daniel S. Christian, education technology, future, higher education, K-12 related, learning spaces, smart classrooms, web-based collaboration, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Surface computers linked via internet allow for new ‘mixed-presence’ collaboration — from ZDNet.com By Chris Jablonski

Researchers at Purdue and the University of Manitoba (in Canada) have developed software that enables users to use tabletop-sized touch displays to analyze complex datasets interactively over the Internet for business and homeland security applications.

The team created a software framework called Hugin that allows for more than one display to connect and share the same space over the Internet. They describe it as a “novel layer-based graphical framework for mixed-presence synchronous collaborative visualization over digital tabletop displays.”

The large displays of surface computers like the one Microsoft introduced in 2007 already allow for multi-user collaboration, but until now, they haven’t been connected for over the internet for mixed-presence interaction.

Tagged with: corporate training / universities • Daniel S. Christian • educational technology • higher education • K-12 • learning spaces • smart classrooms • training • web-based collaboration • workplace

Online Learning: An opportunity to transform public education in Georgia

On 11/29/2010, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, education reform, education technology, future, game-changing environment, K-12 related, online learning, relationships, traditional / tradition, trends, by Daniel Christian

Online Learning: An opportunity to transform public education in Georgia — from talkgwinnett.net by Michael Horn [via Ray Schroeder]

From DSC:
Below are some excerpts that caught my eye:

Nationwide, online learning is booming. A decade ago, fewer than 50,000 K-12 students took an online course; today more than 3 million students do, and the growth of online learning is accelerating. Twenty-seven percent of high school students report taking at least one online course in 2009.

Increasingly, students are enrolling in blended or hybrid arrangements, where they learn at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home and at least in part through online delivery.

Change in education is gradual, yet happening much faster than one might expect.

The final direction is still unknown, but one hypothesis is that there will be, broadly speaking, three different roles for teachers of the future:

Master teachers who are content experts and can answer content-specific questions.

Coaches whose job it is to mentor and motivate students to stay on task and work with them to find solutions for their individual problems when they are stuck.

Case workers who work with children who have problems nonacademic in nature.

Expect many teachers to spend less day-to-day time on lesson planning, delivering one-size-fits-none lectures and classroom management.

Teachers already in online environments are reporting that, by and large, they get to know each student far better than they ever did or could in a traditional classroom environment.

Tagged with: 1:1 • 21st century • 24x7x365 • education reform • educational technology • future • game-changing environment • K-12 • online learning • relationships • teaching & learning • traditional • trends

Tagged with: blended learning • hybrid learning • K-12

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