K-12

K12 virtual schools graduate over 1,000 students

On 06/29/2010, in K-12 related, online learning, quality, virtual K-12 schools, by Daniel Christian

K12 virtual schools graduate over 1,000 students — from MarketWatch.com
More than 90 percent of the 2010 graduating class to attend colleges, universities

HERNDON, Va., Jun 28, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Over 1,000 students graduated this year from virtual schools using the award winning, nationally-acclaimed K12(R) curriculum and online school program.

K12 Inc., America’s largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online school programs for students in kindergarten through high school, operates public virtual schools in 25 states (and D.C.) in partnership with charter schools and school districts.

The majority of graduates — 93 percent — plan to continue their education at colleges and universities, according to K12’s 2010 senior survey. The survey also indicated that K12 graduates received over 1 million dollars in combined scholarship money.

K12 students from this year’s class have been accepted to many of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities, including Cornell, Duke, Middlebury College, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern, Princeton, Stanford, Vanderbilt, University of Southern California, and many more schools across the U.S.

Oregon and Online Learning: “Governor’s Reset Cabinet” Final Report

On 06/28/2010, in distance education, elearning, K-12 related, online learning, virtual K-12 schools, by Daniel Christian

Oregon and Online Learning: “Governor’s Reset Cabinet” Final Report — from Educational Technology and Change Journal

The following excerpt is from page 45 of “Final Report: Governor’s Reset Cabinet” (Oregon, June 2010). The focus of this section is “virtual education”:

Virtual Education

Oregon should create and fully support a statewide public virtual learning system. The use of online or virtual learning has come of age in recent years. Today’s technology makes it possible to provide educational opportunities to remote areas of the country. Florida, for instance, has over ten years of experience with providing a statewide virtual system. In that state’s experience, the highest demand areas are in credit recovery and dual credit classes, where students earn both high school graduation and college credit. The average student is not enrolled full-time in a virtual program, but takes one or two online classes per semester.

A 2008 survey by the Association of Educational Service Agencies indicated that the greatest need for access to virtual instruction is in the areas of secondary math and science. Small and rural districts find it especially difficult to hire all of the highly qualified teachers necessary for these academic areas. The survey also showed a strong demand for online courses that provide college credits that are transferable to all state institutions. Oregon could provide more dual credit classes aligned with the Oregon Transfer Module and the Associates of Arts Oregon Transfer, as well as Career Technical Education classes through community colleges.

Time To Know

On 06/24/2010, in engagement / engaging students, K-12 related, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

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Public School 69 teachers the first in NY to experience a new concept in K-12 education: the digital teaching platform

On 06/24/2010, in digital learning, education technology, K-12 related, professional development, strategy, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

Public School 69 teachers the first in NY to experience a new concept in K-12 education: the digital teaching platform — from eSchoolNews.com

Dallas, Texas — June 23, 2010 — Public School 69 – The New Vision School, an 87-year-old school in the Bronx surrounded by single-family homes and low-rise apartment buildings, has plenty of experience with technology. But this month the school catapulted to the forefront of New York’s educational technology cutting edge as the first public school in the state to introduce its teachers to a new concept emerging in K-12 education: the digital teaching platform.

This June, 12 teachers from P.S. 69 participated in a comprehensive professional development program to introduce the Time To Know digital teaching platform to their fourth and fifth grades classes this fall. Time To Know is a complete, interactive curriculum system designed specifically for today’s one-to-one computing classrooms. The digital teaching platform empowers teachers to easily manage instruction, individualize learning, assess mastery in real time, and provide immediate feedback to students. Designed around guided constructivist principles, Time To Know’s digital comprehensive curriculum helps students build 21st century skills, including problem-solving skills, higher order thinking, and cooperative learning to prepare them for high stakes tests and the future.

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“When your school test scores are in the mid-90s, it’s difficult to maintain and improve upon that level of performance. But when I saw Time To Know, I knew this was a tool to bring my school to the next level. A key benefit of the program is that it allow teachers’ individual personalities and teaching styles to shine,” said Cohen. “My teachers are thrilled with the professional development they’ve received. The Time To Know staff members are very knowledgeable about the standards for New York City and for the state, and how to meaningfully connect the standards with curriculum and assessment to improve student achievement.”

More…

It’s not a question of if, but when your school will allow cell phones for learning — Innovative Educator

On 06/24/2010, in education technology, K-12 related, mobile learning, mobile technologies, by Daniel Christian

It’s not a question of if, but when your school will allow cell phones for learning — from The Innovative Educator

Keep your students engaged with Interrobang

On 06/23/2010, in 21st century, engagement / engaging students, K-12 related, Microsoft, by Daniel Christian

Keep your students engaged with Interrobang! — from Microsoft’s Anthony Salcito

Top 100 technology blogs for teachers

On 06/23/2010, in blogs / blogging / vlogging, K-12 related, professional development, teachers, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

Top 100 technology blogs for teachers — from onlinedegrees.org

KnowledgeWorks.org and “Envisioning a World of Learning”

On 06/23/2010, in 21st century, education, education reform, education technology, game-changing environment, K-12 related, personalized/customized learning, by Daniel Christian

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Envisioning a World of Learning — from blog.futureofed.org by Katherine Prince

The launch of KnowledgeWorks’ new website has provided us with an occasion to articulate more precisely what we mean when we say that we want to transform education in the US from a world of schooling to a world of learning. Here’s an extract from it describing what we envision:

A world of learning
The vision emerging from our study of the future doesn’t much resemble the industrial-era world of schooling most of us know. Instead, we foresee a world of learning where:

Education centers on the needs of learners, not those of institutions. Teaching is tailored to an individual student’s needs and abilities.
Learners take charge of their education. Students and families seek out information and experiences from an array of sources rather than depending on schools to direct their learning.
Children gain 21st-century knowledge and skills – how to make decisions, solve problems and create solutions – through hands-on experiences that cross subject areas and are connected to the real world.
Success is judged through a wide array of measures that account for different learning styles and assess capabilities and progress, not simply acquisition of knowledge.
All learners have easy access to technology and other tools that open doors to information and knowledge.
Learners are supported in all parts of their lives, with physical, emotional and social health being nurtured alongside intellectual growth.
Teachers are more than content specialists. The teaching profession diversifies to include such roles as learning coaches, classroom coordinators, cognitive specialists, resource managers and community liaisons.
Learning isn’t limited to a physical place or time of day, but is mobile and constant, with wireless technologies allowing learning anywhere and anytime.

Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018 — Georgetown University

On 06/23/2010, in career development, change, higher education, K-12 related, strategy, student-related, workplace, by Daniel Christian

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EDUCAUSE to lead Next Gen Learning Challenges

On 06/23/2010, in higher education, K-12 related, by Daniel Christian

EDUCAUSE to lead Next Gen Learning Challenges
A philanthropic initiative to improve college readiness and completion

EDUCAUSE will lead a new effort funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation called the Next Gen Learning Challenges, an effort to identify and scale technology-enabled approaches that dramatically improve college readiness and completion, particularly for low-income young adults. The program will provide grants, build evidence, and develop an active community committed to addressing these persistent educational challenges. In preparation for the formal grant program we ask you to share your knowledge and to comment on key questions before the program is finalized. EDUCAUSE members are experienced in leveraging all facets of IT to help students achieve the academic success that is crucial to their future. We hope you will share your expertise and perspectives.

The first four challenges NGLC will solicit grant proposals for are:

Deploying open core courseware
Deepening learner engagement through interactive, online technologies
Scaling blended learning
Mobilizing learning analytics

Get Engaged

Over the next several weeks, we hope you will join the conversation on these challenges. We invite you to:

The Challenge

Only half of high school graduates leave school prepared to succeed in college. For those who do enroll in postsecondary education, a little over half of them will actually earn a degree. Positions requiring postsecondary education or training will make up 64 percent of all job openings by 2018. Today it is virtually impossible to reach the middle class, and stay there, with only a high school diploma. By age 30, fewer than half of all Americans have earned a college degree. America must improve college readiness and completion—our society and our economy depend on it. Technology can be a key tool for making learning more flexible, engaging, and affordable— important elements in helping today’s high school and college students achieve academic success.

The Community’s Role

EDUCAUSE is well-suited to lead this challenge due to our community’s unique role in, and the association’s long-standing commitment to, advancing higher education through the application of information technology. Because the program encompasses high school as well as two-year and four-year institutions, EDUCAUSE will partner with the League for Innovation in the Community College, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, and the Council of Chief State School Officers; these organizations will provide specific outreach to the institutions they serve. We are pleased to add this important initiative to the existing EDUCAUSE portfolio. The innovations, evidence, and community created by this venture will enrich current member programs and services. The Next Gen Learning Challenges are another opportunity for EDUCAUSE to exemplify uncommon thinking for the common good.

For more information, visit the EDUCAUSE website at http://www.educause.edu/nglc or the Next Gen Learning Challenges website at www.nextgenlearning.com.

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