EdTech 10: Digital Learning Day is Every Day

Digital Learning Day (DLDay) is here! While having a dedicated day to shine a light on the impact and role of digital learning is important, it’s also vital to recognize that DLDay isn’t just singular event for students, it’s happening every day and not only for students, but for teachers as well. Next Generation Talent Development and Promoting Student Agency are two Collections from that we published in partnership with Bloomboard that educators can use to celebrate DLDay. Looking for further inspiration for your DLDay? Here are this week’s top EdTech news stories. 

Blended Schools & Tools

Prime Platform. Amazon Inspire is a new platform from Amazon Education that will allow schools to upload, manage, share, and discover OERs from a home page that will resemble the one shoppers are accustomed to accessing on the Amazon’s retailer website. Amazon is looking for districts to partner for the testing phase before launch, anticipate more information before the end of the school year.

Amazon to Launch Amazon Inspire- New Website for #OER. Looking for District Partners https://t.co/H3gsg1q6Tm @EdMarketBrief #edtech10

— Carri Schneider (@CarriSchneider) February 16, 2016

Digital Developments

Planning ahead. iNACOL just revealed a new Strategic Plan that describes its renewed commitment to advancing competency-based, blended and online learning. Since 2002, iNACOL has helped advance the global transformation of K-12 education. The new plan identifies six key ways that the organization will continue to build field capacity while illuminating the path forward. 

.@nacol launches new strategic plan for #K12 education transformation. Learn more: https://t.co/f1xdzFyNRk #nextgen pic.twitter.com/rjaMGjdXsS
— Getting Smart (@Getting_Smart) February 11, 2016

Dollars & Deals

Partnering to accelerate. YC/Imagine K12 is a new partnership between Y Combinator and Imagine K12. It’s first combined batch of students will begin this summer — applicants can apply through the regular Y Combinator application.

.@Ycombinator Absorbs #Edtech Accelerator @ImagineK12, Creating Specialized Vertical https://t.co/cAbFkT2xTY @TechCrunch #EduVC

— Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark) February 10, 2016

Minty fresh. SchoolMint announced that they have raised $5.6 million in a round of funding that has brought their total support to nearly $8 million. It’s safe to say, anticipating an accelerated upswing, that they are now one of the leading providers of mobile and online enrollment and school choice systems for PreK-12 public, charter and private schools.

online enrollment #EdApp @school_mint raised $5.6m from @RunaCapital @reachfund @frescocap https://t.co/gjvRWNMCG6 #EdTech #EduVC
— Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark) February 11, 2016

Key in the ignition. NewSchools Ignite, an arm of NewSchools Venture Fund, announced that they are now accepting applications for their Middle and High School Math Learning Challenge. The challenge is open to those developing tools that support 6th-12th grade students’ development math knowledge, skills and mindsets while preparing them for success beyond the classroom. This news comes only months after the launch of NewSchools Ignite.

.@nsvf launches Middle and High School Math Learning Challenge. To apply and for more info → https://t.co/29d2FVKOvv #STEM #EdTech10

— tyler (@post_west) February 16, 2016

Stem Gems

STEMing success. STEM Letter of Endorsement from Discovery Education and Wilkes University is a new 12-credit program designed to prepare educators to incorporate STEM strategies into their instructional practices. Harmony Public Schools is a leader when it comes to learner-centered STEM that you should know about.

.@WilkesU & @DiscoveryEd launch 12 course ‘#STEM Letter of Endorsement’ https://t.co/hfI2EE8pqr #teacherPD #EdTech10
— tyler (@post_west) February 16, 2016

Turn it up. Scientists recorded the sound of two black holes colliding a billion light-years away, which has fulfilled the last prediction of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Listen to it here. As we look to the future of learning, the recorded chirp sheds light on the potential of creating models for predicting and foreseeing what lies ahead.

What do you hear when 2 black holes collide? Einstein saying “I told you so” https://t.co/FQ0hs1ozqY @nytimes pic.twitter.com/qu2x7d3ReV

— Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark) February 11, 2016

Policy Pieces

In the zone. Achieve released Creating Innovation Zones to Advance the Promise of Competency-Based Pathways in response to the continued support for states piloting innovation zones. In a recent blog from iNACOL and in a Education Week article we co-authored with ExcelinEd’s Karla Phillips, innovation zones were identified as a way for states to take a step forward in creating competency-based learning systems.

Creating Innovation Zones to Advance #CompetencyEd Pathways https://t.co/YiPJOgYxmi @AchieveInc #EdPolicy pic.twitter.com/EqzEnHVndI
— Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark) February 12, 2016

Let’s Get Personalized

v4 ftw. While writing their new book, How to Personalize Learning: A Field Guide for Getting Started and Going Deeper, Barbara Bray and Kathleed McClaskey realized that their Stages of Personalized Learning Environments needed a refresh. This week they released version four for all those creating personalizing learning environments.

RT @khmmc: New Version: Stages of #PersonalizedLearning Environments (v4) https://t.co/pI7l0snVbn @nacol #edchat pic.twitter.com/1SLDeMN9mL

— Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark) February 15, 2016

Movers, Shakers & Groundbreakers

New Gates Guy. Robert L Hughes is headed to the Gates Foundation to lead the foundation’s K-12 strategy beginning in June. Hughes is president of NYC’s super intermediary New Visions for Public Schools. In a blog on Gates’ Impatient Optimists, Allan Golston emphasized Hughes’ leadership in equity.

Backstory on Bob Hughes > @GatesFoundation: his @NewVisionsNYC was “the most productive intermediary in US” https://t.co/eVCx29cxBQ
— Tom Vander Ark (@tvanderark) February 12, 2016

For more EdTech 10’s check out:

• EdTech 10: America’s Got Talent(ed) Teachers
• EdTech 10: Time to Kickoff CTE Month
• EdTech 10: Everything You Missed During #Blizzard2016

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