Posts by Guest Author
10 Innovative & Practical Applications of SMART Tech
The SMART Board and SMART Notebook software collaborative learning software are tools that can be used for whole class, small group and individual learning. The below list includes creative ways I have seen the SMART Board used.
Balancing Young Learners’ Media Consumption: Is There an App for That?
America's preschoolers spend about four hours a day consuming media, ranging from television (still No. 1) to Internet, digital video, and young gamer favorites such as Club Penguin, SesameStreet.org and Little Big Planet. Start with the recent explosion of touchscreen tablets and apps, add a healthy dose of new 'i-tot' products now marketed to parents with young kids, and presto -- we have a whole new media ball game that has parents and educators in a tizzy.
Is Online Education for K-12 Really Wrong-headed?
The real answer is that we don’t know – yet. Recent investigative journalism by papers as diverse as The New York Times and Arizona Republic have left the impression that online education is underperforming, costly, and misguided. A careful look at the way respective journalists made their cases leaves parents and the public asking for more incisive and scientifically-based investigations. Here is how some of the criticism was constructed and what we need to answer the question about the value of online education.
Top 10 iPad Apps for Science Learning
The iPad is a great educational tool, and it has a variety of useful apps for learning all types of subjects. There are many great apps for helping students of all ages learn and explore scientific concepts.
Shift Your Classroom: Small Strategic Steps
For most of my teaching career, I’ve been a pretty traditional teacher (even now I slip back into that mode sometimes). However, as I went through the motions of trying to “teach” my students, something didn’t feel right. My students seemed to learn things only for the exam, were focused on the mark, not the learning that was supposed to be taking place. When the unit or semester was over, they dumped all their notes and assignments. Frustrating.
Q&A: ‘OK, Computer’ With Tom Vander Ark
The interview that follows addresses issues in the debate over refashioning the U.S. public school system through the adoption of new technologies. As with other American institutions widely perceived as failing or just getting by, the debate around K-12 public education has been increasingly shaped by considerations of technological innovation and the role of entrepreneurship and private-sector involvement.
Former WV Governor Pushes for ‘Blended Learning’
Bob Wise, Alliance for Excellent Education and co-chair of Digital Learning Now, was in Olympia Washington last week advocating for blended learning and the 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning.
What Online Students Want
Online learning. It's a popular buzzword in both higher education and K-12 institutions. Each year, more formal and informal learning opportunities germinate online. Globally, many public institutions believe that "online education is critical to their long term strategy" and the number of online learners is steadily increasing (Allen & Seaman, 2008, p.3).
The Learning Mindset: Winning in the Civilian Sector
The 1% and 99% are making headlines. But I'm more worried about the 20%, the 50% and the 75%. The 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan vets age 18-24 who are unemployed, the 50% who are underemployed, and 75% who don't graduate from the programs of study that they start after they get out.
Q&A: The Educational World Is Flat
Tom Vander Ark is an educational innovator who thinks like an engineer. He is currently the CEO of Open Educational Solutions, a partner in Learn Capital, and director of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. Previously he served as President of the X PRIZE Foundation and was the Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He is a prolific writer and speaker, and in 2006 Newsweek readers voted Tom the most influential baby boomer in education.