Monthly Archives: August 2011
How Technology Must Change Education – Edudemic
Technological changes in the last half-century have dramatically changed the education landscape. We’ve gone from the blackboard to the overhead projector and from the slide rule to the iPad. Some schools are even putting all the textual resources—which used to require five different textbooks weighing thirty pounds in total—into that little iPad.Want to view the complete evolution of classroom technology? Click here.When it comes to new technology adoption in the classroom, it’s almost always a good thing. We prize innovation when it comes to gadgets. I can’t think of a single technological advancement that hasn’t been good for students. But we seem to have a built-in resistance to structural innovation.
Edmodo Adds Quiz Builder User Badges — THE Journal
Edmodo has updated its free classroom communication system. The system, referred to as a “social learning network” by the company that develops it, has added quizzes, badges, and revisions to its student profile page, among other new features.The Web-based application provides an environment for teachers to post discussion questions to the class and allow students to respond online; share content; and assign and upload homework, grades, and school notices. Edmodo enables teacher-to-teacher resource sharing and networking opportunities.Edmodo, the company, claims 2.5 million users, up from half a million in September 2010. That growth “has been driven by teachers telling one another” about it, according to Chief Operating Officer Crystal Hutter. Likewise, teachers are the source for many new ideas for the product, she added.For example, “badges”–small iconic circles students earn and collect on their profile pages–grew out of teacher requests. “Originally, we thought wed design our own set of badges based on the key activities teachers were seeing in the classroom,” Hutter noted. “We heard quickly that while they appreciated that, they also wanted to design their own badges. Within two weeks we updated it to let them do that and also to let them share those badges with each other.”
Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero
The skill of being able to edit a photo is a must for anyone fluent in technology. It can help speed up the process of uploading photos for a project, correcting mistakes, and even help “spice” up the mundane. While newer computers might come w/ a photo editing app iPhoto, Preview, etc. not all of them do. For that reason, I decided to create a list of my top favorite photo editing sites that not only allows the photo to be resized/edited but add effects as well.
Archive of 9/11 TV Coverage Launches with 3,000+ Hours of Video | Open Culture
The drama of 9/11 unfolded before the world on TV. Even many New Yorkers, myself included, watched the traumatic events on CNN rather than witnessing them firsthand. During the days that followed, we were bombarded with endless replays — the planes hitting the buildings, the towers aflame and collapsing, the piles of smoking debris left behind. Then, mercifully, the coverage disappeared.
via Archive of 9/11 TV Coverage Launches with 3,000+ Hours of Video | Open Culture.
eSchoolNews.com » Free curriculum resource helps educators teach to Common Core standards » Print
A popular online education resource now provides interactive curriculum tools specially tailored to correspond with both state standards and the Common Core standards—and U.S. educators can use the product free of charge.SAS, a major business analytics company, released a new version of its Curriculum Pathways web-based resource on Aug. 15. The new version of SAS Curriculum Pathways [2] includes expanded content including content aimed at middle school students, a more user-friendly interface, and enhanced search capabilities that allow teachers to find material for specific state or Common Core [3] standards.Forty-four states and the District of Columbia follow the Common Core standards, a college and work preparation framework introduced in 2009 by state officials. The standards currently prescribe benchmarks in English/language arts and mathematics.In math, for example, the standards outline a detailed progression of student achievement [4] goals, from kindergarten students developing basic understanding of numbers to high school students making mathematical models of everyday scenarios.
via eSchoolNews.com » Free curriculum resource helps educators teach to Common Core standards » Print.
Conceptboard – Realtime Teamwork & Collaboration Software
Space for efficient teamwork -simple and easyConceptboard is a great work space for your ideas, documents and pictures. It’s very intuitive and makes online collaboration easy as pie.
Start by freehand drawing or select one of our simple sketching tools.Use your own filesConcepts, drafts, documents and pictures. Do you have to discuss and rework content? Just drag your files from your computer onto your board et voilà.
Great to quickly demonstrate a draft.Comment without the fuss. Opinions, ideas, thoughts – comment directly on the object of discussion. It has never been easier to give and get feedback.Add participants and friends. Conceptboard is all about teamwork.
Invite coworkers via e-mail or just share the link to your board.Work live with your teamDiscuss drafts, make decisions and produce results. Work cooperatively on your boards in realtime. All actions are immediately visible to all participants.
Participants follow your screen area and even see your cursor.Grant access to visitorsNo account necessary.
Homepage – ABPI – Resources for Schools
Science resources for schoolsHigh quality interactive materials cover many science topics in the primary and secondary school curriculum. At secondary level they focus on biology topics linked to treatment of disease.Topics include infectious diseases, diabetes, hormones, biotechnology, DNA and genes. For a full list of topics covered click here.A number of games and animations supporting Primary Science have also been added recently.The resources have been developed by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ABPI.
PBS Program Will Promote Engineering to Middle School Students — THE Journal
PBS program “Design Squad Nation” has announced it will partner with Rocket21 to engage its community of tweens in the shows content and activities to help meet the demand for engineers in the job market in the years to come.”Design Squad Nation,” produced by WGBH, is a program for middle school children that includes television episodes on PBS, an interactive website and hands-on engineering activities. The show is designed to increase kids awareness and understanding of engineering.On the programs site, kids can post real-life solutions to real-life problems and respond to challenges from the show by sketching and building their own prototypes. The sites blog features engineering and DIY content from across the Web.
via PBS Program Will Promote Engineering to Middle School Students — THE Journal.
OnlineLabs.in – Virtual laboratory simulations for science education
OnlineLabs.in aims to serve as a comprehensive, encyclopedic reference about online labs in a variety of subjects, particularly virtual laboratory simulations for science education. We categorize useful listings for online lab simulations, virtual science experiments and free educational software.We currently feature resources in Chemistry, Physics and Biology to help learners identify free and commercial virtual science labs. We also offer online educational resources and information about simulations and free software in Anatomy, Geology, Astronomy, Design and Math.Through these online resources, you can get hands-on science and math experiences without having to set foot in a physical classroom or laboratory environment.
via OnlineLabs.in – Virtual laboratory simulations for science education.
Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade – NYTimes.com
If you have a child entering grade school this fall, file away just one number with all those back-to-school forms: 65 percent.Chances are just that good that, in spite of anything you do, little Oliver or Abigail won’t end up a doctor or lawyer — or, indeed, anything else you’ve ever heard of. According to Cathy N. Davidson, co-director of the annual MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competitions, fully 65 percent of today’s grade-school kids may end up doing work that hasn’t been invented yet.
