February, 2016

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Confused about what ‘Open’ Means in Education? Inconceivable!

Doug Levin

I’ve established that I am a fan of open educational resources (OER) and think that K-12 educators and policymakers would benefit from thinking more deeply about the ownership of instructional materials. I’ve even offered up ideas on issues the K-12 OER movement needs to confront and work through in the coming years as it struggles with the success of greater adoption.

OER 278
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Reinventing Curriculum: The Underlying Challenge to Moving Education Forward

The Journal

This blog post kicks off a new blog theme: Reinventing Curriculum. Like teacher and pedagogy, curriculum is one of the keys to a successful learning experience. Due to three trends, we will argue, curriculum – its development, its distribution, and its use — is in a state of real turbulence. The educational community, in general, and educational technology, in particular, needs to focus on the “next turn of the crank” in curriculum!

Trends 247
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Transforming the classroom with augmented learning

Neo LMS

Learning has evolved to a point where augmented reality (AR) is a possibility. It’s evolved to a point where the environment adapts to learners needs and as I like to say it the learning process is as interactive and as immersive as ever. What is augmented learning? Augmented learning, by principle, works by providing learners with a whole new dimension of content delivery.

Classroom 150
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What Makes for Good Learning Experiences?

More Verbs

The more we try to to help build the talents of every student and help every learner succeed in school, the more we have to be deliberate about creating good learning experiences in our classrooms. I have certainly added to the conversation about what I believe gives students good learning experiences. The roots of those ideas are not just my own experiences as a learner and a teacher, and not just conducting research and reviewing research, but from actually asking people about their own good l

Learning 150
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Can Brain Science Actually Help Make Your Training & Teaching Stick?

Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape

The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.

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52 Resources for Read Across America Day

Ask a Tech Teacher

Many people in the United States, particularly students, parents and teachers, join forces on Read Across America Day, annually held on March 2. This nationwide observance coincides with the birthday of Dr Seuss. Here are some great reading websites for students K-5: Aesop Fables—no ads. Aesop’s Fables. Audio stories. Childhood Stories. Classic Fairy Tales.

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The Cool Cat Teacher Blog: Top Blog Posts of February 2016

The CoolCatTeacher

What has teachers talking? From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. When looking at the top posts of the over 3,500 blog posts here, a theme jumps forward for February 2016. Hope, stress, encouragement, growth, and trying to improve education. I see struggle and persistence all over the pieces that you are sharing this month.

More Trending

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Only Truly 1-to-1 is Truly Transformative

The Journal

The dominant pedagogy in classrooms today is still direct instruction, the pedagogy underlying so-called computer-based, “personalized learning” environments. But, we argue in this week’s blog that truly 1-to-1 implementations, which are only now becoming feasible, are the opportunity needed to transform classrooms and support educators in moving to an inquiry pedagogy, a pedagogy that develops students’ critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.

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The Meaning of Words

A Principal's Reflections

Jargon in education is nothing new. Luckily there are so many resources available to make sense of it as it applies to our professional practice. Just check the Dictionary of Educational Jargon to get some clarity, then have some fun with the Educational Jargon Generator. Words are always flying around in education circles. Whether it is in person at events and workshops or in social media spaces, I routinely see conversations play out where educators take a certain stance on the meaning of spec

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The Need For a Shared Vision

More Verbs

Destination matters. What if you were a sailboat captain. Let’s even say you’ve got a great boat and a wonderful crew. Together you’ve done a lot of sailing. Maybe you even work well together and know how to collaboratively operate the boat to maneuver well and go really fast, coaxing its peak performance. But what does all this mean if you have no destination?

Outcomes 150
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3 Whiteboard Apps for Teachers and Students

Ask a Tech Teacher

Whiteboards have long been a de rigeur staple in classrooms, occupying pride-of-place at the front of the room. Despite the popularity of hi-tech Smartscreens, the simple whiteboard remains the favored method of sharing information during class time. But one change has revolutionized their use: They can now be projected from your iPad. Before introducing three amazing must-have whiteboard apps, let me note that there are dozens of options , all with varied traits and prices.

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Reimagining Chickering & Gamson's Principles Post-Pandemic: Technology's Central Role in Modern Edu

This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.

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A Peek in My Week: Games, Mattering, Questions, Laughter & Learning WHEW!

The CoolCatTeacher

Level Up a Little Bit Every Day From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Sometimes as you teach others, you end up changing yourself. It is happening so much lately to me. Here’s a peek. Game based keyboarding. My keyboarding classroom is completely game based using ClassCraft (thanks, Shawn Young ) and the kids run to class.

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David, Goliath, and the Future of the U.S. K-12 OER Movement

Doug Levin

I’ve been engaged in thinking deeply about the promise and opportunity afforded the U.S. K-12 education system by open educational resources (OER) since 2009, although my first exposure to the ideas and leaders of the movement stretch back to the launch of the MIT OpenCourseWare initiative. I’m deeply grateful for the support and collegiality of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation over this time, including for allowing me to attend this year’s annual OER meeting.

OER 170
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Chromebooks: Things we Love, Things We Love Not So Much

The Journal

Reportedly some 30,000 Chromebooks come online in K-12 each day. There are positive and negative aspects to that, though, as far as we can tell, the Chromebook invasion is mostly a good thing for education.

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When a Name Change Is the Right Move

Ed Tech from the Ground Up

Don't undertake a name change for your company lightly, but if it's the correct strategy, here's how to do it. Click the headline to read the full post. Questions? Email websupport@epe.org.

Company 174
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Behind the Bell: The Underlying Impact of Tardiness in K-12 Schools

Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t

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The Need to Refocus (Vigorously!) on Learning

More Verbs

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) was not designed to be primarily an equity of access to technology program (although that was part of it). And it wasn’t designed to be primarily a program by which students could develop technology skills (although that was part of it). MLTI was designed to be primarily a learning initiative. It was designed so that teachers could design lessons for their own content area that created powerful learning experiences for learners and leveraged

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The Tech Angle Inside Obama’s 2017 Education Budget Proposal

EdTech Magazine

By D. Frank Smith Next year's budget proposal for education is all about equity of access — but to get there, some educational technology items need to be funded.

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An Educator’s Guide to Acceptable Risk Taking

The CoolCatTeacher

Nurturing an Innovator's Mindset with George Couros From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Risk taking is not a bad word. If we want to help students read, write, and learn anything – we have to learn to take risks. But how can we understand what risks are worth taking? How can principals, teachers, and students learn how to take acceptable risks?

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In the News: On Sony Pursuing Blockchain Applications for Education

Doug Levin

As quoted in: Cavanagh, Sean. “ Sony Vows to Bring ‘Blockchain’ Tech to Education. Will It Take Hold in K-12? ” EdWeek Market Brief. 25 February 2016. Conceivably, if blockchain were to help students keep track of and share records of their academic experiences – in brick-and-mortar schools, virtual classes, from other sources – it could add detail and sophistication to efforts to “personalize” education, said Doug Levin, the president of EdTech Strategies LLC, a consulting organization, in an i

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The Battle of the Authoring Tools: A 10-Point Comparison for Picking the Right One

Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions

There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.

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What We Can Learn from Family Dinner

Hapara

A recent broadcast on San Francisco’s Public Radio, KQED, reviewed the studied benefits that regular family dinner offers to children.

Learning 167
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Transforming Classrooms with Deeper Learning

Digital Promise

Ms. Richards, in her fourth year in the classroom, teaches seventh grade history. Passionate about history, she works hard to master her school’s curriculum and make the most of the resources available to her. Despite her efforts and passion, she has noticed that her students are not nearly as engaged in her lessons as she’d like. How could she get them excited about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire or feudalism in Europe and see its implications for the world around them?

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The Top 5 Skills to Become a Great Coach

Fidelis Education

By Caroline Roma. Recently we teamed up with Craig Forman, coaching expert with 10+ years of experience, to present on coaching best practices [click for the recording]. The reason being that, coaching is crucial to student success, but rarely do organizations have a coaching program in place or have mastered it. A Stanford study writes: “And not only does coaching improve the likelihood students will remain in college, but expenditures on coaching are much smaller than the costs of other metho

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Student 3D Printing Designs Help Those With Disabilities Tackle Daily Tasks

EdTech Magazine

By D. Frank Smith MakerBot showcases two students whose 3D printing designs give MS and Parkinson’s patients tools to open pill bottles, hold a fork.

Tools 239
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The Roses and Thorns of an LMS Strategy: How to Flourish with the Right LMS

Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions

The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.

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Should scale be the goal?

K12 Open Ed

I have written before about the connections between OER and open practice and why I think open practice should be the goal, not merely the adoption of OER. While I hope and believe that OER can pave the way for open practice, it is not at all obvious that the use of OER is a necessary condition. In fact, some of the most vibrant classroom exemplars of open practice in action that I’ve seen have not involved OER.

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In the News: On Successfully Administering Computerized Tests

Doug Levin

As quoted in: Solochek, Jeffrey. “ Despite fixes, computer testing troubles still likely for Florida schools in 2016.” Tampa Bay Times. 19 February 2016. Yet there’s almost no way to guarantee trouble-free computerized testing on a stage as large as Florida’s, experts said. That’s because the undertaking is “not just a test, but a massive technology project” that involves so many moving parts in a decentralized system, said Doug Levin, founder of EdTech Strategies,

EdTech 150
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STEM: A DEEP DEFINITION

Battelle for Kids

Volume 3, Issue 3, Number 1. Driving Question: What makes a STEM School? What makes a STEM school? That is the question that is most often asked. I have literally sat on so many panels (K12,Higher Ed, political, policy, and industry), participated in meetings from the White House to the schoolhouse, been active in research think tanks and included in numerous case studies to define what STEM is and what makes a STEM school and we are still asking this question.

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Transforming Classrooms with Deeper Learning

Digital Promise

Jennifer is the director of the educator micro-credentials initiative at Digital Promise. You can reach her on Twitter at @JenCohKab. Ms. Richards, in her fourth year in the classroom, teaches seventh grade history. Passionate about history, she works hard to master her school’s curriculum and make the most of the resources available to her. Despite her efforts and passion, she has noticed that her students are not nearly as engaged in her lessons as she’d like.

Classroom 120
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Building the Foundation for a Modern K-12 Classroom

K-12 looks different these days. But one thing remains the same: you need a reliable learning platform that serves as the foundation for teaching and learning––for all students, in a variety of learning experiences. Discover how the Instructure Learning Platform supports today's K-12 classroom through: A central, consistent, connected hub of the digital learning environment.

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The danger in blocking the Internet too much

Ditch That Textbook

It’s the nightmare of students trying to create or do research digitally. It’s the frustration of teachers seeking out the best resources to share with their classes. The over-protective school Internet filter. Many of us deal with them daily. We’ll do a Google search, see the perfect article or site to share with our students [.].

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5 Certifications Data Center Professionals Can Use to Soar

EdTech Magazine

By Wendy McMahon Certifications help data center professionals advance their careers and fill high-need roles.

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Why Not Become A @Graphite Certified Educator

The Web20Classroom

Y'all know I love Graphit e and the work that the folks over at Common Sense Media are doing for educators and students. Their site is full of helpful tips for digital citizenship, the best apps and sites for a plethora of content areas and so much more. There are lesson plans , boards to share your favorite groups of content, and a community to connect with other educators.

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5 Ways to Reimagine and Re-energize Your Classroom

Brilliant or Insane

Brilliant or Insane. Think of methods you use that might be considered old-school — lecture, worksheets, text activities, and traditional homework, to name a few. Now, consider how you might replace any or all of these, in order to create a vibrant, student-centered learning environment. Here are a few places to begin, outlined in this Hack Learning Podcast […].

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Transform Your Classroom with Apple

Speaker: Aaron Webb, Jamf

Apple empowers educators and students by design. Whether using Macs, iPads, or Apple TV, Apple devices encourage creativity and can simplify teaching with apps to make the classroom more flexible, collaborative and personalized for each student. To unleash the full potential of the technology and create the best learning environment, you need to understand the tools and resources available, and develop an education-focused, comprehensive plan, from equipment purchase to deployment, management an