Or, rather, have we adopted technologies for teaching and learning that are much more aligned with that military mission of command and control? Education technologies facilitate communication, expanding learning networks beyond the classroom. And the word “intelligence” is now used – oh so casually – to describe so-called “thinking machines”: algorithms, robots, AI. You can’t opt out of the learning management system. MORE

Via Education Week : “ DeVos-Backed Company Makes Questionable Claims on Autism , ADHD.” ” “Betsy DeVos Won’t Shed Stake in Biofeedback Company , Filings Show,” The New York Times reports. “Free College” Via NBC Bay Area : “Silicon Valley Company Offering Free College Degree To Every Adult Living Or Working In Its City.” “Harvard Management Company to Lay Off Half Its Staff,” The Harvard Crimson reports. MORE

The learning model is based on an architecture design studio, and is a far cry from the assessment and standards-based paradigm of most education systems around the world. Additionally, NuVu’s learning model has a profoundly empathic dimension: by addressing real-world challenges, students acquire a personal understanding of the world and how they can impact it. Education Technology Project-Based Learning School Models Maker and DIY Movement MORE

Via Chalkbeat : “ Betsy DeVos ’s first Detroit visit featured Girl Scouts, robots, and talk of beluga whales.” “ Are Edtech Companies Doing Enough to Protect Student Privacy? Via GeekWire : “ Project Unicorn signs first companies to help schools handle the hairball of edtech data.” ” “More Growth for Handshake ” (a career services company that’s had some privacy issues in the past), says Inside Higher Ed. MORE

Without revenue the company will go away. Or the company will have to start charging for the software. Or it will raise a bunch of venture capital to support its “free” offering for a while, and then the company will get acquired and the product will go away. (It’s MORE

I have learned so much in the intervening years, and my analysis then strikes me as incredibly naive and shallow. At the time, I wrote about the importance of APIs; the issues surrounding data security and privacy; the appeal of platforms for users and businesses; and the education and tech companies who were well-positioned (or at least wanting) to become education platforms. The company has raised some $77.5 ” But it’s a content company. MORE

A bill in Missouri would end tenure for all new faculty hires starting in 2018 and require more student access to information about the job market for majors. ” They’re suing the company. Online Education and the Once and Future “MOOC” edX is offering an online master’s degree with Georgia Tech : an OMS (online master’s in science) in Analytics. Robots and Other (Ed-Tech) Science Fiction. For-profit higher and student loan companies. MORE

For example, this story from the School Library Journal : “ Charter Schools , Segregation , and School Library Access.” ” There’s more on legal battles involving student loan companies in the business of financial aid section below. From the press release : “IMS Global Learning Consortium Announces Open Badges 2.0 Ramona Pierson , the founder of Declara , is now the head of learning products at Amazon ( according to LinkedIn , at least). MORE

Perhaps we can learn a little about the folks who still do. ” Via Inside Higher Ed : “A Virginia circuit court on Thursday ruled against a George Mason University student group seeking access to donor agreements between a university foundation and the Charles Koch Foundation.” “ Can We Design Online Learning Platforms That Feel More Intimate Than Massive? “Lifelong learning” and multiple choice quizzes for two to five year olds. MORE

The learn-to-code company Treehouse has launched “Techdegrees,” “a guided-learning experience designed to prepare students for entry-level developer jobs at companies across the country.” “Imagine Discovering That Your Teaching Assistant Really Is a Robot ,” says The Wall Street Journal in a story about “Jill Watson” (of course it’s a female name), an automated teaching assistant at Georgia Tech. MORE

Mozilla announced it is handing the Open Badges initiative to the IMS Global Learning Consortium. The company said that it would keep the Vine website online, but you should probably download anything you’ve got there. But despite all these cuts, big companies rolled out New Products this week that were perhaps Very Exciting if you’re into New Products. Via Campus Technology : “ Learning Objects Debuts Competency-Based Education Platform.” MORE