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Integration
Lubricating The Wheels Of Technology In Education (Forbes)
My eldest son starting high school this year has given me a fascinating inside view on technology as it applies to education. I�m of the perfect age to have started my high school education sans computers, but to have ended it with at least the start of technology becoming more commonplace. Both states are a huge contrast to today where technology is an integral part of the way education works. My perception is that over the past decade, technology adoption in the classroom has been a case of the �shiny new thing� where teachers and schools have looked at technology as an end state, rather than a tool to use in the broader educational arsenal. Teachers looks at technology as a subject area, rather than as a tool applicable to all subject areas. It seems to me that this situation is changing as a generation of teachers who are digital natives, and who adopt technology as a part of their day to day workflow, rather than an adjunct, come into schools. This was highlighted to me as I read a post from the ICT director at my son�s school, Sam McNeill. In the post McNeill reflects on the school�s adoption of Moodle as the schools Learning Management System (LMS) of choice.
Higher Education
Local higher education prepping students for high tech future (htrnews)
To compete in our highly competitive global economy, our local businesses need skilled workers, and to compete for those jobs, workers increasingly need some form of higher education to gain those skills. In the second week of our series looking at how technology is reshaping education in our communities, we will hear from leaders and professors of our local higher education institutions about how they are using technology to engage students, do more with less resources and bring down the costs of higher education to make it more accessible to more students. Sister Christine Stoller of Silver Lake College is a great example of how technology has changed and is changing education over the years. When she was at college, educational technology was a movie projector, and they used slide rules in math class.
SU partners up with Marist College, technology companies for online educational series on enterprise computing (Daily Orange)
Syracuse University is partnering with an inter-state college and two leading technology companies to offer an online educational series with a curriculum based on computing operations. The School of Information Studies, Marist College, the Linux Foundation and IBM are teaming up to present a three-part massive open online course series done online on enterprise computing. The courses will be taught separately by each institution with the Marist College course beginning in May and the Linux Foundation course starting in August, according to an April 9 iSchool press release. The iSchool course, titled �Enterprise Computing Strategies,� begins September 2. The iSchool course is free and self-paced with no prerequisites, according to the press release. Those who successfully complete the course will earn a certificate of completion from the iSchool and IBM.
How some colleges are offering free textbooks (CNN)
College student Caitlin Ryen works two jobs to support herself and pay tuition at South Florida Community College. When a new semester rolls around, that usually means choosing which textbooks to buy, or not buying any at all, she says. The 22-year-old caught a break this term when she found out her physics course materials were free. Instead of asking students to buy a textbook from a major publishing company, Ryen's professor assigned a free digital textbook that he customized for the class. Ryen's professor, Erik Christensen, began exploring the format in 2007, when a student asked to borrow a textbook because he couldn't afford one. While looking around for affordable alternatives, Christensen came across the concept of open-source textbooks, or course materials offered for free online by their authors under a nonrestrictive license.
Opinion
Sandra Korn: 'Leading in Learning' (The Crimson)
Last spring, as a member of the Undergraduate Capital Campaign Task Force, I had the dubious privilege of being one of the first to hear Harvard�s newest fundraising pitch. I was struck by the Capital Campaign�s emphasis on the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the expense of the humanities or social sciences�and by its strange ideas on how to push forward �Teaching and Learning� initiatives. A year later, I am concerned that Harvard has its priorities wrong�our university continues to seek millions of dollars for �twenty-first century classrooms� while ignoring true obstacles to excellent undergraduate education. In the past year, our university officially launched the creatively-named �Harvard Campaign,� which seeks to raise $6.5 billion across the university. Harvard has made public its intention to raise $2.5 billion for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, including $450 million earmarked directly for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; according to my most recent email from Dean Pfister, we�re more than halfway to that goal. The Harvard Campaign as a whole has identified several �aspirations� to which it encourages alumni to donate. These include �Meaning, Values, and Creativity,� �Integrated Knowledge,� and �Teaching and Learning.�
Start-Ups
It's a great time to be an EdTech startup (Vator News)
We�re still in the early days of figuring out how to boost learning with technology. K-12 school districts across the country are giving students iPads and Macbooks, but there remain questions about how to appropriately incorporate those devices into the lesson plan. There also remain questions about how effective these tools are in bolstering the learning process. A study presented last week at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association in Philadelphia found that students� reading comprehension was higher when they read traditional print books over e-books�not because the digital format itself is somehow lacking. The paper�s authors, West Chester University professors Heather Ruetschlin Schugar and Jordan T. Schugar, found that too often with e-book apps, kids were skipping over the text altogether to play with the distracting interactive games and features.
Online Education Startup CreativeLive Hands Over CEO Role to Founder Chase Jarvis (Recode.net)
CreativeLive CEO Mika Salmi is stepping down from that role and handing it to co-founder Chase Jarvis, the photographer and photo app designer who started the online video education company four years ago. After two years as CEO, Salmi�s continuing involvement in the company will be as a CreativeLive board member. �Founders are very powerful CEOs, and at this point Chase as a founder is a great thing to have,� Salmi said today. CreativeLive was a profitable online course provider based in Seattle and teaching live classes on topics like PhotoShop when Salmi joined two years ago.
Education-tech startup Naiku raises $1M from Gopher Angels (Business Journals)
Naiku, a startup that makes student-assessment technology, has raised $1.01 million in capital to fund a nationwide expansion. Atlas Capital Partners, a member of Minnesota angel-investor network Gopher Angels, led the round of financing. Other Gopher members and Iowa-based Plains Angels also participated, Gopher Angels co-founder Dave Russick said. Naiku sells its application to K-12 schools, which use it to assess how well students understand classroom lessons. Students answer questions on a smartphone, laptop or tablet so instructors can instantly view the responses. The data helps teachers decided whether to spend more time on a particular subject or move on, said Naiku CEO Greg Wright.
Distance Learning
Taking Stock: Do MOOCs Work Best For Educated People? (Mind Shift)
After just a few years, an explosion of interest, a lot of criticism and some iteration, the MOOC craze has recently come under close scrutiny. A recent University of Pennsylvania study of the 16 courses that the university offered through Coursera indicates that classes with thousands of students may not close the college gap as quickly as some champions had hoped. On average, the University of Pennsylvania completion rate for its MOOCS was just four percent, although completion rates went up when the expectations for the class were lower. �One thing that did seem to make a difference was the number of expectations on the users,� said Laura Perna, co-author of the study on KQED�s Forum program. �Those who had fewer homework assignments, for example, had higher persistence rates.�
New York
Google chairman and two educators named to NY Smart Schools commission (Business Journal)
A former Google CEO and two educators will advise the state on how to use a proposed $2 billion bond to improve education via technology. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that Google's executive chairman and former CEO, Eric Schmidt, Harlem Children's Zone president and CEO Geoffrey Canada, and Auburn School District superintendent Constance Evelyn will be on the Smart Schools Commission. The $2 billion could be used to purchase classroom technology or bring high-speed broadband to school districts. Funds could also be used to construct pre-kindergarten classroom space, build permanent classroom space to replace classroom trailers and to invest in high-tech school safety projects.
Innovation
9 Apps and Resources to Learn American Sign Language (Mashable)
Learning to sign is easier than ever, thanks to the Internet. The visual language, designed to aid the deaf or hard of hearing, is a set of gesticulations and hand movements that correspond to the spoken word. There are numerous ways to learn American Sign Language (ASL) outside the old classroom method. From free online lessons to video tutorials, a world of possibilities is open for those aspiring to teach themselves this hands-on language.
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Exciting Hands-On Science Stage Shows Abound at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo
 Without a doubt, hands-on, interactive activities are some of the most powerful ways to excite kids in STEM. And at the Festival Expo there will be a plethora of these interactions available to keep young learners' curiosity and imaginations stoked for days, including through a compendium of unforgettable stage shows, such as presentations by: The 3M Visiting Wizards -- a dynamic traveling troupe of 3M scientists whose demonstrations will take kids inside the mysteries of chemistry, music, sound and the science of the ultra-cold; Mr. Freeze (aka engineer Jerry Zimmerman of the Fermilab) whose explosive presentations using gases, liquids and solids explore the frontiers of physics; Hands-On Science, the exciting outreach program known for dynamic stage shows inspired by the film Terminator II; noted sleight-of-hand maestro Apollo Robbins who will take you inside the science of illusion; and Steve Wolf, the famous Hollywood stunt and special effects expert who will demonstrate the science behind these action-movie frontiers.
Women In Technology To Share Successes And Advice With Students At 2014 USA Science & Engineering Festival
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] will host a panel of successful female technologists and mentors from leading organizations to provide encouragement and guidance to students at the upcoming USA Science & Engineering Festival. The Women in Technology panel on the Lockheed Martin stage will be comprised of representatives from Pinterest, Girls Who Code and Michelle in Training. The panel will take place Saturday, April 26 at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 1:00 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.
Some of the Largest Companies in America to Converge at the USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo to Inspire the Nation in STEM!
Corporate America represents one of the nation's largest supporters and employers in STEM. And at the Festival Expo in April you'll be brought up close and personal with some of the most notable companies in this realm as they serve as high-profile Sponsors for the Festival, helping to wow the next generation of innovators through dynamic hands-on exhibits and presentations in science and engineering.
U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference to Host �Cyber Security is STEM� Lunch Panel
 U.S. News STEM Solutions announced today the �Cyber Security is STEM� session preceding the 2014 U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference. Industry Cyber Security leaders will join Robin �Montana� Williams, the Department of Homeland Security�s (DHS) Branch Chief of National Cybersecurity Education & Awareness, on Wednesday, April 23 for an invitation only lunchtime panel to brief educators on the nation�s Cyber Security education strategy and how Cyber Security is playing a key role in advancing America�s STEM mission and inspiring students to pursue these cutting edge careers.
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