Digital divide can make completing assignments complicated for students

While the digital divide has narrowed among students nationwide, the use of technology in learning is still difficult for students who do not have access to the Internet at home. Students without home computers work to complete assignments during limited hours at school computer labs or travel to public libraries, where they struggle to complete their work during timed sessions. At one Virginia school, administrators have instituted a special study period during the school day to provide computer time for students who cannot come in early or stay late. The Washington Post

Teachers calculate value of games at math workshop

Educators in a Colorado district are learning new ways to provide differentiated instruction in math, thanks to a series of workshops by Nanci Smith, a consultant with ASCD. Teaching math and problem-solving skills through hands-on activities like puzzles and card games can be "more fun and engaging than problems on a worksheet," said Smith, who used many of the games during her tenure as a high-school math teacher. Journal-Advocate (Sterling, Colo.)

Classroom wikis are collaborative tools for young writers

Young writers at a Massachusetts middle school are using online wikis, or collaborative Web sites, to share and revise written work in a group setting. A recent class wiki project featured fall poems written by sixth-grade students who collaborated on revisions to each other's work. Even shy students are empowered to participate, language-arts teacher Neil Kulick said. "The wiki is an equalizer in classroom participation," he said. The Boston Globe

Flagship Ed-Tech Conference

Chatsworth, Calif. – More than 400 of the nation’s top technology companies, dozens of global experts on educational technology, thousands of educators and a well-known actor and environmentalist will converge on Orlando, Fla., in January when FETC 2010 convenes for its 30^th anniversary conference.

Teachers, administrators, technology enthusiasts, bloggers and Web 2.0 experts have begun planning and registering to attend FETC 2010, one of the nation’s oldest and largest conferences devoted entirely to educational technology. The conference, which will be held at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center January 12-15, provides K-12 educators and administrators an opportunity to explore different technologies across the board, while increasing their familiarity with the latest hardware, software and successful strategies promoting student technology use.

The conference includes dynamic speakers, exhibitors and events, as well as the highly anticipated Opening Keynote Session on Jan. 13 which features Ed Begley Jr. – actor, environmental activist and star of the Planet Green series, Living with Ed! Begley will speak on the importance of education and personal responsibility for the environment.

“FETC is a great opportunity for educators from around the country to explore the latest in educational technology through workshops, speakers and hands-on experiences,” said Michael Eason, executive director of FETC. “Not only do attendees have the opportunity to learn about best practices from national experts, but they can also see and purchase the latest innovations in classroom technology from more than 400 exhibitors.”

FETC is known for being one of the most comprehensive and progressive ed-tech conferences in the country. This year’s conference will present more than 200 concurrent sessions and 80-plus ticketed workshops focusing on hot-topic areas such as 21^st century skills, accountability, community connections, digital content, future and emerging technologies, virtual learning and many more. In addition, educators will be able to find solutions for working with tight budgets, improving curriculum and effectively integrating technology into the classroom.

New to this year’s conference is a “Brown Bag and Pre-Keynote Session” which will give attendees a first glimpse of the newest tech tools before the Opening General Session. Three of the nation’s foremost education technology leaders – Hall Davidson, Leslie Fisher and John Kuglin – will share their personal favorites while attendees enjoy a brown-bagged lunch. The 90-minute session will conclude with participants casting votes for their favorite “must have” ed-tech tool.

In addition to the keynote address, the conference will again present the signature “Eye-Opener Keynote” series, which are held each morning prior to the start of the session/workshop day. These informal, early morning gatherings feature inspirational speakers and innovative topics designed to generate thought and discussion throughout the day.

“Today’s economic and budget challenges make it even more essential for educators and administrators to attend professional development events such as FETC in order to learn about best practices and tools for extending limited resources,” said Eason. “Technology offers a way to do more with much less, and attending FETC is the best investment the budget-conscious educator can make in today’s economic climate. Plus, there are many resources, including American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Title I and II monies, available to help defray some of the costs of attending.”

The $4.35-billion Race to the Top Fund, which is part of the 2009 ARRA, is the largest competitive and federally-funded investment in school reform. The plan rewards schools for past accomplishments and creates incentives for future improvements. According to the U.S. Department of Education, one of the ways this federal stimulus money can be used is to recruit, retain, develop and reward effective teachers and principals. For more information on federal funding, go to www.ed.gov and search “ARRA.”

For more information on FETC 2010 – including a detailed list of sessions, exhibitors, ticketed workshops and registration information – visit www.fetc.org.

I think critically, therefore I am

Times Higher Education, August 6 2009 Dr. Linda Elder

Teaching students to read and understand a text properly is essential to their intellectual survival in a complex world. Elder has developed a four-part approach to teaching her psychology students to think critically. As you read through the series of activities, remember that any of the details can and should be contextualized to fit the situation, student group, and so forth. I also found the comments interesting.

• Part one: reading closely
• Part two: analyzing the text
• Part three: sharing papers and giving feedback to one another
• Part four: speaking in the voice of the author (role-playing)
  

History-based video games inspire more indepth study

Game developers are hoping history-based video games will inspire more interest in subjects as diverse as Leonardo da Vinci and World War II. Recognizing that the games help with technical, critical-thinking and literacy skills, some libraries are including the games in their collections. "My hope is that bringing the idea of these types of characters into more popular culture will arouse some people's curiosities to investigate further and learn more," a game designer said. The Washington Post/Reuters (11/12)

PC trends in education: Thin is in

Despite new trends in computing with devices such as the iPhone and the Kindle, simple personal computers and laptops are likely to remain the center of a student's technological universe, according to this review of the latest technology. Users can expect to see fewer optical drives and increasing touch-screen capabilities. Netbooks are also growing in popularity as a lightweight alternative for students who are already loaded down with heavy backpacks. eSchool News (11/11)

NJ Students Collaborate Online Using Web 2.0 Tools

More educators in New Jersey are utilizing the tools of Web 2.0 technology, which allows students shared access to content and more collaborative learning. While some educators caution about the downside to the latest technology -- like its propensity for distracting students -- others say wiki pages, classroom blogs, video conferences and online chats help students learn how to be creative and prepare them for college and the real world. The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.) (11/7)

North Carolina district prepares for technology overhaul

Educators in the Pamlico school system in North Carolina are preparing for a digital overhaul as they plan to spend $1.25 million in technology stimulus money awarded in September through an Enhancing Education Through Technology grant and the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus money. Laptops for middle-school and high-school students as well as iPod Touch technology for primary schools are all being considered for fall 2010. Pamlico administrators will also travel to other districts to find answers to technology-related questions. Joseph Spruill, the school system’s director of technology, said officials may travel to a district that no longer uses paper textbooks, and another to see how they are using technology in their math classrooms. Sun Journal (New Bern, N.C.) (11/5)

Schools are using robotics to teach math and science

Educators in some Washington state schools are using robotics projects as a hands-on way for students to learn math and science as well as improve teamwork, innovation and problem-solving skills. Members of the business community hope the program will also spur an interest in science and technology careers. "It's so empowering to children to build something and program it to do something, and it does it. It's better than any video game," one teacher said. The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)

Digital course-management tool is used to engage students

Connect, a new interactive course-management tool by McGraw-Hill, is being used by college professors and their students to share materials over the Internet. At a cost of about $40 a semester -- or $80 with a digital textbook included -- students have access to video lectures, class notes and practice exams that offer more questions in the areas where an individual student's scores are poorest. The Wall Street Journal (10/28)

Students learn from new, more interactive generation of video games

A trend to include gaming in school curricula has students playing a new generation of educational video games that are more social and interactive, allowing students to collaborate and solve problems related to the real world. Video game designers have integrated science, math and language concepts into game mechanics, so they no longer seem to students like schoolwork. The New York Times

Texting may help students improve informal writing skills

Despite a myriad of concerns about the increasing use of text messaging by teens, some teachers and researchers say texting does not interfere with students' ability to use language properly and may in fact help students better express themselves through informal writing. "Writing is good. Writing is expressing thoughts. Expressing thoughts is good. We just don't like their modality," says Larry Rosen, a researcher and author of a book on the issue. The Charlotte Observer (N.C.) (10/26)

Alvin Toffler Quote

So, let's sit down as a culture, as a society, and say, "Teachers, parents, people outside, how do we completely rethink this? We're going to create a new system from ground zero, and what new ideas have you got?" And collect those new ideas. That would be a very healthy thing for the country to do. - Alvin Toffler on our public education system

Smart phones are being used to help math students

At six high schools in North Carolina, students are participating in a corporate-sponsored experiment using school-issued smart phones to help them learn math. Figuring out how to use the phones effectively in the classroom is a "learning process," says one educator, but teachers and students say math concepts are being better understood, and students are even using the phones at home to record how they solved math problems and sharing the solutions with their classmates. Fast Company (11/2009)

Research shows trial and error helps students learn

Students learn more effectively through trial and error in answering questions about challenging material, according to researchers who found that getting answers wrong actually helps learning. Their research revealed that students perform better if they try to answer questions about a textbook passage before reading it. For example, students should try to answer questions before reading a textbook chapter, then read the chapter and answer them again during and after reading. ScientificAmerican.com (10/20)

Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom

A recent 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education concluded that “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

The report actually reviewed quantitative studies conducted from 1996-2008 that compared online and f2f versions of the same courses. On average, those in the f2f courses scored in the 50 percentile while those in the online versions scored in the 59th. It is a modest but significant difference. The report validates online learning as a viable alternative, which could significantly impact in transforming the educational experience.

What I found interesting in the comments that followed was that several people commented that instead of showing causation, the study actually shows correlation. The population of people taking course online tend to be a self-selected group. They are often older, more motivated individuals. They tend have greater access to technology in order to participate in online learning. What no one brought up was retention rates for f2f vs online. How many students started out in an online class but dropped? Those that continued and finished the class would definitely be the more motivated, independent learners.

Another trend in the conversation related to how we learn--whether independently or in community. Several comments reflected the idea that community could not be adequately created online. Although I agree that it is more difficult because of the distance and lack of body language cues, I disagree that online learners have to forgo community. I think the growth of social networks such as Facebook and Nings or even Yahoo and Google Groups shows that the Internet can actually bring people together.

In order to create an online learning community, however, takes forethought and facilitation. It should be a primary goal of the course. All too often students report that they feel isolated from their peers and colleagues, that they crave the human interaction. That's what discussion boards, chat sessions, video conferencing, group projects are for. As the article points out, "Until fairly recently, online education amounted to little more than electronic versions of the old-line correspondence courses. That has really changed with arrival of Web-based video, instant messaging and collaboration tools." If we are to truly transform education, then we need to look at how technology affords us (and our students) to do things we were not previously able to do/see/hear.

Top 10 Tools for Learning

For the last three years, Jane Hart with the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (UK) has been soliciting suggestions for her list of 100 top 10 tools for learning. With so many new and amazing ways to find and share knowledge out there today, narrowing to 10 is a tough task. Between March and November, 2009, she has invited learning professionals to contribute their top 10 tools for learning to help compile the top 100 list for 2009. Check out the current voting or contribute your own list.

The Top 10 Tools for 2008 were:

1. Delicious (Social bookmarking tool)
2. Firefox (Web browser)
3. Google Reader (RSS / Feed reader)
4. Skype (Instant messaging, VoIP tool)
5. Wordpress (Blogging tool)
6. Google Search (Web-based search tool)
7. Google Docs (Web-based documents)
8. PowerPoint (Presentation software)
9. Moodle (Free Course management system)
10. Blogger (Blogging tool)

15 Online Resources to Supplement Classroom Learning

Guest post from Karen Schweitzer, the About.com Guide to Business School. Karen also writes about online colleges for OnlineColleges.net.

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Are you looking for a great way to engage and motivate your students to learn? Many newspapers, magazines, museums, TV stations, and other institutions provide educational websites to supplement classroom learning. This article offers a list of 15 educational sources worth exploring:

NASA - NASA provides a series of resources for K-12 and higher to motivate students in math, science, technology, and engineering. Resources include NASA e-clips, video podcasts, research tools, games, and NASA television.

Scholastic - A trusted name in learning, Scholastic offers programs that make reading and learning fun. One such program, The Stacks, features several book lists, games, and videos.

History Classroom - The History Channel provides an online History Classroom and Education page loaded with tons of great features. Just a few of the resources you can find are interactive lesson plans, study guides, videos, and speeches.

Smithsonian Education - The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies offers several supplemental resources for teachers, families, and students. Their site features fun and interactive games and references for elementary and middle school children, along with lesson plans and tools for teachers.

National Geographic - This educational site for students and teachers provides a number of great resources for learning about geography, culture, and conservation. Fun and interactive projects and games are available for students of all ages.

PBS Teachers - PBS Teachers is an educational branch of PBS.org. It is designed specifically for teachers and houses several classroom resources, initiatives, activities, and lesson plans.

Discovery Education - Discovery Education hosts a number of engaging resources to help students learn more effectively. Some of the valuable resources you can find include classroom tools, interactive games, and a homework helper.

CNN Student News - This educational site, provided by CNN.com, features several different news resources to connect students with events occurring around the world. CNN Student News also offers quizzes, learning activities, news articles, podcasts, and more.

Newspapers in Education - The NIEonline.com links to newspapers in several states that provide innovative tools to connect students to local and world events. When you click on your local link or sign up for free, Newspapers in Education will provide lesson plans by grade, quizzes, Cartoons for the Classroom, and Words in the News.

Time for Kids - Time for Kids.com is a site dedicated to motivating kids to read. This online version of the classroom magazine features teaching resources, homework helpers, entertainment news, and animal news. Teachers can also find the table of contents and a PDF of the full magazine online.

Kids.gov - Kids.gov is an educational portal to the U.S. government for grades K-8. This site links you to an age appropriate web page from federal agencies and other educational sources. Many of these pages incorporate lesson plans and activities.

Learning Network - The Learning Network, provided by The New York Times, offers a wealth of resources for grades 3-12. Within this site, visitors can find news summaries, lesson plans, science Q & A, and education news.

White House - The White House gives children a look into several aspects of the U.S. government, including government branches, history, and issues. One fantastic feature for elementary education is the White House 101. Within this page, you can find information on past presidents, fun facts, and first pets.

Highlight Teachers - Highlight Teachers features several different resources to supplement classroom learning. Resources include activities, articles, interactive games, and more.

BrainPOP - This site features colorful interactive games and resources to motivate students to learn. BrainPOP is broken down into subjects and includes activities, lesson plans, quizzes, and classroom tools.

Links for Online Course Content Resources

Much front-end production time in creating a new course or converting a course to online will be spent planning and producing content.

In considering media for inclusion in your online course, consider Fleming's six-element typology of teaching tasks and objectives: 1) attention, 2) perception and recall, 3) organization and sequencing, 4) instruction and feedback, 5) learner participation, and 6) higher-order thinking and concept formation. The following media and modes are considered because they are common and familiar, and also because they constitute the tools most available to online teachers, trainers, and learners: 1) print and text, 2) still graphics and illustrations, 3) sound and music, 4) video and moving graphics, and 5) multimedia.

Over the next few postings, I plan to provide a variety of annotated links to resources on the web for instructors to use in developing their lessons. We’ll start with Science.

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CHEMISTRY COLLECTIVE is a collection of virtual labs, scenario-based learning activities, and concepts tests which can be incorporated into a variety of teaching approaches as pre-labs, alternatives to textbook homework, and in-class activities for individuals or teams. It is organized by a group of faculty and staff at Carnegie Mellon University for college and high school teachers who are interested in using, assessing, and/or creating engaging online activities for chemistry education.

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THE BIOLOGY PLACE
(LabBench Activities)
Site maintained by Pearson--series of interactive flash demonstrations

• Lab 1: Diffusion & Osmosis
• Lab 2: Enzyme Catalysis
• Lab 3: Mitosis & Meiosis
• Lab 4: Plant Pigments & Photosynthesis
• Lab 5: Cell Respiration
• Lab 6: Molecular Biology
• Lab 7: Genetics of Organisms
• Lab 8: Population Genetics
• Lab 9: Transpiration
• Lab 10: Circulatory Physiology
• Lab 11: Animal Behavior
• Lab 12: Dissolved Oxygen

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BIOINTERACTIVE VIRTUAL LABS: Maintained by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Virtual Labs won top honors in the 2002 Pirelli INTERNETional Award competition.More than 1,200 multimedia entries competed for the Top Pirelli Prize, which recognizes the best multimedia products designed to use the Internet to educate about science and technology. The site a variety of video clips, animations, and virtual labs.

• The Transgenic Fly Virtual Lab
• The Bacterial Identification Lab
• The Cardiology Lab
• The Neurophysiology Lab
• The Immunology Lab

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Virtual Science: Experiments,"Hands-on", Laboratories (from MIT)

• Links to interactive science resources gathered by MIT

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VADLO: Biomedical and Life Sciences Search Engine: Vadlo was developed by two biology scientists who wish to make it easier to locate biology research related information on the web. Vadlo search engine caters to all branches of life sciences. VADLO allows users to search within five categories: Protocols, Online Tools, Seminars, Databases and Software. Feel free to copy the Cartoons for your personal use and PowerPoint presentations!