Archive for March, 2008

Online Learning in the News (March 17-23, 2008)

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on March 24, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Tech Companies Working to Try to Eliminate the Digital Divide at School
The online teacher resource portal Curriki has formed a partnership with Canada-based Nortel Networks Corp. The new Nortel LearniT website will enable teachers to share lesson plans and ideas online, encouraging learning through the use of digital technologies such as video or the creation of web pages. — Canada East

Idaho and Minnesota High Schools Go Virtual
Insight Schools, a company with a network of free, diploma-granting, online public high schools, recently announced virtual campuses for students in Minnesota and Idaho, which will open for the 2008-2009 school year. The schools offer accredited teachers in each state to provide instruction for 120 different courses. The service is free for the participants. — The Journal

KidZui Promotes Itself as a Kid-Oriented Internet
A network of child-appropriate and parent-approved websites accessible through a browser called KidZui debuted on March 19. The service offers more than 500,000 sites, images and videos customized for children ages 3 to 12, with access to additional content available as users mature. KidZui is available for Mac and PC by subscription. — St. Louis Today

YouTube in the Classroom
The author of the Geek Dad blog at Wired Magazine shares his personal concerns regarding the use of public streaming video services to share classroom presentations. Previously reluctant to publish the faces of his children online for privacy reasons, the author changes his attitude when his daughter’s teacher posts a video of her book report that receives comments from the author of the book. — Wired Blog Network

NYPhilkids.org - What an Educational Website Should Be
Christopher Dawson at ZDNet reviews the New York Philharmontic websites for children, NYPhilkids.org, deeming it “a how-to of solid, purposeful, interactive site design.” — ZDNet

Technology, Social Networking Websites Spur Education Debate
Social-networking websites spurred an education debate at Queen’s University in Canada after a first-year engineering student was accused of cheating through a Facebook group called Dungeons/Mastering Chemistry Solutions. The online group brought together a total of 147 students from the class. They swapped information on assignments that collectively totalled 10 per cent of their grade. However, the professor for the class had said that the assignments were to be done independently. — The Kingston Whig-Standard

IT in the News (March 17-23, 2008)

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on March 24, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Mozilla Says Firefox 3 Ready for Prime-Time
A new version of Mozilla’s popular Firefox Web browser is ready for download with improved security and memory use as the tiny company takes a stab at Microsoft Corp’s dominant Internet Explorer. The program’s creators announced that the privately-held company’s trial version of Firefox 3 browser is ready for the masses to use after months of development. Additions boost security and allow users to run Web sites when they are not connected to the Internet. Mozilla also says Firefox 3 uses less computer memory than Firefox 2. — Reuters

Intel Cheap Laptops Expanding to U.S., Europe
Intel announced that their sub-$300 laptops initially designed for poor children will soon be available to U.S. and European consumers in a move that could further push down computer prices. While the machines are intended for children, analysts said the launch will add momentum to the low-cost computing movement — and will likely mean this year’s bargain-basement laptops will have more power than in previous years. — Reuters

Verizon and AT&T Dominate Airwaves Auction
Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, the two largest U.S. mobile phone companies, grabbed the lion’s share of a $19.12 billion auction of airwaves being vacated by television broadcasters. The companies plan to use the airwaves to enhance existing voice and data services, as well as underpin a new wave of wireless technologies. — Reuters

Windows Vista SP1 Flunks Out at Penn
University of Pennsylvania tech staffers are advising faculty and students not to upgrade their computers to the new service pack for Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system. Troubles reported by Vista SP1 users ranged from a simple inability to download the software from Microsoft’s Windows Update site to sudden spikes in memory usage. — Information Week

Schools and Programs in the News (March 17-23, 2008)

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on March 24, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Schools of the Future
In New Zealand, two schools revolutionize the idea of what a learning space should be. At the primary school Discovery 1 and the high school Unlimited, each child decides, based on his or her talents and interests, what they will learn, and when. Students can explore the mall as part of their learning experience and are encouraged to use cell phones as a learning tool. — My Broadband News

Unique Web Site Puts Early Childhood Programs on the Map and Online
Called the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM), it is the product of an unusual teaming of computer visualization, demographic and early childhood specialists at the University of Illinois, working in collaboration with the organization Chicago Metropolis 2020. The project provides information to parents, policymakers, advocates, and businesses on all available child care and preschool programs, along with demographic data on the students. Major funding for the project comes from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Human Services, along with funds from various foundations. — News Bureau

IBM Completes Satellite Based Learning Phase
IBM announced that it has successfully delivered Phase-3 of EDU-SAT satellite-based education programme comprising over 100 hours of live lectures transmitted to over 120 schools in India. The program was an effort to enhance the technical knowledge and skills of post-graduate university students, giving them the market-driven knowledge that better positions them for jobs in the ICT market, IBM said in a release. — Business Standard

Research in the News (March 17-23, 2008)

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on March 24, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Girl Bloggers Rise in Numbers, Could Help Narrow Tech Gender Divide
A recent survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that, among teenage Internet users, 35 per cent of girls blog, while only 20 per cent of boys do it. Regardless of gender, blogging can be a great way for teens to build real-world skills. A young entrepreneur, a 16-year-old girl in Detroit, makes $70,000 a month designing MySpace pages for her friends. — The Canadian Press

Survey Says: Teachers, Experts Embracing Educational Games
In a survey conducted at the 2008 Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC), 89 percent of the teachers who participated in the conference’s inaugural State Challenge Multiplayer Educational Games (MEG) Tournament, said that their opinions about educational video games “had been impacted in a favorable way.” Educators across the country are becoming aware of the findings that show that educational gaming enables players to better retain information because abstract concepts are turned into experiential learning. — TechJournal South

Measuring the Size of Your Digital Shadow
A recent study from the research firm IDC estimates that, at 281 exabytes, the digital universe in 2007 was 10 percent larger than the firm had projected a year ago. An exabyte, or a billion gigabytes, is said to be 50,000 times larger than a digitized Library of Congress. The sponsor of the study, EMC, a computer storage company, has posted a tool called a personal digital footprint calculator. After a few questions about their digital habits (giving only a first name), users can get a measure of their own rate of data generation. — New York Times Bits blog

Grants in the News (March 17-23, 2008)

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on March 24, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

ESA Foundation Announces New Scholarship Program
The Entertainment Software Association announced a new scholarship program to help future game developers with their education and training. The new program will provide $45,000 available for scholarships to women and minority applicants pursuing a career in video game development. The application deadline for a $3,000 scholarship is May 15, 2008. — Ars Technica

The Global Learning Foundation Secures Funding from the Yahoo! Employee Foundation
The Global Learning Foundation in Los Altos, California received a grant of $5000 from the Yahoo! Employee Foundation, in Sunnyvale, California. The funds will support the Global Learning Foundation programs, providing funds for Internet access and English-language and special skills teachers to children in orphanages in developing countries. — PR-inside

Universal Broadband Grants for New York Announced
New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced that nine public/private sector partnerships will receive funds totaling more than $15 million to help promote the research, design and implementation of innovative solutions to create affordable broadband Internet access for underserved urban and rural communities throughout the state. The New York State Council for Universal Broadband was formed in December 2007 and charged with developing strategies to ensure every New Yorker has access to affordable, high-speed Internet service. It is comprised of 28 members representing state and local government, libraries, municipal associations, economic development, as well as secondary and higher education. — Government Technology

Grants Eyed to Bring Technology into Classroom
The Pennsylvania Department of Education is making $20 million available to school districts to pay for technology, equipment and teacher development. The Classrooms For the Future Grant offers school districts the opportunity to transform high school education by providing student and instructor laptops, imaging software, Web cameras, interactive whiteboards, and projectors. — The Meaville Tribune

“Reach Them to Teach Them: Communication and Motivation Techniques for Online Teachers”

Published by Erica Nielsen on March 18, 2008 in Online Learning. 0 Comments

 WASHINGTON, March 17  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) is pleased to announce the third in a new Webinar series that provides resources to support online educators and professional development. The March Teacher Talk Webinar is:

“Reach Them to Teach Them: Communication and Motivation Techniques for Online Teachers”

Presenters: Dr. Karen H. Dolnick and Dr. Linda A. Gill

Thursday, March 20, 2008; 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. (ET)

Engaging, well-developed and thoughtful communications are driving forces in the success of online learners. During this Teacher Talk Webinar, instructional leaders will discuss how to connect, provide thought-provoking questions, and motivate students online. These strategies and methods have been used successfully in online middle and high school programs to drive interactivity.  Online teachers are encouraged to participate and share their own strategies for what works.
“Today’s students are online, communicating and collaborating through vast social networks. It is important for teachers to hone their communication skills to ensure they connect, engage and motivate students to guarantee rigorous, thoughtful discourse and interactivity in online courses,” said Susan Patrick, President and CEO of NACOL.

Register: http://www.nacol.org

Registration is open until 3 PM (ET) Wednesday, March 19, 2008. Registration is available with member and non-member pricing to individuals and institutions.

About NACOL
The North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL), founded in September 2003, is an international K-12 nonprofit organization that represents the interests of administrators, practitioners and students involved in online learning worldwide. http://www.nacol.org/. NACOL is the host of the Virtual School Symposium, October 26-28, 2008 in Phoenix, AZ.
North American Council for Online Learning
 

Online Education in the News (March 10-16, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on March 16, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

E-Learning Develops Its Own Report Card
Distance education, increasingly known as E-learning and increasingly popular, has long been lacking ways to measure accountability. That might be changing, as several schools are participating in the effort to develop a voluntary student outcomes measurement system. The plan, “Transparency by Design: Principles of Good Practice for Higher Education Institutions Serving Adults at a Distance,” began in September 2007 and aims to publish the first school-specific data in 2009. — U.S. News

Team-based E-learning Turns A New Page
How do students, who may be located across the globe, collaborate together on team-based project work? European researchers have developed the first online platform that integrates elements of e-learning, social networking and project management to help virtual teams get the most from their practical experience. — Science Daily

IT News (March 10-16, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on March 16, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

What will ‘free’ conversation cost?
 In January the British Council went on to YouTube, the popular video sharing website, to announce its plans to develop a web-based English language teaching site for young people that will harness “VoIP” technology. Few of the Council’s target audience will need VoIP explained to them, but for those who are less computer-literate “voice over internet protocol” is the technology that allows users to communicate simultaneously - or synchronously - by voice and video via the internet. — Education Guardian

ABLENET TO SHOWCASE NEW PRODUCTS
Now in its 23rd year, the annual California State University, Northridge Center on Disabilities’ International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, is always a much-anticipated event. At this year’s conference, AbleNet will showcase its new line of computer access tools, including “Wireless Wave” and “Wave,” two versions of an oversized trackball device specifically designed for persons with limited hand control, motor skill difficulties and hand-eye coordination challenges. — PR-USA

New company to launch innovative behavioural preferences tool
Academy28 is releasing a 10-minute online assessment, called Your Preferences, which generates an instant report on an individual’s personal style and behavioural characteristics. — Personnel Today

Games in the News (March 10-16, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on March 16, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

eGames Targets Tourism & Education
With e-Learning on the rise, the search is still very much on for the most effective way of delivering online courses, and encouraging interaction between participants at a distance. Second Life (www.secondlife.com), is the newest, hottest thing in the online teaching world suggests David Wortley, Director, Serious Games Institute, Coventry University and presenter at Knowledge Oasis Muscat’s (KOM) annual eGames Conference (31 March – 1 April, Muscat Hall, KOM). Wortley will deliver two presentations at the eGames Conference that will consider the opportunities offered by Second Life to education, tourism, heritage and culture. — Al Bawaba

Research in the News (March 10-16, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on March 16, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

i-SAFE Leads in California e-Safety Education
The i-SAFE e-Safety curriculum taught in 462 public and private California schools is having a demonstrably favorable impact on the online lives of students across the state. More than nine out of ten (91%) of the students completing online surveys after i-SAFE lessons reported they can see and stay away from dangerous things on the Internet. — MarketWire

S. Korea’s ‘e-Learning’ Market Tops 1.7 Tril.
South Korea’s e-learning market grew 6.8 percent to 1.73 trillion won (roughly $1.77 billion) in 2007, boosted by a sharp increase in the number of users. According to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MOKE) Tuesday, one in every 10 Internet users studied with online materials last year. Ministry officials said that they conducted a survey of 1,000 people across the country ― those aged 3 or more who use the Internet ― along with the Korea Institute for Electronic Commerce (KIEC) for the results. About 39.1 percent of the respondents said they have used an e-learning tool. While the total money spent by citizens totaled 735.1 billion won, the average expenditure topped 29,000 won ($29.77) per person per month. — The Korea Times

SETDA Releases 2008 National Trends Report on NCLB, Title II D, EETT
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) released its 2008 National Trends Report. Fifty States and DC completed the survey on the impact of NCLB’s Title II D, Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program, representing 99% of the federal dollars for educational technology allocated across the country. The full report is available at 2008 National Trends Report (http://www.setda.org/web/guest/nationaltrendsreport). — MarketWire