Archive

IT in the News (April 14-20, 2008)

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on April 21, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Consumer groups urge “do not track” registry
Two consumer groups asked the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday to create a “do not track list” that would allow computer users to bar advertisers from collecting information about them. The call echoed those of other privacy advocates who filed statements with the FTC on Internet companies’ use of “behavioral advertising.” — Reuters

Japan’s high-tech displays give paper a cutting edge
TOKYO (Reuters) - Bend it, write on it, read it — just don’t try to fold it into a paper plane. Electronic paper is Japan’s answer to rising raw material costs, depleted resources and booming demand for printed matter from emerging markets such as China and India. At a high-tech fair in Tokyo, Japanese firms showed the latest versions of what is still considered a niche product, ranging from thick, sturdy readers to thin displays that look like plastic sheets and can be bent. E-Ink, which manufactures Sony’s Reader tablet, says consumers will eventually embrace the energy-saving technology as the cost of paper and fuel goes up. — Reuters

Research in the News (April 14-20, 2008)

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on April 21, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Crossroads in Education: Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software, and Digital Tools
Advancements in technology, principally Web 2.0, social software, and digital tools, have challenged what it means to be educated and how we proceed to educate our youth in a culture where innovation and creativity, lifelong learning, personalization (my own learning space), and knowledge from and with the collective vie for a rightful place. The issues we face surround the dilemma of achieving personalization while maintaining standards (KnowledgeWorks Foundation, 2006). Students do need structure from experienced teachers and core subject matter knowledge; however, as Owen and his colleagues (2006) pointed out, their use of social software has opened up new sources of that knowledge leading to times when it would be appropriate to use “more weakly classified and framed approaches to learning” (p. 31). Let’s look at some of the issues and implications for curriculum, instruction, and integration support, which will need open discussions with educators, parents, students, the community, policy makers, and technology developers, if we are to resolve the dilemma. — The Journal

Improve Reading Skills With Computer and Video Games

Published by Erica Nielsen on April 20, 2008 in Programs and Research. 0 Comments

Author: Allison Merlino

Advances in technology have greatly increased the tools we can choose from to assist with the improvement of reading skills.   I am going to focus on computer learning software for kids.  This is of particular interest to me because while the child is increasing his or her attentional capacity by playing a video game he is also fine tuning reading specific skills such as comprehension and vocabulary.  

In ‘Action Video Game Modifies Visual Selection Attention’ published in April 2003 by Shawn Green & Daphne Bavelier a study was conducted to analyze the effects of video game playing on visual attention resources.  Green and Bavelier did find that video-game players do indeed have a greater attentional capacity than non video-game players.  Thus, we can assume that video games do in fact improve reading skills by increasing the attentional capacity. 

Children who have difficulty reading are more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to attend college.  Therefore, focusing on and solidifying reading skills at a young age is incredibly important to an individuals overall success.  Reading can be very difficult skill to motivate a young person to practice.  However, once an agreed upon method or methods are found it is an easy skill to improve and you will see progress quickly.  

I conducted a search for games that would enhance specific reading skills while incorporating the above mentioned increase in attentional capacity and offer the following reviews.  

Reader Rabbit 1 Software by The Learning Company builds early reading skills and is geared for ages 4-7.  Features include match up, sorter, labeler and word train.  Educational benefits include increasing vocabulary by associating pictures with their names, increasing the understanding of letter-sound correspondences with the use of lifelike speech throughout the program and allowing parents to customize their child’s learning experience using graduated levels of difficulty.   

Reading Comprehension Booster by Merit Software allows students to receive practice in using basic reading improvement strategies and is geared for grades 3 through 5.  Students work with interactive exercises to determine main idea, make inferences, and draw conclusions.  Assessments place students in appropriate units of instruction. Students advance as they demonstrate readiness. They receive immediate instructional feedback throughout.

The Jump Start Series by Knowledge Adventure pack extreme fun and exciting adventure into learning.  The game takes you through an adventure for example, solving a mystery while using various skills to navigate through a number of different settings. Skills include Parts of Speech, Spelling and Vocabulary, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, Prime Numbers, Fractions, Decimals, Estimation, Science, Geography, Music, The Arts and History.  Jump Start series is available from Kindergarten through 6th grade!

Technological advances have increased the tools that we can choose for reading enhancement.   I have suggested  computer learning software for kids  that I find to be of high quality as well as engaging.  This is of particular interest to me because while the child is increasing his or her attentional capacity by playing a video game he is also fine tuning reading specific skills such as comprehension and vocabulary.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/improve-reading-skills-with-computer-and-video-games-391466.html

About the Author:
I have an extensive background in Finance and Fiscal Procedure.  I also have a web business where I offer  Computer Software Games .  I am very interested in the product itself as well as the subject matter that it involves.    

Please use the link above to visit us at The Software Spot!    
Thank you,  Allison Merlino

Students and Teachers Mash It Up in eInstructionTM’s “Content Meets

Published by Erica Nielsen on April 20, 2008 in Tech Trends. 0 Comments

Classroom technology leader to give away over $25,000 in interactive technology; asks students and teachers to collaborate on nationwide GoogleMaps mashup

Denton, TX - Merging content with technology when they joined forces in December, eInstructionT and the former Interwrite LearningTtoday announced “Content Meets Technology”, a first-of-its-kind sweepstakes that asks teachers and students to submit, using 250 characters or less, their vision of the role of technology in education.  Those thoughts will then post to an interactive Google Map mashup on the eInstruction site.  The “mashup” of Google Maps (technology) and the student/teacher collaborations (content) is designed to mirror the merger of eInstruction and Interwrite Learning.

The student/teacher submissions, which will only be required for posting to the map, should highlight classroom achievements made possible by the use of technology or focus on the benefits of a technology-empowered classroom. The work, along with the name of the school, the grade, and the teacher’s name, will appear on a Google Map of the world on the sweepstakes’ Web site at www.contentmeetstechnology.com <http://www.contentmeetstechnology.com/> .

“The combination of eInstruction and Interwrite Learning helps make teaching and learning fun and interactive in a whole new way,” said Lisa O’Masta, Vice President of Marketing for eInstruction. “We’re celebrating this merger by asking teachers and students to participate in a groundbreaking, educational exercise that is itself a metaphor for the tremendous possibilities available when great content and great technology come together.”

Winners will be awarded an interactive makeover prize package that consists of:

*Interwrite Workspace with ExamViewT reader. The award-winning, easy-to-use software enables educators to create, save and share engaging, interactive lessons with a gallery of digital images and annotation tools that can be used with any application.  Workspace provides one-click integration with CPS, eInstruction’s popular student response systems.

* Interwrite BoardT. Teaching from the front of the classroom has never been this fun before.  The Interwrite Board combined with Interwrite Workspace gives you the power to control your computer from the front of the class.  Your students will be on their best behavior with the chance to come to the board.

* Interwrite PadT. Combined with Workspace, the wireless Interwrite Pad is a powerful teaching tool that enables educators to easily control their computer and instructional resources from anywhere in the classroom. Used by over 50,000 teachers worldwide, this dependable, durable pad is a must in every classroom.

*32-Pad CPS RF Clicker System.  Engage every child in class material by creating an interactive learning environment in your classroom. Students who normally remain silent in class can now answer every question without fear of embarrassment.  Join the 150,000 teachers who now spend less time grading and more time teaching. CPS simplifies taking attendance, grading tests and quizzes, creating lessons, and generating personalized reports automatically!

* One year subscription to ExamView Learning SeriesT.  A collection of over 9,500 unique high-quality standards-aligned questions that work in conjunction with the ExamView Suite. Over 50 leading publishers also create and distribute ExamView-formatted questions with over 5,000 elementary, middle school, high school, and post-secondary textbooks.

* Epson PowerLite 400W Projector.  Ideal for widescreen computers and interactive whiteboards, this 3LCD short-throw projector with WXGA resolution reduces shadows, simplifies installation, and provides 30 percent larger images than standard 4:3 projectors. It can project an 87 inch widescreen (16:10) image from just 3.4 feet away.  The 3LCD optical engine, the world’s number one projection display technology, provides vibrant color and incredible image quality and unsurpassed reliability.

* Epson Short-throw Projector Wall Mount.  This projector wall mount enables quick, efficient and low cost installation of short-throw projectors. It allows presenters to fully utilize an interactive whiteboard (IWB) or screen without creating shadows or having light from the projector shine in their eyes.

* Free installation and online training.

The contest will name one winner from the following three grade level segments: kindergarten through fifth; sixth through eighth; and ninth through twelfth.  The sweepstakes is not limited to users of eInstruction or Interwrite Learning products. It is open to all teachers and students in the United States.

To encourage participation in the Google Map mashup, eInstruction will provide those teachers a referral bonus: for each teacher they successfully refer, they will receive an additional chance to win (total chances per teacher are capped at eleven per single entry).

All participants will submit their work by going to www.einstruction.com <http://www.einstruction.com/>  and clicking the “Content Meets Technology” link.  The sweepstakes begins on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 and ends on Thursday, May 13, 2008. Winners will be chosen randomly from each grade category and announced on Monday, May 19, 2008.

The Content Meets Technology Sweepstakes arrives on the heels of Interwrite Learning’s 2007 Video Makeover Contest, in which more than 220 classes submitted music parody videos.  The success of that contest has prompted eInstruction to schedule the second annual music parody contest; teachers and students can begin submitting their musical collaborations September 9, 2008.

For further information on the sweepstakes and eInstruction, please visit http://www.einstruction.com <http://www.einstruction.com/> . For more information on Interwrite Learning, visit http://www.interwritelearning.com.

About eInstructionT

eInstruction pioneered the first student response system for the education market during the 1980s. Its Classroom Performance System (CPS) provides instructors and students with real-time feedback on comprehension during instruction. Today CPS remains the leading student response system in education, being used with over 1.5 million students in more than 60,000 K-12 classrooms and over 400,000 students in more than 400 colleges and universities.

In 2006, eInstruction acquired FSCreations and integrated its ExamViewR and Learning Series software and content platforms so instructors can seamlessly use publisher and proprietary question banks in lesson plans, quizzes and tests with eInstruction technology. The result is an integrated system for instruction and assessment with real-time feedback.

About Interwrite LearningT

Interwrite LearningT is a premier global provider of interactive learning solutions for primary, secondary and higher education markets. Interactive  solutions, including the InterwriteT Board, Pad and Panel all come with Interwrite Software, a robust software package that includes thousands of images and resources to create dynamic and exciting lessons in an interactive learning environment. InterwriteT PRS, available in infrared, radio-frequency and “virtual” software configurations, is a powerful student response system that combines interaction and assessment to enhance classroom productivity and improve student results. Interwrite LearningT has a rich 32-year history of delivering interactive solutions that are changing how the world learns. To learn more about Interwrite Learning’s Interactive Classroom solutions, please visit  <http://www.interwritelearning.com/>
http://www.interwritelearning.com.

Interview with Valerie Fox: Interviews with eLearning Professionals Series

Published by Susan Smith Nash on April 14, 2008 in Online Learning. 0 Comments

Welcome to an interview with Valerie Fox, Ph.D., who is involved in online teaching at Drexel University.  In addition to teaching and designing online and hybrid courses, Valerie has edited a number of journals and magazines.  Her innovative poetry has received very positive attention.
What is your name, and what is your involvement with e-learning?
Valerie Fox. I’ve been teaching online courses for about five years. I teach writing and poetry at Drexel University, and writing and research for Excelsior College.

How did you get interested in distance education?
I was asked a few years ago to teach and help to develop blended freshman writing courses at Drexel. Our students take a lot of credits, and they appreciate being able to take part in e-learning. The transition to teaching fully online (including distance) courses was a natural one.

What is your favorite new trend in distance education?
This may sound vague…but I just notice a willingness to “go with” the technology and the possibilities–at departmental level, but also higher levels. I can’t speak to the institutional (or overall educational) reasons behind this; I suspect they vary considerably, depending on discipline, institution, etc.

What is your favorite technology?
I don’t really have a favorite. I like including lots of various audio and video sources as suggested if not required offerings. Specifically, I’ve had some good success asking small groups to create websites. This isn’t anything new–it’s really just adding a creative or creative writing element to an assigment. The visual learners, as one would expect, do a terrific job with this. It builds their confidence.

What kinds of instructional materials do you use in elearning?
Creating materials is something I enjoy, so the flexibility of being able to combine various sources and media definitely is a plus. I guess (like everybody) for a while I was using youtube a lot, and I make a point to combine the easily accessible sources/links with those requiring the use of library databases. A librarian recently told me about archive.org and I’ve been using/recommending it a lot.

How do you use textbooks in e-learning?
Having a textbook can help ground the learners that might be new to this, so I think at least one book should usually be required. Teaching English and writing, it isn’t hard to work required readings into writings/discussions that can be efficiently read and graded. Blackboard Vista Media Library is an excellent tool also, making it possible to easily add suggested readings, videos etc. to a course. Students can be allowed to add to the Media Libraries and sometimes I give extra credit if students add items of interest.

What are your favorite social networks? How do you view them in e-learning?
I participate in various forums and writing groups. Because I enjoy this, I simply try to recreate what I think are their best features in my course websites. It isn’t always possible, but often it is. I hear more and more about students using non-official means to communicate about class work and activity. This helps to replicate the before-and-after-class information sharing that students sometimes miss from a face-to-face class. I acknowledge this but don’t interfere with their bonding, with their assisting of each other.

What is your favorite quote? or, what’s a book that caught your eye recently?
Recently I read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and thought it was terrific.

Online Education in the News (April 7-13, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on April 13, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Transitioning to unified communications with e-learning
E-learning systems can help accelerate the acceptance and use of new unified communications (UC) technologies. Not only do they help workers get up to speed on the technical aspects of the new system, they can also help foster social acceptance. — Unified Communications News

Schools mull needs of adult distance learners
Many ed-tech advocates have voiced support for distance learning as a way for K-12 students to take courses not offered at their regular schools or enroll in courses for college credit. But another group of learners–adults who turn to distance learning to return or expand their schooling–is attracting more and more national attention. — eSchool News

IT News (April 7-13, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on April 13, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

AT&T Foundation Proposes WOW Project Blending Tech, Education Outdoors
The philanthropy organization of AT&T Inc., AT&T Foundation, announced the release of $25,000 as award money in order to develop the garden’s Wonders of Wireless (WOW) proposal. The proposal delineates a cutting-edge technology project, which aims to maximize the outdoor learning experience of visitors taking so-called cellular tours, in the Key West Tropical Forest and Garden. — TMCnet

HP Introduces Full-function Mini-notebook PC for Education Market
Hewlett-Packard is introducing a full-function, mini-notebook PC, priced starting at $500, to help schools offer affordable computing and benefit mobile professionals. The HP 2133 Mini-Note PC, which will be available later this month, was designed for the education market and is flexible for students to use from the classroom to family room. — TMCnet

NEC Display Solutions Strengthens Star Student Education Rewards Program
NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading stand-alone provider of commercial and residential LCD and plasma displays and projectors, announced that schools participating in its Star Student program will receive cash-back rewards on NEC display products. Debit cards containing the cash will be mailed directly to schools and may be spent however the schools choose. — Business Wire

Intel offers Saudi Arabia a boost in WiMax and E-learning
Saudi Arabia was the first stop on Intel Chairman, Craig Barret’s whistle-stop tour of the Middle East’s Gulf States. On his travels, Barret is purportedly offering Intel’s technical support to build up the region’s high speed, wireless WiMax technology, and pilot projects aimed at e-learning in Saudi Arabian schools. — Inquirer, UK

Microsoft partnerships to transform education, technology in Latin America
At the Government Leaders Forum—Americas in Miami today, Microsoft Corp. announced new and expanded partnerships that will play a strong role in transforming education and creating economic opportunity in Latin America. — Dominican Today

Games in the News (April 7-13, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on April 13, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Students want more use of gaming technology
Project Tomorrow’s fifth annual Speak Up Survey, the largest annual survey addressing the attitudes and opinions of K-12 students, teachers, parents, and school administrators toward the use of technology in education, reveals that online or electronic gaming is one of the technologies that students use most frequently—and that educational gaming is one of the emerging technologies that students would most like to see implemented in their schools. Yet, only one in 10 teachers has adopted gaming as an instructional tool. — eSchool News

Research in the News (April 7-13, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on April 13, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Students Want the 21st Century Classroom, but Schools Not Meeting Student Expectations, According to Latest National Study
Project Tomorrow released results from the 5th Annual Speak Up survey, the largest annual national survey of K-12 students, teachers, parents, and school administrators, about the use of technology and science resources to prepare students for the 21st century. The 2007 online survey collected authentic, unfiltered views and ideas from over 367,000 education stakeholders representing schools in all 50 states, bringing the total of survey participants to over 1.2 million over the past 5 years. — PR Web

California Small Business Education Foundation Launches ‘Tech for SMBs’ Website
Almost three in ten small businesses today in California still do not use cell phones. Nearly 70 percent of small businesspeople have not utilized conference calling in their business. And nearly 50 percent use the Internet for business only 10 to 60 minutes per day. These are just a few of the extraordinary findings in an intensive survey that the California Small Business Education Foundation (CSBEF) conducted among 2,000+ small business owners. — Trading Markets

University of Houston Study: Hybrid Courses More Effective for Students
A technical report from a University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance researcher finds that students in a hybrid class that incorporated instructional technology with in-class lectures scored a letter grade higher on average than their counterparts who took the same class in a more traditional format. — Campus Technology

Advance of e-learning continues to be overstated
Over half of learning and development managers (57 per cent) now offer e-learning as part of their training provision. There remain continuing doubts about its effectiveness, however, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s annual learning and development survey. — SMEweb, UK

Gartner Says Mobile Technology Vendors Must Better Address Gender Diversity and Demographics in their Products
Sixty-eight percent of the world’s population is women and children who could benefit much from mobile technology, but the majority of mobile devices are designed by men, for men, according to Gartner, Inc. The user profile to which most mobile products are targeted is a western adult male (age 20 to 64), but this represents just 32 percent of the global population. — FOXBusiness

Programs in the News (April 7-13, 2008)

Published by Erica Nielsen on April 13, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Online Used Bookseller Better World Books Gets $4.5 Million
Better World Books, an online bookseller that collects donated books and sells them online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide, has raised $4.5 million in its first round of funding, led by Good Capital, whose Social Enterprise Expansion Fund provides funds to businesses that deploy market-based solutions focused on poverty alleviation, healthcare and education. — PR-Inside

SchoolPulse Launch Brings Local School Communities Online
SchoolPulse announced the launch of SchoolPulse.com, a one-stop resource for strengthening school communities. SchoolPulse provides parents, teachers, administrators and students a simple online solution for organizing everything from school lunch menus, newsletters and sports schedules to local resources and discussions. A pilot is currently running in New England before a national roll-out planned for back-to-school 2008. — PR Inside

College support Ohio’s new education plan
College administrators generally support Ohio’s new goals of making higher education more affordable through lower tuition and more accountable by setting up a system of benchmarks.Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut released his 10-year plan last week, urging public colleges to improve quality. The crux of the plan is to revive Ohio’s economy in an era that is demanding more and more skilled workers. — Bowling Green News

End of School Year Prompts Families to Evaluate Education Choices
As the school year draws to a close, many families are already exploring and evaluating education options for the upcoming school year. The growing popularity of online education in particular is opening up a whole new horizon of educational choices for Arizona students. Schools such as iQ Academy Arizona offer a high-quality, tuition-free, high school education that provides small group instruction and one-on-one feedback from certified teachers — all conducted online using a laptop provided by the school. — PR Newswire

Art education activities available online
The city of Tempe Cultural Division announced today the addition of two new, free art education programs for teachers and students. “Public Art” and “Projecting Persona” provide activities that teachers or parents of elementary and secondary students can use.
These lesson plans are available online at www.tempe.gov/tca/gallery/education. — EV Living

New South Wales education downgrades Microsoft deal
The NSW Department of Education (Australia) has put Microsoft on notice after it agreed to extend its software licensing agreement with the company for just one year instead of renegotiating a new three-year contract. Technology chief Stephen Wilson announced the department will install a free alternative to Microsoft’s Office suite, referred to in industry circles as OpenOffice, on 41,000 computers due to be distributed to schools across the state by the end of 2008. — Computer World

MAXON’s Online Education and Training Resource, Cineversity, Hits 1,000 Tutorial Milestone
MAXON Computer, a leading developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions, announced that there are now over 1,000 tutorials available on its online education and training resource, Cineversity. This major milestone underscores MAXON’s commitment to helping artists maximize their creative potential by providing instruction on some of the world’s most advanced visual effects techniques and methods. — eMedia Wire