Helge Scherlund's eLearning News

SOPHIA.org launches free college readiness tools

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:37:27 PDT

Tweet me @eSN_Dennis

Dennis Pierce, Editor writes, "This week’s “Site of the Week” highlights free college readiness resources from SOPHIA.org, an online education platform that provides 33,000 free academic tutorials on a variety of subjects".

Photo: eSchool News

Current Site of the Week

With the cost of higher education skyrocketing and two-thirds of today’s students unprepared academically for college, SOPHIA has launched a new program called “Operation College Success,” offering free tools to help address the issue of college readiness and affordability.

SOPHIA, an online education platform announced the new program with Bill Nye the Science Guy during a May 13 event on Capitol Hill.

With Operation College Success, SOPHIA has expanded its offerings to include free college readiness resources that include…
Read more...

Source: eSchool News

5/21 webinar: A How-to Guide for Flipping The Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:43:58 PDT

Attend this free webinar below:

Just Flip It: From the Front Lines of the Flipped Classroom

Tuesday, May 21, 2013
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CDT (convert to your time zone)

It’s easy to picture a traditional classroom – a lecturing professor with rows of students watching, listening and taking notes.
But that age-old model is turning a cartwheel in some of the best classrooms in academia. And chances are someone in your department is already flipping their classroom.

Professor Ralph Welsh of Clemson University started experimenting with this technology-driven pedagogy three years ago, redesigning and refining his courses over time and putting the onus on the student to come to class already having watched the lectures and ready to engage in conversation.

During that time he’s met and overcome challenges and reset his teaching style to rave reviews from students. Join Ralph as he presents a how-to guide for introducing flipped instruction, and shares lessons learned along the way including:

How to overcome the biggest challenges of the flipped classroom, including managing student expectations
How to evolve a curriculum by taking in feedback, evaluating it and re-introducing new methods into the classroom
Tips on how to educate your colleagues on your new workload and get your department on board with what you’re doing

Register online today

Engage all of your K-12 teachers in next year's back-to-school staff development

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:33:52 PDT

School Play, an award-winning documentary film, reveals the profound impact of knowing and nurturing students, both at school and at home.

School Play: A Professional Development Package 72-minute DVD

"A funny, authentic, and often poignant documentary about a production of The Wizard of Oz in a suburban New York City elementary school, this video follows five fifth-graders from auditions through opening night", writes Stenhouse Publishers.

Watching School Play in the company of colleagues, educators are moved to remember that our mission is to educate the whole child for a lifetime of principled, productive participation in the world. The School Play package consists of the seventy-two-minute documentary plus four short video clips keyed to workshops outlined in the 44-page study guide, which provides ready-made materials for administrators and/or teacher-leaders to adopt or adapt as necessary.

The study guide, written by assistant superintendent Annie Ward, is designed to engage heterogeneous groups of educators as well as to provide role-specific prompts for action-oriented follow-up, and includes agendas for full-day and half-day professional workshops; notes for an opening keynote address that frames the workshop; discussion questions for mixed groups; plans for four action-oriented, topic-specific workshops; and reproducible handouts, articles, and professional research.

Source: EdWeek Update and Stenhouse Publishers

Upcoming Webinar: Using your website to boost applications and student satisfaction

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:19:52 PDT

Attend this free webinar below:

Using your website to boost applications and student satisfaction

Date: Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Time: 2:00pm ET / 11:00am PT
Duration: One hour

With ever-increasing competition for prospective students, countless distractions for current students, and sky-rocketing adoption of mobile devices, technology can help set your school apart. Turning your website into a destination that helps you connect with prospective students and retain existing ones can become one of your greatest advantages.

Join Olivet Nazarene University, Ellucian and Ektron to learn how to:

Empower staff and faculty to easily create and update web content, reducing dependency on IT
Publish your course catalog on your website while maintaining it in your student management system
Easily create and manage pages that are optimized for smartphones, tablets and desktops
Deliver targeted content based on visitor location, application status, and other key attributes

Register Now!

How teachers use Pinterest in the classroom by Laura Devaney, Managing Editor

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:52:07 PDT

@eSN_Laura

Laura Devaney, Managing Editor writes, "Today’s featured story looks at how Pinterest can be a valuable educational resource".

Long a favorite among craft enthusiasts, the popular DIY site Pinterest, in which users “pin” online images to virtual pin boards for later reference, is gaining ground in education. Educators using Pinterest in the classroom have access to professional development resources, lesson plans, curriculum ideas, and more.

Photo: eSchool News

Locating online educational resources can put even more demands on teachers’ time, which is often already stretched to the limit. Pinterest lets users organize resources and ideas in one central location, as opposed to bookmarking sites and then visiting those sites multiple times in order to remember what each site contains.

Using Pinterest in the classroom, teachers also can share their own projects and visuals by taking pictures, posting those pictures online in a blog or other platform, and pinning those images to their own Pinterest boards.

Users can search for educational resources and a slew of Pinterest boards and pins will pop up:

Ultimate List of Educational Websites

Educational games for Kids

Educational Gross Motor Activities

iPad Apps for Struggling Readers

Virtual Educational Field Trips

18 Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers

15 Great Educational Apps

Educational Disability Resources

30 Fun Letter Activities for Kids

Source: eSchool News

A New Way to Share Everything From an iPad

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 12 May 2013 06:14:52 PDT

Flowboard is the new way to share your stories, your work, and your life from iPad.

iPad app Flowboard (http://bit.ly/Flowboard_iPad) has launched, giving consumers the tools needed to publish beautiful touch-enabled publications, viewable on web and mobile devices. Flowboard’s storytelling app defines a new standard; it enables users to create side-scrolling experiences - complete with cloud enabled images, text, videos, links and photo galleries, available via a unique, sharable URL.

Content for the Flowboard presentation can be utilized from your Dropbox, Facebook, Box, Instagram, or a Google Image Search. An upgrade to Skydrive and Google Drive would make it much more beneficial since districts are mainly Google and Microsoft users.
Visit iTunes to buy and download apps

About Flowboard

Flowboard (http://flowboard.com), previously known as Treemo Labs, is a Seattle technology company that has built one of the most robust mobile app publishing platforms.
For the past seven years, Treemo Labs has been developing and managing apps for some of the biggest brands in the world, including 60 Minutes, Beyonce, 48 Hours, CNET and others.
In 2011 and 2012, it created Appafolio and Appavideo, two products that enabled companies and artists to create custom iPhone and iPad apps. Now, the company is leveraging everything it has learned into making Flowboard the next-generation storytelling platform for the iPad.

Related link
See a sample Flowboard, which is actually a UsersGuide

Source: Flowboard

New Book: Handbook of Mobile Learning, Edited by Zane L. Berge, Lin Muilenburg

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sat, 11 May 2013 05:04:29 PDT

Routledge writes "This handbook provides a comprehensive compendium of research in all aspects of mobile learning, one of the most significant ongoing global developments in the entire field of education".

Rather than focus on specific technologies, expert authors discuss how best to utilize technology in the service of improving teaching and learning.

For more than a decade, researchers and practitioners have been exploring this area of study as the growing popularity of smartphones, tablets, and other such devices, as well as the increasingly sophisticated applications for these devices, has allowed educators to accommodate and support an increasingly mobile society.

This handbook provides the first authoritative account of the theory and research that underlies mobile learning, while also exemplifying models of current and future practice.

Buy this book

About the Authors
Zane L. Berge is Professor of Education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Lin Y. Muilenburg is Assistant Professor of Educational Studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Related link
Welcome to Routledge Resources for Teaching in Higher Education

Source: Routledge

Elever udvikler matematik-app: Storthitter i App Store af Louise Kielstrup

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sat, 11 May 2013 02:31:23 PDT

Louise Kielstrup

Louise Kielstrup skriver, "Tre danske 3.g’ere har brugt to år på at udvikle en matematik-app, som i øjeblikket topper hitlisten i Apples App Store. Nu er ambitionerne skyhøje".

- De har matematik lige nu og siger, at de er i gang med noget vigtigt. Du kan ringe senere.

Den besked lød i telefonen, da tv2.dk tidligere på dagen onsdag forsøgte at få fat i Nikolaj Holck, Frederik Filip Staeger og Rune Højlund fra 3.c på Sankt Annæ Gymnasium i Valby.

At de tre gymnasieelever går op i skolen og passer deres undervisning er ikke nogen stor overraskelse. Sammen har de nemlig udviklet en iPhone- og iPod Touch-app til matematik på A, B og C-niveau i gymnasiet, som udkom 1. maj.

’Matematikken’, som app’en hedder, nåede allerede dagen efter lanceringen førstepladsen over de mest solgte apps i den danske App Store. I skrivende stund topper app’en stadig listen og kan prale med at have fem ud af fem stjerner. De unge udviklere er stolte over succesen.

"Matematikken" koster syv kroner. Men Rune Højlund understreger, at ingen af de tre gymnasiedrenge har lavet den for pengenes skyld, derimod handler det primært om interesse. At det samtidig også har været sjovt, er en ekstra bonus.

Trioen har mange visioner for deres projekt. De har planer om at gøre app’en endnu mere tilgængelig ved at lave en version til henholdsvis iPad, Mac og Android, så elever i højere grad kan bruge 'Matematikken' til eksaminer og lignende.
Læs mere...

Relateret link
Åbn iTunes for at købe og hente apps.

Kilde: http://beep.tv2.dk/

EDUCAUSE Review Online -- New Content Alert

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:42:53 PDT

Just look at these articles and video in this EDUCAUSE Review, published on Monday, May 6, 2013.

Ethics, Big Data, and Analytics: A Model for Application
By James E. Willis, III, John P. Campbell, and Matthew D. Pistilli

The use of big data and analytics to predict student success ethical administrators relating to the nature of knowledge; in education, "to know" entails an obligation to on behalf of the student. The Potter Box frameworkcan help administrators address these questions and provide a framework for action.
Read more...

Up and Away: Open Access in Portugal
By Claude H. Potts

Portugal stands out among nations that have embraced open access to scholarly communication because of its early adoption of institutional policies creation of network of repositories and effective system of governance. And, nonprofit international publishing initiatives play an important role in opening up entire runs of Portuguese academic journals.
Read more...

8 Lessons Learned from Teaching Online
This video list of insights comes from experts in the field of online teaching. Here is a collection of 8 lessons that might improve your online course!
Read more...

Source: EDUCAUSE Review

Tools for Schools: Weebly lets you easily create websites for class projects and more

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Thu, 09 May 2013 02:24:19 PDT

Tweet me @eSN_Dennis

"This week’s “Site of the Week” is Weebly, a free online service that is perfect for creating classroom websites, student blogs or e-portfolios, and websites for assigned projects", writes Dennis Pierce, Editor.

Current Site of the Week
Weebly lets you easily create websites for class projects and more.

Weebly for Education

Weebly for Education is a free online service that is perfect for creating classroom websites...

Its drag-and-drop website editor is simple to use for students of all ages. Weebly allows students to express themselves creatively using a variety of multimedia features, all within a protected environment that teachers can control.

Videos, pictures, maps, and text can be added to a site simply by dragging and dropping them—no HTML or technical skills are required. And with Weebly, you can password-protect all your students’ websites with one click. You have full control over which websites are public, which are private, and which can be edited by the student.
Read more...

Source: eSchool News

Interactive iPad learning with Nearpod by Guest Blogger Dan Gallagher

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:32:55 PDT

How do you make your lectures more engaging through interactive multimedia presentations.

Dan Gallagher writes, "Engaging instruction is the goal of every educator. So when I was introduced to an app that promised such a lofty ideal, I had to try it".

Get engaged with Nearpod from Nearpod on Vimeo.
At the time, I was teaching sixth grade math and social studies in a PA school district. I had a challenging lesson coming up and sought the assistance of a fellow teacher who was piloting an iPad cart. He allowed me to borrow it for my math lesson on changing fractions. The math series we used had a lesson called "The Licorice Lace Problem" which describes several teens going on a hike. They were dividing up licorice equally among themselves. Just after they cut the licorice, another friend shows up; now they need to redistribute the licorice. This is spatially a hard concept to imagine. But I had an idea!

Nearpod is a free app that allows a teacher to present an interactive lesson on students' iPads. As soon as I opened the cart, I had the students’ attention. After establishing some management guidelines with the class, everyone logged into Nearpod with the student PIN.

Teachers want a way to deliver interactive lessons to engage all learners and I know Nearpod has become my answer to this challenge. It's a wonderful tool—and with a growing following on Twitter (great place to go to read how others have used it or ask questions - #NearpodTeachers), many more teachers will surely discover its benefits as well.
Visit iTunes to buy and download apps
Read more...

About Dan Gallagher
Dan Gallagher is a Teacher Resource Specialist for Technology in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District in West Windsor, NJ.

Join a Nearpod WebiNear!

Please have at least 1 iPad as a teacher's device and 1 iPad or iPod as a student's device available during the session.

Register for the Basics on a Tuesday:

Tue, May 7, 2013 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM GMT (8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT)
Tue, May 21, 2013 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM GMT (8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT)
Tue, May 28, 2013 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM GMT (8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT)
Tue, June 4, 2013 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM GMT (8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT)

Register for Advanced Concepts on a Wednesday:

Wed, May 1, 2013 7:00PM-8:00PM GMT (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT)
Wed, May 8, 2013 7:00PM-8:00PM GMT (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT)
Wed, May 22, 2013 7:00PM-8:00PM GMT (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT)
Wed, May 29, 2013 7:00PM-8:00PM GMT (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT)
Wed, June 5, 2013 7:00PM-8:00PM GMT (3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT)

Register for the Basics on a Thursday:

Thu, May 2, 2013 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM GMT (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EDT)
Thu, May 9, 2013 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM GMT (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EDT)
Thu, May 23, 2013 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM GMT (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EDT)
Thu, May 30, 2013 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM GMT (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EDT)
Thu, June 6, 2013 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM GMT (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EDT)

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar.

Source: Tech & Learningp

Upcoming Webinar: A Balanced Look at the Pros and Cons of Virtual Instructor-Led Training

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:02:26 PDT

Are you considering virtual instructor-led training (vILT) for your organization? Attend this webinar for a balanced view of what to expect, including vILT’s pros, cons and critical success factors.

A Balanced Look at the Pros and Cons of Virtual Instructor-Led Training

Date: Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Time: 10:00AM Pacific / 1:00PM Eastern (60 Minute Session)
Can't attend? Register anyway. We'll send you the recording and materials after the event.

Cost: $ 0.00

Session Description

Are you considering virtual instructor-led training (vILT) but aren’t quite sure how to get started…or whether your organization is even ready? Join us for this session and you’ll learn what to expect from vILT, including its pros, cons and critical success factors

vILT can be a “best-of-both-worlds” learning modality, melding the strengths of traditional classroom and trendy e-learning. Learners benefit from many ways to interact with the instructor and each other, all from the convenience of their homes anywhere in the world. Yet certain limitations, if overlooked, can tarnish the vILT learning experience.

This webinar delivers a comprehensive, balanced view of:

What vILT is (and what it isn’t)
Where vILT fits in relation to other learning modalities
The elements of a well-designed vILT program
How to anticipate and avoid common obstacles
Planning tips to run a seamless vILT session
Best practices to engage your participants and sustain their learning

VIEW OTHER WEBINARS

Register Now

New Book: Starting with Science

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:09:00 PDT

In Starting with Science: Strategies for Introducing Young Children to Inquir Marcia Talhelm Edson explores the big ideas surrounding inquiry-based science; she helps teachers thoughtfully plan for and implement a conceptual approach to teaching and learning science so students can engage in observation, questioning, predictions, collaboration, data collection, and a deeper understanding of topics important to their lives.

Preview the entire book!

Stenhouse Publishers writes, "Through numerous examples from classroom discussions, teacher commentary, and children's work samples, Starting with Science provides practical suggestions and models for beginning teachers as well as those who are fine-tuning their practice. Four key questions underlie the book:

What is inquiry-based science?
How can pre-K, kindergarten, and primary grade teachers incorporate inquiry-based science when faced with limited science background, insufficient time, and lack of resources?
What roles do the children, the teacher, and the environment play in an inquiry-based science program?
What instructional strategies are effective in implementing inquiry-based science?

In answering these questions, Edson provides a framework from which teachers can devise their own in-depth inquiry investigations based on district requirements and students' own interests. She also integrates literacy opportunities as well as explicit suggestions for effective assessment of inquiry-based science".

Starting with Science shows us what inquiry looks like in an early childhood classroom and introduces strategies teachers can employ to confidently and competently teach science to students in grades pre-K–2. Children will gain skills for problem solving and an attitude about learning that they will carry with them not just to the next grade but throughout their lives.

About Marcia Talhelm Edson
Marcia Edson is a clinical assistant professor in the School of Education at Boston University. She focuses on inquiry-based science in early childhood education.
Read more...

Source: EdWeek Update and Stenhouse Publishers

Kidblog provides a safe, and free, online forum for student writing

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Thu, 02 May 2013 01:13:06 PDT

Here's what's new on eSchool News site today.

Dennis Pierce, Editor writes, "This week’s “Site of the Week” is Kidblog, which provides a safe, and free, online forum for student writing".

Photo: Kidblog

Site of the Week
Designed by classroom educators, Kidblog is a free website that gives students their own blog. Students can publish posts and participate in academic discussions within a secure classroom blogging community, while teachers maintain complete control over student blogs and user accounts.

“All 141 fifth graders at my school have Kidblog accounts,” says Carol Edwards, an instructional technology specialist in Round Rock, Texas. “The students are blogging about the books they are reading. They are writing for an authentic audience of their peers, and their writing skills are improving. They are learning digital citizenship and the basics of social media use in a protected environment, too".

Kidblog is Different

"Kidblog is built by teachers, for teachers, so students can get the most out of the writing process. Our mission is to empower teachers to embrace the benefits of the coming digital revolution in education. As students become creators - not just consumers - of information, we recognize the crucial role of teachers as discussion moderators and content curators in the classroom. With Kidblog, teachers monitor and control all activity within their classroom blogging community".

Source: eSchool News and Kidblog

Webinar: Preparing Enterpise Networks for a Wireless Multi-Device World

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:59:24 PDT

Join Infonetics and Aerohive Networks for a Live, Interactive Webinar

Preparing Enterprise Networks for a Wireless Multi-device World

Date: Wednesday, May 15 | Time: 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. UT | Duration: 1 hour

Overview
An explosion of new devices, including smart phones, tablets, and video cameras, is flooding enterprise networks and challenging network managers. In many cases, this trend is being driven by the users, but in other cases it’s being steered by new IT initiatives. What’s the bottom line? These devices, which are almost exclusively wireless, often require an upgrade to network infrastructure to sustain network connectivity and performance—and they also present new management and security considerations. This webinar will explore how device usage is evolving in the enterprise and what steps network managers need to take to prepare for a mobile-first world.

Who Should Attend
Enterprise network managers, network architects, IT managers, and CIOs. Press and analysts are also encouraged to attend.

What You Will Learn

How device usage is evolving in enterprise networks
What's driving access network growth
Why enterprises are investing in wireless networks
Management considerations and special techniques for accommodating mobile devices

Register now

New: Free social writing platform for teachers and students

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:47:23 PDT

Photo: Meris Stansbury

Meris Stansbury, Associate Editor writes, "In today’s news, we highlight a new, free social writing platform for teachers and students that incorporates real-time formative assessments and safe social networking".

A free resource for social writing and online learning offers new tools for students and teachers who want to use safe social networking, group learning projects, and real-time formative assessments.

Photo: eSchool News

Wikispaces Classroom is the first streamlined platform from Wikispaces that is optimized for mobile devices to help meet the needs of students and teachers.

“We have always focused on helping teachers and students succeed by actively listening and giving them the tools they want,” said Adam Frey, co-founder of Wikispaces, in a statement. “We have taken everything we’ve learned from our users and created Wikispaces Classroom.”

To view Wikispaces Classroom, visit: http://www.wikispaces.com/

Wikispaces Campus, a solution for school districts and universities, will be available soon. Contact Wikispaces Classroom for more information by scrolling to the bottom of this page: http://www.wikispaces.com/content/classroom/about.

Source: eSchool News

Seminar: Visual Story Telling. Inside Your Writer’s Brain

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:13:21 PDT

Take your writing projects to their full potential by visualizing your ideas.

Visual Story Telling & Content Creation
Inside A Writer’s Brain

Thursday, May 2, 2013

11:00 am Pacific Time / 2:00 pm Eastern Time

This seminar focuses on how you can use your Brain to expand your mind. Learn how to make connections that yield more creative thinking and outstanding prose.

Capturing creative ideas and planning creative content
Visualizing story elements and references
Overcoming writer’s block with visual brainstorming
Creating reference guides for writing projects
Managing multiple versions of files and exporting to Word

Register Now

Learning And Memory: From Brain to Behavior

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:18:24 PDT

Check out this book below:

Learning and Memory: From Brain to Behavior / Edition 2

Mark A. Gluck, Eduardo Mercado and Catherine E. Myers

"Gluck, Mercado and Myers’s Learning and Memory is the first textbook developed from its inception to reflect the convergence of brain studies and behavioral approaches in modern learning and memory research incorporating findings both in animals and humans. Each chapter integrates coverage of both human memory and animal learning, with separate sections specifically devoted to behavioral processes, brain systems, and clinical perspectives", writes Barnes & Noble

The real-life examples will be helpful for students.

Pub. Date: January 2013

About the Authors
Mark A. Gluck is a Professor of Neuroscience at Rutgers University–Newark, co-director of the Memory Disorders Project at Rutgers–Newark, and publisher of the project’s public health newsletter, Memory Loss and the Brain. His research focuses on the neural bases of learning and memory, and the consequences of memory loss due to aging, trauma, and disease. He is co-author of Gateway to Memory: An Introduction to Neural Network Modeling of the Hippocampus and Learning (MIT Press, 2001). In 1996, he was awarded an NSF Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by President Bill Clinton. That same year, he received the American Psychological Association (APA) Distinguish Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology.

Eduardo Mercado is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. His research focuses on how different brain systems interact to develop representations of experienced events, and how these representations change over time. Dr. Mercado currently uses techniques from experimental psychology, computational neuroscience, electrical engineering, and behavioral neuroscience to explore questions about auditory learning and memory in rodents, cetaceans, and humans.

Catherine E. Myers is a Research Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University–Newark, co-director of the Memory Disorders Project at Rutgers–Newark, and Editor-in-Chief of the project’s public health newsletter, Memory Loss and the Brain. Her research includes both computational neuroscience and experimental psychology, and focuses on human memory, specifically on memory impairments following damage to the hippocampus and associated brain structures. She is co-author of Gateway to Memory: An Introduction to Neural Network Modeling of the Hippocampus and Learning (MIT Press, 2001) and author of Delay Learning in Artificial Neural Networks (Chapman and Hall, 1992).

Related link
Learning and Memory: From Brain to Behavior

Source: Barnes & Noble

New Book: When Writing with Technology Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:10:24 PDT

When Writing with Technology Matters shows how to take advantage of students' affinity for technology to change and improve the writing process. Includes detailed descriptions of elementary and middle school literacy projects that teachers can follow step-by-step or use as a guide when planning their own technology-based projects.

Preview the entire book online!

"Students today have been plugged in for their entire lives. They don't remember a time before Facebook, blogs, texting, and websites, and they have experienced a range of digital tools including laptops, smartphones, and tablets...
The authors show teachers how to create a classroom environment that allows students to become invested in writing and provide detailed descriptions of elementary and middle school literacy projects that teachers can follow step-by-step or use as a guide when planning their own technology-based projects. This book demonstrates how to take advantage of the digital generation's affinity for technology in order to change and improve the writing process, empowering students to become better, more nuanced readers, writers, and thinkers who are well prepared for the challenges of a digital world. ". writes Stenhouse Publishers.

About Carol Bedard

For the past thirty-five years, Carol Bedard has worked in the field of education as a music therapist, a classroom teacher, a university professor, and an educational administrator. She is currently the director of literacy for the Houston Independent School District.

Read more...

About Charles Fuhrken
Growing up in a small town in Texas, Charles knew early on that he wanted a career in education. When his parents bought him a monstrous chalkboard one year, he officially opened a school in his bedroom
Read more...

Source: EdWeek Update and Stenhouse Publishers

Every Student Can Become a Mathematician

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:56:48 PDT

Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ Pre-K to Grade 5 Math aligned to the Common Core empowers students to master key concepts and increase achievement.

DreamBox pairs a CCSS-based math curriculum with an Intelligent Adaptive Learning Engine™ that adjusts to the needs of all students.
Request an Online Demo

The DreamBox Difference – Intelligent Adaptive Learning from DreamBox Learning on Vimeo.
Related link
How Every Student Can Be Good At Mathematics by Academia.edu

Source: EdWeek Update and Vimeo

LEARNING HISTORY is coming to you on the 22nd May! Do you want to be part of it?

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 09:51:07 PDT

Attend this Learning Innovation Talks 3 (LIT 03) organized by IMU

SPEAKERS & SESSIONS
Zaid Ali Alsagoff (MC & Host)

Zaid Ali Alsagoff is the e-Learning Manager and Fellow of IMU Centre for Education. He has more than ten years’ hands-on experience with implementing e-learning in higher education.
He has done research in several key e-learning areas, including social media, web 2.0, open educational resources (OER), educational gaming, role-play simulation, virtual classrooms, learning (content) management systems, e-learning standards, instructional design and courseware development. He has also been a practitioner and promoter of Open Educational Resources (OER) since 2005.
According to one survey, he was ranked among the ‘Top Ten’ most influential people (2012) in the corporate e-learning sector in the Asia-Pacific. He is most known worldwide among learning professionals and educators for his learning adventure (blog) known as ‘ZaidLearn’.

Learning Innovation Talks 03

Join us for this really exciting upcoming Learning Innovation Talks 3 (LIT 03) organized by IMU, which will be done FULLY ONLINE.

5 BIG REASONS to attend LIT 03:

FIRST 1-Day Online Seminar held by a University in Malaysia.

Opportunity to connect and engage with AWESOME EDUCATORS.

Learn SIZZLING NEW TRICKS and tips on how to use technology to transform learning.

Exposure to the LATEST TRENDS in e-learning.

Will Get a DIGITAL CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE if you register and attend.

Register Now

Oops, I forgot to mention that this online seminar is FREE! What are you waiting for?

Enjoy the online seminar!

Source: Zaid Ali Alsagoff

Articles released by the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology.

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:02:33 PDT

Just look at these interesting articles, appears in the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET), Volume 29, Number 1, 2013.

"This issue contains a range of articles addressing some of the most important contemporary issues in educational technology research, including technology supported learning design in higher education, teacher knowledge and ICT capacity development, the use of laptops and mobile devices in schools, and comparisons of learning outcomes achieved with and without technology".

Design of a blended learning environment: Considerations and implementation issues
By Nuray Gedik, Ercan Kiraz and M. Yasar Ozden

Abstract
This study identified critical issues in the design of a blended learning environment by examining basic design considerations and implementation issues. Following a design-based research approach with the phenomenological tradition of qualitative research, the study investigated instructor experiences relating to the design, development, and implementation processes of a blended course.
The results reveal that the design considerations centred on the pedagogical approach, course organization, materials preparation, interactions, and the instructor's and students' roles. The affordances of the implementation included the arousal of the students' interest and participation, flexibility, time conservation, the ability to track student progress, and the improvement of interaction, collaboration, and communication opportunities. The challenges were increased workload, course and time management, overlaps, and the creation of harmony between the face-to-face and online environments.
The overall results show that the critical issues involved context, the pedagogical framework, instructor competency, and technical issues in the blended course design.
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Schools going mobile: A study of the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in Western Australian independent schools
By Mark Pegrum, Grace Oakley and Robert Faulkner

Abstract

This paper reports on the adoption of mobile handheld technologies in ten Western Australian independent schools, based on interviews with staff conducted in 2011. iPads were the most popular device, followed by iPod Touches and iPhones.
Class sets were common at lower levels, with 1:1 models becoming increasingly common at higher levels. Mobile learning, or m-learning, was still at an experimental stage in most schools, but common themes were already emerging around the need to integrate mobile devices into a broader learning ecology. Key discussions focused on their role in promoting consumption or production, collaboration or personalisation, and creating seamless learning spaces. Used for both organisational and pedagogical purposes, mobile devices were seen as enhancing student motivation, with empirical evidence of improved student learning also emerging in small-scale studies conducted by two schools. Challenges included the need to carefully manage the technology, ethical issues in its use, and staff roles in its deployment.
Pedagogically grounded and adequately contextualised professional development (PD) was seen as vital for time-poor staff, while a desire to set up a professional community of practice was widely expressed. All the schools surveyed planned to extend their use of mobile handheld technologies in the future.
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Source: Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

Articles released by the Asian Journal of Distance Education.

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 08:06:45 PDT

Take a look at these interesting articles, appears in the Asian Journal of Distance Education.

KAWACHI & SHARMA writes,"In this Issue we present a group of papers describing how face-to-face teaching is now used in open and distance educaton.
The phenomenon of not lettinggo of thiselement has several reasons for its continued role in distance education. Someof these reasons are to do with teaching andassessment, and one other may be related tothe need forstudent online socia presence".

Face-to-Face Tutorials in ODE and Student Satisfaction By HERMAN
Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia
herman@ut.ac.id

Abstract
This article discusses relationship between five sub-variables (tutorial preparation, masteryof subject, teaching ability, communication ability, and tutor’s discipline) in tutor performancevariable, tutorial result variable, tutorial cost variable and students’ satisfaction variable in face-to-face tutorial at Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia.
Totally, there are seven independent variables and one dependent variable. Three sub-variables (mastery of subject. teaching ability, communication ability) in tutor performance are interacted. 200 respondents as a sample werecollected by purposive sampling. To analyze the data, factorial analysis, correlation, andregression were used. The result showed that there are significant and positive correlationbetween sub-variables in tutor’s performance (tutorial preparation, mastery of subject, teachingability, communication ability, and tutor’s discipline), tutorial result, tutorial cost and customer satisfaction.
In addition coefficients regression between some sub-variables and their interaction in tutor performance, tutorial result, and student’s satisfaction are also significant.
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The Leadership Role for Turkey in Regional Distance Education
By Ugur DEMIRAY
Anadolu University, Turkey
udemiray@anadolu.edu.tr

Abstract

This Paper reportsthe distance education practices in Turkey, and then examinesand discusses the role of leadership which should be undertaken by Turkey in the regions of Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Baltic, Turkic, Caucasian, theMiddle East and northern Africa. International distance education organizations in the world are not well organized and functional in this area, nor arethe regional distance education institutions in the name ofeducational institutionalism. To fill this gap, it is argued here that Turkey take a leadership role in the distance education field in this region and there by organize the practices of the regional countries for their mutual co-prosperity and benefits.

The structure of the potential distance education organization and the regulations of the organization is discussed in more detail based on this argument and available freely online at http://www.midasebook.com.

The suggestedname for this regional group is ICDEEEWA (International Council for Distance Education forEastern Europe and West Asia).
A draft of the constitution of the recommended association is presented and discussed at http://www.midasebook.com.
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Source: Asian Journal of Distance Education

Join this live, interactive webinar: How to present to a virtual audience with confidence

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:54:19 PDT

Attend this webinar to learn to Speak up!

Presenting to a Virtual Audience without Freaking Out

Date: Tuesday, April 30
Time: 3 PM (UK)
Duration: 45 mins (plus Q&A)

The first few moments of any presentation are when your audience decides whether they are going to listen to you or not. You must be authentic, confident and compelling if you want them to find you – and your presentation – credible.

Join Matt Abrahams, educator and coach at Stanford University, as he draws upon scholarly research to analyse credibility and reveal just what it takes to be taken seriously when presenting.

Live, interactive webinar to discover:

The two core parts of a credible presentation
How to create compelling and connected messages
Anxiety management techniques for boosting confidence
Pitfalls that trip up even experienced presenters

Register for the Webinar

Interested, but can’t attend?
Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording.

New: 10 of the best Apple and Android apps for education in 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:34:34 PDT

Laura Devaney

Laura Devaney, Managing Editor writes, "Today, we feature an updated "best apps" story for 2013. Our list includes apps we thought students and teachers might find useful".

Last year we presented “New: 10 of the best Apple apps for education in 2012,” which highlighted some of the best apps for iPhones and iPods. However, with new upgrades in touch technology, and the emphasis on Common Core State Standards and school reform in general, we’ve come up with a new list of the best Apple- and Android-based education apps for 2013.

Photo: eSchool News

For every app we’ve listed, we’ve included a brief description, device compatibility, suggested use, features, price, and a link to a more in-depth summary with an option to purchase on iTunes or Google Play.
Read more...

Source: eSchool News