Helge Scherlund's eLearning News

Flexible Learning handbook available for download now!

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:42:05 PDT

The new course handbook has been released for ACS Distance Education for 2013. The handbook introduces our comprehensive range of courses. With over 400 distance education courses covering such a wide array of topics, this handbook is an essential compendium for anyone interested in further studying.

Download the Handbook (PDF)

Some of the areas that ACS Distance Education courses include are gardening, horticulture, environmental studies, agriculture, psychology, health, leisure and fitness, animal care, science and business. Our distance courses are flexible to suit our students’ busy lifestyles, and our courses can be taken online, via correspondence or e-learning.
Download your freeelectronic copy of the course handbook

About ACS Distance Education

Our courses are the result of continuous input from tutors, students and industry over a period of more than 25 years. The input has come from formal channels (e.g. advisory committees, industry reports, student and employer surveys, etc), and informally, by alterations/improvements being made to course notes whenever an improvement is required.

Established in 1979, ACS Distance Education is a leading Australian Distance Education provider which offers over 400 courses via correspondence, online or on CD. The Institution has offices in Australia and the United Kingdom, and ACS courses are delivered worldwide through our network of affiliates. The ACS head office is located on the Gold Coast.
ACS has educated thousands of full and part-time students, many of whom have gone on to successful employment, both in industry or in their own businesses. Others have used their courses to develop a hobby, or simply broaden their general education. We currently have over 3000 students enrolled from Australia and around the world. The school employs staff in three states of Australia, plus the U.K. and New Zealand. As such our courses and service have a truly global focus. The courses have been developed with strong industry input from around the world and are continually updated on the basis of surveys undertaken by both current students and graduates every month of the year.

The school holds high the ideals of practical education, emphasising in all courses those things which are relevant to "real life". Courses offered cater for hobby interest through to formal training in industry and the professions.
Read more...

Source: PRWire and ACS Distance Education

How to Choose the Right Learning Management System by Katie Ash

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:56:27 PDT

Katie Ash writes, "Choosing a learning management system is one of the most costly and time-consuming decisions schools or districts must make as they expand their technological infrastructures".

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

An LMS is a robust piece of software that provides an online portal for classrooms, serving administrative functions for educators and allowing students to view assignments, grades, and learning materials. Some can be used to deliver entire courses. Once an LMS is in place, it can be difficult and expensive to switch to a different one. That's why making sure it's a good fit initially is crucial.

Ed-tech experts say many schools and districts don't have a good understanding, however, of how to choose and evaluate the different systems available. Several experts offer these suggestions for how to do it right:

1. Start by figuring out what you want from your learning management system and how it fits into the overall teaching and learning structure of your school or district.

"You really need to be having a discussion about your overall program goals," says John Watson, the founder of the Durango, Colo.-based Evergreen Education Group, which conducts research on the use of technology in schools. "The LMS decision has to be tied to your content choices and to the devices that students are going to be accessing the materials with."

Many LMS companies boast a dizzying array of features, says Watson, so it's important to enter the discussion with an idea of what students, teachers, and administrators need from the system. He groups options into three categories—don't need, nice-to-have, and must-have—to narrow the choices and avoid paying for features that aren't needed or won't be used.

Kristy Murray, the director of the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative, agrees. The initiative, which is run by the U.S. Department of Defense, is charged with prototyping and testing the latest learning technologies.

"Sometimes you may get more bells and whistles with more money, but you may not need more bells and whistles," Murray says. "The most important thing you can do is sit down with your team and identify the requirements for your particular case." In some instances, a simpler, lightweight LMS may be more functional and easier to use than a complex, sophisticated system, she says.

Peter Berking, the instructional systems designer for the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative, and co-author of the paper "Choosing a Learning Management System," says it's important to evaluate whether your school or district even needs an LMS.

"You may have your heart set on it, but a Web portal or content repository ... could do just fine," he says. Berking also suggests looking into partnering with other schools or districts to piggyback on an existing LMS, which could provide cost savings.

In fact, definitions of what an LMS is and should be able to do vary widely from district to district, says Themistocles Sparangis, the chief technology officer for the 670,000-student Los Angeles school district, which is preparing a request for proposals, or RFP, for a new system. (The district currently uses the open source LMS Moodle.)

"You have to define [what an LMS is] before you can select it," he says. "Your vendors are going to try to define [an LMS] within their product line, but I think K-12 is still struggling to figure out what it is."
Read more...

Related links
7 Things You Should Know About Personal Learning Environments
7 Things You Should Know About LMS Evaluation
7 Things You Should Know About LMS Alternatives

Source: Education Week

PowerMyLearning offers free, high-quality resources to support Common Core instruction

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:09:09 PDT

Developed by the nonprofit organization CFY, PowerMyLearning is a free online platform for K-12 students, teachers, and parents to find high-quality digital content that supports the Common Core standards.

CFY and PowerMyLearning: Powering a New Generation of Learning

CFY has chosen what it considers the most effective digital learning activities on the web and has made them easily accessible in one trusted place. A free PowerMyLearning account gives users access to…

• Thousands of thoroughly vetted academic games, interactive simulations, virtual labs, and videos.
• Easy-to-find activities tagged by subject, grade level, and Common Core Standards.
• A “Playlist” feature to sequence activities and individualize learning by student or class.
• Lesson plans to incorporate activities into instruction.
• Detailed reports for teachers, parents, and students.
• Badges and Playpoints to reward student usage.
• A flexible platform that can be used in school, after school, at home, or anywhere in between.

With PowerMyLearning, students and parents can discover fun and stimulating activities to reinforce classroom learning and spark new areas of interest, CFY says—while teachers can use the site to help meet the learning needs of their students.

Source: eSchool News and CFYNational (YouTube)

40 Sites and Apps for Creating Presentations by David Kapuler

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 07:20:22 PDT

"Creating a presentation or slideshow is a staple of any 21st Century Classroom and a skill that every successful educator has and every successful student should learn".

"It used to be that only programs such as PowerPoint could create presentations. However, now there are lots of sites and apps that not only create stunning presentations but also make it easier then ever. Below is my list of some of my favorite tools for creating beautiful-looking presentations and slideshows", writes David Kapuler an educational consultant.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This list is in alphabetical order:

9Slides - A wonderful site and app for adding video/audio narration to a presentation. Ideal for professional development or teaching a lesson.
Animoto - One of the most popular sites/apps for creating beautiful-looking slideshows with an educational portal.
AuthorStream - A great way to upload PPT presentations and share them with others, similar to Slideshare.
Aximedia Slideshow Creator - A wonderful Android app for creating stunning-looking slideshows.
Biteslide - A fantastic site for creating interactive presentations that contain all types of media with educational portal, where teachers create student accounts.
Electric Slide - A nice iOS app that allows users to present all styles of presentations (PPT, Keynote, etc) wirelessly.
eMaze - A nice site that is a cross between Prezi and PP that allows users to zoom around their presentation. Best of all, a finished presentation can be embedded into a site.
Flixtime - A cool site for mixing photos, videos, and music to create a stunning presentation.
Haiku Deck - A amazing iPad app for creating beautiful looking presentations with the ability to upload Creative Commons licensed photos as well as creating charts and graphs.
HelloSlide - A innovative site that allows a user to add narration to their presentations simply by typing in text.
Kizoa - A fun site for creating slideshows or collages with a built-in photo editor.
Knovio - A nice site for adding video or audio to a PowerPoint presentation. Ideal for Pecha Kucha style presentations.
Magisto - A cool way to create a presentation with this video mash-up site/app.
Muvee Cloud - Another nice video mash-up site that creates fun looking movies/presentations by mixing and matching video and music.
Narrable - An innovative site for adding audio to photos to create an engaging slideshow.
Netclick - While Netclick is more of a "student response system," it is a great way to engage an audience through the use of an interactive slideshow.
One True Media - A fantastic video mash-up site for mixing video, audio, and images to creating stunning presentations.
PhotoPeach - One of my favorite sites/apps for creating an interactive slideshow with an educational portal. A user can also create a quiz embedded into a slideshow as well.
Photoshow (Roxio) - A nice site for creating slideshows with photos, videos, and music, and sharing publicly or privately.
PhotoSnack - A fun site for creating slideshows for blogs, FB, or Twitter.

Read more...

Related link
Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero

Source: TL Advisor Blog

EDUCAUSE Review Online Table of Contents -- May/June 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 05:52:51 PDT

The annual EDUCAUSE Top-Ten IT Issues, one of the most enduringly popular EDUCAUSE publications, has just been released for 2013. What are this year's top IT issues, how do they compare with 2012, and what do they mean for IT leaders and colleges and universities?

http://www.educause.edu/events/educause-live-top-ten-issues-higher-education-it-2013

Join EDUCAUSE Vice President Susan Grajek and three members of the IT leader research panel that identified and selected the 2013 top-ten list for a lively discussion of the issues and their implications.

The CIO: Defining a Career for the Future
By Mark Askren

IT professionals in higher education spend much of their time focusing on demand, resources, and constant change. The author suggests that they need to be investing more time in assessing, advancing, and defining their own careers.
Read more...

Geeks and Non-Geeks: From Contraxioms to Collaboration in Higher Education
By Paul Glen and Maria McManus

Technical and non-technical people—geeks and non-geeks—often have disproportionately negative experiences working together. They are thus avoiding each other at the moment when they most need to collaborate.
Read more...

Top-Ten IT Issues, 2013: Welcome to the Connected Age
By Susan Grajek

EDUCAUSE presents the top-ten IT-related issues facing higher education institutions. In this article, members of the 2012-2013 EDUCAUSE IT Issues Panel frame each issue with discussion and a set of strategic questions.
Read more...

A Transformative Period: Is Higher Education IT Having an Identity Crisis?
By Joanna Lyn Grama

Interviewed members of the IT Issues Panel believe that higher education IT organizations are going through a period of great change and may even be in the throes of an identity crisis. Are higher education IT departments utilities, or are they service organizations that provide leadership? Taking a proactive stance and remaining adaptable are two ways to deal with ongoing transformations.
Read more...

Source: EDUCAUSE

68 Tips for eLearning Engagement and Interactivity by Contributing Editor, Karen Forni

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 04:39:53 PDT

Take a closer peek at this 68 Tips for eLearning Engagement and Interactivity from The eLearning Guild

Karen Forni writes, "Engagement is a critical element of learning. If we can get people to pay attention to what we’ve developed or what we’re saying and engage with us, the content, and each other, learning follows".

Gaining and maintaining engagement in the physical classroom seems straightforward: If learners look bored or inattentive, we adjust our training style on the fly or call on people to recapture their attention. But in eLearning, especially self-paced eLearning, driving engagement requires much more planning, monitoring, and, most of all, creativity.

So how do we drive engagement in eLearning and mLearning? Interactivities can help, but only if we design those interactivities effectively. Learners also need engaging content, an engaging (or at least not frustrating) interface, engaging media and visual design, and maybe a game here and there.

In this eBook, experts provide 68 tips for making sure your learners are fully engaged, in areas including:

Creating engaging content
Creating an engaging interface
Using interactivities to drive engagement
Using media and visual design effectively
Using games for learning
Measuring engagement and learning

eBooks from The eLearning Guild

Register to download the report today!

‘Share My Lesson’ is giving away prizes for sharing or downloading free content

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 06:09:21 PDT

eClassroom New writes, "Share My Lesson, an online platform that allows teachers to share and download free educational resources from their peers, is now a year old—and to celebrate its first birthday, the website is giving everyone who registers, uploads, or downloads content from now until July 31 a chance to win one of 100 prizes in a weekly prize drawing".

http://www.sharemylesson.com/article.aspx?storyCode=6000208&navCode=285

Developed by the American Federation of Teachers in partnership with TES Connect, Share My Lesson now includes more than 260,000 free educational resources, many of which are aligned with the Common Core State Standards. The website isn’t just for classroom teachers, as it also contains resources for early childhood educators, paraprofessionals, and school support personnel. Users can find the resources they want by searching by subject, topic, grade, type, and format.
Read more...

Here are 10 great reasons to register, share and upload resources:

1. Enjoy free access to 260,000 high-quality teaching resources
2. Discover the best resources that have been rated and reviewed by other educators.
3. Find the resources you want by searching by subject, topic, grade, type and format.
4. Explore a dedicated Common Core State Standards Information Center with resources aligned to the standards.
5. Find additional resources from our content partners.
6. Gather advice and inspiration from your colleagues.
7. Share your favorite resources with fellow educators.
8. Be part of the fastest-growing network of teachers in America.
9. Relax, knowing that access to the site and resources will always be free.
10. Be entered into a prize drawing to win hundreds of prizes each week!

eClassroom News and Share My Lesson

How My Online Learning Changed My Teaching by Anthony S. Colucci

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 04:38:26 PDT

Anthony S. Colucci, a National Board-certified teacher writes about how his Online Learning has changed his teaching from the experience of being an online student.

"I just completed a graduate degree with online coursework, which was a positive experience for me overall. But I do have a confession: Some of the most significant lessons I learned did not come from the course content—but from the experience of being an online student".

Camaraderie is Essential

During the first couple of courses in my online program, I felt very much alone as I struggled to complete challenging tasks. There was no unstructured interaction with the other students. No chatting with your peers while waiting for the professor to get started. No hanging out for a few minutes after class. Were my classmates experiencing the same difficulties that I was?

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Finally, I took the initiative, reaching out to classmates from all around the world, using email, Facebook, and Skype. I learned I was not alone. We shared our stories and hopes. We worked through complex assignments, providing support and encouragement for one another. Without a doubt, my work improved—and, as importantly, I could process the learning experience with others.

This experience reminded me that, as a teacher, it is vital for me to create a classroom climate that encourages this kind of camaraderie. I can’t expect students to jump into challenging activities if they feel alone.
Read more...

About Anthony S. Colucc
He coordinates and teaches in the gifted-student program at three elementary schools in central Florida. He is the author of Copilots, Duties & Piña Coladas: How to Be a Great Teacher, as well as a host of articles for Education Week Teacher.

A member of the CTQ Collaboratory, he has earned numerous awards for his innovative and creative lessons.

Source: Education Week

Personalized Instruction: Meeting the Needs of Each Student

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:19:12 PDT

Join this live, interactive webinar next week: Personalized Instruction: Meeting the Needs of Each Student

Thursday June 13, 2013
4 pm EST / 1 pm PST

This webinar showcases new research demonstrating how technology supports individualized instruction by integrating ongoing assessment into engaging digital content that is at just the right level for each student.

This new breed of technology can:

Deliver customized lessons with individualized learning paths for each student

Integrate assessment and instruction seamlessly

Create PreK to grade 5 math curriculum that meets Common Core Standards

Enhance teacher productivity and drive student achievement with real time data

REGISTER NOW

6/18 webinar: How Texas Tech Delivers Live Remote Instruction

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:07:09 PDT

Teaching A Class from 1,700 Miles Away: How Texas Tech Leverages Mediasite for Live Remote Instruction
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. CT (convert to your time zone)

Students in Dr. Farris’s Wind Energy class show up three times a week for his lecture at Texas Tech University. They see him and his digital white board, he sees them and can tell whether they’re engaged or yawning. Questions are asked and answered. Discussion is sparked. Nothing unusual about any of it, until you discover that while the students are on campus in Lubbock, the professor is 1,700 miles away in his home office in Oregon.

The IT department at the university was challenged to leverage existing classroom-capture technology to create an interactive, synchronous experience for this class – one that has become so successful that it’s soon to be duplicated and used in other applications. The secret? A Mediasite integration with Microsoft Lync, allowing the virtual classroom experience to seamlessly come to life.

Join Ian Wilkinson from Texas Tech as he gives you a step-by-step, reproducible guide for how it works in this live webinar. He’ll lay it out against the backdrop of the University’s complete video strategy, including how:

Using Mediasite Enterprise Video Platform increases student engagement, reduces the pressure on other systems and keeps all video assets securely managed, regardless of where they were created
Integration doesn’t stop with Lync. His department works closely with the administrators of BlackBoard on campus, as well as Ad Astra for room scheduling
The university is using Mediasite for distance education, flipped instruction, dual enrollment, community outreach and staff training

Register online today

How to handle hecklers by Eric Fitzpatrick

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:36:31 PDT

Eric Fitzpatrick tells us how to handle the more difficult trainees on your training course with as little impact as possible.

Photo: Trainingzone

One of the issues that trainers face when delivering training, is that very often the attendees on the course don’t want to be there. They have been sent by their company, feel aggrieved that this has been forced upon them and see no possible benefits of being there. They arrive with poor attitudes and this manifests itself in their behaviour, which is often antagonistic and unhelpful. At some stage in the training they start to verbalise their dissatisfaction and this results in comments and snide remarks (heckling) that aim to undermine the trainer and the training.
Heckling is a common challenge that trainers have to face and it pays to be ready for it. Inexperienced trainers can be thrown completely off stride when a heckler strikes. It can result in the trainer losing composure and confidence and if not dealt with effectively, losing control of the training day itself. So, what can you do when you get heckled?
The good news is that there are a number of ways to handle Hecklers. Two factors that will influence how you handle a heckler are:

The training environment
Your gut instinct as the trainer

Having a good feel for how the training is going will help you decide the best way to deal with the heckler. It’s also important to know which type of heckler you are dealing with.

The following are the four types of heckler and how to handle them:
Read more...

About Eric Fitzpatrick
Eric Fitzpatrick is a certified trainer at ARK Speaking and Training and is a member and former club president of public speaking trainers Toastmasters International.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.

Source: Trainingzone

eSN Today: How to use digital resources to personalize blended learning

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:06:19 PDT

@eSN_Meris on Twitter

Meris Stansbury, Associate Editor writes, "In today’s news, learn how to use digital resources to personalize blended learning. “All educators, all over the world, are struggling with this challenge of how to reach the learners we have in today’s schools,” said Ryan Imbriale, principal of Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts in Baltimore County Public Schools, during an edWeb webinar on digital learning".

Photo: eSchool News

Today’s students are used to having constant access to technology and digital resources in their personal lives, and harnessing the engaging power of such resources can boost blended learning success and help students create and thrive in personalized learning environments.

The goal is to ensure a learner-centered, personalized, blended environment powered by digital learning—one that is accessible anytime, anywhere, by everyone.

“Teachers tend to teach like they were taught, and this is a huge issue” if high school graduates are expected to enter college and the workforce as globally competitive citizens, Imbriale said. If teachers are comfortable using digital resources and taking risks, students will reap the benefits. Higher education institutions must work to train teachers in this regard, as well.
Read more...

Source: eSchool News

Students teaching students by Darren ‘Mike’ McGuire

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 06:23:33 PDT

Photo: eSchool News

Darren ‘Mike’ McGuire a fifth grade teacher at Granby Elementary School in Columbus, Ohio writes, "Learning should be centered on the student, not the teacher".

American philosopher, psychologist, and educational crusader John Dewey often wrote about education reform, and although he died in 1952, several recurrent themes in his writings have special significance for modern teachers.

Dewey continually argued that education and learning were social and interactive processes. He also believed that students thrive in an environment where they are allowed to experience and interact with the curriculum and that all students should have the opportunity to take part in their own learning.

My beliefs as an educator mirror those of Mr. Dewey’s: Learning should be centered on the student, not the teacher. And isn’t that really what flipped learning is all about? It’s about compelling teachers like me to reflect on our practice and rethink how we reach our students. It’s about encouraging students to set the pace so that truly individualized instruction takes place. It’s about stirring teachers and students alike to change the way they’ve always done things.

As a teacher at Granby Elementary School in Columbus, Ohio, I orchestrated a more interactive style of instruction, including my own version of reversed teaching methodology—or “flipped instruction”—in which students taught students.

Technology fascinates my students, but I have to make sure that the lessons I create are also genuinely interesting, so they’ll want to become engaged whether I’m teaching language arts, math, or science. Using the interactive whiteboard, for example, forces me to ask myself: What would be the best way to teach this lesson? How can I get the students involved? I’m constantly thinking through these teaching aspects ahead of time.

For example, when teaching line plotting in math class, I had students come up and create a pictogram using football helmet images from the software’s gallery as the dots. The graphics were far and away more interesting than actual dots on a line, and it made learning math more fun. The interactive whiteboard fits well with this curriculum, and it opens the students’ minds to recognizing different ways to solve the same problems.
Read more...

Related link
MimioClassroom transforms a teacher and his students

Source: eSchool News - (@eschoolnews)

The coding movement: Resources for computer science education

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 29 May 2013 06:30:21 PDT

Tweet me @eSN_Meris

Meris Stansbury, Associate Editor writes, "In today’s news, in the middle of a push for STEM is a growing movement to expose children to computer science education and skills, also known as computer programming or coding".

According to Code.org statistics, computer science is the highest-paid college degree, and jobs in computer programming are growing at two times the national average–but despite that, fewer than 2.4 percent of college students graduate with a degree in computer science.

What Most Schools Don't Teach - Short Film

Computer science education and coding advocates point to a number of websites, resources, mobile apps, and more to help teachers and students learn more about coding:

Codecademy is a free site that teachers users how to code in various programming languages, including JavaScript and Python, through a serious of courses grouped under each topic or language.
After-School Programming is an offshoot of Codecademy.
CodeHS offers instructional materials and tutors to help people learn about computer science.
Google offers computer science and coding competitions and summer programs.
Scratch, developed at MIT, is a free program designed to help children learn coding by programming their own stories, games, and animations.
Hopscotch is an iPad app “inspired by” Scratch.

Read more...

Source: eSchool News and CodeOrg's Channel (YouTube).

11 tips for taking your training programmes online

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 29 May 2013 01:19:14 PDT

Attend this interactive webinar below.

11 Tips for Moving Training Online
Date: Tuesday, 4 June
Time: 3 PM (UK)
Duration: 30 mins (plus Q&A)

Reaching more learners fast is possible with virtual training programmes, but many trainers hesitate to move online. How do you keep that personal touch when no one shares the same room?

Join virtual classroom veteran Roger Courville as he shares tips, tactics and truths for making live, online training a powerful part of your learning portfolio.

Attend this interactive webinar to learn:

How to create a sense of presence when remote
The top 3 ways to grab and keep attention
Games and interactions for the virtual classroom
The biggest mistake trainers make when moving online

Register for the Webinar

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

Make Your PowerPoint - Better with MagPointer

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Mon, 27 May 2013 02:40:46 PDT

Keeping your audience focused on your presentation with a New Presentation Aid For PowerPoint.

Photo: MagPointe

MagPointer is an innovative software that makes presentations more effective and interactive and it is ideal for online presentations, virtual classrooms and webinars as well as for face-to-face presentations and lectures.

With the MagPointer PowerPoint add-on you can enlarge, focus, zoom or highlight specific elements or areas of your slides, on-the-fly and without any preparations in advance. The add-on is most suitable for content-rich presentations that include a relatively large amount of text, tables, graphs, schematics or illustrations, such as lessons, training sessions and corporate meetings.

MagPointer demo

In many cases, MagPointer will relieve you altogether from the need to prepare slideshow animation in advance, saving you precious time and making your presentations more interactive.
Download Free Trial
Download the MagPointer User Guide (PDF)

About MagPointer

MagPointer is an add-on for Microsoft PowerPoint that makes presentations easier to follow and more effective.

The add-on is most suitable for content-rich presentations that include a relatively large amount of text, tables, graphs, schematics or illustrations, such as lessons, training sessions and corporate meetings. It is extremely useful for webinars, e-learning classes and online business meetings yet useful also for face-to-face presentations.

Automatically launched once a PowerPoint slideshow begins, MagPointer’s patent-pending algorithms detect objects within PowerPoint slides and allows the presenter to interact with those objects in real time. The presenter can highlight text objects or table components (e.g. a specific cell, row or column), enlarge specific objects while dimming the rest of the slide, create frames or zoom on specific slide areas.

In many cases, MagPointer's ease-of-use, rich functionality and flexibility will free you altogether from the need to prepare slideshow animation in advance, saving you precious time.

The software also automatically creates a navigation path between the objects that enables the presenter to move freely back and forth between slides or slide elements without disrupting the flow of the slideshow.

MagPointer is currently available for Microsoft PowerPoint running on Microsoft Windows OS.

Source: MagPointer and MagPointer's Channel (YouTube).

Digital Learning and Grit:Tech Tools for Teachers in Flipped (and all) Classrooms by Laura Minnigerode

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 26 May 2013 08:10:39 PDT

"Meghan Enga teaches 6th and 7th grade at Banting Middle School in Vancouver, BC. She uses a 3D learning platform called Quest Atlantis (QA)", writes Laura Minnigerode.

In QA, students undertake virtual quests that feel a lot like playing a video game, but with a story line that inspires social awareness. In the game, they can take on the role of a scientist, doctor, or mathematician.
From those characters, they can gather information and interact with other players.

‘There is a lot of engagement and use of play theory,’ Enga says. “Embedded beneath all of this cool, engaged, and connected activity is a scaffold for the development of a set of skills vital for the students’ future success. This important toolkit for the future can be called ‘grit, perseverance and tenacity.'

A new draft report from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Technology, entitled "Promoting Grit, Perseverance, and Tenacity: Critical Factors for Success in the 21st Century", discusses the role of technology as a tool to support the “non-cognitive factors, attributes, dispositions, social skills, attitudes, and intrapersonal resources” that support student success. The report is part of a move to recognize and define a set of essential skills that will help students realize their full potential.

These attributes can be described in many ways. For clarity, the report defines grit as “perseverance to accomplish long-term or higher-order goals in the face of challenges and setbacks, engaging the student’s psychological resources, such as academic mindsets, and having the ability to look beyond current situations to future goals, strategies, and tactics.” Here you’ll find a few examples of the use of digital learning environments, online resources, and tools for teachers drawn from this line of research. These examples offer a glimpse into the potential of technology to support grit, tenacity, and perseverance.
Read more...

The Flipped Classroom Infographic

http://edudemic.com/guides/flipped-classrooms-guide/

Related link
Tools and Tips for the Flipped Classroom by Ellen Ullman

Source:Tech & Learning Features and Edudemic

MathType 6.9 for Windows: Office 2013 support and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 26 May 2013 06:54:02 PDT

If you're using Office 2013 you need MathType 6.9

MathType™ 6.9 is fully compatible with Office 2013 and Office 365 installed on Windows 7 and 8 computers.

MathType functionality with Office:

MathType Ribbon Tab in Word and PowerPoint: MathType takes full advantage of Office's Ribbon User Interface making it easier than ever to do equation operations in documents and presentations. Equation numbering and browse features work with all Word equation types.
Equations in Outlook: MathType works with Outlook and allows you to include mathematical notation in email. The recipient of your email does not have to use either Outlook or MathType in order to see your equations.
MathPage for Word 2013, 2010, and 2007: Our MathPage™ technology now converts Microsoft Word documents into web pages, properly handling mathematical symbols, and displaying properly for people with print disabilities.
Handwritten equations: Enter equations as easily as you would write math with paper and pencil! This feature uses the built-in handwriting recognition in Windows 7 and later.
Format Equations: MathType adds its own tab in Word that contains useful commands. One of these, Format Equations, lets you change the font and style of all equations in a document.

...and more.

	You can purchase MathType 6.9 directly from our secure online store right now!
	Read about all of the new MathType 6.9 features.
	Try the full version of MathType

Source: Design Science

Learning Theories for the Digital Age from Steve Wheeler

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sun, 26 May 2013 04:10:18 PDT

A Steve Wheeler slidedeck created below as an accompaniment to an invited webinar he presented for ELESIG - hosted by the University of Nottingham on 9 May, 2013.

Learning Theories for the Digital Age from Steve Wheeler

Photo: Steve Wheeler

Steve Wheeler writes, "I pointed out recently that many of the older theories of pedagogy were formulated in a pre-digital age".

I blogged about some of the new theories that seem appropriate as explanatory frameworks for learning in a digital age. These included heutagogy, which describes a self-determined approach to learning, a new model of peer-peer learning known as paragogy, a post modernist 'rhizomatic' learning explanation, distributed learning and connectivist theory, and also a short essay on the digital natives/immigrants discourse. I questioned whether the old models are anachronistic.
Is it now time for these new theories to replace the old ones?

Related link
An audience with...

About Steve Wheeler
Steve Wheeler's research interests include e-learning, student support, psychological issues in distance education, creativity, the social web (Web 2.0) and learning technology.

Source: Steve Wheeler' Blog and SlideShare

50 Ideas for iPads in the Classroom by Michelle Vance

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sat, 25 May 2013 03:33:43 PDT

Take a closer look at these 50 Ideas for iPads in the Classroom by Michelle Vance, Technology Director, Ontario Local Schools.

First lesson should focus on teaching the basics about using the iPad.
Create classroom procedures for handling and choosing an iPad from a cart.
Invite another classroom to your room and teach them how to use the iPad or a specific app.
Use the Notes App to type vocabulary words. Teach students to tap each word and select “define” to read the definition.
Read a story together. Choose a free eBook.
Use the Maps App to find directions and specific locations.
Use the iPad as an incentive for good behavior.
Download free books to share in small groups.
Practice test questions for upcoming exams.
Use the Facetime App to interact with another classroom.
Use the PhotoBooth App to take pictures of each other. Create a wall display of the pictures. Create a QR code to place beside each photo.
Use the Camera App to take pictures of 3 items in the room that are blue, made of wood, or begins with the letter “m.”
Videotape a classroom science experiment.
Work with a partner and use Safari to collect facts about a famous American, develop a presentation (Keynotes), and share it with classmates using an Apple TV and classroom projector.
Write in a journal each day. (Journal App)
Download free educational apps that meet curriculum standards.
Specialized skill instruction – especially in math. Students can work at their own pace.
View a classroom podcast. (Create your own or download a podcast from iTunes)
Use the Maps App to figure distances from one city or state to another. Figure distance and a route for an upcoming field trip.
Use the Notes App to practice typing spelling words, adjectives, nouns, etc. First graders love to type using this app!
Use the Calendar App to show how many days in a month, add holidays, and make a classroom calendar.
Use the Notes App to learn about the keyboard.
Do a keyboard “hidden” key activity.
Do small group lessons on bullying. Download several bullying apps or create your own podcasts.
Allow students to listen to books read aloud to them.
Students create documents in Pages and save to a WebDAV server drive.
Use Keynotes to create a “Careers” presentation. Use FaceTime to conduct a live interview with specialist in various careers.
Work with a partner to locate recipes and nutrition information. Use data to create a five minute classroom presentation.
Download the BMI calculator and allow students to get their score. (High School Health)
Download free books and share with small groups during reading group time.
Play group games that would enhance instruction and student learning.
Video tape performance of specific skills in P.E. class.
Add a ruler and large calculator app to all 30 iPads.
Use weather apps to locate weather information and record data in Numbers or an Excel spreadsheet.
Video tape short plays. Upload videos to class website.
Music Class: Video tape a student performance. View the taping with the student and analyze/grade the performance.
Band Class: Use the Camera App to snap photos of a band football field formation. Take pictures from bleachers. Video tape performance….display video on a large screen for student input.
Use Pages to create classroom posters for Open House, classroom door, or advertise an upcoming school event.
Use the Camera App to take daily photos of growing plants. Plant seeds in paper cups and record daily growth by taking a photo each day. Place each photo on a bulletin board.
Use the Camera App to take a photo of each student on the first day of school. Use it again at the end of the year to compare pictures.
Create a folder on the teacher’s iPad with several website links that post “free” daily apps.
Organize the iPad with specific subject area folders containing all the apps pertaining to a subject. Create a folder for math, history, health, literature, and more!
Video tape classroom events and post on school or classroom website. Use the Camera App to snap photos of classroom activities and post on website.
Use the Facetime App to share a classroom event with a student who is unable to attend an event.
Take several iPads when going on a class field trip. Use the Camera App to snap photos during the trip. Use the Map App to show the route you will be traveling. Use the Video App to record an event. Download apps before the trip that pertain to what you will be exploring on the trip. Example: A leaf or animal app to quickly identify leaves and animals you see on the trip.
Add a QR Reader app to read QR codes. Create your own QR classroom codes and have students use iPads to read the codes.
Stock up on headsets and cleaning cloths.
Teach children how to properly turn off the iPad.
Teach students how to close all apps and websites. Be sure they double click the Home button to view and close all open apps.
Teach students how to save a Pages document as a Word document and vice versa. This allows students to work on documents on an Apple or PC platform.

Michelle Vance is the District Technology Director of Ontario Local Schools in Ontario, Ohio and the 1994 Tech & Learning State Winner - Ohio, Teacher of the Year.

Source: TL Advisor Blog

Upcoming webinars Brandon Hall Group

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Sat, 25 May 2013 02:50:12 PDT

Join Brandon Hall Group for their upcoming events

For detailed descriptions of their webinars visit their website here

May 30		Beyond the Mobile Hype: Making Learning Fit in a Mobile World David Wentworth, Brandon Hall Group Ara Ohanian, Infor/CERTPOINT Systems


Jun 6		Global Learning Trends: Unexpected Findings that Could Impact Your StrategiesStacey Harris, Brandon Hall Group Jeremy Blain, Cegos


Jun 18		Imbedded Learning: How a Sales Portal Became a Competitive Advantage David Wentworth, Brandon Hall Group Bob Sullivan, PinPoint Global Communications Barbara Brooks, Prudential Karen Stockla, Prudential


Jun 20		The Business Benefits of Effective Teams Rachel Ashkin, Brandon Hall Group Claude Werder, Brandon Hall Group


Jun 25		Building a Workforce Strategy with Skills-Gap AnalyticsStacey Harris, Brandon Hall Group


Jun 27		Is the Unit of Learning Still a Lesson? Can the Lesson Survive Social and Mobile? David Wentworth, Brandon Hall Group Ara Ohanian, Infor/CERTPOINT Systems

Learn from the best in their 30 minute forums featuring winners of the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards.

Jun 17		Gamification to Facilitate Learning Beyond a Single CourseClaude Werder, Brandon Hall Group, James McKim, Hewlett-Packard


Jul 8		Gnosis: InfoPro’s Collaborative Learning PlatformClaude Werder, Brandon Hall Group SoniaWadhwa, InfoPro Learning, Inc. Bárbara Büchel, Indigenus Network, LLS


Aug 8		Peer-to-Peer Coaching for an Individualized Leadership Program Rachel Cooke, Brandon Hall Group Clare Norman, Accenture

Source: Brandon Hall Group

The new MSc in Learning Innovation by Distance Learning, University of Leicester School of Education

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:29:19 PDT

Photo: Gráinne Conol

Professor of learning innovation, Gráinne Conole and Director of the Institute of Learning Innovation
University of Leicester Launches MSc Learning Innovation, in October 2013.

The new MSc in Learning Innovation offered through the University of Leicester School of Education, encompasses a unique state-of-the-art survey of the field and provides learners with both theoretical pedagogical underpinnings and practical hands-on applications of the technologies in different learning contexts.
The course is being offered by distance learning.

The course is designed using the latest research on learning and curriculum design, with personalisation, contextualisation and application of the knowledge built into the programme.

This course may be of interest to members of staff involved in teaching or supporting programme development, and of particular interest to those involved in the provision of distance learning courses.

By studying this course you will be:

Gaining a comprehensive overview of the use of new technologies in supporting different types of learning.
Introduced to the key concepts and theoretical foundations established by e-learning research.
Provided with state of the art exemplars detailing the use of technology to support different pedagogical approaches.
Prepared to apply key concepts from key disciplines to your own educational contexts and interests.
Developing a detailed and critical understanding of the potential of learning and teaching innovation in your own educational contexts.

Click here for full details of the course and its modules.
To apply: http://www2.le.ac.uk/study/postgrad/distance/education/innovation

If you are interested in this course and have any questions, please contact Dr Palitha Edirisingha:
Tel: +44(0)116 252 3753
Email: pe27@le.ac.uk

Enjoy the new course!

Blended Learning Webinar--Elementary School Math in the Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:58:45 PDT

Attend this free live webinar below.

Blended Learning in the Math Classroom
May 30, 2013 @ 2 p.m. ET

Schools around the country are starting to blend online learning into their instructional design as a means of personalizing students’ learning experiences. But with the myriad options for structuring the combination of online and face-to-face learning, teachers and administrators are faced with tough decisions on how to best implement technology for their students.

In this webinar, our guests will explore the different blended-learning models that schools are using to support math instruction. They’ll discuss national trends emerging around blended-learning math programs, as well as take an up-close look at the challenges and successes one school has experienced with the blended math model.
Register now

Can't attend?
All Education Week webinars are archived and accessible "on demand" for up to four months after the original live-streaming date.

Related link
Blended Learning for Math

Links to E-learning, Teaching and Learning Conferences

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:07:24 PDT

Here are some list of forthcoming conferences:

How to use Conference Alerts site

Upcoming events in internet-based education, educational technology and related fields.
E-learning Conferences Worldwide

Upcoming events in Teaching and Learning, including primary and secondary education.
Teaching and Learning Conferences Worldwide

Upcoming events in mathematics and related fields.
Mathematics Conferences Worldwide

Upcoming events in statistics and related fields.
Statistics Conferences Worldwide

Enjoy your conference with coffee breaks and networking!

Source: Conference Alerts

The Xs and Whys of Algebra: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions

noreply@blogger.com (Helge Scherlund) — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:07:59 PDT

All teachers of algebra should have The Xs and Whys of Algebra at their fingertips during planning and instruction.

This handy 84-page flipchart cuts through the confusion to help you prevent common misconceptions. 30 modules focus on key standards with instructional strategies, activities, and reproducibles.

http://www.stenhouse.com/pdfs/xypreview.pdf

Stenhouse Publishers writes, "In many ways, algebra can be as challenging for teachers as it is for students. With so much emphasis placed on procedural knowledge and the manipulations of variables and symbols, it can be easy to lose sight of the key ideas that underlie algebraic thinking and the relevance algebra has to the real world.

In The Xs and Whys of Algebra: Key Ideas and Common Misconceptions, Anne Collins and Linda Dacey provide a set of thirty research-based modules designed to engage all students in mathematical learning that develops conceptual understanding, addresses common misconceptions, and builds key ideas that are essential to future learning".
For use in seventh- to ninth-grade courses focused on an introduction to formal algebra, this flipchart emphasizes five essential algebraic concepts: using variables meaningfully; using multiple representations for expressions; connecting algebra with number; connecting algebra with geometry; and manipulating symbols with understanding. The thirty research-based modules in this spiral-bound flipchart are designed to engage all students in mathematical learning that develops conceptual understanding, addresses common misconceptions, and builds key ideas essential to future learning.

Following the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Common Core State Standards, the modules at this level are organized into three sections: Expressions, Equations, and Functions. Each module begins with the identification of its mathematical focus and the potential challenges and misconceptions associated with those ideas.
Read more...

About the Authors
Anne Collins has thirty years of teaching experience having taught all grade levels K-12 including undergraduate and graduate level courses.
Read more...

Linda Dacey, professor of mathematics and education at Lesley University, began her career teaching at the elementary level and early in her career, received an NSF grant to develop a model program for preparing middle school teachers.
Read more...

Source: EdWeek Update and Stenhouse Publishers