The Deregulation of Education: From Bubbles to Clicks

Image Credit We need leaders who can work with the education community and the "education reformers, proponents of " the status quo" and the "change agents." Finances, changing demographics, and performance measures are putting pressure on the current system. We need change, but is it "market-driven" change? Does market-driven change focus on students and their … Continue reading The Deregulation of Education: From Bubbles to Clicks

Blackboard World 2011 Notes

The Venetian was the site of Blackboard World 2011 I recently attended two days of the Blackboard World conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Below are notes for sessions I attended, my session presentation, and random thoughts. Session: Seven Best Face to Face Practices for Blended learning, Dan Lim and Jinyuan Tao, Florida College of Health … Continue reading Blackboard World 2011 Notes

Online Learning is Upside Down

Online Learning Models are Upside Down Image Source For those who like to listen or read along, the above audio player reads this posting. (5 minutes, 20 seconds) Online learning models are upside down.  The proponents of online education state that "credit recovery" is one of the reasons to learn online.  This form of learning … Continue reading Online Learning is Upside Down

“Blended Learning” Thoughts

Blended Learning Image Source    Here are some thoughts about "Blended Learning:"   Blended Learning is a new catch phrase of online learning enthusiasts, a modification of the term "hybrid courses."  Essentially part of a student's learning is a traditional classroom and the other part is in mediated instruction -- computer based learning at the student's … Continue reading “Blended Learning” Thoughts

Written Comments to the Senate Education Committee

  Image Credit Comments for House Bill 3223 for Senate Education Committee May 13, 2011 My name is Jeffrey Hunt. I am the director of e-learning at Indian Prairie School District 204 in Aurora, Illinois. I am an educational technology practitioner with practical experience implementing learning technologies in traditional classrooms as well in electronic settings, … Continue reading Written Comments to the Senate Education Committee

Notes from District 219 Technology Conference, 04/09/11

Notes from the D219 Technology Conference, April 9, 2011 Keynote: Cracking the Native Information Experience -- David Warlick Handouts at http://Handouts.idave.us Starts presentations with something he did not know yesterday.  (Books everyone should read, info graphic) Teachers must be master learners. They must be able to teach themselves something new.  The question is, how do we … Continue reading Notes from District 219 Technology Conference, 04/09/11

Notes from iNACOL’s Midwestern Regional Professional Development Symposium

Random Notes from the meeting, April 4, 2011.  Symposium wiki. Susan Patrick's Keynote.  It's a new landscape with new leadership at the state levels and in state houses. Global trends (from Educause):  mobile learning, cloud computing, 1:1 computing, ubiquitous learning, gaming, personalized learning, redefinition of learning spaces, open content, smart portfolio assessment, teacher managers and … Continue reading Notes from iNACOL’s Midwestern Regional Professional Development Symposium

Written Comments to IL House Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee

Illinois State Capitol   The Remote Education Act, passed in 2009, is under revision to allow school districts to count student attendance in online programs for days that are not in the districts' approved calendars, such as weekends, holidays and other non-attendance days.  [This revision is known as HB3223.]  Illinois residents, please send communications of … Continue reading Written Comments to IL House Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee

Multimedia in Online Courses

This player reads the text for this posting. Click the controls above to operate it. Hey, it’s me. I’m a Codebaby. We use this software to create animations for our online courses. The animations introduce units of study within the courses. It’s possible to get the characters to walk and gesture. We give them mannerisms … Continue reading Multimedia in Online Courses

Virtual School Symposium 2010

Nearly 2,000 conferees assembled in Glendale, Arizona for the 2010 edition of the Virtual School Symposium, the annual conference of the International Association for K-12 online Learning, November 14-16.  The theme of the conference:  Online and Blended Learning:  The Future of Education. Preconference sessions looked at starting programs, free or nearly free content sources, diversity … Continue reading Virtual School Symposium 2010