Image Credit Many digital citizenship programs focus on digital citizenship with students with a list of "don'ts." The ideas below look at positive and proactive steps to consider citizenship issues with students. In recent years, many blue ribbon committees have called for changes in schools to prepare children for their futures. Globalization, competition, and new … Continue reading A Different View of Digital Citizenship
Tag: personal technology
Virtual School’s Symposium 2012 Summary
The student panel at the Virtual Schools Symposium 2012 Over 2,000 conferees assembled in New Orleans, Louisiana for iNACOL's edition of its Virtual Schools Symposium held October 21-24, 2012. Across the program, presentations looked at research in the field, instructional models, administrative successes, and policy proposals. This year's conference focused on the trends in the field that … Continue reading Virtual School’s Symposium 2012 Summary
Where’s the Education Leadership on Technology in Schools?
Image Credit In 1988, Congress' Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) reported the "most promising current uses and demonstrations" (pp.12-13) for computers: Drill and practice to master basic skills. Development of writing skills. Problem solving Understanding abstract mathematics and science concepts. Simulation in science, mathematics and social studies. Manipulation of data. Acquisition of computer skills for general purposes, … Continue reading Where’s the Education Leadership on Technology in Schools?
Starting an Online Program: To Blend or Not to Blend
Image Credit Blended Learning: First, in all of the blended programs, the students learn in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home at least some of the time. Second, the students' experience online delivery with some control over the time, place, path, and/or pace. (Reference) In the rush to digital learning, school districts may be … Continue reading Starting an Online Program: To Blend or Not to Blend
Innovation and Democracy
Image Credit Is innovation a democratic process? Innovate: to introduce something new; make changes in anything established. (reference) In Disrupting Class, author Clayton Christen informs school boards that introducing digital learning into schools may be hampered by purposeful democratic processes that are part of schools' cultures. Cooperative tools like "financial incentives, negotiations, vision statements, training, performance metrics, and even litigation . . … Continue reading Innovation and Democracy
Student-Teacher Interaction Essential in Online Courses
(Click the image to see it larger.) Student-teacher interaction is essential in online courses. Online courses require rich content that includes many modalities for students to choose their learning path, including text, audio, video, kinesthetic and other modes. This is one of the features of online learning that is difficult to produce and separates from … Continue reading Student-Teacher Interaction Essential in Online Courses
Good Advice for School Technology Leaders
Image Credit In the May 21 issue of Forbes, the article “Thrifty Does It,” describes how Christian Gheorghe Hates started a billion dollar company with a shoestring budget. School leaders tell their communities that they must do more with less. Hates' strategies show how he cut costs nearly 90% while he was able to deliver … Continue reading Good Advice for School Technology Leaders
With Technology in Schools Nothing Has Changed
Image Credit With technology in schools nothing has changed. Several years ago, I performed some original research about technology in schools (reference). While this study occurred in a limited scope with a few school districts and I stated it could not be generalized, the results appear to be similar to what is appearing in popular … Continue reading With Technology in Schools Nothing Has Changed
Technology Enhancement: Fundamentally Flawed
Image Credit The use of the term "technology enhancement" is fundamentally flawed. First definitions from dictionary.com: 1.to raise to a higher degree; intensify; magnify; 2.to raise the value or price of. In schools this means purchasing a variety of techno gizmos so that teachers can teach the same way, moving overhead transparencies to slide shows. Teachers continue to drone away at the front of the … Continue reading Technology Enhancement: Fundamentally Flawed
Normal is Revolutionary
Image Credit "What's revolutionary for adults is normal for kids," stated Jaime Casap of Google to technology leaders at a meeting of the Illinois Chief Technology Officers today. Casap implored school leaders to build great teachers, appeal to students' motivations, focus on the basics, and prepare students for more education after high school, although not necessarily a four year … Continue reading Normal is Revolutionary