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Katherine Tarulli

Cellphone Ban Is a Tale of Two City Schools - 3 views

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    Cell phones are banned in NYC public schools, but it is the norm for students who attend schools without metal detectors to bring their phones anyway. If caught teachers are confiscating phones for up to a week, or longer, at their discretion. At schools with metal detectors small businesses have popped up around schools, storing students' phones for the school day for a small fee, similar to a coat check system. Instead of harnessing the power of mobile phones that almost every student already has, they are punishing them and/or causing them to pay money to keep them stored for the school day so that they can have them before and after school. I think this is a missed opportunity for the NYC school system not only because they are missing out on mobile learning opportunities with technology the district doesn't have to buy, but they could also be teaching the students responsible and appropriate use of mobile phones in public spaces.
Uche Amaechi

BYOD - Worst Idea of the 21st Century? : Stager-to-Go - 7 views

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    Uche, you keep posting stuff I have a problem with- OK I understand that BYOD policies may not be so great but I really believe that familes should shoulder some of the costs for hardware since degredation is such a problem. The schools can have agreements with vendors to provide certain laptops or tablets for a certain price point and they can design their systems to support these items. Parents are expected to purchase backpacks, binders, and school supplies. When parents can't provide these back-to-school supplies, schools cover it. The same should be for computers. Speaking as a middle class parent (refer to above article) I believe this is an important investment in our schools so that they can focus on hardware support and software implementation/ integration.
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    @Allison and Uche - I am torn. While I initially thought BYOD was a good idea so that schools would have to stop "blaming" their fiscal woes on their inability to integrate emerging technologies into the curriculum, I now have some appreciation with points from this article - especially around "false equivalences" and "enshrining inequities" in light of my own children's "bring your own electronic device" day that took place two weeks ago. As a school wide reward for meeting their Accelerated Reading goal, all students were told they could bring an electronic device to school to "play" with on Friday afternoon. This prompted my kids to call me (Skype) on Thursday night and ask me if I could buy them a DS or a SmartPhone that NIGHT so that they could bring either of those devices to school for the celebration. Now mind you, my kids have access to lap tops, iPad, Smart Phones, Wii games, GameBoy, iPods, Flip camera, digital camera, etc - albeit not their OWN - but still access to them for use (when Mom and Dad are not using them). But apparently, of the devices left that Mom and Dad weren't using, none of them were "cool" enough for this event. That got me wondering if BYOD might have the same effect on our learners making those who don't have the latest and greatest feel bad or less adequate then their friends or classmates who could bring something they deemed as "better?" Allison, your point seems to be that requiring parents to cover the expense of a digital device as a requirement for school is not a bad idea, but I think you are referring to expecting the SAME device to be purchased and used, not myriad devices with various capabilities, features and functions - am I understanding you correctly? And if we did try to mandate parental supply of digital devices, would we have a different kind of fight on our hands because, as consumers, parents might have their own biases around what they deem is the best device of all (not just PC vs MAC or iOS vs Android, but sma
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    I still believe that a system properly designed could mitigate some of your concerns. In reality, schools can not support any device that a student brings in. They are capable of supporting a certain number and if they build relationships with the vendors to sell those devices that the school is capable of supporting then families will be aware that the school will offer the best deal on the items that are compatible. Every year the school recommends items for back to school supplies. If the laptop could replace all of the binders it might be worth it. There are many factors to consider but the biggest obstacle is that schools maintain such old equipment because of their budget woes. Even when we can purchase the latest and greatest software, the computers can't run it.
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    What a great debate you guys are having! One point worth considering is that typically the parents are responsible for purchasing the supplies, while the school is responsible for providing the content (textbooks, workbooks, handouts, worksheets, videos, etc). In the near future these devices may also be the primary sources of content, replacing textbooks altogether. I would hope perhaps funding for textbooks could be transferred to funding for these devices. I would also hope that the price of these devices drops significantly (is the $35 tablet in our future?). Then of course the question of who pays is less important. In my job producing educational video for publishing companies, I spend way too much time dealing with various formats and compatibility problems with browsers, so I'd love to see a future where this becomes more standardized.
Katherine Tarulli

In Tennessee, A Possible Model For Higher Education - 2 views

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    Tennessee Technology Centers (a "career-training program" that is state funded) is using strictly enforced scheduling to help retain students with 1 in 4 odds of completing their program. The school is taking the opposite approach that most higher education schools take. Instead of having the freedom to create their own schedule, they work with the school to determine a schedule from the beginning which is permanent throughout the duration of their time at the school and is strictly enforced. The school is hoping to increase retention of students in 1 to 2 year programs that have low graduation rates, and produce more graduates in emerging technology fields.
Jessica O'Brien

First virtual school in Mass. opens Thursday - Boston.com - 4 views

    • Jessica O'Brien
       
      Poor student health is associated with educational gaps. It seems possible that virtual schools may one day offer an effective alternative to traditional schools for children with chronic disease. However, it seems far too premature to consider that application yet.
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    Very few virtual schools have worked with students this young, so there are interesting questions about jumping from no virtual schooling all the way to this model.
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    I wonder what the purpose would be of having a school entirely virtual. I can see this being a better opportunity for children in rural communities who are limited by distance (overlooking the financial aspect, of course). I also see this as a subtle way to eventually reduce staffing (not as many teachers and support staff workers needed). Have we evaluated the physical effects of children being glued to a screen for six hours a day?
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    There is a really fascinating and controversial policy story behind this. Through "legislative sausage-making" the states first virtual school is being run by a single district out in Western Mass., mostly as a result of the entrepreneurial spirit of the superintendent. There are big questions about what will happen as students across the state sign up for the virtual school and their districts are required to pay tuition to Greenfield. And Greenfield isn't really providing a school, they are just enrolling students to be taught by a for-profit company, K-12. There are quite a few very interesting policy issues that would be worth digging into as the state launches this new venture in an unusual way.
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    When I first read the article, I immediately thought "an idealist gone rogue." I wondered if there was even any research/method behind this decision, and you mentioned there is a fee. Did I understand correctly that the school district will have to pay this fee for the student like some sort of voucher? If I get a chance I'm going to look for more articles out there on this project. Thanks for mentioning it, Justin. Interesting, indeed.
Amanda Bowen

How Khan Academy Is Changing the Rules of Education | Magazine - 3 views

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    One teacher claims that "The idea is to invert the normal rhythms of school, so that lectures are viewed on the kids' own time and homework is done at school." - Do you agree that this is a good solution? 
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    That is the way a couple of my colleagues (science and math) use Khan and they feel it creates more opportunity to use them as a resource for their specific needs. The spend some time at the beginning of class to answer questions as a group and then students begin working on problems and asking for individual help during class.
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    I think the idea of distributing video tutorials and courseware for free is a powerful lever for change and education (Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseWare, etc). While I'm intrigued by Khan Academy and see the benefit to help student who want to pause and replay lessons, there is a limit to it's use as an educational tool. In the article linked below, the Los Altos district currently piloting the program noted that they have not seen any statistical difference between Khan students and the control group. http://losaltos.patch.com/articles/school-district-expands-khan-academy-to-all-schools
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    I too am intrigued by this "inverting" of time spent in the classroom and at home. My idealized model would be to introduce learners to new material at their own pace out of the classroom (allowing for pausing, note taking, reflecting and/or rewinding) and focus classroom time on face to face guiding and coaching of clusters of students or individual students engaged in applying or exploring the current material. To help facilitate this (and assist with accountability) some brief form of pre-assessment before class or at the start of class could illuminate for student and teacher alike what material has been mastered and what needs more attention. The research report from the TIE Foundations summer reading appears to support this type of hybrid approach. => Marsha Lovett, Oded Meyer, and Candace Thille (2008). The Open Learning Initiative: Measuring the effectiveness of the OLI statistics course in accelerating student learning.
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    An added benefit of tools such as Khan Academy is the option for reinforcement. In a traditional K-12 school environment students do not have the option to watch a video of their class or spend personalized time reviewing a concept they need more time with during class time due to the required pace of school curriculum. An online learning tool allows a student to watch a lesson as many times as needed and to learn from an expert. Often if a student needs help outside the classroom the only people they turn to is parents, who may or may not know about the content themselves.
Maung Nyeu

Michigan Cyber Schools Receive Senate Approval - 2 views

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    Michigan State senate approved Cyber Schools. Experts question this legislation. A new report by education professors from the University of Colorado finds that there's no reliable evidence showing such institutions are as good brick-and-mortar Schools. Some are just not comfortable with all the unknowns in the cyber school equation. Sounds familiar?
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    There is a lot murkiness in the conversation. There may be no evidence but so much goes on in brick and mortar schools that has no evidence behind it anyway, I'm less and less convinced by that particular rhetorical approach. I think there is no more to lose by the effort than we already lose in undocumented ways. As with any endeavor, planning and execution will be the determinants of success. I'm beginning to resent the attempts in the media to summarize these complex issues because I think they have a significant impact on public opinion but they horrible at conveying complexity.
Maung Nyeu

http://www.vancouversun.com/opinion/Opinion+High+tech+tech+views+school/5661484/story.html - 0 views

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    High tech or no-tech - debate continues in Canadian schools. While schools introduce technology from Grades 3 ,4,or 5, Waldorf schools are growing too, 24 affiliated schools with students from K-12, and is growing.
Lindsey Dunn

How A School Becomes A Startup Whisperer | EdSurge News - 2 views

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    Some quick "look fors" for schools when assessing what type of edtech venture to partner with.
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    Great post! We definitely need more discussion about how edtech ventures can partner with schools, districts, and CMO's. This post is right to the point- helpful to both the schools and the edtech companies.
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    Schools describe what is needed to build a strong relationship between startups and Schools
Bharat Battu

Reflex : Math fact fluency - the next generation. - 3 views

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    The school I am interning at (The Carroll School) is using this in their middle school math classes. Small class sizes typically (4-8 kids /  class), and it's a 1:1 school where every child has a laptop. But - it's working well for designated independent work time in the math classes I've observed- where each kid is asked to play the game for 15 minutes on their own. Kids have their own profiles- and there are several different math mini games they can play, each game focusing on different math skills. Each mini game involves different game mechanics and art styles. But all games involve using arithmetic skills and math concepts to solve problems that progress them in the game. Good performance gives the kids in-game credits/money that they can use to customize their in-gam avatar. 
Danna Ortiz

Schools Test Personalized Math Program - WSJ.com - 1 views

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    NY City touting 5 public schools' adoption of School of One curricula in Race to Top application, but the schools' assessment scores show mixed results so far.
Daniel Melia

A Brooklyn High School Takes a New Approach to Vocational Education - NYTimes.com - 0 views

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    A look at a Brooklyn public school that offers a six-year high school/college curriculum geared toward jobs in the technology industry. Ironically, it doesn't seem like technology is being used to transform student understanding. And there seems to be a risk that these kids are being trained to do jobs that will be obsolete by the time they finish school.
James Glanville

Expand Horizons Through Expanded Learning Time - Global Learning - Education Week - 1 views

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    The role technology can play in expanding the time during which learning can take place.
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    Another article about "expanded learning time" both online and via community-based "brick and mortar" locations like libraries, YMCA, and Boys & Girls Clubs. "Out-of-school programs can be strong partners for schools who want to leverage expanded learning time to help their students achieve global competence. Youth-serving organizations share the broad mission to promote student success in work and life in the 21st century. Out-of-school program organization and management is often based on an asset model that values diversity. In order to attract and retain participants, out-of-school programs are centered around youth engagement through hands-on and experiential learning, often with a focus on 21st century skills, service learning, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and others."
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    I wonder what Helen Haste would think of this organization . . .
Stephen Bresnick

How Online Learning Companies Bought America's Schools | Truthout - 3 views

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    This article shows the dark underbelly of the educational policy world as it relates to technology. As schools are increasingly adopting online learning models in classes, companies are predictably lining up to get money from the movement. However, there are many companies who are taking it a step further and lobbying for policies that do not have children's best interests in mind and which operate under the simplistic and misguided assumption that "schools will not need teachers once computers become good enough." It should give us pause to consider what needs to be done in these early stages to prevent the edTech movement from falling into the wrong hands and killing our schools.
Maung Nyeu

John Merrow: Education Predictions for 2012 - 3 views

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    Author makes predictions for 2012, including increase in blended learning. A video of PBS Newshour speaks of school choices in Indiana - public school in other areas, private school, or public charter school with military rituals.
Maung Nyeu

Stanford's Online High School Raises the Bar - NYTimes.com - 1 views

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    Elite Universities, like Stanford University, are putting their brand and prestige behind online education and offering diplomas to 30 seniors from "Standford Online High School." Harold O. Levy, a former New York City schools chancellor and founder of Kaplan's online master's of education program, believes Stanford's involvement in this sector could be a watershed.
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    Though it is only 5 years old and Stanford officials are still unsure whether it really compares to a brick and mortar school, the cache of Stanford's name could certainly do a lot to elevate the reputation of online programs. I think it is especially interesting that most students are from remote areas where it is impossible to get a comparable education at a similar private school because of location.
Cole Shaw

MOOC for school leaders? - 0 views

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    Kind of interesting...but two schools (HS and University?) in Canada are sponsoring a MOOC for school leaders on how to push your school / organization forward.
Kasthuri Gopalaratnam

Should the School Day Be Longer? - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com - 1 views

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    "When and where does it make sense to institute a longer school day, and how should it be designed?"
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    I think a case can be made for structuring school hours flexibly, to accommodate those who engage in sports and other extra currlicular activities and also those who desire or need additional academic learning time.
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    From my own experience, using technology was an effective way to maintain student engagement during a longer day. As a sped teacher, I offered students the opportunity to do an extra online-based reading intervention if they came to school early. I had a surprising number of students come - almost every single day. Additionally, using technology during afternoon tutoring sessions helped my students stay on-task. I think if the standard school day was to be extended, putting a substantial focus on technology would be both an effective learning tool and a good way to help prevent students from burning out by the last bell.
Jaclyn Ruszala

1-to-1 Computing: Turning Around School Technology - 6 views

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    This article explains why the district chose laptops over tablet and how the community is helping to turn the schools around.
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    This is a very throrough article.If replaceing computers every 4 years and maintaining them is only 4% of the budget, I wonder what all the resistence is to schools maintaining computers. Is 4% still too much? Is 4% specific to this Alabama district? Also, I felt individualized instruction for foreign language would be the best way to transition a school towards networked individualized learning in a school environment. It's silly that everyone in elementary schools has to take the same language simply because there is only one foreign language teacher. Instead of a Spanish teacher you would need to hire multi-lingual specialists who are able to monitor langauge acquisition. Cool future!
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    "The teachers that were involved said that if every kid had their own computer, we could do amazing things". It would be interesting to know if the teachers presented some concrete ideas of 'amazing things'. It would also be interesting to know whether they have a bank of spare laptops to loan to the students while the defective ones are getting fixed. I have a feeling that in the not-so-distant future the choice between a tablet and a computer may become a moot point. The hardware that powers a MacBook Air and iPad is very similar. We have laptops that double as tablets and tablets that are paired with a keyboard to be used as a laptop. Eventually these two will merge.
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    Great overview of the issues -- I agree with Kasthuri -- I think the issue will become moot
Maung Nyeu

Virtual schools on the rise, but are they right for K-12 students? - schools of Thought - CNN.com Blogs - 1 views

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    While a seventh grader improves her score using online school, led by a teacher few miles away, online schools debate continues.
Kasthuri Gopalaratnam

Teaching With the Enemy - NYTimes.com - 1 views

  • you simply cannot fix America’s schools by “scaling” charter schools. It won’t work. Charter schools offer proof of the concept that great teaching is a huge difference-maker, but charters can only absorb a tiny fraction of the nation’s 50 million public schoolchildren. Real reform has to go beyond charters — and it has to include the unions.
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    Nice article on the challenges in school reform - An excerpt from the article - " you simply cannot fix America's schools by "scaling" charter schools. ...... Charter schools offer proof of the concept that great teaching is a huge difference-maker, but charters can only absorb a tiny fraction of the nation's 50 million public schoolchildren. Real reform has to go beyond charters - and it has to include the unions."
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