2014-06-27

Collect and Organize Learning Resources Into Embeddable Collections with Blendspace




ThingLink for Video


Introducing an easy way to annotate videos with rich media


2014-06-17

Half an Hour: Personal Learning: A Set of Three Talks by Stephen Downes


Here is the abstract of one:
Beyond Free: Open Learning in a Networked World As the concept of ‘open learning’ has grown it has posed an increasing challenge to educational institutions. First admissions were open, then educational resources were open and now whole courses are open. Proponents moreover are demanding not only that open learning be free of charge, but also that the resources and materials be open source – free for reuse by students and educators for their own purposes. This formed the basis for the original design of the Massive Open Online Course as a connected environment in which participants created and reused resources. In such a learning environment, the provision of education moves beyond the programmed delivery of instructional resources and tasks. Education is no longer ‘delivered’ (for free or otherwise) and instruction is no longer ‘designed’ in the traditional sense. Institutions are no longer at the centre of the ecosystem; their value propositions are challenged and new roles for professors and researchers must be found if they are to survive. In this talk Stephen Downes outlines the steps educational institutions must take to remain relevant: embracing the free and open sharing of knowledge and learning, underlining their key role as public institutions, and engagement in the lives and workplaces of people in the community. 

2014-06-16

The Future of E-Ducation: The Impact of Technology and Analytics on the Education Industry


This groundbreaking EdTech study examines the way that modern technology is bringing remarkable innovation into the educational sector; a field which has historically remained fairly fixed and traditional for centuries. The report analyses the degree to which education is being made into a universally accessible, innovative, personalized, and adaptive experience, and finds that the these changes will be pivotal for achieving the United Nations’ goal of universal education by 2015.



2014-06-15

Why Programming Teaches So Much More Than Technical Skills - Mind/Shift


Skills used for programming could also be used for a wide range of careers, such as constructing meteorological simulations, making financial predictions, or creating personalized online learning curricula.



Moodle MOOC 4


Moodle MOOC 4 - Dr. Nellie Deutsch Founder of IT4ALL

It's not too late to receive free Moodle training and learn about teaching online. Click to join: http://ift.tt/1kbSp7V


Moodle MOOC 4 will take place from June 1, 2014 on WizIQ. The theme of the current MOOC is collaborative learning and connecting online for instruction and learning. The MOOC will focus on connecting online for collaborative learning and teaching through Moodle. The live presentations will include the speakers’ reflective process on teaching and learning in fully online and blended learning formats. 

Moodle MOOC 4 will also include Moodle for Teachers (M4T) courses for beginners and advanced Moodlers. The courses will be asynchronous (Moodle) and synchronous (WizIQ) with recordings on WizIQ, YouTube, and Vimeo. 



2014-06-10

Adobe Voice — Show your story.


Voice is a free iPad app that turns your story into a stunning animated video in minutes.



President Uhuru Kenyatta promises Free Secondary School Education by 2016


Kisii, Kenya:

President Uhuru Kenyatta Monday promised Kenyans that the government will provide completely free secondary school education in the next three years. Towards this goal, head of state said the government will sharply increase the funds available for education in the next financial year.

“Within three years, this country will offer truly free secondary education to every young Kenyan of age”, he said from Kisii High School where he was the Guest of honour as the institution celebrated its 80th anniversary. He said no child should be out of school over fees irrespective of social status.

Currently Kenyan children enjoy Free Primary Education while students in boarding secondary schools are highly subsidized. Secondary school education in public day schools is essentially free.

The president said the success of the new initiative for truly free secondary school education will highly depend on the partnership between the national government and the respective county governments. 

Read more at: http://ift.tt/1uRe79m



2014-06-07

The Startup Life In A Country That's Just Getting Smartphones - Masters and PhDs


Tucked on the second floor of a turquoise building with peeling paint is a five-person tech startup that shares an office with Linn Construction, a property developer. Thar Htet, a cherubic 29-year-old Yangon native who dreams of Google-style success, does double duty as the founder of the app company, Zwenex, and a manager of the construction firm — a family business that’s currently helping to keep his tech venture afloat.

 

2014-06-06

Teacher's Guide to Creating A Connected Classroom ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning


"A connected classroom is a learning environment that is open to the outside world. One in which students get engaged in real life authentic learning that starts within their classroom and extends to reach other global learners. With  the widespread of internet connection and web 2.0 technologies, creating a connected classroom becomes way easier than any time before. But before we delve into the web tools to use to open the doors of your classroom to to a global audience, let me first share with you some of the academic pluses of using a connected classroom approach"



2014-06-05

Harvard Debuts HBX Live, a New Kind of Online Classroom


Starting this summer, what once was a plain ol’ WGBH studio will become a virtual classroom that may revolutionize the way we think about online education. Dubbed HBX Live, the new Harvard Business School collaboration with the public broadcaster will use the space in the same manner as a traditional lecture hall—with a professor at the front presiding over a semicircle of 60 screens, each one a stand-in for an off-site student. The initiative will debut as part of the business school’s new online learning platform, HBX, which launches this month.

 
Stewart-Marshall's insight:
A retrograde step in online learning :-)