As summer reaches its peak, and fall gears up to make its arrival, students, parents, teachers, and administrators are all preparing for the beginning of a new academic year. So many gains were made last year, and they are eager to build upon that success. When we talk about education stakeholders who are concerned with starting the school year off right, we rarely, if ever, talk about edtech companies. They too are an integral part of the school community, as they provide a valuable service. So how do edtech companies stay on their “A” games to begin the new school …
Announcing the Winners of the 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
Every day, technology innovations transform the way people learn and how educators teach. In the last few years, the edtech field has attracted a lot of talented people, all with excellent knowledge bases and ideas. Though the edtech industry has been around for a few decades now, the last few years, in particular, have seen a surge in investment from both school districts and investors. The education market is currently worth around $5 trillion globally, and it is forecasted that edtech investment alone will reach $252 billion by the year 2020. This growing investment into edtech start-ups has created some …
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The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 1: 8 Attributes of Successful Digital Age Teachers
Regardless of where you go in the world, teachers are the backbone of the education system. Without quality teachers, school districts cannot provide students with the skills that they need to be successful academically. Without teachers, the next generation will not be able to compete in the global economy. These are sureties, and you will find few people who would disagree. If you have been studying the field of education closely, as we have, you know that it is undergoing a metamorphosis. Students no longer respond to the teacher-centered pedagogy that our forefathers did. No, today’s students are immersed in …
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My Vision for the Future of Adaptive Learning in Education
The field of education is changing, and adaptive learning is helping to transform the education landscape in exciting ways. The metamorphosis from whole-class instruction to interactive learning is already underway. Educators who embrace edtech’s inclusion in instruction are making it possible for adaptive learning to become a mainstay in instruction. I see a promising future for adaptive learning in education, and my vision includes: Adaptive learning as the cornerstone of education, Real-time learning, and Personalized education experiences. Adaptive learning According to NoodleMarkets, adaptive learning currently comprises $41 million of the annual $3 billion edtech market. The largest districts in the …
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My Vision for the Future of Personalized Learning in Schools
Personalized learning consists of customized learning paths. These paths adapt to the learner as each student accesses the curriculum and moves forward. Students set the pace and take responsibility for the learning process. In theory. Creating a bespoke learning opportunity involves more than setting up a student login and password in a digital curriculum program, but it can produce outstanding results when done well. Digital learning strategies can fill learning gaps, provide reinforcement or allow for enrichment while the teacher works with other students, but personalized learning must provide the right strategy at the right time for pupils. So there …
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You Need to Understand Learning Analytics to Personalize Learning
Personalized learning refers to the effort to teach each individual student. Historically, most teachers have had little choice save to teach to the average. Of course, no one student is perfectly average. This means that teaching was often not appropriate for many students, who struggled as a result. But personalized learning reframes instruction by using the most appropriate tools, approaches, and content for each individual student. Of course, this is extremely difficult to accomplish without edtech tools. And one of the keys to implementing a quality personalized learning approach—one that is more likely to result in improved student learning outcomes—is …
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7 Examples of Project-Based Learning Activities
Even if you have never heard about all the research showing the effectiveness of project-based learning, it’s not hard to figure out that it is a far more engaging way to learn than through traditional methods. What’s not to love about engaging with a real-life problem or question and applying content knowledge and connections to various disciplines to solve it? If you’re stuck for ideas, here are a few great ones to get you started. Shrinking potato chip bags in the microwave. Students can learn about polymers through hands-on activities using some of their favorite products, like shoes and sporting …
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Why Neuroscience Should Drive Personalized Learning
While personalized learning is a growing market, we have long looked to how the mind works to inform education. The biggest problem with this practice has been the propagation of myths and misinformation. However, new research and focus on how the mind actually works can dispel the false ideas which hinder the progress of personalized education. What does this mean for individual learning? Teachers and parents can help students succeed through new technology and methods which are supported by science. Applying verified ideas to personalized education can help students advance, and teachers make a real impact. For these dreams to …
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5 Industries that Artificial Intelligence Will Disrupt
Can artificial intelligence disrupt certain industries? The answer, in short, is yes, but first, let’s take a look at what artificial intelligence is, and how it changes the world as we know it. Artificial intelligence is the development and ability of computer programs to complete tasks normally performed by people, such as speech recognition, language translation, visual perception, and even decision making. Artificial intelligence has the power to eliminate some jobs that are now being completed by people, but according to Connie Chan, artificial intelligence will also create jobs. Here are some industries that are being affected and or will …
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How Neuroscience Should Drive Personalized Learning
While personalized learning is a growing market, we have long looked to how the mind works to inform education. The biggest problem with this practice has been the propagation of myths and misinformation. However, new research and focus on how the mind actually works can dispel the false ideas which hinder the progress of personalized education. What does this mean for individual learning? Teachers and parents can help students succeed through new technology and methods which are supported by science. Applying verified ideas to personalized education can help students advance, and teachers make a real impact. For these dreams to …
Continue reading “How Neuroscience Should Drive Personalized Learning”