Expert Perspectives


ConnectED: Great Idea, Lousy Implementation

The Whitehouse announced the ConnectED initiative June 6 with the goal of connecting 99 percent of America's schools in five years and providing teacher training. But, no new money was allocated to realize those lofty goals. Who is the Whitehouse trying to fool?

Is a Laptop a Mobile Computer? And Why Is That Even an Important Question?

Learning is all-the-time, everywhere. Mobile computing devices – and only the mobile ones – can support 24/7, everyplace learning. So, how do you decide what is a mobile computing device? Read on for our mobility litmus test

Hats off To Kyle! Education Needs More Like Him

Kyle Menchhofer kicked mobile learning off in rural, blue-collar, St. Marys, OH in 2007. But, in May, 2013, St. Marys voted down the school bond, and the visionary, pioneering program that Kyle created ended. Well, a chapter ended. Check out what Kyle did in 2007 to bring mobile learning to 160 students.

Are American Schools Going Backward? Can We Learn from Singapore?

A program in Singapore is bringing smartphones into the classroom as part of an effort to transform instruction to an inquiry-based model. The results? Let's just say the United States needs to take note.

Using Data to Drive Educational Change: The Bad, The Good, and The You-Decide

Student performance data is playing an increasingly important role in America’s classrooms. From scientifically based research to survey data to clickstream learning analytics, the volume of data is most definitely increasing. The question, of course, is this: for the better?

To See Increases in Student Achievement in 1:1/BYOD Classrooms Teachers Must be Given Curriculum with Technology Activities Baked In

We can't ask teachers to use 1:1 computing devices (BYOD or school-purchased) while still giving them only pencil-and-paper curriculum and askign them to figure it out on their own. We need to give teachers new curriculum, with detailed lessons that exploit the affordances of the computing devices, if we want to see increases in student achievement.

Higher Ed v. Lower Ed: Pursuing Personalized Learning — in Opposing Directions?

Both higher ed and lower ed are seeking to provide learners with personalized instruction. The issue, however, is this: Who does the personalizing -- the individual or the computer? We argue that higher is choosing the former approach while K-12 is choosing the latter approach. Has K-12 made a good decision?

The Age of Mobilism Has Hit Puberty: Prices of Smartphones and Tablets are Going to Plummet! YAY!

According to its CEO, HP is becoming a tablet and smartphone company; PCs are becoming small potatoes. And T-Mobile has disrupted the telcos' pricing scheme -- big time! Brace yourselves: price wars for mobile devices are soon to follow. Yes folks, the Age of Mobilism is definitely upon us and big changes are afoot! This is all good news for K-12.

The $10 Data Plan: 2 Game-Changing but Simple Proposals

The FCC needs to act now to support K-12 and solve the "connectivity access problem." Here's where to start.

Creating Assignments That Work for Digital Learning Environments

How can teachers really create assignments that demonstrate what students know both in content and in technology skill development? And how can these assignments be rigorous, accessible, and holistic--yet also specific--and all the while remain student-centered and integrate technology freely?

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