"Along with the big release last week of Amplify's tablet, produced by the education arm of media conglomerate News Corp, came details of the product that will vie for a spot in the growing education tablet market."
Research and publish the best content.
Get Started for FREE
Sign up with Facebook Sign up with X
I don't have a Facebook or a X account
Already have an account: Login
Eclectic Technology
224.6K views |
+3 today
Tech tools that assist all students to be independent learners & teachers to become better teachers
Curated by
Beth Dichter
 Your new post is loading...
Your new post is loading...
Scoop.it!
![Adoption Rates of New Styles of K-12 Teaching [Infographic] - Enterasys Networks | Eclectic Technology | Scoop.it](https://img.scoop.it/8Eop-kUfHjGva-BMAPbc_Dl72eJkfbmt4t8yenImKBVvK0kTmF0xjctABnaLJIm9)
A look at how quickly schools may migrate "to new styles of teaching and the digital classroom." The survey looked at digital textboks, video content, flipped classroom, online assessment, social media and more. The survey was small in number but the numbers are interesting to look at. 
MuuMuuKau's curator insight,
February 22, 2013 4:17 AM
The sources of this are not cited clearly. But it gives some idea about the adoption rates of new styles of teaching in schools in the USA.
Scoop.it!
"The enemy of innovation and growth is routine. These auspicious weeks before the school year commences are the perfect time to create a new routine that will ensure innovation in your instruction and growth as an instructor. Here are some idea for those who want to take advantage of these next few weeks to guarantee the best year they’ve ever had." Below is the list of the five ideas. Read the full post to get additional information as well as links to resources. 1. Move Beyond the Textbook 2. Become an Expert in One Tool 3. Read About all Things Education 4. Revisit Your Homework Strategy 5. Make a Professional Development Schedule
Scoop.it!
"Gooru is a search engine for learning that allows you to explore and study over 2,600 standards-aligned and personalized study guides. Study guides cover 5th-12th grade math and science topics, and resources include digital textbooks, animations, instructor videos and more. All resources are vetted and organized by teachers or Gooru’s content experts, so you don’t have to sort through the mess of subpar educational resources available online yourself."
Gooru's comment,
September 10, 2012 3:00 PM
Hey, Beth! Thanks for the scoop! We've been making a lot of changes to Gooru, we're in our Beta launch now and we really appreciate your support thus far. We've also created a brand new library page to help users browse all of our wonderful content! Check it out at www.goorulearning.org, and tell your friends!
Scoop.it!
A group of publishers and tech companies gathered in Washington today to talk about getting digital textbooks into U.S. classrooms. The gathering, convened by the FCC and the Department of Education, included everyone from Apple to Intel to McGraw-Hill, and it was premised on the idea that digitizing classrooms is a good thing.
|
Scoop.it!
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says every school should replace textbooks with tablets or e-reader devices. What does this mean for your students' learning? This post explores cost analysis and learning considerations. Did you know that South Korea has been using digital textbooks and report that their students have "graduation rates of six to eight percent higher than students with no access." Other studies raise questions about retention with digital access to textbooks. Without question, this is a hot button topic. For more information click through to the post.
Scoop.it!
No matter how far we evolve from the little red schoolhouse, we cannot afford to sacrifice the foundation of education that is built upon the unique relationship between teacher and student. Education is undergoing a "seismic change" as more and more digital devices enter the classroom. This article looks at the digital devices and at the teacher, stating "the motherboard and the memory chip will never replace the passion and inspiration of a real-life teacher." The article points out that for new technology to work teachers must be trained effectively in the new technology. Information on the replacement of traditional textbooks with digital textbooks is also discussed. Two school districts are mentioned that saw significant improvement with state testing scores (in specific subjects) with the introducation of digital textbooks. Based on the information presented it is clear that for digital content to work well teachers must be trained. Without the training the achievment gap will not be impacted. For more information click through to the article.
Tony Palmeri's curator insight,
October 24, 2015 4:23 PM
I chose this resource based on its powerful and straightforward title. Technology supports teachers - it does not replace them. In this article, a study illustrated that professional development that aided teachers in developing engaging tech lessons that focused on testable objectives yielded incredible achievement data. The technology must be incorporated into a curriculum, it does not take the place of the curriculum.
Scoop.it!
Digital textbooks are in the news these days. Many publishers are providing digital textbooks at a cost. However, Boundless has "just launched the public beta version of its brand new site. What is Boundless? It’s a way to easily turn all of the open source information that exists in the world into a simple easy-to-use digital textbook. And it’s free." Boundless uses open source materials to create their digital textbooks. Additional digital resources are also generated. For more information on how it works check out this article, or go directly to the Boundless website to sign up: http://www.boundless.com/.
Scoop.it!
"Tablet devices and the publishing they enable are leading us to reconsider what constitutes a textbook, and they certainly change the landscape of what it has traditionally meant to write and publish one. A new breed of rich-media publishing tools offers an evolving set of opportunities both for the creation process and for the kinds of resources that can be produced. These resources could include 3D charts and tables, interactive maps, continual updates, and quizzes with instant feedback. The integration of text with various kinds of media, coupled with broad access to new creation tools, could result in these resources becoming valuable parts of students’ digital learning landscapes." You may download this resource as either a pdf or an ePub from the site.
|
This post provides a more in-depth look at the new Amplify tablet. Here is a more in-depth descirption:
"It’s 10 inches long, with a hard exterior shell, and is pre-loaded with its own learning software, as well as Google Apps for Education, dictionaries, multimedia lessons, Encyclopedia Britannica, Khan Academy lessons, a graphing calculator. If the company wins rights from publishers, it can also be loaded with electronic textbooks. What’s more, teachers can keep track of students’ progress, as well as have access to classroom management tools that allow them to turn off apps when needed."
But more interesting to me is the questions that come up when you read the impressions of others. Below are two examples:
From TechCruch (quoted):
“While the News Corp. founder’s sudden transformation into an education reform advocate may seem a head-scratcher, the motivation becomes clear when, in Murdoch’s terms, one considers that K-12 education is a $500 billion sector in the U.S. alone — and one that remains relatively untouched by corporations like News Corp.” (Remember that Murdoch is News Corp. founder.)
From Forbes (quoted):
“From my point of view, the problem with News being in this business is that it creates a channel to our youngest, most vulnerable minds for a guy with extreme politics and highly questionable ethics,” Kay wrote. Unlike the transparent profit motives of companies like Apple and Google, News Corp’s motivations should be further questioned, he said.
Additional information may be found in the post.