LA Unified spends $30,000, 000.00 on iPads
Apple Inc. won a $30-million contract Tuesday from the L.A. Unified School District, paving the way for the company to provide every student with an iPad in the nation's second-largest school system.
The Board of Education voted 6 to 0 on Tuesday to approve the contract after hearing senior staff laud Apple's product as both the best in quality and the least expensive option that met the district's specifications.
Tuesday's vote authorized an iPad rollout at 47 campuses. However, by choosing Apple as the sole vendor, the district also made a de facto commitment to spend hundreds of millions of dollars with the Cupertino, Calif.-based digital giant over the next two years.
The tablet computer by Apple “received the highest scoring by the students and the teachers,” who took part in testing different devices, said Deputy Supt. Jaime Aquino.
The district is paying $678 per device -- higher than tablets available in stores -- but the machines will be pre-loaded with educational software. The price does not include a keyboard, which may be necessary for older students. The three-year warranty includes free replacement machines up to 5% of the value of the purchase.
Amplify announces one of the largest tablet deployments in K-12
Amplify announced a deal for the deployment of 21,215 tablets to Guilford County Schools in North Carolina. The devices will be used by students and teachers in 24 middle schools throughout the district beginning in the 2013-2014 school year. The agreement, which was awarded through a competitive bid process and is largely paid for through federal Race to The Top funds, provides Guilford with tablets for four years.
“This is one of the largest 1-to-1 deployments, if not the single largest, to date in K-12 education,” said Amplify CEO Joel Klein. “At Amplify, we’re working to transform the way teachers teach and students learn. We aren’t recycling consumer goods for the classroom. We are a company that is 100-percent focused on education.”
“This is more than just a tablet. It’s a complete learning solution organized around the school day,” said Stephen Smyth, president of Amplify’s Access division, which produces the tablet. “We believe it’s both more affordable and more impactful than just about any other product in the education technology market.”
The Amplify Tablet offers states, districts and schools a Wi-Fi enabled, 1-to-1, personalized learning solution that includes Amplify’s exclusive software designed for teaching and learning; preloaded third-party content and reference tools; customer care; professional development; and enterprise-level device management. In addition to the Wi-Fi model, which will be used by the Guilford County Schools, school districts can opt to provide teachers and students with the Amplify Tablet Plus, which includes 4G LTE connectivity from AT&T.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Glasslab's SimCityEDU for Formative Assessment
GlassLab is working with commercial game companies, assessment experts, and those versed in digital classrooms to build SimCityEDU, a downloadable game designed for sixth graders. Scheduled for release in the fall of 2013, it builds on SimCity’s city management theme, but provides specific challenges to players in the subject of STEM.
SimCityEDU grew out of research conducted by the MacArthur foundation on how gaming can mirror formative assessments [PDF] – measuring understanding regularly along the learning path, rather than occasionally or at the end of a unit, as is most common. Their research found that games gather data about the player as he or she makes choices within the game, affecting the outcome. In games, players “level-up,” moving on to higher levels when they’ve mastered the necessary skills; similarly teachers scaffold lessons to deepen understanding as a student grasps the easier concepts.
SimCityEDU, with funding by the Gates and Macarthur foundations, will now provide assessments that are aligned with Common Core State Standards. The EDU version uses the same code as the commercial game, but with the addition of using students’ choices during challenges as a method of assessment. GlassLab is still working to develop all the challenges based on focus-group feedback on student interests, but the one challenge they know they’ll include focuses on the environment, based on positive feedback from the focus groups.
Students will be asked to conduct interviews and look at research to determine what kind of power plant to build in the town. As they play, taking photo documentation, interpreting the information they’ve gathered, drawing conclusions, graphing the data and finally making a decision, the game assesses each choice. Teachers will have a tool to see how each child’s play matches up against Common Core standards.
And game developers hope that the incremental data will help teachers know when to step in and offer more help. For example, if an interview contradicts scientific evidence, the student will have to discern bias, figure out how to weight the various pieces of evidence differently, and back up conclusions with data and text.
SimCityEDU will not go to market until third-party assessor, SRI International, has validated by testing students who’ve played the game using a completely different assessment tool to ensure the game works.
GlassLab plans to offer the downloadable game at little to no cost for schools and teachers.
SimCityEDU grew out of research conducted by the MacArthur foundation on how gaming can mirror formative assessments [PDF] – measuring understanding regularly along the learning path, rather than occasionally or at the end of a unit, as is most common. Their research found that games gather data about the player as he or she makes choices within the game, affecting the outcome. In games, players “level-up,” moving on to higher levels when they’ve mastered the necessary skills; similarly teachers scaffold lessons to deepen understanding as a student grasps the easier concepts.
SimCityEDU, with funding by the Gates and Macarthur foundations, will now provide assessments that are aligned with Common Core State Standards. The EDU version uses the same code as the commercial game, but with the addition of using students’ choices during challenges as a method of assessment. GlassLab is still working to develop all the challenges based on focus-group feedback on student interests, but the one challenge they know they’ll include focuses on the environment, based on positive feedback from the focus groups.
Students will be asked to conduct interviews and look at research to determine what kind of power plant to build in the town. As they play, taking photo documentation, interpreting the information they’ve gathered, drawing conclusions, graphing the data and finally making a decision, the game assesses each choice. Teachers will have a tool to see how each child’s play matches up against Common Core standards.
And game developers hope that the incremental data will help teachers know when to step in and offer more help. For example, if an interview contradicts scientific evidence, the student will have to discern bias, figure out how to weight the various pieces of evidence differently, and back up conclusions with data and text.
SimCityEDU will not go to market until third-party assessor, SRI International, has validated by testing students who’ve played the game using a completely different assessment tool to ensure the game works.
GlassLab plans to offer the downloadable game at little to no cost for schools and teachers.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Tablet Shipments Double in Education
Tablets accounted for more than one-third of all client devices shipped to education institutions in the United States in the last calendar year. That volume represents a doubling of tablet purchases from the previous year, according to a new report released last last month by market research firm IDC. And the growth won't stop there.
The report, Tablets Changing the Education Sector in the United States, Major Momentum Underway, found that overall client device shipments to U.S. education institutions hit 8.5 million total units in calendar 2012, up 15.3 percent from the previous year. Those devices include notebooks, tablets, and desktops. But shipments of tablets were up much more — a full 103 percent year-over-year, representing about 3 million total units, or 35.4 percent of the total. In 2011, they represented 19.4 percent of the total. According to IDC, tablets are just getting started. "While tablet sales to the education sector doubled from 2011 to 2012, we are only seeing the beginning of a much greater push that is likely to last for years," said David Daoud, research director, personal computers at IDC, in a prepared statement. "As a result, we remain highly optimistic about sustained tablet growth in education, particularly as prices decline due to greater competition."
What's driving that growth? According to IDC: "The impetus to go digital in the education sector can be found among virtually all U.S. education institutions as well as around the world. Government mandates from all levels to digitize education, the relatively low cost of tablets, and a proliferation of funding sources are providing an enormous push to tablet adoption, effectively bringing the concept of one device per student closer to reality."
Part of that success is also being fueled by manufacturers that work with institutions "to execute strategies that encompass educational content as well as the content delivery platforms. In this context, IDC expects to see a new set of stakeholders emerge as new ideas and partnerships enable them to offer more than just hardware." In particular, according to IDC's Tom Mainelli, research director, tablets, K-12 schools will be at the forefront of that effort. "Tablet vendors that expect to compete in the education market need to be thinking beyond just hardware speeds and feeds," he said. "We expect K-12 in particular to be at the center of new innovations where partnerships between hardware makers, content owners, solution providers and others will lead to many new educational opportunities." In total, the 8.5 million client devices shipped to education institutions in 2012 represented about $5 billion in equipment.
I think that we should expect this growth to continue, that this is just the beginning.
The gaining momentum across education to purchase digital instead of printed textbooks is going to drive a topology change in each institution. For each student to have a digital textbook, they need a device to use it - and a lab or two of expensive desktops in the school just isn't at all suitable ... each school needs a device for each student, it is unavoidable.
The rate of acceleration in adoption is going to be directly dependent upon the availability and quality of digital texts. Printed textbooks can't compare to their digital counterpart. But, a school can't retarget their purchasing to a digital text if one isn't available for their curriculum.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the text publishing arena ... can the companies that know how to make printed texts remake themselves? It seems likely that if they cannot, they won't survive. If they don't, who will be the new publishers? States and school districts are setup to make text purchases from huge corporations, who have sales and business support mechanisms to make that happen. Will there be an emergence of indie text publishers (similar to the latest iteration of indie game developers)?
There is another issue at work here too ...
I think that what may be most profound impact of the rise of tablets and instant mobility is that they will cause a paradigm shift in education that will be similar to the emergence of the Web in education the late 90's. Mobile learning isn't just elearning made small ... mlearning is a completely new animal ... since the 90's, it has been a long, painful learning curve for education to come to grips with the fact that using the Web for education isn't taking traditional text resources and shoveling them into HTML. Mobile learning will now present a new requirement for professional development to accompany this migration.
The report, Tablets Changing the Education Sector in the United States, Major Momentum Underway, found that overall client device shipments to U.S. education institutions hit 8.5 million total units in calendar 2012, up 15.3 percent from the previous year. Those devices include notebooks, tablets, and desktops. But shipments of tablets were up much more — a full 103 percent year-over-year, representing about 3 million total units, or 35.4 percent of the total. In 2011, they represented 19.4 percent of the total. According to IDC, tablets are just getting started. "While tablet sales to the education sector doubled from 2011 to 2012, we are only seeing the beginning of a much greater push that is likely to last for years," said David Daoud, research director, personal computers at IDC, in a prepared statement. "As a result, we remain highly optimistic about sustained tablet growth in education, particularly as prices decline due to greater competition."
What's driving that growth? According to IDC: "The impetus to go digital in the education sector can be found among virtually all U.S. education institutions as well as around the world. Government mandates from all levels to digitize education, the relatively low cost of tablets, and a proliferation of funding sources are providing an enormous push to tablet adoption, effectively bringing the concept of one device per student closer to reality."
Part of that success is also being fueled by manufacturers that work with institutions "to execute strategies that encompass educational content as well as the content delivery platforms. In this context, IDC expects to see a new set of stakeholders emerge as new ideas and partnerships enable them to offer more than just hardware." In particular, according to IDC's Tom Mainelli, research director, tablets, K-12 schools will be at the forefront of that effort. "Tablet vendors that expect to compete in the education market need to be thinking beyond just hardware speeds and feeds," he said. "We expect K-12 in particular to be at the center of new innovations where partnerships between hardware makers, content owners, solution providers and others will lead to many new educational opportunities." In total, the 8.5 million client devices shipped to education institutions in 2012 represented about $5 billion in equipment.
I think that we should expect this growth to continue, that this is just the beginning.
The gaining momentum across education to purchase digital instead of printed textbooks is going to drive a topology change in each institution. For each student to have a digital textbook, they need a device to use it - and a lab or two of expensive desktops in the school just isn't at all suitable ... each school needs a device for each student, it is unavoidable.
The rate of acceleration in adoption is going to be directly dependent upon the availability and quality of digital texts. Printed textbooks can't compare to their digital counterpart. But, a school can't retarget their purchasing to a digital text if one isn't available for their curriculum.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the text publishing arena ... can the companies that know how to make printed texts remake themselves? It seems likely that if they cannot, they won't survive. If they don't, who will be the new publishers? States and school districts are setup to make text purchases from huge corporations, who have sales and business support mechanisms to make that happen. Will there be an emergence of indie text publishers (similar to the latest iteration of indie game developers)?
There is another issue at work here too ...
I think that what may be most profound impact of the rise of tablets and instant mobility is that they will cause a paradigm shift in education that will be similar to the emergence of the Web in education the late 90's. Mobile learning isn't just elearning made small ... mlearning is a completely new animal ... since the 90's, it has been a long, painful learning curve for education to come to grips with the fact that using the Web for education isn't taking traditional text resources and shoveling them into HTML. Mobile learning will now present a new requirement for professional development to accompany this migration.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Discovery's Free Summer STEM Camp Materials
Discovery is formalizing its programs related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) under an umbrella initiative called "Connect the Dots," intended to help young people make the link between STEM and their everyday lives. One new program under Connect the Dots is a bundle of free digital resources that can be used to put on STEM after school sessions or summer camps.
STEM Camp consists of a series of standards-aligned curricula available at no cost to schools, districts, non-profit organizations, and parents for use as part of educational events. The materials combine hands-on and virtual labs, engineering challenges, digital investigations, interactive videos, and career connections designed to engage students in STEM topics and connect them to specific careers. The program will track along with "grand challenges" identified by the National Academy of Engineers, encompassing STEM-related approaches to water, urban infrastructure, and energy. A webinar introducing the program will be held on May 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
The water program, which is the first one available, provides five days of activities. Each day's resources include an overview, a presentation that walks facilitators through the activities including experiments and videos, a proposed schedule, and a list of materials needed. To access the site's resources, the user must register.
STEM Camp consists of a series of standards-aligned curricula available at no cost to schools, districts, non-profit organizations, and parents for use as part of educational events. The materials combine hands-on and virtual labs, engineering challenges, digital investigations, interactive videos, and career connections designed to engage students in STEM topics and connect them to specific careers. The program will track along with "grand challenges" identified by the National Academy of Engineers, encompassing STEM-related approaches to water, urban infrastructure, and energy. A webinar introducing the program will be held on May 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
The water program, which is the first one available, provides five days of activities. Each day's resources include an overview, a presentation that walks facilitators through the activities including experiments and videos, a proposed schedule, and a list of materials needed. To access the site's resources, the user must register.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Proposed National Reorganization for STEM Education
In their 2014 budget proposal, the Whitehouse is projecting a significant reorganization related to the programs and funding for STEM Education. It would eliminate 78, consolidate 49, and launch 39 new programs. In the end, the request of $3.1 billion for STEM Education would be a 7% increase over the 2012 allocation.
The purpose of the reorganization is to reduce overlap and fragmentation, and to increase coordination and assessment of the effectiveness of the funding.
NASA, NOAA, and NIH have been projected for major reductions related to their respective education activities. The Department of Education, NSF, and the Smithsonian Institution would all have their STEM related programs realigned and their funding expanded.
ScienceInsider spoke last week with top officials at each agency.
While the Congress is likely to reduce the effectiveness of this reorganization, in the interests of preserving programs for various influential constituents, the reorg objectives seem sound and it is heartening to see the 7% increase in funding overall.
The purpose of the reorganization is to reduce overlap and fragmentation, and to increase coordination and assessment of the effectiveness of the funding.
NASA, NOAA, and NIH have been projected for major reductions related to their respective education activities. The Department of Education, NSF, and the Smithsonian Institution would all have their STEM related programs realigned and their funding expanded.
ScienceInsider spoke last week with top officials at each agency.
While the Congress is likely to reduce the effectiveness of this reorganization, in the interests of preserving programs for various influential constituents, the reorg objectives seem sound and it is heartening to see the 7% increase in funding overall.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
HP Catalyst Initiative
International Society for Technology
in Education (ISTE), the New
Media Consortium (NMC), and HP have created a free, online professional development
initiative designed to help educators around the world teach STEMx subjects. The
HP Catalyst
Academy will launch in June 2013 with 15 free mini-courses taught by HP
Catalyst Fellows.
The HP Catalyst Initiative coined the term STEMx to expand on the traditional definition of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. The "x" in STEMx refers to other disciplines, such as computer science, nanoscience, and biotech, as well as skills like collaboration, creativity, communication, problem solving, inquiry, computational thinking, and global fluency, all of which the HP Catalyst Initiative considers important for success in the high tech world.
The HP Catalyst Academy is intended to "accelerate STEMx education, transform teaching practices, and continue to close the digital skills gap," according to a news release from the organization. The mini-courses will be taught by HP Catalyst Fellows, educators and entrepreneurs from around the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada who have experience developing and launching large-scale projects that have a positive effect on teachers and students.
"The professional development opportunities are designed to be completely practical and forward-thinking," said Larry Johnson, CEO of NMC. "They really have the capacity to transform STEMx teaching and learning as we know it.”
The first 15 online mini-courses available through HP Catalyst Academy include:
Further information about HP Catalyst Academy can be found at catalyst-academy.org
The HP Catalyst Initiative coined the term STEMx to expand on the traditional definition of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. The "x" in STEMx refers to other disciplines, such as computer science, nanoscience, and biotech, as well as skills like collaboration, creativity, communication, problem solving, inquiry, computational thinking, and global fluency, all of which the HP Catalyst Initiative considers important for success in the high tech world.
The HP Catalyst Academy is intended to "accelerate STEMx education, transform teaching practices, and continue to close the digital skills gap," according to a news release from the organization. The mini-courses will be taught by HP Catalyst Fellows, educators and entrepreneurs from around the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada who have experience developing and launching large-scale projects that have a positive effect on teachers and students.
"The professional development opportunities are designed to be completely practical and forward-thinking," said Larry Johnson, CEO of NMC. "They really have the capacity to transform STEMx teaching and learning as we know it.”
The first 15 online mini-courses available through HP Catalyst Academy include:
- Building a Framework for Digital Fabrication;
- ClassroomSalon.org: Social Textbooks;
- Computational Thinking in Secondary Schools;
- Connecting Students to their World;
- Game Design for Learning;
- Geospatial Tech for STEMx Learning;
- Helping Students Change their World through App Design;
- InkSurvey: Graphical Response Tool for Real-Time Formative Assessment;
- Multi/Interdisciplinary STEMx Teaching;
- Planning Enriching ICT-Mediated STEMx Experiences;
- Polar Bears in a Changing Climate;
- Project-Based Learning with Real-World Problems;
- Remote Labs;
- Weaving Social Media into STEM Teaching; and
- Strategies for Formative Assessment through e-Portfolios
Further information about HP Catalyst Academy can be found at catalyst-academy.org
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The Second Draft of the Next Generation Science Standards
The second draft of the Next Generation Science Standards opened for feedback on January 8, 2013 and will remain open for feedback until January 29, 2013. All interested parties are encouraged to review the draft as individuals or in groups and provide feedback to the Lead States and writers. In this draft, the standards are coded by Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) from the NRC's Framework for K-12 Science Education, and are available in two different arrangements- by DCI and by topic.
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