Educational Technology News

The different ways that parents are handling their kids’ use of tech is creating three distinct types of tech users, says Alexandra Samuel.

This is the kind of research every kid trying to convince his parents to let him play video games dreams about: “Time spent playing video games may have positive effects on young children.” 

"When a leading research university announces the removal of more than 20,000 course videos and podcasts from the public, in response to a U.S. Department of Justice ruling, such a move should not go unnoticed."

"Kids are growing up with the expectation of auto-playing streaming videos and having access to our phones when we need them to be quiet."

"This month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) announced a disappointing decision. Sixteen years after they published their formal recommendations discouraging any form of screen time before age two – and 14 years after making recommendations to limit screen time for older children to no more than two hours per day – they are now recanting those recommendations, calling them “outdated.”

Connected parents of a first-grader break down the benefits of parent-teacher communication via smartphone.

I began to think about the kinds of professional learning we offer at Powerful Learning Practice and asked myself if we were honoring what teachers want. We are a small, intimate group here at PLP, but we have huge hearts and an extensive amount of combined experience both in and out of the classroom when it comes to pedagogy and future ready learning.

New data from a survey of more than 37,000 educators revealed that first-year teachers aren't using tech in the classroom as much as their more experienced colleagues even though they have a higher opinion of their own technological abilities.

A superintendent shares his district’s approach to promoting literacy among today’s digital natives through student choice.

"Many teachers have taken to selling their lesson plans online to peers who are trying to find ways to save time and resources, and the trend is ballooning, with at least a dozen teachers reportedly becoming millionaires after selling their plans on the site Teachers Pay Teachers, according to Education Week."

Research states many things about personalized learning, and it can make or break the future of education for many students.

"If you've missed any education policy developments, don't worry--we've got a summary for you."

"You’ve probably heard the claim that you learn better when information is presented in your preferred ‘learning style’. Where did this neuromyth come from? Dr Tanya Vaughan explains."

Taking a mixed bag of opinions into consideration, here's how edtech can support educators amid school choice.

"The number of students with special needs is on the rise across the United States, making it increasingly difficult for educators to teach effectively to their entire student body. Did you know that there are approximately 7 million students in the United States with disabilities?"

"Edmodo’s investigation into its alleged massive data breach, in conjunction with reports from bloggers that the company has been tracking student and teacher users for advertising purposes, is more than a public relations nightmare. It raises tough questions about the implications of vendors offering “free” edtech products to schools."

"If we really want to understand how effective educational technology tools are for improving learner outcomes, we need to stop throwing the baby out with the bathwater. As instructors consider technology tools for their courses, they are increasingly looking for evidence of effectiveness. "

Using today's tech, we could create a functioning colony on the Moon - and for cheap.

"Net neutrality is, put briefly, the idea that all digital content should be equally accessible by everyone. That is, content is value-neutral, i.e., subjectively valuable, and the control of its access should not be manipulated, especially by the government, large corporations, or groups with lobbying power or ‘special interests.’"

"I have been blogging about education reform and innovation since 2010, and over that time span I have spotlighted a lot of ed tech companies and organizations. While reflecting on this, I came up with the idea to write a series on ed tech companies that I really love and believe in. Without further ado, let’s begin with part I."

Edtech innovation gives performance assessments a real chance thanks to replacing, not adding on.

"While we are busy in our small lives solving our day to day problems world is moving at a really fast pace where even the most important thing of our lives has gone digital and that's money."

A new survey shows widespread misconceptions and unfounded confidence about learning.

"Closing the homework gap, which sees students who lack home access to digital tools or broadband unable to complete homework in an increasingly digital school environment, was a recurring theme at the CoSN annual conference, according to Ed Tech: Focus on K-12."

“Technology” is not something you can pick up or put down, it’s not a solid object. That is what frustrates me so much about people who are “anti-tech”. It makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs every time someone says to me, “See, I used the Smartboard today, I used technology.”