The 9 hottest topics in edtech. Support for Teachers: Classroom Activities. The cs4fn team do a range of talks and activities. As with our writing they take a fun offbeat approach to the subject and are embedded in research activity. (Oh, and we tend to prefer rope and tube technology over silicon for our activities.) We are giving live talks about our approach to teaching computer science in conjunction with Google in their CS on AIr series using Google Hangouts.
The videos are available online. We have written many of the activities up so that you can pick them up and use them in the classroom. We are currently working with the computing at schools group to create a version that is linked to the national curriculum and suitable for teachers to deliver at KS3.
If you try out any of these activities, please let us know how it went by emailing us or filling out the form on the "Contact Us" part of the site (see the lefthand panel). The 9 hottest topics in edtech. The most compelling topics among educators who embrace technology to transform teaching and learning are not about the tech at all, but about the students. Here’s a list of the hottest trends in edtech right now. 1.
Computational thinking Computational thinking (CT) is no longer a concept discussed only in computer science or coding classes. Educators are finding that computation thinking is a cross-disciplinary skill and is just as relevant in language arts and math classes. 2. Professional development (PD) is out. Look for an added focus on professional learning for instructional technology coaches, helping them up their game as they guide staff integrating technology in their classrooms. 3. In the past, discussions about artificial reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality in schools focused on using what others had developed. 4. How can we take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning environments?
5. The concept of global learning isn’t new. 6. 7. 8. 9. Family tech nights can narrow the digital divide. What is Big Data? A super simple explanation for everyone. 5 Ways to Check Who Is Tracking You Online. How much do you love online content? So much you pay for everything you can? Or do you, like the overwhelming majority of internet users, accept advertising and tracking as a way of life? The adage goes, "if you're not paying, you're the product," and when it comes to internet services and the media, this is truer than ever. Finding out who and what is tracking you isn't easy, but there are several sites and browser extensions that give you a little more clarity. Here's how you find out who is tracking you online. 1. Panopticlick Panopticlick is one of the first sites to check out. This Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) research project takes it one step further by detailing unique configuration features that make your browser more noticeable among tracking data.
How to Use Panopticlick Head to the Panopticlick site and hit the giant orange "Test Me" button. Note that your browser may refresh several times while this test is running. 2. Am I Unique? Am I Unique? How to Use Am I Unique? Debunked: 5 myths about classroom technology. For decades, schools have been scaling up the technology incorporated into the classroom, from small computer labs designed to teach basic computer skills to student-assigned tablets for more complex, daily assignments (and occasional play).
Parents, lawmakers, and even some educators have spoken out against this trend, arguing that excessive classroom technology could end up doing more harm than good, but the foundations for most of these arguments are unsupported by empirical evidence. Arguments against Classroom Technology in School These are some of the biggest myths about classroom technology in school…and here’s why they’re unfounded: 1. Social limitations. Some argue that students who use technology in school regularly will be less socialized than students who are forced to interact only with other students. The idea here is that technology is a substitute for human interaction, and will have a negative effect on developing children’s social skills. 2.
Is writing education vital to emerging technology? - eCampus News. In an age of technological advancement, it’s easy to feel obsolete. I feel confident that education will always be needed; but, occasionally I wonder if writing education has value in a computer-driven world. Students enter my English classrooms and see the course as a requirement for advancement. They look at is as one of many “basics” they need until they can study their actual interest. Katherine Schwab recently wrote an article that not only put my fears at ease, but declared the written word as vital to emerging technology. Schwab profiles a report titled “2017 Designs in Tech” which references writing as among the unicorn skills in design. Writing as Job Market Differentiator First, being fluent in writing code and traditional writing is a rarity. Designer Susan Stuart discusses that designing a user interface is a response to “a complete set of ‘what-if’ scenarios.” Writing for Great UX This is similar to the best user experiences with technology.
Writing for AI. eSchool News The Internet of Things is coming to your school. Internet of Things devices are cropping up in schools everywhere. IT is taking note — and so are students After being introduced to the Internet of Things (IoT) by a local software company, Tiffany Davis’ first instinct was to consider what the concept would look like in the K-12 setting. “It was appealing to me because [IoT] is the direction that most products are taking in the business world,” said Davis, who is the instructional technology specialist at John R. Briggs Elementary School in Ashburnham, Mass. Davis’ re-imagining of IoT for a new context is nothing new.
Defined by Gartner as “the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment,” IoT is a somewhat nebulous concept that promises to change the way we use objects, products, and technology in general. Students create That’s not a hypothetical example.
Next page: What IT thinks about the IoT revolution. 10 Reasons Why Handheld Devices Should Be Banned for Children Under the Age of 12. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Society of Pediatrics state infants aged 0-2 years should not have any exposure to technology, 3-5 years be restricted to one hour per day, and 6-18 years restricted to 2 hours per day (AAP 2001/13, CPS 2010). Children and youth use 4-5 times the recommended amount of technology, with serious and often life threatening consequences (Kaiser Foundation 2010, Active Healthy Kids Canada 2012). Handheld devices (cell phones, tablets, electronic games) have dramatically increased the accessibility and usage of technology, especially by very young children (Common Sense Media, 2013). As a pediatric occupational therapist, I’m calling on parents, teachers and governments to ban the use of all handheld devices for children under the age of 12 years.
Following are 10 research-based reasons for this ban. Please visit zonein.ca to view the Zone’in Fact Sheet for referenced research. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. The Heartbleed Hit List: The Passwords You Need to Change Right Now. An encryption flaw called the Heartbleed bug is already being dubbed one of the biggest security threats the Internet has ever seen. The bug has affected many popular websites and services — ones you might use every day, like Gmail and Facebook — and could have quietly exposed your sensitive account information (such as passwords and credit card numbers) over the past two years.
But it hasn't always been clear which sites have been affected. Mashable reached out to some of the most popular social, email, banking and commerce sites on the web. We've rounded up their responses below. Some Internet companies that were vulnerable to the bug have already updated their servers with a security patch to fix the issue. Although changing your password regularly is always good practice, if a site or service hasn't yet patched the problem, your information will still be vulnerable. We'll keep updating the list as new information comes in. Social Networks Other Companies Email Stores and Commerce Other.
Heartbleed – What Can You Do To Stay Safe? The Heartbleed SSL vulnerability is making headlines around the world – and misreporting in the press and online is causing confusion. How can you stay safe and ensue your personal details aren’t leaked? What Is Heartbleed? Well, It’s Not A Virus You’ve probably heard Heartbleed described as a virus. This vulnerability – more commonly referred to as a bug – essentially creates a hole through which hackers can circumvent the encryption. As a result, all manner of personal and financial information could be at risk. To get an idea of how big a deal Heartbleed is (and why it is so-called), . So, it’s a big deal – but what can you do about it? Ignore The Hype & Don’t Panic Well, there is one thing you shouldn’t do: panic. Much of what you have already seen will have been cobbled together from press releases and other reports by journalists unfamiliar with the terminology and a lack of clear understanding about the risks. The Phishing Risk …but only if you actually need to at this stage.