Interesting Education Links of the Week
September 17, 2008
Web 2.0 is the Future of Education
TC50: Grockit the multiplayer learning game that’s better than any practice test
Disruptive Innovation in Education
August 24, 2008
This article is excellent. I particularly liked the section on social networking!
Within a few more years, however, two factors that were absent in stage 1 that are critical to the emergence of stage 2 will have fallen into place. The first will be robust platforms that facilitate the creation of user-generated content. The second will be the emergence of a user network, whose analogues in other industries include eBay and YouTube. A user network is a type of business model in which customers exchange with each other. For example, telecommunications is a user network because we send information to you, and you send it to us.
In education, this will mean that the tools of the software platform will make it so simple to develop online learning products that students will be able to build products that help them teach other students. Parents will be able to assemble tools to tutor their children. And teachers will be able to create tools to help the different types of learners in their classrooms. These instructional tools will look more like tutorial products than courseware initially. And rather than being “pushed” into classrooms through a centralized selection process, they will be pulled into use through self-diagnosis—by teachers, parents, and students who don’t have access to another tutoring option.
SSI K-12 Insider August 2008
August 23, 2008
Blog readers: Each month, the Smart Solutions K-12 group sends our a monthly e-mail newsletter. I would like to invite each of you to subscribe by e-mailing Paul Karlin at pkarlin@smartsolutionsonline.com. (Here is the August edition for your perusal.)
August 2008
A monthly newsletter from Smart Solutions K-12“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein
DID YOU KNOW?
Interested in free staff development without leaving home? Mark your calendar for the K-12 Online Conference starting from October 8th-25th. Session titles include: “How to Integrate Web 2.0 Tools on a Shoestring,” “Online Professional Development,” and “Acceptable Use and Web 2.0.” http://k12onlineconference.org/EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
Recommended Blogs for Back-to-School:
- Check out the Always Learning blog for a description of an innovative approach to technology professional development that combines training, tech support, and collaboration.
http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2008/08/17/isb21-a-new-team-for-a-new-year/- The Innovative Educator blog has posted a variety of valuable resources for staff at the beginning of the year. Take a look to gain ideas of what information would be valuable for staff in your district to get a strong start to the year.
http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/08/instructional-technology-tips-for-new.htmlSSI K-12 BLOG
Each month, SSI K-12 Vice President Nitin Julka posts a blog on our website.This month, in “Teacher Leadership to Effect Change in Education” Nitin discusses the importance of getting teachers involved in change management. Read the post at:
http://ssik12.com/2008/07/28/teacher-leadership-to-effect-change-in-education/SSI K-12 EVENTS
Lunch and Learn “Building a School Intranet with Microsoft Sharepoint” Tuesday, September 16, 12-1:30 PM, Canton Office. Lunch, demo, and discussion. RSVP: Paul Karlin or 216-765-1122 ext 8371.Lunch and Learn “E-rate Tips for Increasing Funding” Tuesday, October 7, 12-1:30 PM, Cleveland Office. Lunch, presentation, and discussion. RSVP: Paul Karlin or 216-765-1122 ext 8371.
“Thin Client and Virtual Computing” Date and time TBA. Nordonia Hills City Schools. Learn about the thin client and virtual computing projects in the district, and tour the facility. Breakfast AND lunch will be served.
“Technology Partnerships for 21st Century Schools” Wednesday, October 15, Noon – 1 PM. Session presented by Nitin Julka at OAPCS Conference, Columbus, Ohio
OAPCS Conference, Columbus – October, 2008
OSBA Conference, Columbus – November, 2008
MAPSA Conference, Detroit – November, 2008
E Tech Ohio Conference, Columbus – February, 2009KUDOS
Abby Kelton, our manager of professional development, has been selected to become a part of the inaugural class of the Ohio Education Policy Fellowship Program. This distinguished program prepares emerging education leaders to participate in state-level education initiatives.RECENT PROJECTS
Over the past months, Smart Solutions conducted Technology Audits for two Northeast Ohio school districts. The technology audit is a comprehensive review of how a school or district implements and integrates technology. The technology audit looks at infrastructure as well as classroom use. The final product of the technology audit is a report which analyzes current technology implementation and integration, provides short and long term recommendations (1 to 5 years), and provides cost estimates. If you think your school can benefit from a technology audit and would like to learn more, please contact Doug Jones.NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Videoconferencing has entered the High Definition age, and is more engaging than ever! Smart Solutions is partnering with Polycom to build custom solutions that combine state-of-the-art technology with world-class content and professional development. A hi-def demo and luncheon is planned for early October. Learn more from Paul Karlin.ABOUT SSI K-12
SSI K-12 is the Education Division of Smart Solutions, Inc. Smart Solutions K-12 provides products and services to increase IT efficiency and enhance student achievement. Our team includes experienced educators, highly skilled engineers and technicians, and curriculum and technology specialists. Smart Solutions is a 25-year-old company with over 75 employees and offices in Cleveland, Canton, Columbus, and Detroit.CONTACT US
Nitin Julka, Vice President
njulka@smartsolutionsonline.com 216-765-1122 ext. 8370Doug Jones, Managed Technology Services and Data Solutions
djones@smartsolutionsonline.com 216-765-1122 ext. 8380Paul Karlin, E-rate and Technology Solutions
pkarlin@smartsolutionsonline.com 216-765-1122 ext. 8371Abby Kelton, Professional Development and Software Solutions
akelton@smartsolutionsonline.com 216-765-1122 ext. 8381
website: www.ssik12.com
How effective are education technology conferences?
July 14, 2008
With NECC 2008 winding down, I thought it would be appropriate to post my opinions on education technology conferences.
Last year, I felt that Florida Education Technology Conference (FETC) was significantly better than NECC. But most education technology conferences are afflicted with the same problem: they are targeting the wrong people with the wrong ideas.
While I was not able to attend NECC this year, I suspect that I would have been as disappointed as Will Richardson:
But for me, at least, at the end of the day, I’m still left wondering, “what’s really changed?” And, where will we be a year from now?
NECC is the echo chamber writ large and in living color; more than any other conference, it’s where we feel “big.” But the reality of it is, as Dean suggests, the powerful learning that most of us experience in these online communities is still little more than a blip on the radar screen. (I wonder what percentage of the 8 million+ educators in this country are aware of these shifts on a basic level.)…
And I think it’s time we get serious about all of that. No doubt, the vendor floor in Washington will be filled with “Web 2.0 in a Box” and “Safe Social Networking” and control, control, control. And I’m going to guess that, like this year, “Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts” will be “Hot Topics” as well as a few other new tools. And we’ll be talking once again about new standards and 21st Century Literacies and all of that. But while we as a community have no control over some of that, is that what we aspire to? Is that what we want the emphasis on NECC 09 to be, once again? Or do we want it to be more?
I hope it’s more. More about learning and figuring out what it means to be connected. More about what we can do to begin systemic change. More tangible, non-toolsy, results oriented thinking. More models that work, models that provide realistic options for educators to wrap their brains around.
These are an incredibly insightful comments.
The echo chamber of education technologists reinforcing each other’s beliefs is not the most effective way to drive change in the education sector.
NECC and other big-name education conference are an extremely expensive venue to share ideas about collaborative tools, Web 2.0, and professional learning communities. Remember, we are living in the age of free.
The educators at NECC represent above-average wealth districts who can afford to send people to education technology conferences to learn about the latest technology. Is this what our emerging leaders in education technology should be investing their money in?
I believe that potential attendees should be investing their time and money into educating neighboring districts about online technologies and collaborative communities.
Social, participatory, online communities require user adoption. As Dean Shareski points out, only a small sliver of the educational community is participating in online communities. There will be greater impact, a more vibrant social community, and less expenses by technology leaders investing in educating their neighboring districts as opposed to attending fancy conferences.
We need a new approach to encouraging systematic change in the education sector and conferences are not the answer.
Update: University of Akron Professor, and OETNer, Jeremy Brueck, has posted his reflections on NECC 2008.
Monetizing Web 2.0
March 22, 2008
One repeated challenge that we face in the educational technology industry is: how do you monetize Web 2.0?
In the Web 2.0 world, a 21st Century Literacy Specialist from Bangkok can rise to prominence and social networks exist with the sole purpose of integrating technology into the classroom. Therefore, Web 2.0 is not conducive to traditional resellers pitching products.
Also, most services in the Web 2.0 world are free! What does the educational technology business world look like in the era of free tools such as free-reading, ning, pbwiki, twitter, and blogger? Chris Anderson just wrote a major article in Wired about how $0.00 is the Future of Business.
Nobody seems to know the answers yet. Some would argue that monetizing Web 2.0 requires a platform such as Sharepoint. I am confident that there is a platform independent business model to partnering with school districts to bring innovative solutions using free tools.
The only certainty is that the world of IT and education is transforming. Those that do not consider the influx of Web 2.0 will be left in the past.
If you are interested in exploring these questions with me, please do not hesitate to drop me a line, comment on the blog, or message me on Twitter sharing your thoughts.
FETC Day 1
January 24, 2008
I understand that today was not FETC day 1 for everybody, but this was my first day in town. I am going to post my general observations about this conference.
-This is probably wrong to say in education technology circles, but I like this conference much better than NECC. I went to NECC last year, and it was overwhelming. There were thousands of workshops, vendors, and things happening - and it felt chaotic and disorganized to me. FETC is a lot more manageable and seems to attract higher quality speakers and vendors.
-It is wonderful to see so many personal and online friends and colleagues attending the same conference. I am meeting my friend, Anna, from wireless generation for dinner this evening. Her FreeReading.net program is being adopted by Florida! My old buddies from SchoolNet are in attendance.
-Alexander Russo, Will Richardson, and Lee Wilson are other prominent bloggers in attendance.
-At the vendor booths, the variety of product knowledge is staggering. There are some products where the vendors understand every detail about their product, its market, and its advantages - and these vendors are a pleasure to listen to. Other vendors are unclear about what they are selling and how it fits a school’s needs.
-I also had the opportunity to watch Steve Dembo from Discovery (and Teach42) speak about the Web 2.0 revolution in education. Steve had great energy and energized the crowd. I heard comments after his speech that people were incredibly impressed with his passion and ideas. As a heavy Web 2.0 user, I found his speech to be a bit boring. I believe that people who are not exposed to these tools need to get their hands dirty with these tools to truly understand them. But it was still a good time.
Overall, I have been quite pleased with the conference. It is well attended and presents the perfect opportunity to build relationships with new partners and vendors in our space.