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Showing posts with label edtech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label edtech. Show all posts

Artificial Intelligence in EdTech



New and creative uses of artificial intelligence are being developed every day. EdTech is an area where the use of AI has flown largely under the radar thus far but has the potential to reimagine the student/teacher relationship and improve student outcomes across the board.

Artificial Intelligence is listed on top tech trends by multiple survey's and researchers and is definitely something to watch.

Bill Salak, the Chief Technology Officer for Brainly — the world's largest peer-to-peer learning community — has been closely following developments in AI in the EdTech space and has incorporated some of the industry's most forward thinking applications into Brainly's DNA, creating a more dynamic education space for today's students.

Salak has developed insights and predictions for the future of AI in EdTech and would be happy to share them. Here are a few of the highlights:




1. AI will lead to even better personalization.
With the advent of AI, the many students-to-one-teacher model is ripe for reinvention. AI will allow for students to access information along their own unique learning curve, positioning teachers to best advise students in a personalized way, rather than a way that works for all 30 students in a class.

2. Teachers will have more time for teaching.
AI can be utilized to reduce or even eliminate mundane administrative tasks like grading assignments opening up more time to create bespoke lesson plans for each student.

3. AI will help teachers get more powerful results.
Teachers will be able to augment their own experience, training and instincts with sophisticated data from AI applications to create a more efficient learning environments and curriculum predicated on the needs and pace of the student.


AI in Education Use Case on Brainly helpful: https://www.disruptordaily.com/ai-education-use-case-brainly/


Brainly, a social network created to help students collaborate, is integrating and exploring the benefits of Artificial Intelligence on its platform. To serve quality content, Brainly actually works with a team of over a thousand moderators who verify questions and answers of its users. Thanks to Machine Learning algorithms, the team of moderators have a powerful support in the automatic filter of spam and low quality content, so they are able to focus on providing quality services to students.

But beyond content moderation, Brainly is also using AI algorithms to personalize its platform’s networking features and to provide an enhanced experience to users with personalized features. The platform will enhance the user experience by making friend suggestions based on areas where students need help. “Each student can gain access to information that helps them along their unique path of their learning curve. In the future, that means that a student won’t have to learn the same exact thing at the same exact pace as 30 of their classmates. Instead, we will be able to hone in on the areas where a student struggles, and tailor their lessons to help them through difficult topics”, says Bill Salak, Brainly CTO.







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Acer Chromebook Tab 10 - the first Chrome OS tablet is here, and it's great!



Acer and Google have just announced the first Chrome OS tablet, the Acer Chromebook Tab 10. Works and managed like a Chromebook, but in tablet form.

This is a great device for schools looking for a tablet device, with a stylus and Android apps, that is easy to deploy and manage. It uses the same management license as Chromebooks and is managed in the same way. It also has a full desktop browser, removing the limitations of mobile browsers.





It is mobile, lightweight, touch and easy to use. Using Chrome OS makes it easy to deploy, manage and share with others. It has dual cameras, an integrated EMR active stylus, multimedia features, note taking and handwriting apps, educational apps (Chrome and Android) for K-3, STEM, video, multimedia and accessibility apps and features. It has a textured surface, similar to the Acer C738T, making it easier to carry, and less likely to be dropped.

Performance is fast and smooth, handling over 15 tabs and 5 apps during my testing time and the stylus is amazing, with no noticeable lag, allowing me to take handwritten notes effortlessly, as well as annotate items.

  • First tablet running Chrome OS designed for education, promoting engagement and collaboration. 
  • Chrome Education License support allows central and remote management of a large number of devices. 
  • Included Wacom® EMR stylus pen for natural writing and drawing. 
  • Stylus is battery-free, slips into a handy dock on the tablet and replicates the usage, accuracy and size of an ordinary pen. 
  • Planned support for Google Expeditions AR (augmented reality) to enable immersive learning experiences. 
  • Full Google Play support, giving teachers and students access to educational Android apps curated by administrators. 
  • All-day productivity with up to 9 hours of power from the lithium-polymer battery.

Specs:
  • MSRP: $320 available in April in US.
  • Operating system Chrome OS with Android support through Google Play
  • Display 9.7-inch QXGA backlit LED, 2048x1536
  • Processor OP1 platform
  • Storage 32GB eMMC
  • Expandable microSD
  • RAM 4GB
  • Rear camera 5 MP
  • Front camera 2 MP
  • Connectivity 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 4.1
  • Ports USB 3.1 Type-C
  • Combo headphone/microphone jack
  • Battery 34 Wh (Up to 9 hours)
  • Stylus Wacom EMR (included) With onboard housing
  • Software Support for Chrome Educational licensing
  • Planned support for Google Expeditions AR
  • Dimensions 172 x 238.8 x 9.98 mm 
  • 550 g
  • Colors Cobalt Blue

Related:

Teacher Resources - education and edtech - all free

Teacher Resources - education and edtech - all free and very useful

General:


EdTech Resources:




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K-12 Blueprint - tools, research, devices, best practices and more to support effective EdTech projects

Home

K12Blueprint is a great, free resource for technology in education. There are toolkits with information and resources for developing and deploying technology initiatives, information on choosing the right device for your schools, software and apps, curriculum, news, research, and blogs from educators and edtech leaders. The information and resources are timely, relevant and easy to use.


There are even free downloads of 3 different books on edtech and education:


Here are the list of toolkits:



There are a ton of resources and information on this site - take a look around and see what it has to offer.

It is sponsored by Intel EducationTech&Learning, and Clarity Innovations.


Related:

Ed Tech Pilot Framework - excellent resources for all schools 

Android on Chromebooks! Here are some resources and apps to check out


Android has come to Chromebooks and is available on EDU Domains!


This opens up a whole new world of possibilities with Chromebooks, adding thousands of great apps, features and capabilities.


Here are the resources for Admins to get Android apps enabled for their domain:



Here are some great suggestions for Android apps (and some web apps):

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Android App Suggestions for Chromebooks (all are free)


I've been using Android apps on my Acer C738T with my personal account for quite a while now and they work great. Handwriting input, offline sync and much more. 


A new generation of Chromebooks, designed for millions of students and educators https://blog.google/topics/education/new-generation-chromebooks-designed-millions-students-and-educators/ (Acer and Asus convertible’s with stylus)

A new generation of Chromebooks, designed to work with millions of apps https://blog.google/products/chromebooks/new-generation-chromebooks-designed-work-millions-apps/ (Samsung Plus and Pro)






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Ed Tech Pilot Framework - excellent resources for all schools



Digital Promise has released an EdTech Pilot Framework which provides a step-by-step process to help education leaders and technology developers run successful educational technology (ed-tech) pilots.

It is very simple to use and read and has links for more information on each step.

Here is the link to the original article: http://edtech.digitalpromise.org/

One thing to remember - you don't have to do these projects alone. There are plenty of resources available to help you. In addition, check with your technology vendors to see what they have for planning and support resources to help you.

Here is the Framework:


  1. Identify Need
  2. Discover and Select
  3. Planning
  4. Train and Implement
  5. Collect Data
  6. Analyze and Decide
  7. Negotiate and Purchase
  8. Summarize and Share







Related:

K-12 Blueprint site updated - resources for planning and implementing EdTech 
Tech&Learning - free Edtech magazine, website and resources for educators












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Resources to find Funding for Schools and Technology



Schools are always looking for ways to find funding for projects, especially for technology. Here are some great resources that I have used in the past.



1. Edutopia - The Big List of Educational Grants and Resources - Get a roundup of educational grants, contests, awards, free toolkits, and classroom guides aimed at helping students, classrooms, schools, and communities. Check this page weekly to get the latest updates! https://www.edutopia.org/grants-and-resources



2. GetEdFunding - GetEdFunding is a free and fresh grant-finding resource, dedicated to helping educators and institutions identify the funding they need in budget-tight times. http://www.getedfunding.com/



3. Lowe’s Toolbox for Education http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/



4. Toshiba America Foundation grants – K-5 and 6-12 - http://www.toshiba.com/taf/



5. Device Grant Listed (list maintained by Google, has a lot of different grants listed) https://goo.gl/WD6YpS



6. THE Journal K-12 Grant Opportunities and Ed Tech Event Listings https://thejournal.com/articles/list/listings.aspx



7. Edsurge - Where to Find Money for Your School's EdTech Purchases https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-11-21-where-to-find-money-for-your-school-s-edtech-purchases


More resources:
  • Federal grants from various agencies are listed at www.grants.gov
  • State and local grant opportunities can often be identified by state legislative offices. 
  • Micro-funding through school- and classroom-specific grants can yield substantial results. Often donors are willing to fund projects whose impact they can directly observe. Such organizations as Donors Choose, Class Wish, and Adopt-a-Classroom facilitate individual donations. 
  • Contact local businesses to see what programs they have available to support schools. 



Don't be scared to apply for a grant - you may just get it!


Good luck and happy hunting.



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More Than a Tech - blog about leading a successful technology department in a public school district



I just found out about a new blog out there, More Than a Tech. The blog is about EdTech but especially about leading and managing an IT department in a public school district.

Topics being covered include EdTech Resources, Customer service, Ticket prioritization, Navigating the political landscape of a school district, Budgeting, Planning for the future and other topics.



I'm adding this to my Feedly account to follow along.

Check it out.






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SAMR and Google Apps - great ideas and tips


SAMR stands for “Substitution – Augmentation – Modification – Redefinition”. It is a framework for using technology to transform learning.

Substitution: Using new technology for an old task - good, but not the best way. For example, digital worksheets are still worksheets.

Augmentation: Using additional new technology for an old task - this can make some tasks better.

Modification: Using new technology to change an old task - this is good. Virtual labs for example can show students the theory and concept better than a physical lab.

Redefinition: Using new technology to create new tasks - this is great. Get students to collaborate, create, explore and solve problems.

Below is an infographic with some tips and ideas for using Google Apps with the SAMR Framework.




Google Apps and the SAMR Framework Infographic
Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics


Here's another graphic that illustrates SAMR well.






Related:

Google for Education Resources

Google Apps and Chromebooks Web App Recommendations - a whole lot!
The Benefits of Educational Technology





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