News
Low math confidence discourages female students from pursuing STEM disciplines
This article points out how important addressing the affective component of learning is. For too long, we’ve taken interest and self-confidence as given, particularly in higher ed. Efforts to improve math teaching and student confidence could help women persist in STEM Source: Low math confidence discourages female students from pursuing […]
New Report Finds Fault in K-12 Computer Science Education – Digital Education – Education Week
Computer science was the only [STEM] field where students steadily took fewer classes, with a 6 percent decline in the same period (1990-2009) Source: New Report Finds Fault in K-12 Computer Science Education – Digital Education – Education Week
Balancing Scaling and Positive Learning Impacts of Educational Technology
The purpose of introducing new technologies is to improve learning outcomes. There’s an argument to be made that things that are the easiest to adopt because they do not require changing normal practice are unlikely to improve learning outcomes significantly. Source: Balancing Widespread Use and Positive Learning Impacts of Educational […]
Is ‘grit’ overrated in explaining student success? Harvard researchers have a new theory. – The Washington Post
“Grit” and “10,000 hours” are embraced in education circles to explain how students can be successful, but an ongoing Harvard study is finding that there might be a different path to success for each individual student. Source: Is ‘grit’ overrated in explaining student success? Harvard researchers have a new theory. […]
What We Need in Education is More Integrity (and Less Fidelity) of Implementation – A powerful essay by Paul LeMahieu
Our work with implementing FUSE Studios in over 50 locations around the country and in Helsinki has illustrated to me why Paul LeMahieu’s concept of “integrity of implementation” is the better way to think about educational innovations than “fidelity of implementation.” Integrity of implementation means insuring that teachers and administrators […]
The “junk food” of educational technology
Unlike my previous complimentary post about Minecraft, I find this – and many other ed tech gamification tools – to be the ‘junk food’ of educational technology. Sure, kids like it (just like they like french fries more than cooked veggies) and they get a lot more excited by it […]
A closer look: Minecraft teaches computational thinking, collaboration, and other key skills
This piece was the cover story in the Sunday NYT Magazine on 4/17/16. It is a nice example of how often, when you take the time to dig below the surface and observe carefully, that you will find very powerful forms of learning taking place in and with video games, […]
What do we mean when we say, “Transformative learning experiences powered by technology”?
A very thoughtful piece by Joseph South, director of Office of Ed Tech at the US Education Department. Source: What do we mean when we say, “Transformative learning experiences powered by technology”? — Medium
NU-ETHS collaboration a national model
The three-year-old formal collaboration between Northwestern University and the Evanston Township High School has become a national model for university-high school partnerships. Source: NU-ETHS collaboration a national model | Evanston Now This story only scratches the surface of the many powerful connections Kristen has been able to forge between the […]
Another State Makes Push for Computer Science
Proposed legislation would require all Iowa middle and high schools to offer the subject by the 2018-2019 academic year. Source: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad Makes Push for Computer Science Iowa is the latest state to jump on this bandwagon. It will be interesting to see which state tackles this […]