EdTech Solutions – Don’t Forget the Warmware!
When it comes to technology most people are captivated by having the latest, quickest or highest spec model. Unfortunately this pervasive mindset has permeated the EdTech world too! From Governments, to Districts to schools the focus is usually on acquiring the best ‘hardware’ or the newest ‘software’. However very little thought is given to developing […]
How Strong Community And Educator Support Drives Ed Tech Success
Stacked amidst temporary shelters, tents and thatched huts in Burundi’s Kavumu refugee camp are a pile of bright blue, green and yellow boxes. Stowed away in these 800 kg metal palette-size boxes are countless ideas to educate, entertain and foster creativity among refugees. The self-contained watertight boxes are packed with e-readers, tablets, cameras, e-books, paperbacks, board […]
What Do Accelerators Accelerate?
In the last years, there has been an explosion in the number of new education and technology projects launched. This impressive boom of edtech initiatives is reaching all sectors and audiences: for-profit businesses are designed to address the new demands of the education market; non-profit organizations adopt technology to new and existing education projects; learners are eager […]
Educating Humans in an Age of Artificial Intelligence
At times it seems we live in a world of science fiction. Space travel is a new commercial industry, auto manufactures are competing to build robotic cars, humans are wearing implanted chips and 3D printed body parts, and tech hubs and accelerators have sprung up in nearly every country. As this new world emerges, educators […]
Teachers Should Be Clamoring For Edtech
Most arguments for edtech focus on the ways in which new digital tools will help students. While learners will certainly benefit, the science fiction fear of robot teachers is exacerbated when we forget that edtech is fundamentally a tool for teachers. Great learning tools help teachers do their jobs more effectively by providing more data. […]
Parenting with Technology
When we relocated from Oklahoma City to Abilene, Texas, my kids were unhappy to leave their friends and teachers. My daughter, for instance, loved the lessons given by her violin teacher Dr. Hong Zhu. We decided to use Skype to continue the lessons, which seemed a wild idea for music lessons. We just wanted to […]
Exploring a Rich World of Learning With Technology and Gaming
The interest in game-based learning has accelerated considerably in recent times. In this six part series, Jordan Shapiro examines the psychology of video games and digital technology for education. Remember, Ed-Tech is Really a Tool for Teachers Building Compassionate Contexts With Education Technology Video Games, Metacognition, and Learning: Lessons for Your Classroom Three Questions to Ask Before Choosing […]
Prof. Howard Gardner: “The best thing is for educators to be digital themselves.”
Howard Gardner, Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University, gives his definition of education. He talks about what countries should do to ensure they have an educated population and examines the future challenges for learning.
Remember, Ed-tech is Really a Tool for Teachers
Most writing about education technology focuses on the students’ experience. It emphasizes how computerized and game-based learning platforms can benefit students. These benefits are certainly real, but focusing on students alone reveals only half the picture. An accurate depiction of the potential benefits of digital learning technologies also needs to take into account the ways […]
Building Compassionate Contexts With Education Technology
The goal of education is ultimately social; we aim to create reflective citizens. We transmit the ways of making sense of the world that we have collectively agreed are in our communal best interest. How can technology make it easier? When we teach academic content, we are not only training individuals in cognitive skills, but […]