The EDGE: Demand drives decision to introduce new AP computer science course

Mich. teacher puts Google Glass to use in the classroom | Can an app change fifth-graders' classroom behavior? | How to get more students interested in computer science

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June 14, 2013

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Mich. teacher puts Google Glass to use in the classroom

As the first teacher in the world to use Google Glass, Andrew Vanden Heuvel has created STEMbite -- "a series of bite-size videos showing the math and science of everyday life from a unique first-person perspective," he writes in this blog post. The goal of the videos, which he shares in the post, is to engage students and inspire learning in science, technology, engineering and math. Edutopia.org/Andrew Vanden Heuvel's blog (6/13)

Can an app change fifth-graders' classroom behavior?
Fifth-grade teacher Lisa Mims writes in this blog post how she uses a mobile-device application called ClassDojo to manage classroom behavior. The system allows her to award points for positive and negative behaviors, track behavioral trends to pinpoint when students are at their best or worst and send behavior reports home to parents. Edutopia.org/Lisa Mims's blog (6/13)

How to get more students interested in computer science
Renaming "computer science" "digital-game creation" helped a Texas school double enrollment in its program. Other schools are taking steps to engage more students in the subject, including using a curriculum such as Bootstrap, which integrates math and computer science, to offering after-school programs such as CoderDojo. "The ability to code should be one aspect of fluency in the 21st century," says Mitchel Resnick, a professor of learning research at the MIT Media Lab, which created Scratch, a free coding program. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (6/12)

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Taking students from media consumption to curation
KQED.org/Mind/Shift (6/11)
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Organizations Consider Different Paths To Affordable Care Act Compliance
Download this Mercer Survey Report to read how different organizations are approaching new regulations governing employee health benefits and where most of the concerns are centered.

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Official discusses recruitment of STEM teachers
Tom Kalil, White House deputy director for technology and innovation, at a forum on Wednesday discussed the Obama administration's plans to prepare and recruit 100,000 new teachers in science, technology, engineering and math during the next decade. Panelists agreed on the need to improve undergraduate STEM education and provide a path from STEM careers to teaching. "We have folks who have been trained in math and science careers and are looking at education as a second career," Becky Pringle, secretary-treasurer of the National Education Association, said. Politico (Washington, D.C.) (6/12)

Managing Budgets

Is the investment in classroom technology paying off?
A recent report finds that even as school districts continue to spend money on classroom technology, no state is collecting data to determine whether the investment is paying off. A review of student data by the Center for American Progress found that rather than using them to develop sophisticated skills, middle-school math students more likely were to use computers on basic drills and practice exercises. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (6/13)

Schools and Social Media

Digital tools gain more acceptance in professional development
A recent nationwide survey finds that principals and teachers increasingly are considering digital tools -- including social networks -- as part of professional-development efforts. One of the greatest areas of growth was in webinars -- used by 63% of principals today, up from 26% in 2008 -- according to the Speak Up 2012 survey. The survey also found, however, that educators were divided over whether teachers' use of technology should factor into their evaluations. Digital Directions (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (6/12)

Esri, uKnow.com create service for parents to keep track of children
Esri has teamed up with uKnow.com on a service that uses social-network information and smartphone GPS data to help parents locate their children. The uKnowLocate service, which was previewed at The Cable Show in Washington, D.C., ahead of its official launch on Monday, also provides geo-fencing tools, mobile alerts and scheduled check-ins. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (6/13)

Last Byte

At the end of the school year, take time to reflect

While the end of the school year can be incredibly busy for educators, Steven W. Anderson, director of instructional technology for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, suggests they take time to reflect on five questions. Among them are how the district's technology plans are aligned with other plans, whether stakeholders are involved in technology planning and how learning and teaching with technology was modeled for educators. Educators also should reflect on technology-focused professional development and the role of technology in assessing teachers. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (6/13)