Apple makes big play for share of textbook market | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Posted on January 25, 2012 by admin

Apple makes big play for share of textbook market | Detroit Free Press | freep.com.

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Treasure Coast-wide virtual school in the works?

Posted on August 3, 2011 by admin

Treasure Coast-wide virtual school in the works?

Treasure Coast-wide virtual school in the works? » TCPalm.com.

By Kelly Tyko

Posted August 2, 2011 at 7:32 p.m., updated August 2, 2011 at 11:15 p.m.

An online school that crosses county lines could be in the Treasure Coast’s future.

School officials from St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee counties said they’d like to explore creating a regional virtual school, which could save taxpayer money and provide students with more options for Web-based instruction.

“The cost savings from four of us doing four different programs, one would have to make an assumption that you could do that with a more effective, efficient model if you did it together,” St. Lucie Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon said. “You don’t have to reinvent the wheel all the time.”

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South Korea classrooms to go fully digital by 2015

Posted on July 30, 2011 by admin

If you think the U.S. is preparing students for 21st century learning in a global environment, think again. Check out this video story from Reuters:

South Korea classrooms to go fully digital by 2015 | Video | Reuters.com

July 28 – South Korea is pushing forward with a plan to completely digitize its classrooms by 2015. The US$2.1 billion plan calls for supplying every student in the country with a digital tablet replacing traditional textbooks. The tablets will give the students access to a massive cloud-based network where students can learn online, even when they are sick at home. Ben Gruber reports.

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Virtual Learning Changes in Florida

Posted on June 18, 2011 by admin

This month, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law the Digital Learning Now Act (CS/CS/HB 7197), legislation that requires ALL high school students to take at least one virtual school course to graduate. The bill also frees up charter schools to more easily start their own virtual programs as well as create “blended” models.

As for me, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of Somerset Academy’s new venture into virtual education. In February a few of us embarked on a new pilot virtual school program. For some background, Somerset Virtual Academy is using Florida Virtual School’s curriculum. We could subtract assignments and add a few of our own, but for the most part, we stuck with what FLVS offered, as FLVS curriculum is approved by the state. The law brought exciting possibilities and an uncertain future to our fledgling virtual program.

The law also spurns mixed reactions, I’m sure, depending on whether you’re a pessimist or like me, a realist.

For schools that want to improve the state of education and move their curriculum into the 21st century, this frees them up to forge ahead with state FTE funding. For charter schools facing gouging financial cuts, this allows them to lay off teachers, replacing them with less expensive teacher’s aides. If you utilize the cafeteria and place 150 kids in there on laptops to complete a virtual course during “lab time,” you can place two aides in the room to supervise the cattle call. Or you can have two teachers who are administering the courses instead of five or six teachers in a regular classroom. These models would enable schools to satisfy Florida’s class size reduction requirements.

Innovative charter schools could use the law to make themselves an attractive option to public school by offering engaging curriculum that challenges their students and is accompanied by teacher feedback in an active, collaborative environment. Ultimately, this would force FLVS to improve its curriculum. As of 2005-06, FLVS had a high school pass rate of about 60 percent, according to a report by Florida Tax Watch. That’s dismal considering the types of students who would take a virtual course: those needing to make up credits and those wanting to get ahead or those seeking a challenging course — students who are more motivated to succeed than the average student. (Middle school students did have a higher success rate of about 77 percent, likely thanks to intense parental involvement.)

Innovation

I could see a future where teachers move their lessons online, creating about 20 graded assignments per quarter with a mix of activities, discussions, tests, quizzes and interactive projects. I would love to teach in a virtual environment that included the following:

  • Weekly individual and group Skype chat sessions, including a Web-cam face-to-face meeting with teacher and peers
  • Open forums where ideas can be exchanged freely and where constructive feedback is encouraged
  • Differentiated lessons administered to individual students and/or groups that target learning styles, skill levels, and interests, meeting the needs of all learners
  • Deadlines for assignments that keep students on pace to be successful
  • Lessons that involve varied applications/programs for students to create products that demonstrate their learning
  • Clear and comprehensive rubrics accessible by students
  • Project-based learning opportunities where students can interact with the community or peers from other states/countries
  • An environment where students feel like they are a part of something, not isolated and alone
  • Periodic chat sessions and professional development for teachers that provides them with support and training on programs/implementation

Traditional classrooms with well-trained, dedicated teachers should look similar to a virtual environment. Virtual classes should not be stale, asynchronous places that serve up airline-style courses with one-size-fits-all meals that starve a generation of digital kids.

 

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The new journalistic frontier

Posted on November 3, 2010 by admin

As journalism textbooks from 1993 collect dust in my classroom and more news organizations close their doors, I am left wondering what’s next for journalism in America.

While reading articles on my iPad, I decided to take a survey offered at the bottom of the AP News app about how I acquire my news. I realized that I had not subscribed to a newspaper in about a decade, and that I retrieve all my news almost exclusively from reputable news organizations that offer their stories online. And I doubt that I’m alone here.

The new generation of readers knows virtually nothing of print publications. And for proof, I offer you a little anecdote. I asked middle school students, ages 10-13, what their favorite comic strip was. Peanuts, Shoe, Calvin & Hobbs, Fox Trot…those are my favorites. I spent Sunday mornings with my Cheerios and the Sunday comics and dreaded the moment when I felt compelled to read that stupid Family Circle.

“What’s a comic strip?” they all asked me. They did not know what one even LOOKED like.

Whoa. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Good grief, Charlie Brown, someone ripped the ball away from me when I was about to punt.

Fortunately, the iPod and iPad can come to my rescue.

Students leap at the opportunity to whip out their iPods and iPhones to research materials and look up articles. A cart of iPads or iPod Touches would provide all students access to thousands of articles. News outlets such as AP News, NPR, USA Today, NY Times, and Guardian Eyewitness all offer their apps for free. And other apps such as Fluent News and News Pro are aggregate apps that pull news feeds from dozens of news outlets. Low-cost paid versions are emerging that allow consumers to select what news feeds they want, and the app creates a customized virtual newspaper complete with pictures, articles, and video. Gone are the days when a person had to purchase their local newspaper or pay for a costly subscription to the New York Times.

News Circulation

A fellow teacher of mine had a newspaper route as a young teen. He said about 85 percent of the houses on his bicycle route received the paper. Forty years later, papers are delivered by car because about 15 percent of households might have the paper delivered. That’s not to imply that no one is reading news anymore. According to the Newspaper Association of America, newspaper Web sites reached almost two-thirds of U.S. Internet users in Sept. 2010.

Teaching journalism

How might the reporting of information change to accomodate a digital package? The basic foundations of reporting don’t change, only the speed by which news must be assembled and disseminated. Feedback is instantaneous, as readers leave comments that take on social functions of their own. Readers are more impatient than ever, and just because reporters have unlimited writing space doesn’t mean they should use it. What makes information newsworthy remains the same: proximity, magnitude, relevance, timeliness, prominence, oddity, human interest … they all still pique the interest of readers.

Students still need to learn the basic tenets of interviewing, reporting, writing, and editing. The instructional paradigm shift occurs in publishing and infusing social media. With an iPod Touch, a student could record an interview, either by typing notes, recording an audio version, or videotaping the interview. They could type the story on the device, snap pictures, and upload them to a Web site. They could also create a podcast or edit a short video segment and upload them to a Web site. A whole classroom of students could do this simultaneously, then publish feedback on each other’s work. They could also upload articles and revise them collaboratively in real time.

Newspaper design has not changed much over the past 30 years, but online news design has. Early Web site builders experimented with tacky colors and confusing layouts. News media sites are much more streamlined, and the more user-friendly a page displays, the more readers it draws. Studies have shown readers in the 30+ age group read in a Z pattern, meaning they read left to right, on a diagonal, then left to right again. Teenagers read in an F pattern, meaning they scan the top and primarily the left side. The result: Look at a Facebook page and you’ll notice that the ads are on the right, and people rarely view those. Also, user menus are frequently found on the left and top portions of Web pages.

Should newspapers alter their design based on reading patterns? That’s tough to say, but instructors should show how to design a clean, organized Web page that caters to readers’ interests and viewing tendencies. Teachers should have discussions about when to create a video to tell the story rather than writing one. Top news stories belong in slots high up on a page, however, whether on a printed or digital page.

A teacher-centered approach might not be the best route with students at all times. Teens are shaping the way that news is being disseminated, and their knowledge matters, too.

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iPad VGA adapter severely limited

Posted on August 12, 2010 by admin

I wanted to purchase the VGA adapter for the iPad/iPhone 4, but the $29 thingamajig has a myriad of limitations, according to user reviews, and most of the apps won’t play. In Apple’s Q&A section on the user review page, the tech folks explain that it’s up to each app developer to write into the program code what will be displayed in a 2nd display. I interpret that as developers must enable the the app to be displayed and to behave as it does on the iPad screen.

If you “jailbreak” your iPad, however, there is an option that will allow you to display what’s on your iPad directly onto your projector screen. Available on Cydia, the app is called DisplayOut.

When I plug in my MacBook’s VGA adapter, the programs I use, what I type, and where I click all work and display just as they would on my laptop. Why wouldn’t I expect the same for the iPad VGA adapter? Also a problem is the cord’s skimpy 7-inch length. Users are also complaining that the adapter won’t work when plugged into longer cords. That’s a problem for educators like me whose projector is mounted to the ceiling.

Consumers who gave it a 5-star rating were those who use it for KeyNote presentations and photo slideshows. I recommend keeping your money until either Apple releases its own version of a DisplayOut app or more developers update their apps to make them more VGA friendly.

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Secondary students need more educational apps

Posted on August 10, 2010 by admin

Though there are some useful iPod/iPad apps for 6-12 classrooms, the selection is rather limited. Capitalism is hard at work in Apple’s App Store, and the vast majority of apps are geared toward the folks who are willing and able to cough up the cash for cool apps: parents with children under age 7, college students who need extra tutorials, and Generation (insert consonant here) adults who love touchscreen games that fill gaps of boredom.

What’s missing are educational apps for middle and high school age kids whose collective buying power also is considerable. Teens collectively spent $112.5 billion in 2003, according to a teen marketing profile. According to this marketing profile, teens also want control over their media experiences, advise their parents on small household purchases, and have access to instant messaging and cell phones. In today’s media market, that means access to a social network of thousands upon thousands with the rapid growth of Twitter and Facebook. In late 2009, a survey revealed that 88 percent of teens use social networks every day, with half spending an hour or more at it per day.

Companies aren’t seeing the immediate benefits of providing classroom-based apps for secondary students because they probably don’t believe teens will purchase the apps themselves or cajole their parents into purchasing them. For this they are tremendously short-sighted. Teens would much rather interact socially with books and articles on an iPod Touch or iPad rather than crack open a textbook that their school spent $150 for and won’t be updating years, maybe decades. Textbook companies could put their books online and include social networking apps, videos, and MP3s. Add notetaking and highlighting capabilities, an area for teachers to upload PowerPoints and notes, and the ability to customize their practice vocabulary, and they have a powerful sell. What teen wouldn’t urge their parents/school to spend $500 on a 1.5-pound device that holds everything they need for schoolwork as opposed to lugging around 20 pounds worth of tomes that they can’t write in and are about as exciting as watching mold grow on bread.

Perhaps what’s daunting for schools in this economy is to spend thousands for a product that is untested. But districts are seeing results — Escondido school district in California credits iPods for improved test scores, and groups that used iPods outperformed control groups without them. According to Apple’s site, reading fluency improved six times the normal rate within a six-week period for a group of English language learners at a school in that Escondido district. This year, Lynchburg City Schools are purchasing 800 iPod Touches with money from a federal Enhancing Education Through Technology grant in hopes of improving math and reading scores.

While Apple does have some information on its site regarding a few success stories with the devices, it needs to add more information regarding standardized test results. Rather than districts and teachers scrambling to find grant money, Apple could offer iPod Touches to some classrooms or small schools in exchange for test studies. Apple could even recruit universities to help facilitate them. Regarding apps themselves, Apple should provide schools with lists of apps for the elementary and secondary classrooms, including lists with free apps, apps under $2, and more costly ones. They should also provide these lists in their App Store. Apple has reps that cover districts, but information regarding the costs of implementing a classroom cart of these devices including lists of apps and textbooks, should be made more readily available to parents, teen consumers, and teachers.

Marketing to school districts is where textbook companies excel, and excel to the tinny tune of $5.2 billion in 2009 for K-12 textbooks. Textbook sales, however, were down about 14 percent in 2009. Overall, book sales are down a few percentage points, but ebook sales increased more than 176 percent in 2009, according to the Association of American Publishers. So publishers are still squeezing dollars out of starving districts. How? Districts, schools, and teachers get to know their reps who send them free samples and let them know what “wonderful” textbooks/tomes/workbooks are available to them.

Tapping into this billion-dollar market would be a wonderful revenue stream not only for Apple, but also for companies stepping up to provide product-savvy teens with the tools they need to succeed in a globalized world where knowing how to communicate masterfully, deeply comprehend texts, and create new technology are essential.

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Apps for the language arts classroom

Posted on August 8, 2010 by admin

I have owned my iPad for about three months now and have amassed quite a few apps. I thought I’d share with you the ones that I think could be useful in a language arts classroom. Instead of spending $100 per textbook, buy a $199 iPod Touch (or $100 for older models) for each student that you can use for all of your classes across any discipline. In my classroom I have journalism textbooks from 1993, back when the Internet was a nifty idea. Needless to say the books don’t address the news media literacy needs of a 21st century student.

Popplet Lite — free, iPad only — Mind-mapping tool for the iPad. You can upgrade to a better version for $8.99. There is also WhiteBoard HD and MindNode, both on the iPad for $5.99, but I haven’t tested those.

iBrainstorm — free, iPad only — Uses stickies and a drawing feature that allows you to create notes and/or mind maps, but you have to draw your arrows, links, etc. You can also send e-mails of your creations or save them to your Photos on your iPad.

Free Books – iPad version is free, iPod version is $1.99 — Copyright-free books are available here with many classics available with the flip of a finger. I also have Apple’s iBook, but you have to pay some bucks if you want books. The iBook version does have a built-in dictionary/thesaurus available, where you touch a word and you can look it up.

Stanza — free, iPad/iPod — A book eReader that offers customization of fonts and book collections. Provides dictionary, highlighting, and sharing. Many free books here and some that are not. Considered by Time Magazine, NYT, Wired, and Forbes to be a must-have app.

Wattpad — free, iPad/iPod — They boast 100,000 free titles, including many classics. I would be wary of many of their other titles, however, as they look like random authors, You Tube style.

Shakespeare — free, iPad/iPod — They have 40 plays by the great playwright. They have a pro edition that includes more features for $9.99. Listed on iPad are about a dozen apps for old Will, but you have to pay for them.

iTunes U — free, iPad/iPod — not an app, but you can access free material from your iTunes app. Find lessons and videos on every subject.

WGBH Poetry — free, iPod — Listen to and watch accomplished authors discuss poetry and read their work.

Poetry Jam — free, iPad — I’m listing this here to warn you to avoid this one until a more appropriate, classroom version can be created; it’s a social poetry writing app, where anyone can write lines with others and vote for them. Unfortunately, there are folks with a limited IQ and the vocabulary of a sailor/infant typing trash. In a classroom environment, however, and with a well-focused activity, this app could be wonderful.

StoryKit — free, iPod only — Create your own electronic storybooks. I’m waiting for an iPad version to test this out.

Dream Filmmaker — $7.99, iPod — Says it’s compatible with the iPad, but I’m waiting for an official iPad version before testing this one. However, it looks amazing, with the ability to design posters and create complex storyboards complete with scene setters and stage directions.

GoodReader — 99 cents, iPad/iPod — Why not go for broke and call it GreatReader or AwesomeReader? Whatever you want to call it, this program allows users to read PDF files and allows for file transfers and use of a VGA adapter.

Voice Memos – free, iPad — The iPad does not come with a free voice recorder like the iPod Touch does, so you need to download one. The recorder is great for students who want to practice their reading fluency or record their critique of a novel.

iTalk Recorder — free, iPod only — Students can record their musings and broadcast them in a podcast.

Now Hear This — free, iPad/iPod — Another free podcast creator. The $1.99 version boasts a 30-minute recording duration, no ads, and more built-in sound effects.

Apps that are great for journalism

I’m super pleased with the apps that are geared toward news and information gathering, with more and more papers developing apps for their publications. If your school can’t afford iPads, an iPod Touch cart would be well worth the investment for journalism classes, especially since most newspapers are no longer offering print versions of their publications to schools for free.

AP News – free, iPad, AP Mobile, free, iPod — Dozens of stories are available every day, and they also have beautiful pictures and news clips on the iPad version with the ability to send stories to your e-mail, FaceBook, and Twitter.

USA Today — free, iPad/iPod — The national newspaper has a free version available.

The Daily — subscription, iPad only — One of the first of hopefully many newspapers with an interactive format that includes a 3D carousel of pages as well as video/audio segments and information graphics.

Thompson-Reuters News Pro — free, iPad/iPod — A news wire service filled with excellent articles.

Guardian Eyewitness — free, iPad — Beautiful photography here and little hints as to how the photographer got the great shot.

Editor’s Choice – free, iPad only — The New York Times delivers its top picks of the day in a sleek, old-school newspaper style.

NPR for iPad — free, NPR News, free, iPod — Listen to news stories, art and music features, and programs.

Fluent News, Newsy – free, iPad/iPod — These are apps that pull news from other Web sites such as the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, Washington Post, CNN, BBC, and MSNBC. The app lists the stories and pulls them into sections, and users can also perform a search for news.

ABC News for iPad — free — Another app with a 3D interface and compelling video news coverage.

Wired — $3.99 per issue, iPad only — Some magazines are jumping into the iPad app market, and Wired seems to be the most logical choice to be an early front-runner. Because of the cost, magazine apps might be more suitable for a set of iPads in the school library that are available for checkout. I’m hoping they incorporate more interactive features into their app.

Flipboard — free, iPad only — This is a social magazine that pulls your Twitter and Facebook feeds and transforms them into a digital magazine. Users also have the option of pulling news and feature feeds from other sources, which makes this app cool and customizable.

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Apps for the science classroom

Posted on August 4, 2010 by admin

Why would Google direct you, Mr./Ms. Science Teacher, to a language arts site when you searched for science apps? Because I am a closet math/science fanatic, that’s why! I probably have more science-related apps on my iPad than any other type because they are super cool.

The Elements – $13.99, iPad only — This is the coolest periodic table I have ever seen. The elements are shown in 3D and can be rotated by a flip of your finger. The app’s author wrote fun bios for each element and provides more 3D products that contain the element. It’s the priciest app I own, but it’s a million atoms better than a flimsy chart on a wall, I can tell you that. And while I’m at it can I also recommend The Periodic Table: Elements with Style! by Simon Basher and Adrian Dingle? From a language arts standpoint this is an entertaining read where each element is personified. If you want a free, yet mildly entertaining periodic table app, check out The Elementals by the Angry Robot Zombie Factory company (props for the funky company name).

Wolfram Alpha — $1.99, iPad, iPhone — Ask a question and you can receive data on geography, math, chemistry…data that can be used to draw conclusions and compare products. This app also works inside The Elements app to bring viewers the atomic weight, melting/boiling points, material and electromagnetic properties, and other data.

iQuakeLite — free, iPad — This app gives you the location and strength of every earthquake around the globe. Imagine asking your students to analyze which areas are most active and why.

Stars — free, iPad — One of many apps that allows you to look at constellations in the night’s sky. Also free with a different setup is GoSkyWatch Planetarium.  Star Walk for iPad is $4.99 but is a more comprehensive, interactive astronomy guide. A popular astronomy app is Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy for $2.99.

Nature HG – free, iPad — If you want to learn more about the Human Genome Project, this app provides graphics and articles discussing the project at the 10-year point.

Popular Science — $4.99, iPad — Popular Science magazine has released an interactive app version of its magazine, and the price is per issue. The price is a bit steep, but if a few copies could be kept on one iPad or in the school library, it might be worth it.

Science Glossary — free, iPad/iPod — Just as the name implies, it includes a glossary of scientific terms and information about scientists.

The Weather Channel – free, iPad — Pull up any region and you will find the weather and radar. WeatherBug is another free app that provides up-to-date weather data.

3D Cell Simulation and Stain Tool — free, iPad — Learn about cells by touching them and rotating them.

3D Brain — free, iPad — Touch this brain and rotate it to learn about how the brain functions.

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Take a dip in the technology pool

Posted on August 3, 2010 by admin

If 5-foot-tall Edward Leedskalnin can carve and move these object weighing tons, then anything is possible.

How much technology should I integrate into my lessons? That’s a question many teachers are asking themselves. I want to help my fellow language arts teachers move into the digital age of teaching. Are English teachers using online forums? Are they requiring multimedia presentations as alternative assessments? Do teachers know what technology is available to them?

I break technology usage into two types: active and passive. By passive, I’m referring to when a teacher does things such as play a song, show a movie, or use the digital projector to beam up Web sites on a glistening whiteboard; the teacher is using electronic media to deliver content.

Active usage, however, is when students use the technology to learn/analyze material or demonstrate mastery such as creating a character web using Inspiration, creating a PowerPoint presentation analyzing an artistic movement, or assembling an iMovie trailer for a novel they read. In other words, the student is using electronic media to deliver content.

Chop a Trail through the Jungle

Teachers who choose to test out new software, social networking sites, collaborative learning sites, etc. are the trailblazers. They realize that the old way of teaching just doesn’t work and are willing to try a new way of doing something while still maintaining their best practices.

New research shows that our students, “digital natives,” have different ways of processing information in the brain. That’s thanks to the constant bombardment by TV, movies, the Internet, video games, music, and cell phones. Kids have never known a world without these things, and they spend about 8 hours a day with the stuff. Hours of exposure to anything (sun=skin cancer) is bound to have an effect on the body; technology is no exception. We “digital immigrants” have difficulty conceiving of this concept and continue to teach the same way we always have with poor results.

So who is the remedial bunch? Let’s see some hands in the air! If you think you don’t have time to bother with the cornucopia of techie tools, you are doing a disservice to children who by the time they graduate high school are expected to be tech-savvy, productive citizens.

If you are reading this post, I’m guessing I’m probably standing on a soapbox in front of the wrong group of people. If so, then take some of this material on the road, and spread the word!

How do you clear your cluttered brain for some new input? How do you overcome your fear of infusing your classroom activities with technology? Start with one or two pieces of active technology such as creating an online forum for students’ comments or teaching students to use a Web-based graphic organizer.

Step 1: Learn what’s out there (check out my Free Technology links) and learn to use the technology either by A, asking someone else how to use it, or B, teaching yourself how to use it through trial and error. If neither of these options appeal to you, check with your school district to see if you have free access to Atomic Learning, which is a paid site that provides videos and tutorials on how to operate various software; otherwise, a yearlong subscription will run you about $100. Your district also might offer workshops on programs it has available, but sign up early as they often fill up the day they are offered.

Step 2: Ask yourself and your peers how you could use technology to generate active learning. This is the hard part if you are not a creative lesson planner. I recommend going to Jim Burke’s Ning (a social networking site), the English Companion, and asking questions on the group forum Teaching with Technology. Create activities, active and passive ones, using the technology. If you like to be in control at all times, then devising active activities might be too much for you at the start.

Step 3: Become proficient enough to teach the students how to use the technology before you grade them on their products. Or have a tech-savvy kid teach the class how to use the technology. Incorporate usage of the technology into your assessments.

Step 4: Have fun experimenting and know it’s OK to make mistakes. Technology isn’t perfect, and neither are we, so don’t feel terrible if your activities need tweaking!

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