EdTechWeekly #195

EdTechWeekly #195

May 15, 2011

Regular hosts: Dave, Jen, John

Guest host: Eric Curts [7]

This week's links:

• Khan Academy:
  • Website: http://www.khanacademy.org/ [8]
  • Charlie Rose Interview with founder Sal Khan: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11658 [9]
  • On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/khanacademy [10]
  • Sal Khan TED 2011: http://www.youtube.com/khanacademy#p/u/23/gM95HHI4gLk [11]
  • Jen's take: Age old instructional "model" of (1) Presentation, (2) Practice with both online exercises and hope to flip classroom model with time in class for practice not lecture, (3) guidance / feedback with focus on mastery with integrated analytic and "badges" based on gaming concepts. No current focus on credentials. Hope for global classroom. A lot of tried instructional concepts on self-paced learning, but sparkle here is each of the three elements (presentation, practice, guidance / feedback) are done by a really smart dude. Can it scale? Is there "enough" content beyond bites of important concepts? Heavy focus on learner-content interaction (and to some extent learner-teacher interaction in terms of designed instruction), but what else is required (learner-teacher interaction or learner-learner interaction) for practice / guidance beyond online experience?
• (sigh) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110509/ap_on_re_us/us_military_virtual_schools [20]
• Microsoft Buys Skype: http://about.skype.com/press/2011/05/microsoft_to_acquire_skype.html [21]
• Chromebook:
  • Overview of offering: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Chrome-OS-Notebooks-Comi... [12]
  • Business and Schools: http://mashable.com/2011/05/11/chromebook-business-education/ [13]
  • ... and why some say it will fail ... http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9216718/Elgan_Why_Chromebooks_wil... [14]
  • Chromebooks in Schools - Part 1: The Good - http://www.appsusergroup.org/articles/chromebooks-for-schools-the-good [15] (article written by Eric Curts)
  • Chromebooks in Schools - Part 2: The Bad - http://www.appsusergroup.org/articles/chromebooks-for-schools-the-bad [16] (article written by Eric Curts)
  • Microsoft's alternative online applications for schools: http://www.microsoft.com/education/solutions/liveedu.aspx [17]
  • Microsoft's Live@EDU pricing: http://www.microsoft.com/liveatedu/learn-about-office-365.aspx#4 [18] - http://www.cmswire.com/cms/document-management/microsoft-outlines-plans-for-office365-for-education-release-009797.php [19]
    
• ... and in other rumors ... Amazon Android Tablet: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Amazon-Android-Tablet-Ch... [22]

Chat Log: [23]

****

19:10:43 JenM -> here is the list of topics ... http://edtechweekly.wikispaces.com/EdTechWeekly+195 [24]

19:10:43 PeggyG -> hi sr

19:11:18 PeggyG -> what happened with the chat that we can no longer copy/drag it to save it? doesn't seem to be any way to copy it now

19:12:21 sr -> Hi Peggy

19:12:43 JohnS -> could be java settings.

19:13:04 JohnS -> Current version of java doesn't allow access to the clipboard on some platforms.

19:13:05 PeggyG -> java settings on the server?

19:14:28 PeggyG -> districts have a way of doing that--merging jobs and doubling the work for one person and same pay 

19:14:54 JenM -> Chromebook:     Overview of offering: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Chrome-OS-Notebooks-Comi... [12]     Business and Schools: http://mashable.com/2011/05/11/chromebook-business-education/ [13]     ... and why some say it will fail ... http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9216718/Elgan_Why_Chromebooks_wil... [14]     Chromebooks in Schools - Part 1: The Good - http://www.appsusergroup.org/articles/chromebooks-for-schools-the-good [15] (article written by Eric Curts)     Chromebooks in Schools - Part 2: The Bad - http://www.appsusergroup.org/articles/chromebooks-for-schools-the-bad [16] (article written by Eric Curts)     Microsoft's alternative online applications for schools: http://www.microsoft.com/education/solutions/liveedu.aspx [17]     Microsoft's Live@EDU pricing: http://www.microsoft.com/liveatedu/learn-about-office-365.aspx#4 [18] - http://www.cmswire.com/cms/document-management/microsoft-outlines-plans-... [19]

19:17:00 JenM -> http://www.appsusergroup.org/articles/chromebooks-for-schools-the-good [15]

19:17:05 JenM -> http://www.appsusergroup.org/articles/chromebooks-for-schools-the-bad [16]

19:17:18 JohnS -> Apps User Group: http://www.appsusergroup.org/ [25]

19:18:12 PeggyG -> very helpful articles--the good/bad. Thanks Eric!

19:20:51 Cathy E -> How do you feel about running Chrome OS on computers you already have?  Possible?

19:21:02 JohnS -> not possible.

19:21:15 JohnS -> Google only makes it available preinstalled on computers.

19:21:22 Cathy E -> ahh

19:27:07 JenM -> and more reasons it may fail ... http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9216718/Elgan_Why_Chromebooks_wil... [14]

19:37:53 JenM -> Microsoft's alternative online applications for schools: http://www.microsoft.com/education/solutions/liveedu.aspx [17] Microsoft's Live@EDU pricing: http://www.microsoft.com/liveatedu/learn-about-office-365.aspx#4 [18] - http://www.cmswire.com/cms/document-management/microsoft-outlines-plans-... [19]

19:41:54 PeggyG -> this review is really interesting and informative!! 

19:42:05 JenM -> Khan Academy:     Website: http://www.khanacademy.org/ [8]     Charlie Rose Interview with founder Sal Khan: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11658 [9]     On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/khanacademy [10]     Sal Khan TED 2011: http://www.youtube.com/khanacademy#p/u/23/gM95HHI4gLk [11]     Jen's take: Age old instructional "model" of (1) Presentation, (2) Practice with both online exercises and hope to flip classroom model with time in class for practice not lecture, (3) guidance / feedback with focus on mastery with integrated analytic and "badges" based on gaming concepts. No current focus on credentials. Hope for global classroom. A lot of tried instructional concepts on self-paced learning, but sparkle here is each of the three elements (presentation, practice, guidance / feedback) are done by a really smart dude. Can it scale? Is there "enough" content beyond bites of important concepts? Heavy focus on learner-content interaction (and to some extent learner-teacher interaction in terms of designed instruction), but what else is required (learner-teacher interaction or learner-learner interaction) for practice / guidance beyond online experience?

19:42:31 PeggyG -> hear both pros/cons of Khan Academy...

19:42:54 PeggyG -> Sylvia Martinez kind of bashed it in her blog--not constructivist enough

19:43:53 PeggyG -> http://blog.genyes.org/ [26] Sylvia has a number of blog posts about the Khan Academy

19:44:23 PeggyG -> http://blog.genyes.org/index.php/2011/04/21/khan-academy-posts/ [27]

19:53:54 JohnS -> http://www.ohiotreasurechest.org/ [28]

20:00:26 Cathy E -> I knew his voice sounded familiar - 

20:00:30 JohnS -> http://www.pow-pak.com/powpak.html [29]

20:02:02 PeggyG -> excellent conversation!!! thanks Eric and all

20:03:19 JenM -> Nite all!