Dot Learnt

I recently had the honor of participating in a conference with Sal Khan, the founder of the Khan Academy, a free education service providing over 2,700 videos on topics ranging from calculus to sentence structure and used by over 3.5 million students across the globe.

Walking away from my morning session with Sal, I could not help but reflect on the web platform I was working on for the Peer to Peer University (P2PU).  In much the same way that Sal is impacting the world of education by speaking directly to the students, P2PU hopes to impact the world of education by supporting and connecting teachers and administrators.

With over 1,300 posts on its platform, P2PU is on a trajectory to deliver as many open educational materials to professional-level students as the Khan Academy now provides to school-age children. Bon Education has been a part of P2PU’s expansion, offering new courses aimed at providing high quality training to teachers across the globe. (more…)

And that is what a badge is for. Recently, in the education sphere, there has been much talk about badging. As Peter Levine, Director of The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement and Research Director of Tuft’s University’s Jonathan Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, points out, badging “could be the start of something big.”

Badges indicate the acquirement of skills and goals and provide employers, teachers and peer communities with a visual understanding of an individual’s talents and abilities.

Badges typically fall into the following categories:

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Today we hear from Lindsey Wright, a frequent writer for Online College Classes. Wright often explores electronic and mobile learning and the possible future of education, but is particularly fascinated with the potential of emerging educational technologies, such as online schools that can transform the landscape of learning. As our latest guest blogger, Lindsey explores the top 7 online resources that any student can benefit from!

Prior to the advent of the Internet, students in developing nations faced great difficulties in finding educational resources outside of their schools. Luckily, thanks to the proliferation of broadband connections and the growing abundance of devices equipped to connect to the Internet, students in developing countries have access to a number of sites dedicated to education. Here are seven  online resources for students in emerging markets who wish to augment their learning:

1) Voice of America Special English

English is becoming a truly international communication tool, and it is the lingua franca of the Internet. Many students in emerging markets learn English as a second language, but tutoring sessions can be expensive. The Special English section of the Voice of America utilizes a base vocabulary of just 1,500 words to report world events on different subjects. Broadcasters speak at a slow pace and with clear accents. Idioms are sparingly used with proper explanations and background.

2) ARKive.org – Images of Life on Earth

Sir Richard Attenborough is a strong supporter of ARKive, an amazing online database of wildlife images and information carefully cataloged by species, eco-regions, geography and conservation status. Students of the biology and zoology fields in developing countries can greatly augment their knowledge of the planet’s species with ARKive. (more…)

In the pursuit of an education? These 5 apps have the ability to transform any classroom in any location into an engaging platform of discussion and self-reliant learning.

Name: Word Lens

Cool Factor: A language translator that fuses the best of translation and augmented reality! Just point the camera to a piece of text and watch the translation appear instantaneously on your screen.

EduApp: A pile of textbooks in a different language? No problem! Just point, shoot and let your mother tongue come alive.

Enlighten Me: Browse the entire Khan Academy curriculum, with access to hundreds of videos organized by subject and curriculum

Teched on the Go: Students can tap into over 2,700 videos, delving into everything from physics or art history to healthcare and medicine. (more…)

With the Global Education Conference right out around the corner, Bon had the chance to tap into the thoughts of Global Education Collaborative founder, Lucy Gray. Read on for the short and sweet 60-second interview stuffed with nuggets on 21^st century skills, edtech and a conference preview!

0-5 Seconds: Can you sum up the mission of The Global Education Conference in a tweet?

An inclusive & free online conference designed to showcase the power of global collaboration by connecting students, educators & organizations

5-10 Seconds: Why free?

It’s free because many volunteers and presenters are donating their time and expertise to this cause. We think we’ll have greater participation if cost is not a barrier.

10-15 Seconds: What led you to get involved in The Global Education Conference?

In 2007, I founded an online community for people involved in education and interested in developing the necessary relationships for globally-connecting projects and initiatives. Steve Hargadon, founder of Classroom 2.0, another community that focuses on new and emerging technologies, approached me with the idea of combining forces with Blackboard Collaborate, a webinar platform, in order to produce a significant education event. Steve is also a consultant with Blackboard Collaborate.

15-20 Seconds: What should users/attendees expect from the Conference?

Attendees should expect 5 days of inspiring online sessions around the clock including keynotes by high level thought leaders active in the field of global education. Conference participants should come away from their sessions with practical ideas on how to implement global collaboration. They will also be inspired after learning of initiatives created by various global organizations. Sessions are recorded if you cannot attend a live online session. (more…)

Time-lapse videos are a remarkably breathtaking, yet simple, use of technology. With a camera and a basic video-editing program, time-lapse representations can be created for, well, just about anything.

So how can time-lapse be used in the developing world?

Students in emerging markets are witnessing rapid growth on a near-daily basis. As cities, regions and countries launch into the global scene, infrastructure and lifestyles changes can transform the traditional landscape in a matter of months. Some worry that this rapid change is leading to a loss of culture and value structures in emerging populations. But time-lapse videos are a tool that can help to preserve local tradition and memory – while promoting digital literacy. (more…)

Destination: Philippines

Location: the Slums

Situation: You are a parent of two children trying to make ends meet. You are good at sewing and cooking, but your electricity-less tin hut makes working inside almost impossible. Without light inside you spend most days outside socializing with neighbors and doing odd jobs. You want a better life for your children. You want your children to go to school. Unfortunately, the local school is dilapidated without access to electricity, light or running water… Not to mention you need them to work to bring in much needed family cash.

Enter: Isang Litrong Liwanag (A Liter of Light) (more…)

“What is possible when we change the design and delivery of traditional education for the children that teachers find hard to teach?“

These are the words that greet viewers on the Innovation for Learning (IFL) homepage.

An Illinois-based nonprofit formed in the early nineties, IFL looks to develop innovative technologies to improve early elementary education. Think low-cost-special-purpose handheld devices that allow K-2 teachers to easily differentiateinstruction for all students.

More recently, IFL has launched a computer program that helps teachers track student success. These simple handheld computer devices provide teachers with reports about which kids are learning what, when and how much.  In hopes of going global, IFL has initiated a partnership with Stanford University to bring the computer system to rural communities around the world. (more…)

Fellow EdTechies – as much of the east coast is digging out from the first snowfall of the season, I’m here to remind you that some things do stay hot in the midst of November. Read on for the most thought-provoking topics in the edtech sphere happening all across our world:

Emerging Elements

The Silicon Valley is getting a run for its money. World Wide Web Foundation alongside Mobile Web Ghana are two organizations working together to transform Accra, Ghana into the next tech hub. The team looks to prepare participants with the tech and business skills necessary to start a successful mobile web company. The recent wave of graduates has already created 10 distinct mobile programs.

Nokia has unleashed its latest line of cell phones meant for emerging markets. The Symbian S40 class is alow-end set meant to bring Internet connection to the “next one billion” consumers throughout South Asia and Africa. The Asha 300 and 302 will be released late 2011, running between 85-115 Euros a piece, while in 2012, the Asha 200 and 201 will go for about 60 Euros a pop. Angry Birds, for all!

Tech for the Trade

Eager to find out what UNESCO is up to? Look no further. Tuesday, November 1st marks the launch for the UNESCO Open Educational Resources Platform. In this first-ever platform, users can access UNESCO publications as open educational resources. Furthermore, UNESCO/COL Guidelines on Open Educational Resources (OER) in Higher Education will highlight key issues in terms of integrating OER into higher ed. Get ready to freely use and reshare! (more…)