Global Edtech News Roundup November 2011
1 Nov
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!
Whiteboards and markers seem a bit outdated in the domain of 3D movies and augmented reality video games. Trying to bring a bit of the YouTube sensation into your daily academic routine? Look no further – this awesome slideshow gives you the rundown on the top 10 ways to use YouTube in the classroom. Techtastic!
StudyBlue looks to make studying more compatible with this tech-filled world. Online flashcards complemented with audio and photographs or personalized practice quizzes, these mobile tools have found their way into the digital backpacks of many. Their latest endeavor, Friends with Brainefits turns Facebook into a study buddy. Each day, the app posts a term and definition on the users wall, egging their friends to join in on the competitive game. Turning the social powerhouse into a schoolhouse, one wall post at a time.
Go, Go Digi-Classrooms
Learning history from a textbook leaves students in one-dimensional abyss. In an effort to bring the global into the classroom, Samuel Sheck Hillel Community Day School, a Miami private school is using Skype to teach students about the events taking place overseas. Students can access the Global Learning Lab to talk with students in other countries via Skype. Hello, virtual pen pals!
We like things on the go here at Bon, so what’s more inspiring in our books than a mobile school? Children from low-income households in Delhi are now being pumped up to attend schools on old buses that have been transformed into classrooms. So when a kid cannot go to school, you bring the school to the kid. Innovative & resourceful, but I can only wonder what WiFi connection could do for this mobile school?
Got a thing or two that you’d like to say? This space is yours to share your thoughts suggestions and anything else on your mind.
Keep Calm and Learn On,
Nora
Image Available Under CC Licensure by Chicago Art Department
From our analysis at http://blog.frontierstrategygroup.com:
The adoption of new forms of communication in Africa over the past decade – both mobile telephone and internet – has been nothing short of revolutionary. The continent is estimated to have produced over 316 million new mobile phone users since 2000, passing 500 million total subscriptions late in 2010, and its total internet user population is now estimated at almost 120 million. Previously, communicating over long distances was fraught with difficulty and expense; that outlook has been transformed. The significance of these trends for African economic development, transparency and democratization is profound; the opportunity for technology companies and indeed for businesses across many other sectors capable of leveraging such channels for advertising and delivery is no less significant.
All of these technologies in Africa can be used for educational purposes, and we see great potential for education-based companies to penetrate the African market.