Dot Learnt

On the digital textbook side, a choice of layout scheme can help students focus on either the text or on multimedia content such as animation. Questioning the meaning of a word? Simply highlight the term for a more in-depth explanation. Expecting a concept to appear on the midterm exam? A simple tap creates a deck of flashcards that can later be used for test preparation.

Apple Marketing Chief, Phil Schiller announced that all high school textbooks would run at about $15 a piece or less, and are guaranteed to always be up-to-date. Publishing companies McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Pearson and Dorling Kindersley are all onboard. (more…)

Mark your calendars: a very special day in February is quickly approaching - and no, we’re not talking about St. Valentine.

February 1, 2012 (2.1.12) marks the official Digital Learning Day. The day celebrates technology innovation in the classroom and the vast world of unique, technology-enhanced learning strategies. The event kicks off a year-round national awareness campaign around improving teaching and learning for all through the use of technology.

Over 520,000 students are participating in the daylong celebration. (more…)

Rachel Winthrop, Director of the Center for Universal Education, and Marshall Smith, Senior Counselor to the Education Secretary Ame Duncan, collaborated on the landmark series, A New Face of Education: Bringing Technology into the Classroom in the Developing World.

The report is an overview of the most daunting education challenges faced by the developing world created by the Brookings Institute. By looking at different enabling conditions, the report identifies interventions that have driven educational development.

When these six elements are present, the report explains that the likelihood of success in terms of edtech expansion in emerging markets greatly increases:

1)    Access to Electricity: Many rural areas do not have access to electricity. Poor public infrastructure prohibits the expansion of power to remote areas. Power generation sources such as solar panels, batteries and bicycle cranks have been used to reach isolated communities.

2)    Connectivity: A demand for access to Internet and wireless capabilities continues to boom, but high costs stand in the way. Mobile phones have been used to extend connectivity to developing areas.

3)    Human Resource Capacity: Teachers are often neglected and do not receive adequate training. Furthermore, lack of skilled personnel who know how to maintain computers also prove detrimental. Organizations such as USAID help provide ICT support and training to classrooms overseas. (more…)

One Laptop Per Child has just unveiled the latest edition to its XO family. The XO 3.0 tablet is the organization’s latest feat: a fully functional tablet created to withstand extreme weather conditions, use reduced energy and be easy on the wallet.

Most impressively, the XO 3.0 is able be fully powered by solar energy or hand-cranks, meaning that the new tablet will provide access and opportunity to isolated communities, independent of the power grid.

The organization, which has granted over 2.4 million children around the world access to technology in over 42 countries in 25 different languages, calls the X0 3.0 a “technological breakthrough” due to its “significant decrease in power consumption,” according to Chief Technology Officer, Edward McNierney.

Talk of the new XO 3.0 inspired me to check out other cost-friendly tablets making waves in the realm of education.

Raspberry Pi will hit the market later this month. The credit-card sized computer can plug into a TV or a computer and is available for just $25 – $35. The Raspberry Pi can be used for word-processing and gaming, and can also play high-definition video. (more…)

Every once in a while DotLearnt takes a step back from education technology to salute other technological feats making waves and changing lives cross-sector. Today we recognize a technology that is bringing new life, literally to the power of SMS.

Mali suffers from one of the highest infant morality rates in the world, with almost 111 deaths for every 1000 births in the country.

Pesinet is a non-profit organization that is using the power of mobile technology to deliver health care where it is needed most by using cell phones to track disease spread and to fortify local health infrastructure.

With almost 600 children registered in their program, the organization teaches local families and health care officials how to use mobile technology to issue health checkups and cost-friendly health insurance. For a small monthly fee, enrolled children are granted access to doctor examinations and receive  a fifty percent discount on medications. Local health workers test children each week for symptoms of diarrhea, low weight, vomiting and other health concerns. (more…)

Dear Bon Education Team!

I wanted to wish you all a very happy new year and thank you for your hard work and dedication in 2011.

We are really excited to finally launch BB and Sam (our interactive digital literature app) in 2012 – that’s one of our big goals we have for this year. With all of your fabulous talents and skills I know we can make the final push these next two months towards a successful launch on the app store. We will also continue to grow and build our training and consulting business working with schools, teachers and students to empower and personalize their learning through technology.

I read an article in the NY Times this morning about the CEO of IBM.  He had these four questions that guided his management of IBM.  These are great reflection prompts, both from a company perspective as well as an individual perspective.  (link)

• “Why would someone spend their money with you — so what is unique about you?”
• “Why would somebody work for you?”
• “Why would society allow you to operate in their defined geography — their country?”
• “And why would somebody invest their money with you?”

The answers to these questions are where we’re going with Bon Education.  It’s about focusing on the purpose and impact of the work we do. I trust that if we are happy with our answers to these questions the financial returns required to sustain and grow Bon Education will follow. (more…)

The new year is a time for reflection on both past and future. As the Bon team prepares our Dot Learnt editorial calendar for 2012, here are some of our favorite posts from 2011 that we’d like to remember

We’ve talked about:

Open Education Resources: Hop on over to Stanford University for some free technology courses & with MIT OpenCourseWare celebrating it’s 10^th year in free education, there are no limits to who can receive an Ivy education.

Game Based Learning:  In Learning Hard and Playing Hard we took a look at the evolution of play with ChicagoQuest, the newest addition to the realm of gamed-up curriculums. The school is now open, with hundreds of children currently enrolled in the interactive curriculum. We also hosted Tim Hydari, Practitioner of Development and Therapeutic Play, who delved into the importance of gaming and Play Therapy.

Social Media in the Classroom: After chatting with Yasmin Fodil on how Social Media Can Technically Fix all Your Problems, the CEO and Principal Consultant at BYO Consulting shed some light on integrating social media tools from governments to the classroom.  While in Mohammed and Five of Your Friends Just ‘Checked-In’ To… School? you’ll find hard-hitting examples of what the latest Facebook apps can do for schools in emerging markets.

And some other random emerging market extras: (more…)