The National American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) defines online learning as: instruction and content delivered primarily over the Internet.

A newly released survey of 232,781 K-12 students, 21, 272 teachers, and 15,316 parents conducted by Project Tomorrow and sponsored by Blackboard, states that one in five students in grade 6-12 have taken an online course at school or on their own and one in three students chose online classes as a part of their ideal school. The report states:

As online learning becomes more integrated into day-to-day instruction, the compartmentalization of education breaks down. Everyone becomes a learner and an expert with opportunties to seek and share what they know, critique what they learn, and become more engaged and involved with the global community.    Read the rest of this entry »

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We have been talking about building online communities around specific websites where educators can share their teaching experiences and resources. Yesterday, PBS Teachers took this concept to a whole new level when it unveiled a new online community  that has the functionality of many of the popular social networking sites.

PBS Teachers Connect describes it this way:
“PBS Teachers Connect is an online community of teachers exchanging ideas, resources and instructional strategies on the integration of digital media and technology.”

In many ways it is a blueprint for what K-12 publishers can and should do to build vibrant, purpose-filled online communities. Read the rest of this entry »

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Before we leave behind the interview with Scott Walker of TeacherTechBlog, let’s review some blog best practices that he shared with us. If you missed our two-part interview with Scott, then take a few minutes and read it at the two inks below. We’ll wait.

How an Educator Uses Social Media to Share Ideas- Part 1

How an Educator Uses Social Media to Share Ideas- Part 2

So, what are some of the takeaways for the rest of us to learn from Scott?

1. He has accomplished one of the primary goals of blogging in that he has established himself as a credible authority on educational technology and other educators look to him for guidance and insight.

2.  He confirms the commitment of time required, but also sees that time as an investment in building a high-value experience for his readers.

3.  Scott’s readership growth in one year from launch to 10,000 means that his tech tips were successfully viral as he has achieved exponential readership growth in one year.

4.  He has built readership by reaching out to others in the blogosphere tackling similar topics and now has readers in 103 different countries. That is an impressive metric for one year’s work.

5.  Blogging has become an integral part of his own professional life.

6.  Even though he is not eliciting lots of comments on his blog (something that many bloggers focus on), that was not a part of his intention which was to share his technical expertise with other educators and so Scott has built a community of people who look to him for thought leadership and practical advice. Read the rest of this entry »

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Last week we talked about finding and listening in on conversations that your customers and prospects are having on the web. This week we’re hearing from an avid teacher-blogger about his experience in sharing technology tips with his fellow K-12 educators. Here is part 2 of our interview wtih Scott Walker of TeacherTechBlog.

6.   What is the absolute best part of this [blogging] experience for you?
The best part about blogging has to be the networking that comes with it. I have made several incredible friends/colleagues that I never would have. People from complete opposite ends of the earth have given me useful help, ideas, and insights that have not only helped my strategies but have also been an incredible encouragement. 

Some of these connections have taken me places that I never would have been. One of my first big experiences that I can remember was getting invited to FETC in Orlando to blog as a member of the press. I can’t even begin to say how remarkable an experience that was, and how many great opportunities happened because of it.

7.  What are the top three (or five) things you would share with another educator about the benefits of blogging?
Blog about what you know and love, even if you think other people won’t care about what you have to say. It is one of the few opportunities where you can filter out everything except what you passionately love about what you do. Read the rest of this entry »

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Attendees and guests at the the Association of Education Publishers (AEP) Conference in Washington, D.C. this past Friday, June 6th were treated to the first education debate of this year’s election. Education policy advisors for both presumptive nominees sat side by side along with an industry panel tasked with posing probing questions. Speaking for Senator Obama was Jeanne Century from the University of Chicago and for Senator McCain - Lisa Graham Keegan, former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Although Ms. Century and Ms. Keegan agreed on the critical role that highly qualified teachers play in successful K-12 education, Ms. Century reframed the discussion when she asserted that Sen. Obama is committed to lifelong learning and making sure that young children are properly nurtured from birth so that they arrive in the classroom prepared to learn. 

Ms. Keegan, obviously  more experienced and comfortable in the role of education advisor, stressed the shared concern of both candidates but cited the difference as being the amount of innovation the McCain camp was prepared to allow in teacher preparation and classroom instruction. The representatives generally agreed that the definition and application of scientifically-based research needs to be revisited. Read the rest of this entry »

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