Students getting closer to the joys of remote learning

Clawing back me-time has been a plus for students during lockdown, but the downside is missing friends and the school environment of celebration and group activity.

<https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/students-getting-closer-to-the-joys-of-remote-learning-20210909-p58qas>

‘It’s so hard’: how the pandemic upended young people’s career paths

Morgan Vella and his friends used to hold high ambitions for what life would look like after graduating high school: leaving their regional Victorian town for university in the city, enjoying a world of busy dormitories, student bars and lecture theatres. But two years and seven lockdowns later, the Kyabram P-12 College year 12 student says a lot of his friends have simply “given up” and plan to complete their Victorian College of Education (VCE) certificate without an Atar.

<https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/12/its-so-hard-how-the-pandemic-upended-young-peoples-career-paths>

Technology is key for refugees starting new lives in Australia, but not everyone has equal access

As evacuees and refugees from Afghanistan start their new lives in Australia, their ability to navigate the digital world will be crucial.

<https://www.startupdaily.net/2021/09/technology-is-key-for-refugees-starting-new-lives-in-australia-but-not-everyone-has-equal-access/>

Remote learning a game changer for vulnerable youth

As students across the country adapt to ‘lockdown learning’ once again, growing numbers of at-risk young people are successfully reconnecting with education.

<https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/remote-learning-a-game-changer-for-vulnerable-youth/278712>

Ten key technology considerations in delivering the future of education by Microsoft

Events over the past 18 months have highlighted just how inherently valuable technology has become for educators. From the remote delivery of classes and classwork notes and facilitating communication and collaboration between isolating students, right through to the expanded resources available by being able to access education from anywhere, technology is delivering both resilience to the education sector, and generating better outcomes.

<https://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/brand-post/content/691261/ten-key-technology-considerations-in-delivering-the-future-of-education/>

Use of information and communications technology (ICT) in the teaching and learning of writing

Learning to write is an essential part of becoming literate. The challenge in the digital age for teachers and students is how to make the most effective use of all available digital tools to develop and craft quality texts.

<https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/educational-data/cese/publications/research-reports/use-of-ict-in-teaching-and-learning-of-writing>

Are writing scores from online writing tests for primary students comparable to those from paper tests?

The move to online testing for NAPLAN in 2019 brought many benefits to teachers, schools and education systems. However, prior to implementation, concerns were raised amongst stakeholders relating to the validity, comparability, equity and fairness of online testing. One key issue was the online assessment of writing, for Year 3 students in particular. The main concern was whether Year 3 students would have sufficient typing skills to produce online texts in timed conditions that were a valid reflection of their underlying writing proficiency. This report on the research conducted in 2016 was used to inform decision making concerning the move of NAPLAN writing tests from paper to online tests.

<https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/educational-data/cese/publications/research-reports/online-writing-tests-for-primary-students>

Slow internet forces North Star family to homeschool from the paddock

It's a classroom with a view. That's the best way to describe how the McMaster children are studying in isolation in their small rural town of North Star, near the New South Wales-Queensland border. Slow internet has forced mother of four and farmer Angela McMaster to move her children's homeschooling into the paddock to ensure they could still participate in online learning.

<https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-14/north-star-home-schooling-in-the-paddock/100456426>

Goulburn High School staff and students adapt well to home learning [subscription]

Students in the region have been learning from home for about a month now, including those from Goulburn High School.

<https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/7423024/learning-from-the-past-goulburn-high-staff-and-students-deal-with-lockdown-well/>

Bridging the gap between policy and practice in education

Over a year ago, we were both on a global panel discussing lessons learned and ways forward in education to proceed this last school year immersed in COVID. We realised quite quickly that by partnering-up our different views, as education practitioner in New Brunswick, Canada, also in contact with many teachers internationally, and as international education policy analyst at the OECD we could answer a major issue in education: the gap between perspectives on education, particularly between policy and practice in schools and classrooms. This gap prevents progress in education due to lack of understanding of the reality of schools and classrooms and of how policy can really be defined and implemented to be effective. We wanted to raise awareness of this gap so that it can be narrowed, so we engaged in a conversation on the lessons learned during COVID through our own work. We present here some of our observations from the analysis and from our own experience in schools, classrooms and in exchange with policy makers.

<https://oecdedutoday.com/bridging-gap-between-policy-practice-education/>

Tapping Into The Future Of VR – Today

The current COVID19 pandemic has pushed schools into a massive learning curve. We witnessed the incredible resilience of the human spirit, the adaptability of our community and the great potential offered by technology in shaping teaching and learning. A positive outcome is when we witnessed the most non-tech savvy teacher talk about their favourite app that they use to drive students’ engagement in her virtual classroom.

<https://sisschools.org/blog/tapping-into-the-future-of-vr-today/>

Schools still closed for nearly 77 million students 18 months into pandemic – UNICEF

Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, schools for nearly 77 million students in six countries continue to be almost completely closed, according to an updated data analysis released today by UNICEF.

<https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/schools-still-closed-nearly-77-million-students-18-months-pandemic-unicef>

What Will Online Learning Look Like in 10 Years? Zoom Has Some Ideas

Last March, Zoom, the ubiquitous online conferencing platform, became a staple of daily life for many students and educators as learning shifted online. Millions downloaded it—and first learned of it—back in early 2020, when lockdowns forced billions of students online, and at least 100,000 schools onto Zoom.

<https://www.edsurge.com/news/2021-09-15-what-will-online-learning-look-like-in-10-years-zoom-has-some-ideas>

Online Education: 10 Keys that will make you like Online Classes

Today the offer of virtual courses, online careers, and online master’s degrees has skyrocketed considerably. Is there more interest in learning? Like never before. And this thirst for knowledge has led us to remember the purpose of online education.

<https://www.analyticsinsight.net/online-education-10-keys-that-will-make-you-like-online-classes/>

‘Let’s Reimagine Education Together’: Lessons and Learnings From Zoom Academy 2021

Summer is almost over, and educators everywhere are preparing to make their return to the classroom. But what do those classrooms look like, and how can educators help students adapt to new and more flexible learning experiences?

<https://blog.zoom.us/lessons-and-learnings-from-zoom-academy-2021/>

How 5G can make a difference in education: Challenges and next steps

In my last post on the potential of 5G networks, we explored how this dramatically different wireless technology could redefine the present and future learning experience. 5G’s extremely low latency rate means the sending and receiving of information goes from 200 milliseconds for 4G down to 1 millisecond with 5G. That increase in speed will make five core elements of learning smoother and easier: interaction, immersion, personalization, flexibility, and access for all.

<https://blogs.worldbank.org/digital-development/how-5g-can-make-difference-education-challenges-and-next-steps>

To BYOD or not to BYOD, that is the question

BYOD is that phenomenon that emerged largely as a way to keep devices in the hands of students when funding ran out. It was the perfect solution to the problem – the school can’t pay, so let’s get the parents to pay. But does it deliver on the promise to improve learning?

<https://edublog.microsoft.com/en-au/2021/08/to-byod-or-not-to-byod-that-is-the-question/>

New Council Recommendation on blended learning

“Blended learning” in formal education and training is the term used to describe when a school, educator or student takes more than one approach to the learning process.

<https://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/latest/news/council-recommendation-blended.htm>

A.I. Can Now Write Its Own Computer Code. That’s Good News for Humans.

A new technology called Codex generates programs in 12 coding languages and even translates between them. But it is not a threat to professional programmers.

<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/09/technology/codex-artificial-intelligence-coding.html>

Bringing STEM to Students with Mobile Technology 

K–12 classrooms are supplemented with lessons on science, technology, engineering and math thanks to mobile STEM labs.

<https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/k12/k12/k12/article/2021/09/bringing-stem-students-mobile-technology>

SPIKE Prime Tutorials

Interns at the Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach have created a series of SPIKE Prime tutorial videos covering the basics of the LEGO SPIKE Prime robotics kit.

<https://education.lego.com/en-au/news/spike-prime-tutorials>