AUPs can take many different forms, but typically they will include some or all of the following:

1. Prohibited activities: An AUP will typically outline activities that are prohibited when using a particular resource. These may include things like hacking, spreading malware, or engaging in illegal activities.

2. Responsible use: An AUP will also outline what is considered responsible use. This may include things like respecting the privacy of others, not using the resource for spam or commercial purposes, and protecting the resource from harm.

3. Consequences: An AUP will generally outline the consequences of violating the policy. This may include things like termination of service, legal action, or other penalties.

4. Monitoring and enforcement: An AUP will often include provisions for monitoring and enforcing the policies outlined in the document. This may include logging activity, reviewing logs for inappropriate behavior, and alerting appropriate parties if violations occur.

AUPs are an important part of any organization’s security and risk management strategy. They provide clear guidelines for appropriate behavior and help to facilitate a culture of responsibility and accountability. Failure to have an effective AUP can lead to security breaches, legal liability, and other negative consequences.

Some common elements of an AUP include:

1. General guidelines and objectives.

2. Identification of the parties and systems covered by the policy.

3. Prohibited activities.

4. Acceptable use guidelines.

5. Consequences for violating policy.

6. Monitoring and enforcement provisions.

7. Reporting procedures for policy violations.

8. Any additional information or resources that may be helpful for users.

In conclusion, an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is a crucial component of any organization’s security and risk management strategy. It outlines what behavior is considered appropriate and responsible when using a particular resource, and helps to promote a culture of accountability and responsibility. Organizations that fail to develop and implement effective AUPs risk security breaches, legal liability, and other negative consequences.

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 Why Change is Necessary

For students, the educational system requires more flexibility. For example, some students might have a better chance of success with a flexible schedule, especially if they must work a part-time job to help their families financially.

For others, a curriculum that incorporates more of the arts or STEM or other vocations might be ideal if the “traditional” class offerings don’t seem to fit their career interests. Providing more choices and changing what the “classroom” looks like won’t necessarily result in confusion if the proper guidance is given by teachers and academic advisors. Instead, students would gain a broader awareness of the opportunities that are available.

From Classroom to Career

Furthermore students are exploring other post-secondary options. By involving more real-world experiences in the learning process, they’ll invest more time and attention into their learning.

Many schools at the secondary level are already including more course offerings that give students more of these types of experiences. Some of these situations come in the form of dual credit where classes count towards both college and high school credit. Others offer internships with local businesses or agencies where students can try out a particular job or work setting to see if it suits them. In either case, students are gaining the training and experience at an earlier age that will equip them to make important decisions about their future.

Teachers in Leadership Roles

A radical change is needed in order to escape the cookie cutter education. One possible solution is to place the decision making in the hands of those who are already struggling in the trenches—the teachers. The reasoning behind this idea lies primarily with the fact that they know their students best and are most aware of their needs and those of their families.

Furthermore, teachers have a vested interest in policy making since they are the first ones affected by new curriculum, assessment procedures, and any other factor that comes into play.

For instance, if an administrator wants to try a new way of conducting formative assessment, teachers would be the first to see the advantages and drawbacks. Most importantly, they would also see upfront how the students respond and if the data that’s extracted from the assessment can truly be helpful with driving instruction. In other words, they can give an accurate and detailed account of how well (or badly) the assessment goes and what adjustments need to be made. 

All in all, the world and the workplace are always changing. A solid, well-rounded education can give students the knowledge and tools to evolve as well. When teachers are given more opportunities to determine policy and curriculum, and students are offered more alternatives, great things can happen for everyone involved.

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What Is Student-Driven Learning?

Most traditional learning is made up of lectures and memorization. Student-driven remote learning takes those lectures and either complements them or replaces them with learning guidance and active learning strategies. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator, whose job is to create an atmosphere conducive to independent student learning. This better engages the students, helps the students retain what they learn, improves understanding, and helps students achieve more.

The Characteristics of Student-Driven Learning

There are ten characteristics of student-driven remote learning. These ten things set it apart from traditional education. These characteristics are:

1. The teachers work the hardest.

• The students learn from each other.

• They learn through being actively involved and experiencing things firsthand.

• They take what they learn and apply it to genuine, everyday experiences.

• Teachers offer directed, frequent, and prompt feedback.

• Teachers encourage their students to explain what they have learned to other students.

• The students are encouraged to engage regularly in communication among themselves.

• They understand the subject and why they are learning it.

• They are given tablets or mobile phones on which to learn.

1. Student-driven learning produces a higher degree of engagement.

The Advantages of Student-Driven Remote Learning

There are several advantages to using a student-driven approach to learning in your remote classroom. Here are a few:

• As I’ve already mentioned, it increases the rate of knowledge retention.

• Students also find learning to be more fun in a student-driven remote classroom.

• The students’ participation level is higher than it is with traditional learning.

• Their performance level is higher.

• The students find learning more fun when they are in a student-driven classroom.

• Students work together better.

• Student-driven learning helps students to develop problem-solving skills further.

How Do You Promote Student-Driven Learning?

There are several ways to promote student-driven learning in a remote classroom. Here are a few ideas:

• Always be searching for ways to further integrate technology into the learning experience.

• Utilize breakout rooms to group students together for projects and to enhance collaboration among your students.

• Allow your students to be leaders.

• Let your students take part in the decision-making process.

• Use interactive videos and slides. Pedagogue allows you to create your own interactive videos for use in the classroom.

• Let your students take part in scoring the student assessments.

• Rather than having a classroom where the rules drive the students’ behavior, create a thirst for knowledge and mutual respect in your students. Let that guide behavior instead.

• Create projects that will carry on beyond on lesson.

• Rather than handing out homework, assign learning-based projects that are engaging and fun.

Exploring New Ideas

So what kind of specific things can you do to make your classroom student-driven? Here are some examples:

• Break the students off into breakout rooms and have them quiz each other on what they have learned.

• Break the students off into breakout rooms and have them go over their quizzes together, reviewing their answers. 

• Have a brainstorming session.

• Present an issue. Allow your students to discuss it. If they lack the information to have an informed conversation, send them in search of it.

• Let the students create a quiz for the other students to take. They can use a site like Google Form, Survey Monkey, or Microsoft Form.

• Have the students design an experiment.

• Have a Q & A session.

• Hold a debate between students.

There are so many other great ideas out there. Just remember, you are the facilitator. Engage the students.Let the students lead as you continue to explore new ideas for student-driven remote learning.

The post Exploring New Ideas: Student-Driven Remote Learning appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

Technology continuously offers more and more avenues of education that recently were not available to us. Therefore, many schools are implementing education technology into their curriculum. Some of these schools are finding that implementing education technology by pursuing technology education is the best recipe for both teaching and learning.

Why Education Technology?

In times past, we, as teachers, were limited by what we could provide in the classroom. If we didn’t have the supplies, manipulates, or materials available to us, our students missed out on extension that we could have provided. Today, though, earning can be taken beyond the classroom. Extension, explanation, and exploration are easily done in engaging and relevant ways like never before. We merely use the education technology provided to us!

What is the Best Education Technology?

The best education technology places new approaches to learning at our fingertips, giving us the ability to adapt our lessons to each student. It allows us to meet them where they are and bring them to where they need to be in ways that were previously impossible. 

There are so many branches and forms of education technologies out there, supplying so many EdTech companies. Which of these many education technologies is best?

Our favorite avenue to education technology is Pedagogue. Pedagogue is there to help you, the teacher, get more education technology into the classroom.

Virtual Classroom

Pedagogue makes their virtual classroom available to teachers for free. You can do most things you can imagine up with the virtual classroom.

• Perform Conference Calls
• Teach Via Livestream
• Do a Screenshare
• Use the Virtual Whiteboard While Teaching
• Share Files

Interactive Lesson Creator

With this interactive lesson creator, you can create unique learning experiences for your students. You can then reuse them later or even share them with other teachers! You can also build interactive assessments.

A few other things that you can do with the Interactive Lesson Creator are:

• Automatically generate multiple-choice arithmetic quizzes;
• Create bar charts or pie charts;
• Create your own, individual-based dictation exercises;
• Create a Find-the-Word with your students’ vocabulary or spelling words;
• Create an interactive video to enhance your students’ learning experiences;
• Create interactive timelines;
• And so much more!

Content Templates

The best part about the Pedagogue Lesson Creator is that you do not have to come up with anything on your own (unless you want to). There are over 30 templates available to you, and each template includes different content for teaching your students.

Social Media Network

Lastly, but not least, Pedagogue is also a teacher-centered social media network. We, as human beings, need community. We need each other. We need networking. 

With Pedagogue, not only can you network with other educators around the world, creating necessary and lasting bonds, but you can do so much more! You can share strategies and hacks with other teachers and learn from them as well. You can get advice on questions you might have… and offer it. On Pedagogue, you can find tools and resources others have shared and share those you have found helpful! This social media network brings educators together, where they can work together to make the world of education a better place.

Let’s Take it a Step Further

Now you know which education technology is best. How do you best implement education technology? One of the best ways to effectively implement Education Technology is to pursue Technology Education.

Why Technology Education?

The world that our students are growing up in is eons different from the one we grew up in. Their world is highly complex and run by technology. Knowing how to use technology properly is vital to their survival past graduation—and maybe even sooner. 

We must implement the skills they need in their everyday learning. You see, learning simple computer skills, typing, and computer software in a computer class is no longer sufficient. 

So how do we effectively teach our students how to thrive in this ever-evolving world? Simple. We start implementing education technology by pursuing technology education.

How Do You Implement Technology Education?

1. Use computer games, such as Sushi Monster, to teach Arithmetic concepts.
2. Have the students prepare a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint that describes what they have learned in the lesson.
3. Give your students the chance to create videos surrounding the content they are learning.
4. Give your students the reigns to use the data tables, diagrams, or such that describe the concepts they have learned.
5. Use digital storytelling.

Conclusion

Implementing education technology is not enough. As the U.S. Department of Education said in their 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update, “closing the digital divide alone will not transform learning. We must also close the digital use divide…”

To close the digital use divide, it is up to you, the teacher, to ensure that your students have a clear understanding of how to use that education technology effectively. They must also, in learning to use the education technology, learn to use all technology as a tool. They must learn to use this  tool to engage in life-long learning that is both productive and creative rather than merely using it to consume passive content. In other words, the best way to help your students learn in today’s world and for their future is by implementing education technology by pursuing technology education.

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You may be wondering how some as benign as a simple math formula can be harmful. Is essence, the algorithm present little, if any danger. It’s what happens next that alter your child’s future. 

Algorithms are part of machine learning. Currently, computers learn what we teach them, although there is growing agreement that one day, computers will be able to teach themselves. 

Here’s why you want to know everything you can about the algorithms being used in your child’s school. 

The two questions you must ask 

Edtech companies have nearly unlimited access to your child’s personal data. If you’re a parent, you’ll want to know two things about the algorithms being used in classroom software. 

1.    What is being collected, and why?

Collecting large amounts of data allows schools and edtech companies to spot trends, make predictions and adjust for future needs. However, not all data being collected on your child may be necessary or without bias. The data certainly shouldn’t be identifiable, meaning that anyone could tell that the data represent your child. Data to be concerned about include:

o   Social Security/State ID numbers

o   Physical addresses

o   Medical history

o   Family financial information

o   Social connections

o   Facial recognition photos

o   Biometrics

Ultimately, you want to know if the data be used to predict academic standing or the likelihood of behavioral challenges. Determine how accurate the predictions are and whether the algorithms in machine learning is the only way your child will be evaluated. 

2.    Where is the data stored?

Edtech software algorithms collect and sort data. Then they store it. Billions of bytes of data sit housed in servers or in the cloud. None of them are immune from data security breaches.  Ask about:

·      Data protection levels

·      Policies and procedures for using USBs and mobile devices

·      What happens to the data at the end of the school year or at graduation

Only persons with a legitimate need to know should have access to your child’s personal information. That’s not just a good idea – it’s federal law, under FERPA. 

If unscrupulous persons get a hold of your child’s data, could they act in malice based on bias? For example, could a future employer use school information as a bias against hiring someone based on their accumulated school data? 

The other side of the story 

Districts do what they can to protect student data and bias, but once an edtech company collects the data, your child’s privacy is at risk. Many companies are conscientious about data protection, but what happens to the data if the company is sold? 

Edtech companies also have a valid concern. If they must share their algorithms and explain how their collection system works, they are making public their proprietary software. Ultimately, the public release of the algorithms could present a safety concern. 

Revealing the steps in an algorithm would allow anyone with bad intentions to deconstruct the formulas and attack entire systems. In cities, that means infrastructures like utilities and public transportation systems. In schools, your child’s historical information (academic, medical, biographic) could be held for ransom or used against them later in life. 

Metroplexes like New York City have insisted on passing legislation that would increase transparency to the point that personal privacy – even of minors – would be eliminated.

Perhaps we have allowed the algorithm to become too useful in helping us educate our children. We need to be more protective of our children to keep them safe and prevent possible bias.

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There are three characteristics of good pedagogy:

Good Pedagogy Is Designed Backwards

In the Understanding by Design model, the instructional plan begins by deciding on the objective. In other words, the outcome is determined first. In the second step, the assessments are designed. Finally, instructional activities are chosen. This is, of course, backward regarding the traditional model, where an instructor would choose activities first and then design assessments later. The benefit of the UbD model is that it focuses instructional tasks not on what is fun or engaging or traditional or easy but rather on exactly what is needed for the student to achieve certain learning goals.

Good Pedagogy Is Collaborative

Whether it is called collaborative learning or cooperative learning (and some pedagogues do find a distinction between the two), students need opportunities to work with others as they learn. These experiences help them develop their communication and leadership skills as well as exposing them to alternative ideas and points of view.

Good Pedagogy Is Focused on Mastery

Traditional instruction can be compared to an out-of-control train: a student is along for the ride with no options. But a better approach is to focus on mastery. This means that a student studies a concept until they have mastered it, not until the teacher decides to move on to something else. Obviously, this approach increases the likelihood of students genuinely learning the material instead of just being exposed to it without truly understanding it.

So, What about Edtech?

These three essential elements of good pedagogy can all be better achieved using edtech, but they require intentional effort to incorporate on the part of edtech designers and users. For example, it has become common for teachers to try out new edtech just because it looks fun and engaging, but the principles of backward design require a teacher to only deploy edtech if it is the best way to achieve an already-articulated instructional goal. Similarly, edtech can lead to students working in a less collaborative manner, hunched over their screens, unless a teacher actively strives to find tools that encourage collaboration.

In sum, edtech is not its own pedagogy. Instead, it needs to be used in accordance with sound pedagogy.

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This is a multi-faceted problem. On the one hand, children need to learn how to have traditional, face-to-face conversations unmediated by technology. On the other hand, they also need to learn how to communicate appropriately using technology. Both of these kinds of communication will be vital to their success as adults.

Traditional communication requires extensive screen-free time in order to develop the ability to communicate well. Children need to be taught, for example, the importance of eye contact. They should also understand that there is some cultural variation on the appropriateness of eye contact in different contexts, and they should be prepared for that reality. They will also need time to develop an understanding of non-verbal aspects of communication—something that is foreign to most kinds of digital communication.

Most of all, they need time to develop a feel for the significant differences between digital and face-to-face communication. Parents can make this fun, by, for example, having a regular “no screens, ice cream” dessert night to practice the nearly lost art of conversation. Since leadership and responsibility are essential 21^st century skills, students will benefit greatly from developing the ability to communicate well.

Of course, digital communication plays by its own rules. And while the older generation may assume that younger students, as digital natives, know how to communicate well in this realm, that is not often the case. Students will need specific training in how to become responsible digital citizens. A thorough curriculum will include topics such as cyberbullying, self-image, reputation, privacy, security, digital footprint management, and online safety.

Unlike in the non-digital environment, students often lack the examples of proper role models in the digital sphere, which means that they might assume that some types of digital communication are acceptable when the adults in their lives would strongly disagree with that assessment. It can also be difficult for students to understand that what they post online won’t go away—it might impact their future in ways that are hard to predict.

In short, parents and other stakeholders face the complicated task of teaching the rising generation to be able to communicate fluently in two realms: virtual and real.

The post How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age appeared first on The Tech Edvocate.

The important question here is – what’s driving the considerable growth of education technology in India? Well, the following are the 3 key reasons why India will be a leader in EdTech in the 21^st century:

1. E-learning Boost via the Digital India Initiative

With an aim to transform the country into a digitally empowered society, the Indian government launched The Digital India Initiative. This was a huge move that had a substantial impact on the country’s technology industry, bringing a wave of revolution in every aspect. The education sector is one of the sectors that are benefiting from this initiative.

To boost e-education, all schools and universities are set to be connected with broadband and free Wi-Fi.  Also to be put in place is a Digital Literacy Program, as well as the development of pilot Massive Online Open Courses. Once the goals of the Digital India Initiative are realized, India will certainly be ahead in the EdTech game.

2. Vast User Base of Mobile Device Use

There are more than 850 million mobile phone subscribers in India. According to a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), mobile internet is largely used by youngsters. With an increase rate of over 10M users a month, there’s no doubt that mobile devices are the classrooms of tomorrow. Current user base for e-learning predominantly consists of school students and working professionals.

Not only are Indians realizing the potential for mobile learning, but major technology and publishing companies are also increasingly becoming aware of the potential of the education services delivered through mobile services. So, it’s only a matter of time and there will be a gold rush into the Indian mobile education market that will put the country at the top as far as EdTech is concerned.

3. Low Cost Alternative to Offline Learning

Even though the average tuition for online courses varies from one program to another, it’s clear like night and day that online courses are much cheaper compared to the ones offered in classroom settings. Online skill enhancement courses are estimated to be about 53% cheaper compared to offline alternatives. Larger student base and lower infrastructure cost help leverage on the economies of scale, thus the reduced costs via the online channel.

It’s apparent that the EdTech industry in India is one of the blooming sectors with a lot to offer to stakeholders. There’s no doubt that edtech will undergo an evolution and set the stage for the momentous growth that will be witnessed in the forthcoming years not just in India, but all around the world.

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Technology shortens our attention spans.

Time Magazine famously announced that our attention spans are now shorter than that of a goldfish. They claimed that the change is rooted in the amount of time we spend in front of screens on a daily basis. While it isn’t a particularly flattering comparison, researchers are likely onto something with the theory that our attention spans are shrinking. Microsoft tracked our average attention span from the beginning of the mobile revolution to 2015, proving that our attention span shrank by four seconds.

Too much digital immersion makes social skills disappear.

Experts who are keeping a close eye on the younger generation that is now growing up with technology say it is robbing them of typical social skills. Many of the students they interact with lack the ability to follow normal social cues. They might not even make eye contact while carrying on a conversation. Non-verbal cues are all but lost on this tech-savvy group of kids because of the amount of time they spend on their screens. Technology immersion might have taught them a lot of things, but it is a poor substitute for real human interaction.

Forgetfulness might be a sign of too much screen time.

In one study, researchers compared the brain scans of heavy internet users with those who use it only sporadically. Individuals who spent more time on the internet had double the activity in their prefrontal cortex compared to those who seldom used the internet. This region of the brain is known for short-term memory, but it seems to be flooded with information. When it can never catch a break, it should come as no surprise that we might often forget things. This center can only hold onto so many ideas and thoughts before they slip away.

When you consider this in terms of students, it means that they might not be retaining as much information as educators would hope. Their brains are too stimulated by the digital learning platforms and distractions that surround them. They might learn just enough information to pass the upcoming quiz, but it won’t be able to take root for them to build upon later in life.

Technology immersion can pose a significant problem for the upcoming generation that is being raised with digital learning and excessive amounts of screen time. We must consider what the cost is for reshaping these malleable brains with the abundant amounts of technology. After all, it could have serious long-term consequences that won’t be easy to undo.

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If you are unsure why data might be important, here are a few things you can learn from looking at the numbers.

A program might be effective but not for your school district.

Without the proper research, it can be difficult to determine who the digital tool is supposed to support. You might believe that all students are created equal, but the research proves that this isn’t the case. Some programs can boast great results when used with white students from middle-income families, but they might have different results with minority students or schools that cater to lower-income families.

A program that has been tested and proven should have found a way to address racial gaps and discrepancies based on family income. However, a digital tool that has not been tested and proven might not even realize that this disparity exists. Those in charge of purchasing decisions should be aware of the makeup of their district and the students that this program will serve. The testing and research results should identify a clear fit for the district.

Materials are not always from reputable companies.

Many of the companies touting online lessons and digital instruction are from the leading manufacturers that schools have trusted for years. Pearson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and others still lead the way when it comes to instructional resources. However, other companies have been able to jump into the game with these digital lessons. They might provide only a few lessons or cover a very specific topic. Without research that demonstrates that their curriculum is tested and proven to be effective, school districts may just be wasting their money.

Not all digital tools are made in America.

We must keep in mind that not all of the emerging digital tools are made with the American education system in mind. Other parts of the globe, including Asia, are contributing heavily to this sector. With that awareness, we will need more data and research to prove that it can fill the need we have in our own education system. Otherwise, we might be mistakenly led to believe that our edtech is for a particular grade or teaching style that doesn’t match our unique needs.

Digital tools definitely have their place in the modern classroom, but we must proceed with caution. It does school districts no good to purchase digital tools and edtech that cannot serve their students well. Making sure that every program is tested and proven to be effective at generating positive outcomes is essential to making wise use of our school budgets.

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