Continuing Education
Article | November 15, 2022
Schools are an integral part of society, with roots entrenched in the economy and an unquestionable role to play in building the future of the country. The Great Recession in the mid-2000s demonstrated that while federal stimulus can promote the adoption of technology in public education budgets, during recessionary periods it becomes a challenge to continue building and maintaining technologically well-equipped schools.
As we move into another recession, educational technology leaders will have many tough decisions to make as they attempt to keep the impact of an economic slowdown away from the classroom. Technology leaders in schools must understand that the surge in demand for technology to maintain remote learning will not mitigate the decision to cut costs. To avoid affecting critical pieces of the technology department, here are three ways to recession-proof the technology department.
Outline the Costs Well in Advance
Technology isn’t cheap and it can make a dent in your education budget if not planned for. This is why it’s necessary to outline the costs, and maintain a budget for the renewal of standard hardware and software in order to leverage bulk buying discounts later.
Determine the Must-have Tech Positions
An economic slowdown will undoubtedly lead to some difficult conversations about which positions are crucial for the school. To avoid making the wrong moves, develop a clear blueprint of the roles and responsibilities of the positions that support every program. This will ensure you are able to anticipate the impact of a budget cut on the IT team.
Avoid Yearly Renewal Contracts
During a recession, many tech vendors experience an increase in operating costs that are then passed on to schools and districts. Consider signing multi-year contracts to lock-in costs at stable pricing. You might want to think about multi-year contracts for tech partnerships in areas like data management systems, assessment and student information, and teaching programs.
The recession is inevitably causing uncertainty, and the technology budget will remain a live wire, especially considering the fiscal aftermath left by the pandemic. For technology leaders, the goal must be to avoid the lasting effect of budget cuts on the technology department. Investing in multi-year pricing contracts, identifying critical team roles, and budgeting for renewals well in advance can alleviate some of the impacts.
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Education Technology
Article | July 20, 2022
We’ve heard a lot about the role of technology in pandemic education, and for good reason: Digital solutions enabled school communities to maintain learning through uncertainty and interruption none of us could have imagined.
However, the triumphs of edtech have been paired with critical challenges. Since the pandemic closed schools in March 2020, school districts have invested in getting students access to computing devices and the internet.
Technology-hesitant teachers became technology-proficient as they learned to navigate remote teaching and learning in impromptu virtual classrooms. Still, with all of the progress we made in digital learning, the interruption of the face-to-face social aspects of the classroom experience resulted in the students finishing the 2020-2021 school year four to five months behind in reading and math on average, according to a recent study from McKinsey & Company.
We’re starting to see the promise of digital learning take hold; teachers can use software to differentiate and personalize instruction. But we can’t stop here. Over the last 18 months, “technology” has been a synonym for “virtual,” where many kids felt isolated, sitting behind a device and craving connection with their peers and teachers.
We now have the opportunity to take what we have learned and use it to usher in a new era of education — one that is powered to a meaningful degree by technology yet centered on human connection, and one where we reject the false choice between engaging software and an incredible teacher. As we return to school this fall, we can blend the best of technology with the best of the classroom experience.
HMH recently shared results of our annual Educator Confidence Report, and the findings provide critical insights into the characteristics that should define the post-pandemic classroom.
Over 1,200 front-line educators from across the U.S. responded, and while optimism has fallen (only 38% of educators reported a somewhat positive or positive view of the state of their profession), confidence in the mastery and benefit of learning technologies is on the rise.
We’re moving from digital promise to digital proof. Despite a tumultuous year, teachers’ current views on technology provide a bright spot, paving the way for more purposeful use of digital solutions.
Educator confidence in using edtech is at an all-time high since we began this survey seven years ago, with 66% of teachers very or extremely confident in their abilities. Many credit their experience of being thrown into the deep end in March 2020. Today, a nearly unanimous 95% of teachers have experienced the benefits of edtech, and 77% believe tech will help them be more effective teachers post-pandemic.
Of critical importance is the type of benefit teachers are experiencing. 81% report at least one of the following top three benefits, all of which are highly student-centric: improved student engagement; differentiated, individualized instruction; and flexible access to instructional content.
Despite technology playing a larger and more effective role, educators report that there are still critical barriers to access and efficacy that must be addressed, including lack of devices and internet access. 57% of educators also indicated that lack of student engagement with tech is a major barrier. More than half told us that the lack of time to plan for integrating digital resources into instruction was a top challenge.
Students’ emotional well-being is educators’ top concern
We all recognize that at the center of teaching and learning is the strong connection built and nurtured between teacher and student, which serves as the foundation for academic and social-emotional growth and drives engagement. We cannot let technology that breaks that connection and isolates students obscure that critical relationship, and data from this year’s survey is an important harbinger.
Among educators, 58% are concerned that students will demonstrate increased social-emotional needs after the pandemic, and social-emotional needs broadly remained the top concern this year (ahead of teachers’ own salaries and concerns about students falling behind). In addition, 82% of educators believe a well-crafted, fully integrated social-emotional learning (SEL) program will have an impact.
Ultimately, to begin to recover and transition into our “post-pandemic instructional model,” we can benefit from a best-of-both-worlds approach that fuses the power of technology with the tried-and-true social gathering of the classroom — “high-tech” working in a mutually reinforcing way with “high-touch.”
Educators’ unique experiences shed light on what the classroom of the future will look like
Technology alone will not usher in education’s new era. It is critical that we leverage digital solutions with a community-oriented, connected and human mindset.
At HMH, we strive for an edtech ecosystem that drives engagement, not isolation; for solutions that offer actionable data and insights that allow teachers to differentiate instruction, not simply “a page under glass”; for innovations that do not add to educators’ full plates, but rather extend their capabilities and give them time to focus on the social-emotional needs of their students.
We heard loud and clear that educators believe in the potential of technology to accomplish these goals — 82% of educators believe customized learning for every student will transform learning and teaching in the future, and 75% believe technology solutions that connect instruction and assessment on one platform will be essential to this transformation.
Edtech’s potential has been unlocked at an exponential rate over the past year, but the future of the classroom is not merely high-tech. It is high-touch, too.
When we asked educators what they are most looking forward to post-pandemic, the answer was clear — being together with their student community: 80% cited interacting face-to-face with students, 74% said more student engagement and 63% noted student collaboration opportunities.
The passionate discussion around in-person versus digital learning is too often shortsighted in its creation of a strict binary — digital or analog. But our greatest success will come from embracing the fact that these are not opposing forces; they are complementary force multipliers.
We’ve lost a great deal over the last year, but we’ve also gained important ground — and we can continue that momentum. As a society, we will continue to assess the health risks before us and navigate an increasingly hybrid world that includes our workplaces, neighborhoods and, of course, our schools.
I believe that as we do ultimately return to our school buildings, we’ll be ready to usher in a new era of learning, one powered by tech and innovation but forever defined by the community of teachers and students at its heart.
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Education Technology
Article | July 15, 2022
Two Years in Lockdown with Digital Boost, Growing Competition, and Easy Accessibility through the Self-Publishing Platforms, Traditional Publishing is facing a major fallback to keep up with the Trends and the Changes within India.
publishing.
Many people still prefer publishing a book in an old-fashioned traditional way, but this is certainly not the future.
It seems to me that Traditional Publishing is something we’re all going to be working with while also considering other formats that might overpower it or co-exist with it – whether it's Self-Publishing, Hybrid Publishing &/or Audio Publishing (Podcasts).
Introduction
With Covid-19 and Lockdown, a lot of people shifted their attention to pursue their passion and started writing.
In order to Leverage Authority and Build a Brand, a lot of Thought Leaders and Experts, Wrote and Published a Book in a specific Niche.
In order to Start with the Writing Career, a ton of Amateur Writers, Wrote and Published their Content in an Anthology.
Not to forget, many celebrities also took up the challenge of penning their autobiographies in the form of a Book like Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
There were more than 1 Million, New Instagram Writing Accounts created, and over 2.2 Million books Published in 2020 itself.
This solidifies the rising demand of The Writing and Publishing Industry.
Self Publishing Rise
Traditional book publishers were once known as the Titans of the Book Publishing Industry.
During the 1970s, there was no such concept as Self-Publishing. Over time, Traditional Publishers gradually started to exploit Authors by offering Lower Royalties and seizing the Author's Publishing Rights.
Fast forward to 2005, with the penetration of the Internet and Social Media, things started to speed up.
The online Self-Publishing giant Amazon has had a huge impact on the Book-Selling Industry, driving many Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores out of Business.
This marked the rise of Self-Publishing Books and the rapid growth of e-Books and Audio Books.
Fall of Traditional Publishing
There are various reasons why 97% of Writers avoid choosing a Traditional Publisher like:
Complex Selection Process,
Slow Marketing,
Very Less to No Control of the Book,
Limited Royalty,
Huge Time Investment,
Absolutely No Creative & Marketing Control
Benefits of Self-Publishing
There are various reasons 97% of Writers are choosing Self-Publishing like:
Full ownership of Rights and Royalties,
Speedy Marketing,
No Start-Up Cost,
Full Control of the Book,
Completely Customizable
Full Creative & Marketing Control,
Control on Pricing,
Complete Freedom, No-One telling You, what you can and cannot Do,
Significantly High-Profit Potential,
Pitch your Book Straight to the Readers,
Publish any Niche Books and become the Expert of that Niche.
Firstly the question arises, Who all should Write A Book?
Well, Everyone,
Business owners
Consultants
Entrepreneurs
Business people
C-level executives
Financial planners
Lawyers
Doctors
Coaches
Anyone can Write and Publish a Book!
Why should you write a book?
1 ) You can help others
Writing about yourself, your life lessons, your experiences, how you have tackled some of the most traumatic situations, helps other people around the globe deal with the same problem as yours.
Each one of us has unique life experiences, worth sharing with the world!
2 ) You become an authority
Becoming an author sets you apart from the rest of the crowd. You become an expert in your niche. You gain that credibility and authority that lifts you up from the rest of the crowd.
3 ) Grow your business
Writing a book can help grow your business, it can act as the new ‘Business Card’.
Imagine, you going to a meeting, and instead of exchanging your business card, you give a copy of your book?
Not only the person wouldn’t forget you but also keep the book copy securely with him, which otherwise your business card would have been long lost.
4 ) Recurring passive income
Writing a book, and setting it up through a perfect step-by-step system, would allow you to gain recurring passive income, i.e. ‘royalties’, that are transferred every month into your bank account.
5 ) Learning New Skills
By writing a book, you not only build credibility but also learn new skills in the entire process of writing and publishing your book. For example, skills like project management, writing, setting goals, planning, accountability, commitment, and many more!
6 ) Ripple Effect and Creates Value
One book can create a ripple effect in the world.
One book can entirely change the lives of thousands of people around the world.
One book can create enormous value and a positive impact on the world.
It only takes one book!
7) Our Time here is Finite
When we write and publish a book, we leave behind our legacy, our footprints, our life lessons, our value system, and our teachings for generations and generations of people to learn from.
We will die one day, but our teachings, morals, and lessons will be forever here in the form of our book.
This reason is a huge answer to the ‘Why write a book.’
8 ) You'll Gain more Knowledge
While writing a book, research is a must. Through the complete process of research, you’ll learn more insights, gain more knowledge, and become an expert in that niche.
9 ) Impact beyond Yourself
Writing a book is not only about gaining royalties and credibility, No!
Your book can generate goodwill, your legacy, and most importantly, itcan help solve problems for people, creating a positive impact on their lives, and helping change their lives forever!
It will create an impact greater and beyond yourself!
10 ) Sense of Accomplishment
Imagine yourself holding the first copy of your own book.
A sense of pride, confidence, and accomplishment.
It doesn’t matter if your book is not a best seller or if you become famous, the bigger picture will be that it is your book! You created it! It will forever be something you can call as ‘Yours’, and be proud of!
Believe me, the feeling of holding the first copy of my book was beyond amazing!
11 ) You'll Reignite a Passion
If writing was your hobby, and in the time's course, you just couldn’t give any time or energy, here is your bright chance to reignite it!
Paths to Publishing Your Book
As discussed earlier, you are aware of the two paths of publishing, i.e. Traditional Publishing and Self-Publishing. There is one more way of publishing you can opt for!
Assisted Self-Publishing
Firms that charge fees for various publishing-related services such as Formatting, Cover Design, and Copyediting and help Indie Writers Professionally Self-Publish Their Work is Assisted Self-Publishing.
Authors earn all of the royalties and retain full control over Editing and Cover Design and Title.
WHRUTS also helps and provides these services.
Conclusion
Reading has become a part of our daily activities now.
Book readership has increased by 30% since the Previous Year and People are routinely searching for new stories to capture their attention, With more writers being seen and heard, it’s no wonder readership is up.
Self-Publishing is the future of publishing in a world where everyone can be a Writer.
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Education Technology
Article | January 18, 2021
Due to the increased exposures and positive COVID-19 cases, the educational industry is adapting to the fourth industrial revolution more swiftly than intended. Both students and educational institutions are realizing the requirement of technology to support the learning process. It has also led to the development of digital badges and the adoption of blockchain in this sector.
But, why should we adopt blockchain? Blockchain which is originally known as being the support of digital currencies like bitcoin is not new to the academe. Blockchain can be used as a validation tool for learning. With blockchain as the backbone of the educational system, institutions will become able to list courses, manage training badges, and issue certificates to the students. It will in return reduce the chances of issuing fraudulent certificates. Moreover, having high-end encryption, even the most experienced hackers will not be able to tamper the credentials.
And, what’s a digital badge? A digital badge validates the accomplishment, skills, and certifications of students. It can also be offered to the student after completing internships.
In the educational sector, a digital badge can be acquired by a student after learning a skill or completing a course. It should be considered by every institution to help students in showcasing their skills in the job market as well. The digital badges are multipurpose. It can be used for certifications to show the acquired skills, transparency for other universities or schools to collect key details of the student, and validation to show that the individual has participated in a workshop or training program.
Besides the basic reasons discussed, how these digital badges can help and why should institutions opt for digital badges?
Why Should Educational Institutions Opt For Digital Badges?
Among numerous reasons why an educational institution should go for digital badges, let’s check some of the most important reasons.
Personalized Learning
Micro-credentials help in dividing the part of the subjects into certain skills that enables students and educational institutions to design plans according to their needs. With the availability of personalized learning, a learner can complete the course anywhere regardless of the time and earn a badge.
Skill-Based Learning
A digital badge can enable students to showcase their skills while applying for an internship or part-time job. These badges must be connected with professional capabilities that confirm that it is worthy to the students. These skill badges either can be for technical skills like programming or soft skills like leadership, teamwork, and so on.
Open Standards
As we know that digital badges are verifiable, it offers a chance for students to learn something outside their typical classroom. It increases the achievement and abilities of the students creating a new opportunity for them at the time of recruitment.
Some of the companies and institutions that are using digital certifications include Certif-ID, Stamford University, Georgetown University, and MIT. For those who want to implement blockchain and digital badges in their educational institutions, you can easily hire developers that will build a powerful system to glorify the entire education process.
Wrapping it up!
To maintain educational records, a digital badge is the most innovative solution. Moreover, the education industry is gradually moving towards record maintenance on blockchain to eliminate fake degrees due to which many deserving candidates lose their chance to attain better opportunities. It is also beneficial for the companies as they will not have to hire less staff for cross-checking the information which will increase their profitability and productivity as well. Despite the increasing acceptance of digital badges and blockchain in the education sector, many educators are unaware of their power. Plausibly, it is about to change soon.
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