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Take Students on Virtual Field Trips Using These Tools

One of the important ways teachers can use technology in their classrooms (as featured in 10 important was to integrate technology in class poster) is to leverage the potential of virtual reality for educational purposes. There are several web tools and mobile apps teachers can use to take students on virtual trips to almost anywhere in the world.  We have already reviewed several of these apps in the past, but today’s post  highlights two of our favourite tools that have been recently released. These are tools (features) which have been added in the last few months to Google Earth and Apple maps allowing learners to explore the world from the comforts of their classrooms.

Spotlight

Teachable

Teachable is a powerful, easy-to-use online course creation platform. Since our founding, we’ve been on a mission to make education accessible, engaging, and profitable. Today, over 7,500 creators (and counting) are building courses powered by Teachable. We give our course creators everything needed to create, market, and sell their course online, with little to no technical knowledge required. Our platform allows perks from unlimited courses and unlimited students to site customization and personal branding. By empowering people to share their most valuable skills online, Teachable is custom-designed with the instructor’s success in mind. In 2014, our customers made just under $1 million and in 2015, that figure jumped to $6 million. In 2016, it grew 5x to almost $30 million generated on our platform and we are hoping to do over $120 million in sales in 2017. We now have 80,000 published courses on Teachable and over 7,000,000 students that have signed up to take a course.

OTHER ARTICLES
Education Technology

Borderless Education With Unlimited VR Students: A Vision

Article | July 15, 2022

When designing education programs for adults, you cannot avoid the fact that you need to design experiences for them. What other education forms could be better than storytelling, gamification, task orientation, and instant rewards, which could be offered by VR gaming? Imagine if all existing flat-lecture videos were converted into a 3D interactive gaming environment. Let's say, for example, on Massive Open Online Courses platforms, such as Coursera and edX, they start offering VR classrooms. When you connect to the classroom, you would be able to see other students around you and chat with them in natural languages and hear them in the natural languages; as a plus, there could be a prompt translator to support cross-cultural communication.

Read More
Education Technology

Saving Summer 2020 – A Virtual Tour of Marseille

Article | July 27, 2022

After a busy exam season, students up and down the country look forward to long summer vacations, hopefully with a trip or two! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many of us don’t want to catch a flight this summer. But all is not lost! Gale Primary Sources, an online database of digitised primary sources, allows you to explore your cancelled holiday destination in a virtual way – from the safety of your own home! Personally, I’d planned to go to Marseille in June, which is a historic city in the South of France well known for its Roman and medieval architecture and ruins. Instead, I had a really fun afternoon exploring Marseille by delving into some rare and quirky primary sources – and you can go there with me in this blog post!

Read More
Education Technology

Creating SEL Awareness Among Parents

Article | October 7, 2022

As social and emotional learning grow in significance, especially as remote learning becomes mainstream, it is now more crucial than ever to get parents on board with your school's SEL policy. Parents don’t always understand the importance of an SEL policy due to the Few individuals beyond the education community are aware of SEL or social and emotional learning, and those who are frequently have questions about how school SEL programs work. This could mean In fact, according to the Hechinger Report, SEL has grown to be an educational hot topic, with the conservative section in some places calling it a liberal policy. Regardless of their political views, people rarely have issues with SEL once they have a basic understanding of it. To ensure that parents are fully aware of what SEL programs entail, here are ways to communicate with them. Create Channels of Communication to Talk About SEL To successfully convey the benefits of the SEL strategy at your school, you must first develop open lines of communication with parents and the wider community. This ensures that any misconceptions, concerns, and challenges are addressed beforehand. Schools must ensure that parents get a forum to air their views about social-emotional learning skills and be on the same page about building a nurturing environment based on relationships and a sense of belonging. Outline the Outcomes of an SEL Program When parents know exactly what the aim of the SEL program is and what the outcomes look like, they are more likely to join the team. Reduce the use of educational acronyms or jargon-based messages as they are more likely to cause a stir. Despite widespread parental support for SEL-oriented skill instruction in schools, the Fordham Institute found that the phrase "social and emotional learning" is not particularly well-liked. However, clearly outlining the skills and what they look like in the real world is a successful approach to convincing parents about SEL. Promote the Significance of SEL in Today’s World As we emerge from the pandemic, SEL is especially important, and parents may need to be reminded of how much regular socialization and face-to-face instruction many children couldn't benefit from. It's crucial for parents to be aware of how schools’ establishing a secure, inclusive, and encouraging setting for children is essential for their success.

Read More
Education Technology

Outdoor Play for Students with Special Needs

Article | June 21, 2021

When you think of a playground what do you think of? Swings, slides, roundabouts? Many years ago, these would be constructed without too much thought gone into the risks to ordinary children falling or losing grip. I have several siblings. We all sustained injuries at the local park. One fell off the high slide and lost her front teeth. One slid forward on the slippery rocking horse and had stitches in her chin. Another caught her foot on the roundabout as she tried to jump off when another child was pushing it too fast for her liking. I could go on. Today playgrounds have to meet the European safety standards and safety surfacing has to be installed under swings, slides, and roundabouts. This must adhere to the current standard for impact absorbing playground surfaces. It is good that playgrounds today meet these safety standards. Yet. If your child is unable to walk, how will they get on that swing, that roundabout, that slide? More and more children with disabilities are being educated in mainstream schools. Parents no longer think that a disability should stop their child from accessing the local playground. What is available to students with disabilities in these playgrounds? Special schools have had to cater for students with disabilities when planning a playground but do ordinary schools? It is an act of discrimination if a child with a disability cannot enjoy being out on the playground as much as the able bodied child. There was a time when the only wheelchair swing took ages to set up for a child to enjoy just 5 minutes of swing time. Anbakgard in Denmark have designed a wheelchair swing that takes just two minutes to set up and has additional seating for peers to join the experience. To see one in action go to https://YouTube.be/vh4NSOTULdA. There are roundabouts that include a safety space for wheelchairs and slides that allow adults to accompany children on them for support. There are outdoor trampolines specifically for wheelchairs. There are birds nest swings that allow students with mild physical disabilities more space to enjoy the vestibular sensory stimulation. There are many sites that now provide play equipment to suit all kinds of needs. One such site is https://www.gljones-playgrounds.co.uk who provided our school with a lot of its play equipment. There are climbing walls specifically geared to wheelchair users. Visit http://www.rockclimbingcentral.comto see the benefits to building muscle strength, endurance, strength, agility and flexibility. When our children have missed out so much on play during the pandemic it is important that we provide all children with their right to play by ensuring that playgrounds everywhere are inclusive.

Read More
Education Technology

3 Pillars of SEL that Every Educator Must Embody

Article | July 15, 2022

When designing education programs for adults, you cannot avoid the fact that you need to design experiences for them. What other education forms could be better than storytelling, gamification, task orientation, and instant rewards, which could be offered by VR gaming? Imagine if all existing flat-lecture videos were converted into a 3D interactive gaming environment. Let's say, for example, on Massive Open Online Courses platforms, such as Coursera and edX, they start offering VR classrooms. When you connect to the classroom, you would be able to see other students around you and chat with them in natural languages and hear them in the natural languages; as a plus, there could be a prompt translator to support cross-cultural communication.

Read More
Education Technology

5 Powerful and Free Virtual Reality Applications for Schools

Article | July 27, 2022

After a busy exam season, students up and down the country look forward to long summer vacations, hopefully with a trip or two! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, many of us don’t want to catch a flight this summer. But all is not lost! Gale Primary Sources, an online database of digitised primary sources, allows you to explore your cancelled holiday destination in a virtual way – from the safety of your own home! Personally, I’d planned to go to Marseille in June, which is a historic city in the South of France well known for its Roman and medieval architecture and ruins. Instead, I had a really fun afternoon exploring Marseille by delving into some rare and quirky primary sources – and you can go there with me in this blog post!

Read More
Education Technology

Top 7 Features to Look for in a Classroom Management Platform

Article | October 7, 2022

As social and emotional learning grow in significance, especially as remote learning becomes mainstream, it is now more crucial than ever to get parents on board with your school's SEL policy. Parents don’t always understand the importance of an SEL policy due to the Few individuals beyond the education community are aware of SEL or social and emotional learning, and those who are frequently have questions about how school SEL programs work. This could mean In fact, according to the Hechinger Report, SEL has grown to be an educational hot topic, with the conservative section in some places calling it a liberal policy. Regardless of their political views, people rarely have issues with SEL once they have a basic understanding of it. To ensure that parents are fully aware of what SEL programs entail, here are ways to communicate with them. Create Channels of Communication to Talk About SEL To successfully convey the benefits of the SEL strategy at your school, you must first develop open lines of communication with parents and the wider community. This ensures that any misconceptions, concerns, and challenges are addressed beforehand. Schools must ensure that parents get a forum to air their views about social-emotional learning skills and be on the same page about building a nurturing environment based on relationships and a sense of belonging. Outline the Outcomes of an SEL Program When parents know exactly what the aim of the SEL program is and what the outcomes look like, they are more likely to join the team. Reduce the use of educational acronyms or jargon-based messages as they are more likely to cause a stir. Despite widespread parental support for SEL-oriented skill instruction in schools, the Fordham Institute found that the phrase "social and emotional learning" is not particularly well-liked. However, clearly outlining the skills and what they look like in the real world is a successful approach to convincing parents about SEL. Promote the Significance of SEL in Today’s World As we emerge from the pandemic, SEL is especially important, and parents may need to be reminded of how much regular socialization and face-to-face instruction many children couldn't benefit from. It's crucial for parents to be aware of how schools’ establishing a secure, inclusive, and encouraging setting for children is essential for their success.

Read More
Education Technology

Outdoor Play for Students with Special Needs

Article | June 21, 2021

When you think of a playground what do you think of? Swings, slides, roundabouts? Many years ago, these would be constructed without too much thought gone into the risks to ordinary children falling or losing grip. I have several siblings. We all sustained injuries at the local park. One fell off the high slide and lost her front teeth. One slid forward on the slippery rocking horse and had stitches in her chin. Another caught her foot on the roundabout as she tried to jump off when another child was pushing it too fast for her liking. I could go on. Today playgrounds have to meet the European safety standards and safety surfacing has to be installed under swings, slides, and roundabouts. This must adhere to the current standard for impact absorbing playground surfaces. It is good that playgrounds today meet these safety standards. Yet. If your child is unable to walk, how will they get on that swing, that roundabout, that slide? More and more children with disabilities are being educated in mainstream schools. Parents no longer think that a disability should stop their child from accessing the local playground. What is available to students with disabilities in these playgrounds? Special schools have had to cater for students with disabilities when planning a playground but do ordinary schools? It is an act of discrimination if a child with a disability cannot enjoy being out on the playground as much as the able bodied child. There was a time when the only wheelchair swing took ages to set up for a child to enjoy just 5 minutes of swing time. Anbakgard in Denmark have designed a wheelchair swing that takes just two minutes to set up and has additional seating for peers to join the experience. To see one in action go to https://YouTube.be/vh4NSOTULdA. There are roundabouts that include a safety space for wheelchairs and slides that allow adults to accompany children on them for support. There are outdoor trampolines specifically for wheelchairs. There are birds nest swings that allow students with mild physical disabilities more space to enjoy the vestibular sensory stimulation. There are many sites that now provide play equipment to suit all kinds of needs. One such site is https://www.gljones-playgrounds.co.uk who provided our school with a lot of its play equipment. There are climbing walls specifically geared to wheelchair users. Visit http://www.rockclimbingcentral.comto see the benefits to building muscle strength, endurance, strength, agility and flexibility. When our children have missed out so much on play during the pandemic it is important that we provide all children with their right to play by ensuring that playgrounds everywhere are inclusive.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

Teachable

Teachable is a powerful, easy-to-use online course creation platform. Since our founding, we’ve been on a mission to make education accessible, engaging, and profitable. Today, over 7,500 creators (and counting) are building courses powered by Teachable. We give our course creators everything needed to create, market, and sell their course online, with little to no technical knowledge required. Our platform allows perks from unlimited courses and unlimited students to site customization and personal branding. By empowering people to share their most valuable skills online, Teachable is custom-designed with the instructor’s success in mind. In 2014, our customers made just under $1 million and in 2015, that figure jumped to $6 million. In 2016, it grew 5x to almost $30 million generated on our platform and we are hoping to do over $120 million in sales in 2017. We now have 80,000 published courses on Teachable and over 7,000,000 students that have signed up to take a course.

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Education Technology, Corporate Education and Training, Continuing Education

Elsmere Education Launches EPaaS: Powering Smart Growth in Higher Education with Streamlined Processes and ROI-Driven Strategies

PR Newswire | January 31, 2024

Elsmere Education, a leading force in online program enablement, announces the official launch of Education Process as a Service (EPaaS). This innovative ecosystem empowers universities to achieve smart growth in their online programs by streamlining operations, maximizing ROI, and catering to the unique needs of non-traditional students. EPaaS encompasses Elsmere Education's proven business processes tailored for an enriched student journey supported by dynamic communication strategies. Our solutions are powered by a curated technology ecosystem that includes omnichannel marketing capabilities and is designed to integrate with a wide range of existing campus systems. Built on Feedback, Designed for Growth The subscription-based model empowers universities to bring essential services in-house efficiently, leveraging a comprehensive suite of 40+ technologies through a single procurement process. EPaaS is intentionally designed to streamline and optimize the entire student lifecycle, specifically catering to the needs of non-traditional and online adult learners. Dan Janick, CEO of Elsmere Education, states: "EPaaS is a game-changer in terms of ROI. We've created a flexible, scalable solution that gives universities complete control and empowers internal teams to be more agile. It's the ultimate enablement model for driving efficiencies, increasing enrollment, and boosting student retention." Addressing Common Challenges Elsmere Education recognizes the challenges faced by university leaders in meeting the unique needs of non-traditional students and online adult learners. EPaaS addresses common challenges, including reliance on campus systems built for traditional students, lack of a CRM platform, and manual workflows hindering efficient student journey execution and monitoring. EPaaS Delivers Tangible Results 360-degree business intelligence: Make data-driven decisions for improved performance across the student lifecycle. Real-time marketing metrics: Optimize your marketing efforts and maximize enrollment yield. Increased staff productivity: Streamline processes and free up your team to focus on student success. Elsmere Education is your partner in online education success. Contact us today to learn how EPaaS can transform your institution.

Read More

Education Technology, Online Education, Continuing Education

2U Partners with University of Surrey to Launch 15 Online Master's Degrees

PR Newswire | February 01, 2024

2U, Inc, the company behind global online learning platform edX, today announced a new partnership with the University of Surrey to launch and support the delivery of online master's degrees and online professional certificate programs. An initial five online degree programs will welcome students in 2024, with a portfolio of at least 15 master's degrees and at least 15 professional certificate programs being delivered by 2026. This will expand access to this highly ranked UK university for students worldwide. Surrey's partnership with 2U will deliver Surrey Online Learning: an acceleration and transformation of the university's provision of online learning. 2U's expertise will help Surrey establish a scalable model and quickly expand its digital capabilities to worldwide audiences. The collaboration aligns with the university's mission to expand access to life-changing education and personal and professional success. "We're partnering with 2U and their edX platform to accelerate Surrey Online Learning provision," said Professor Tim Dunne, Provost and Senior Vice-President at the University of Surrey. "The University of Surrey has global strength in innovation and research, and is renowned for being one of the best universities in the UK for delivering excellence in teaching and employability. Through Surrey Online Learning, we will offer flexible and affordable educational pathways that are compatible with and relevant to modern careers, combining accessibility with strong student outcomes." Surrey's suite of online degrees will build on the success of its on-campus programs, with the online curriculum developed in partnership with LearningMate. The first five degrees expected to launch in 2024 will be in the areas of artificial intelligence, business, psychology, marketing, and sustainability. The professional certificate programs, which will focus on technology, healthcare, business, communications technologies, and sustainability, will provide learners with an opportunity to build and enhance critical professional skills on their way to determining if a full degree in a corresponding subject is part of their educational journey. "2U prides itself in being a digital transformation partner that can support strategic long-term thinking, accelerate innovation, and help drive positive student outcomes across new formats and modalities," said Andrew Hermalyn, President of the Degree Program Segment at 2U. "The University of Surrey has major ambitions to expand its online learning capabilities, and we are honored to be their partner to help build their online presence from the ground up." "LearningMate is honored to partner with the University of Surrey on its transformative online learning initiative in collaboration with 2U. We're excited to contribute to the development of cutting-edge online master's degrees and professional certificate programs that align with Surrey's commitment to excellence," said Prasad Mohare, Senior Vice President at LearningMate. "Our focus on innovation and accessibility will be showcased in the initial offerings. LearningMate is dedicated to supporting Surrey in expanding access to impactful, career-relevant learning opportunities in the evolving landscape of online education." Today's announcement builds on the continued demand for 2U's flexible degree partnership model, which gives universities the choice of selecting different bundles of services according to their needs.

Read More

Corporate Education and Training, Online Education

Academic Partnerships Completes Acquisition of Wiley University Services

PR Newswire | January 02, 2024

Academic Partnerships (AP), a company that assists primarily regional public universities in expanding access and impact by supporting their online programs, today announced that it has successfully completed its acquisition of Wiley University Services, a line of business previously owned by Wiley (NYSE: WLY). The combined company will support over 125 colleges and universities in 40 U.S. states and internationally. "AP is in the business of transforming lives through education, and the acquisition of Wiley University Services better enables us to do just that," said Fernando Bleichmar, Chief Executive Officer of AP. "This is an exciting day as we combine our talent, capabilities, and resources to more effectively meet the growing demand for high-quality, affordable online degree programs and ensure our university partners and their students thrive." AP primarily assists regional public universities with launching and maintaining their online programs. It is committed to expanding access to high-quality, high-return on investment, affordable, and workforce-relevant online education, especially for working and adult students. Wiley University Services works with institutions to deliver career-connected education programs aimed at helping students achieve their goals. With the completion of the acquisition, the combined company will provide universities with a best-in-class partner to support them in delivering programs online so more students can access affordable education, improve their careers, and meet employer and community needs. The combined company will deliver new strategic benefits to university partners and their students, including: Additional resources to support and scale high-demand, affordable online degree programs in critical areas like nursing, teaching, business, technology, and public administration for both regional public and private nonprofit universities; Enhanced infrastructure and technology to serve a diverse student population, including working adults, through graduation; Improved opportunities across the university partner network; and Advanced technology and enhanced support services based on best practices from a combined company.

Read More

Education Technology, Corporate Education and Training, Continuing Education

Elsmere Education Launches EPaaS: Powering Smart Growth in Higher Education with Streamlined Processes and ROI-Driven Strategies

PR Newswire | January 31, 2024

Elsmere Education, a leading force in online program enablement, announces the official launch of Education Process as a Service (EPaaS). This innovative ecosystem empowers universities to achieve smart growth in their online programs by streamlining operations, maximizing ROI, and catering to the unique needs of non-traditional students. EPaaS encompasses Elsmere Education's proven business processes tailored for an enriched student journey supported by dynamic communication strategies. Our solutions are powered by a curated technology ecosystem that includes omnichannel marketing capabilities and is designed to integrate with a wide range of existing campus systems. Built on Feedback, Designed for Growth The subscription-based model empowers universities to bring essential services in-house efficiently, leveraging a comprehensive suite of 40+ technologies through a single procurement process. EPaaS is intentionally designed to streamline and optimize the entire student lifecycle, specifically catering to the needs of non-traditional and online adult learners. Dan Janick, CEO of Elsmere Education, states: "EPaaS is a game-changer in terms of ROI. We've created a flexible, scalable solution that gives universities complete control and empowers internal teams to be more agile. It's the ultimate enablement model for driving efficiencies, increasing enrollment, and boosting student retention." Addressing Common Challenges Elsmere Education recognizes the challenges faced by university leaders in meeting the unique needs of non-traditional students and online adult learners. EPaaS addresses common challenges, including reliance on campus systems built for traditional students, lack of a CRM platform, and manual workflows hindering efficient student journey execution and monitoring. EPaaS Delivers Tangible Results 360-degree business intelligence: Make data-driven decisions for improved performance across the student lifecycle. Real-time marketing metrics: Optimize your marketing efforts and maximize enrollment yield. Increased staff productivity: Streamline processes and free up your team to focus on student success. Elsmere Education is your partner in online education success. Contact us today to learn how EPaaS can transform your institution.

Read More

Education Technology, Online Education, Continuing Education

2U Partners with University of Surrey to Launch 15 Online Master's Degrees

PR Newswire | February 01, 2024

2U, Inc, the company behind global online learning platform edX, today announced a new partnership with the University of Surrey to launch and support the delivery of online master's degrees and online professional certificate programs. An initial five online degree programs will welcome students in 2024, with a portfolio of at least 15 master's degrees and at least 15 professional certificate programs being delivered by 2026. This will expand access to this highly ranked UK university for students worldwide. Surrey's partnership with 2U will deliver Surrey Online Learning: an acceleration and transformation of the university's provision of online learning. 2U's expertise will help Surrey establish a scalable model and quickly expand its digital capabilities to worldwide audiences. The collaboration aligns with the university's mission to expand access to life-changing education and personal and professional success. "We're partnering with 2U and their edX platform to accelerate Surrey Online Learning provision," said Professor Tim Dunne, Provost and Senior Vice-President at the University of Surrey. "The University of Surrey has global strength in innovation and research, and is renowned for being one of the best universities in the UK for delivering excellence in teaching and employability. Through Surrey Online Learning, we will offer flexible and affordable educational pathways that are compatible with and relevant to modern careers, combining accessibility with strong student outcomes." Surrey's suite of online degrees will build on the success of its on-campus programs, with the online curriculum developed in partnership with LearningMate. The first five degrees expected to launch in 2024 will be in the areas of artificial intelligence, business, psychology, marketing, and sustainability. The professional certificate programs, which will focus on technology, healthcare, business, communications technologies, and sustainability, will provide learners with an opportunity to build and enhance critical professional skills on their way to determining if a full degree in a corresponding subject is part of their educational journey. "2U prides itself in being a digital transformation partner that can support strategic long-term thinking, accelerate innovation, and help drive positive student outcomes across new formats and modalities," said Andrew Hermalyn, President of the Degree Program Segment at 2U. "The University of Surrey has major ambitions to expand its online learning capabilities, and we are honored to be their partner to help build their online presence from the ground up." "LearningMate is honored to partner with the University of Surrey on its transformative online learning initiative in collaboration with 2U. We're excited to contribute to the development of cutting-edge online master's degrees and professional certificate programs that align with Surrey's commitment to excellence," said Prasad Mohare, Senior Vice President at LearningMate. "Our focus on innovation and accessibility will be showcased in the initial offerings. LearningMate is dedicated to supporting Surrey in expanding access to impactful, career-relevant learning opportunities in the evolving landscape of online education." Today's announcement builds on the continued demand for 2U's flexible degree partnership model, which gives universities the choice of selecting different bundles of services according to their needs.

Read More

Corporate Education and Training, Online Education

Academic Partnerships Completes Acquisition of Wiley University Services

PR Newswire | January 02, 2024

Academic Partnerships (AP), a company that assists primarily regional public universities in expanding access and impact by supporting their online programs, today announced that it has successfully completed its acquisition of Wiley University Services, a line of business previously owned by Wiley (NYSE: WLY). The combined company will support over 125 colleges and universities in 40 U.S. states and internationally. "AP is in the business of transforming lives through education, and the acquisition of Wiley University Services better enables us to do just that," said Fernando Bleichmar, Chief Executive Officer of AP. "This is an exciting day as we combine our talent, capabilities, and resources to more effectively meet the growing demand for high-quality, affordable online degree programs and ensure our university partners and their students thrive." AP primarily assists regional public universities with launching and maintaining their online programs. It is committed to expanding access to high-quality, high-return on investment, affordable, and workforce-relevant online education, especially for working and adult students. Wiley University Services works with institutions to deliver career-connected education programs aimed at helping students achieve their goals. With the completion of the acquisition, the combined company will provide universities with a best-in-class partner to support them in delivering programs online so more students can access affordable education, improve their careers, and meet employer and community needs. The combined company will deliver new strategic benefits to university partners and their students, including: Additional resources to support and scale high-demand, affordable online degree programs in critical areas like nursing, teaching, business, technology, and public administration for both regional public and private nonprofit universities; Enhanced infrastructure and technology to serve a diverse student population, including working adults, through graduation; Improved opportunities across the university partner network; and Advanced technology and enhanced support services based on best practices from a combined company.

Read More

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