A perennial favorite, the 2016 New Media Consortium (NMC) Horizon report for Higher Education is out! In it, they talk about “six key trends, six significant challenges, and six important developments in educational technology” and “their likely impact on the core missions of universities and colleges.” Interestingly we are seeing many of these trends affecting academic libraries in the CMLE region. A new library at SCTCC and new work on a Learning Commons at CSB/SJU reflect a focus on “redesigning learning spaces” and “rethinking how institutions currently work.” Check out the table of contents below to get a quick snapshot or check out the whole report now.
Key Trends Accelerating Technology Adoption in Higher Education:
Many schools are thinking about or already have a “Geek Squad” type program in their schools. Students providing tech support for students in a 1:1 or BYOD environment. Andrew P. Marcinek from Burlington Public Schools (MA) decided to add even more to the idea. He developed a graded, half-year elective class where students would take part in:
hands-on study of technology integration
assess problem sets throughout the day
solving problems for students and teachers
developing resources for staff
complete and maintain several running projects that address technology integration
Rather than students being on the outside of the process, they can help influence and shape it. “One of the biggest mistakes a school leader or district technology director can make is to think that they can honestly control every aspect of a students’ digital life” says Marcinek. “It’s an impossible task. Instead of working within a culture of restrictions and redactions, school leaders should develop and design paradigms that empower students to use technology.”
With more schools moving to a 1:1 or BYOD environment, many times the school’s network is forgotten. The network is at the heart of Steve Zurier’s article on EdTech. The network is what enables students to get online, it makes education more interactive. Besides devices, schools also have to think about where the content for instruction is coming from. Teachers and school libraries are starting to use more online textbooks and eBooks. Schools want teachers to use the latest online resources and video tools.
In the article, Brad Casemore, research director for data center networks for IDC, offers three factors IT managers should keep in mind before embarking on a network upgrade:
Consider moving to the cloud.
Reduce costs by virtualizing everything.
Retrain the network staff.
Do you have other ideas? Is your school’s network ready for thousands of devices? Can it handle hundreds of videos streaming to classrooms? Share things that have worked for you in the comments below!
CMLE found this easily read infographic about the issues surrounding the 1:1 digital classroom. Visit this link to get answers to the following questions….
“What devices are vying for 1:1 dominance in a digital classroom?
What devices are teachers and students primarily using?
What are the critical issues districts need to consider before going to a 1:1 model?”
Created by Troxell and MDR’s WeAreTeachers, this infographic addresses all of these questions and more!
Image by Celestine Chua. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.
Are things changing quickly at your school, maybe with talk of a 1:1 initiative or BYOD? Are you searching for clarity about the role of the media specialist in the face of change? Are you feeling a need to talk with your peers face-to-face in order to solve problems or get new ideas? CMLE serves 265 schools in twelve counties, so the needs are varied and sometimes hard for our staff to gauge.
Some of you feel quite taken care of with online learning opportunities, but others are expressing a need for some face-to-face contact with peers in our region. If you are school media staff in Aitkin, Benton, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd or Wright counties of Minnesota, please participate in this poll. It is quick, and will help CMLE staff determine interest in future work around chances for face-to-face networking.
Partnering with libraries for visioning, advocating, and educating
A perennial favorite, the 2016 New Media Consortium (NMC) Horizon report for Higher Education is out! In it, they talk about “six key trends, six significant challenges, and six important developments in educational technology” and “their likely impact on the core missions of universities and colleges.” Interestingly we are seeing many of these trends affecting academic libraries in the CMLE region. A new library at SCTCC and new work on a Learning Commons at CSB/SJU reflect a focus on “redesigning learning spaces” and “rethinking how institutions currently work.” Check out the table of contents below to get a quick snapshot or check out the whole report now.
