Coursera Has 80 New Courses

The best teachers are always learning, be it on their own or through credit courses. One of the most convenient ways to learn what you want when you want at the right price (free) is through Coursera. Maybe you or your students want to jump into songwriting, explore digital signal processing, take on quantum physics, learn about comic books, or discover if plants have senses. You’ll find courses on these topics and more in the new Coursera catalog.  Check it out because you won’t believe how much is there for you and your students—cryptography, nanotechnology, Common Core, Surviving Your Rookie Year of Teaching, genetics, critical thinking, bioelectricity, Latin American Culture, Malicious Software, English Composition . . .

Blended Learning for Young Children

Vinci Learning features digital devices and programs for early childhood learning. The devices are 7” Android tablets specifically designed for our youngest learners. Apps for the tablets include Play and Learn studies in mathematics, science, and language arts & literacy. While playing with Vinci apps, student profiles are developed; learning activities are recommended based on the assessment. Information about the suggested activities is sent to teachers and parents, and teachers can adjust the program, as needed. This cloud-based analytical tool follows a blended learning approach that is structured to differentiate learning to fit individual needs.

What Is Ed-Tech Leadership?

With the emergence of digital devices as a tool for learning and the abundance of learning opportunities online and through apps, the Pre-Kindergarten to Grade Twelve curricular landscape is quickly changing. As tools for learning evolve and the need for stressing critical and creative thinking gains greater importance than in the past, school leaders must determine how to make their schools tech savvy.  To help school leaders learn about what has defined tech success in districts throughout the nation, sign up for the eSchool News two-part webinar series: Essential Elements of Ed-Tech Leadership. It will be offered March 20 and March 27, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

TurfMutt is Saving the Planet

Sign up your school today to be eligible for a free environmental program and a $5000 grant to transform your school campus into an eco-friendly green environment. Lucky, the TurfMutt, takes students into a world where they “save” one yard at a time by learning the importance of grass, flowers and trees in every community. The program helps teachers by providing resources such as videos, activities and puzzles for K-5 students. Each school can investigate its own region’s ecosystems by using Lucky’s interactive map. —And don’t forget to sign up for Mutt Mail.