The Tablet PC Education Blog

DonorChoose Funds Classroom Projects

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:09:00 +0000

DonorsChoose.org offers funding for selected school projects. Too much to describe here briefly. A teacher who just received notice of funding pointing me to this site.

What tools do your students need to increase their learning efficiency with Tablet and other mobile PCs? A cart? A projector? License for a software package for a budding astronaut or a struggling special ed student? Submit a proposal for it.

Also, check out the 30% off coupon when you shop at Gap and other participating stores. In exchange for your purchase, the store donates 5% of the sale to DonorsChoose.

The site directs teachers to a special page; use the link in the right hand column on the home page (I almost missed it twice when skimming the site during the first view.)

DonorsChoose.org

Moodle, Tablet PCs, and Atomic Models

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Layne describes how he uses Moodle, Tablet PCs and Atomic Models during a lesson. He required students to use Ink to respond to a problem set about atomic models. With Ink, he knows the student responded rather than just copy-pasting from another source or another student.

Then, he projected some of their responses as stimuli for class discussion (actually, for follow-up instruction to clarify why one answer is correct and others are incorrect).

Kudos, Layne and chem students! Some of your content charts the way for other chem teachers and students.

And, thanks for offering clear, actionable posts for others to use while learning or teaching. Looking forward to future installments that describe how you and your students use Tablet PCs to increase learning efficiency.

Moodle, Tablet PCs, and Atomic Models

Kurzweil Proposes an Entrepreneurial Peace Fund

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Teachers of science and others who follow rapid development of technologies will find the recent comments of Ray Kurzweil insightful. He gave speeches and served on panels. His comments provide informed glimpses into future developments likely to affect our lives.

Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres at the recent Israeli Presidential Conference: Facing Tomorrow 2009, Kurzweil proposed several innovations for dealing with the coming energy shortages and bolstering Israel's growing economy.

He also proposed an "Entrepreneurial Peace Fund" -- a collaborative technology incubator between Israel and Palestine.

Speaking at the opening plenary session, Kurzweil reviewed ways of using nanotechnology and other exponentially growing "information technologies" to transform the energy and environmental crisis into opportunities for Israel and for the world.

The proposal was widely met with enthusiasm and support in both public and private sessions.

In two additional panel discussions, Kurzweil described his ideas about the future of artificial intelligence and reverse engineering the brain. He estimates the reverse engineering will occur by 2029. Others estimated by 2018.

KurzweilAI.net

Find Kurzweil's speeches at the conference on the conference website. See thumbnail 5, "Morning Plenary Session," and thumbnail 9, "A Conversation."

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:09:00 +0000

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) will be held May 9 - 14, 2010, in San Jose, California.

ISEF offers documents of previous winning projects, tips, and guidelines for students and teachers seeking to compete in this annual fair.

ISEF is the world’s largest international and the premiere pre-college science competition. It annually provides a forum for more than 1,500 high school students from over 50 countries to showcase their independent research. It is exclusively for students in grades 9–12.

Each year, millions of students worldwide compete in local and school-sponsored science fairs; the winners of these events go on to participate in Intel ISEF-affiliated regional and state fairs from which the best win the opportunity to attend the Intel ISEF.

The Intel ISEF unites these top young scientific minds, showcasing their talent on an international stage, enabling them to submit their work to judging by doctoral level scientists—and providing the opportunity to compete for nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships.

I'll bet a science student could use a Tablet or other mobile PC to plan and implement a competitive science project, say design and build a unique robot or genome hybred?

Check out the suggestions for presenting successful projects.

Intel Science Talent Search 2010

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:38:00 +0000

The Intel Science Talent Search 2010 Rules and Official Entry Form (PDF) are now available. It provides information about the Intel Science Talent Search and how to apply. This document has been updated for 2010, so teachers and supervising scientists are encouraged to review it closely.

The Intel Science Talent Search (STS) is America’s most prestigious science research competition for high school seniors. Since 1942, the competition has provided a national stage for 40 of America’s best and brightest young scientists to present original research to nationally recognized professional scientists.

Each spring, they

- attend the week-long Intel Science Talent Institute in Washington, D.C.
- present their research projects to the general public and members of the scientific community at the National Academy of Sciences,
- meet with distinguished government leaders and
- participate in a rigorous judging process.

Over $1 million is awarded annually to Intel STS participants and their schools. Awards range from $5,000 scholarship grants and laptop computers for all finalists to the grand prize of a $100,000 college scholarship.

Here's a way to support that brightest (potential?) science star in your science classroom. You might even consider lending her or him your Tablet PC in order to compete successfully for one of these 40 appointments.

Intel Science Talent Search information and links to rules and application

Society for Science and the Public Call for Fellow 2010 Applications

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Society for Science & the Public (SSP), with support from Intel, calls for applications for its 2010 Fellows Program. Online applications opens November 16, 2009. Fellows may serve for up to four years.

The goal is to enable Fellows to guide students to produce project-based research of the highest quality, such as is selected for SSP’s premiere science competition, the Intel Science Talent

Applicants must submit a five part online application. All five parts are required and must be completed for the application to be considered.

•Personal information.
•400-word personal statement.
•Curriculum vitae (resume).
•Proposed 4-year budget.
•Letter of recommendation from school or district administration.

This call offers funds and training to selected U.S. science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students, to enable interested and motivated students to perform high-quality independent scientific research.

OK, Teacher Tableteers. Here's another opening for you to shine as a education leader. Best wishes as you compete for one of these prestigious Fellowship.

Society for Science and the Public

Fellows Program Information

Application Guidelines

Application and Checklist

Contact Jennifer Carter for more information

Aaron Patzer Tells a Gen Y View of Competition

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:18:00 +0000

Jessica Stillman reports that at age 25, Araron Patzer sold his start-up business mint.com for $170 million to Intuit. He shares his views about how Gen Y entrepreneurs face competition from established decision makers:

I wanted a personal-finance tool for people who didn’t want to be accountants, something you could setup in ten minutes and spend less than five minutes a week on. Mint is now that tool. ...

(It puts) your finances on auto-pilot. Whether you log in or not, it will send you a weekly summary of your balances and biggest purchases, and how your investments and budgets are doing, along with sending you alerts on unusual spending and low balances.

Simply executing and having a reason for every decision you make goes a long way (toward establishing credibility).

I think Patzer's experience has implications for managing "learning" in and out of schools.

Patzer's description of what Gen Yers want for personal finance appears consistent with my observations about what they want from schools: a tool for people who don't want to be scholars, something to set up in 10 minutes and spend less time a week with it, that reports work completed and still due, progress toward meeting course curricula and state minimum academic performance standards along with alerts ...

Sounds like aLEAP's direction, even though none of us working on it are Gen Yers. I wonder if any Gen Yers will join us?

Great interview, Jessica. A great read about determined optimism. Thank you.

mint.com

aLEAP

5 Life-Improving Technologies

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:09:00 +0000

Did you read Layne's post about 5 Life-Improving Technologies? I found it worthwhile, because I haven't thought of Tablets, iPhones, printers, etc. as "improving" my life. I still hold a mental image of how a new Bendix front load tumble washing machine improved Mom's life washing diapers and children's clothes as I helped Dad remove the wringer washer from the back porch in Burlingame.

I use a few new technologies, mostly to try to understand what family members are talking about. Then, I usually find a use for one or more of them that absorbs my attention and appreciation. Best of all for me, has been how Tablets have allowed me to development and receive feedback about aLEAP, a product I've nurtured in various pieces for several decades, as some of my former grad students and faculty colleagues will recognize.

A couple hours later:
I've been thinking about Layne's post about what technologies have improved my life in the past 5 years. Yes, I generalized the question differently from the way he stated it.

Through the past decade and a half of getting to know people who have designed and developed advancing technologies, the part that has improved my life the most has been these people. I like being in their presence.

They are among the smartest, well rounded, disciplined, and productive people I've encountered. They're changing the world by making our communications faster and broader. These are archtypes of world class leaders. And, there are more of them in the high tech industry than in any other venue in which I've worked since leaving the airline industry in the late 1950s.

I've learned a lot about ways to improve my life from people in the high tech industry. They're curious, highly skilled intellectuals with global awareness, focused, calculated risk takers, and impatient with people who express non-optimistic views.

What a refreshing way to live. It reminds me of the optimism of the small group of air pioneers I knew as a child. They changed our world by making air travel safe and ubiquitious.

You, too, advancing tech people, offer a fascinating vision of what's possible in the future! I hope it's infectious.

Thanks, Layne, for asking.

5 Life-Improving Technologies

aLEAP - a Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm

Tablet PCs: Students Sound Off

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:23:00 +0000

Layne at Technology Questions describes his first days as teacher showing his chemistry students how to use Tablet PCs to learn chemistry. It's a great read for anyone wondering how Tablets work in public schools with "at risk" students.

"Thanks to a grant from HP, two class periods of high school chemistry students started to use Tablet PCs about two weeks ago. Students’ attitudes ranged from computer confident to computer phobic and their abilities ranged from computer ignorant to computer amateur."

He offers several "lessons learned" that other teachers have encountered and novice Tablet teachers will want to try to avoid.

Kudos, Layne and chem students for your optimistic approach to learning with Tablets.

(What does that term "at risk" mean these days? I think it's changed since it was originally coined as a neutral descriptor for students prejudged likely to fail in public schools. I wonder if it means that teachers have not adequately managed student learning before they entered the Tablet classroom?)

And, importantly, thanks HP for your innovative education grant program. Please keep it going.

Tablet PCs: Students Sound Off, Technology Questions. October 22, 2009

Charlie Rose Brain Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:20:00 +0000

Charlie Rose has started a series of interviews with noted scientists about the brain. A pertinent set of videos for the mass market about brain functioning. It's simple to follow, with memorable examples.

For personal reasons, I appreciated James Watson's optimistic discussion of finding a cancer authoritatively informative. Yes, he thinks the key to a cure is in the genes, a common part of all cancers.

Great background for non-science and science majors from probably a traditional fourth grader to practicing scientists who have not heard these groundbreakers discuss their chosen fields of students and how it influenced their lives.

I watch the series videos on my HP 2710 whenever I can squeeze out a few minutes.

Learning on demand is great with my Tablet PC!

Charle Rose Brain Series, October 30, 2009, to ??? A different interview each day.

Learning with Tablet PCs - A Glossary 2.0.1

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:18:00 +0000

Preface

This glossary includes descriptions that address the question, "What do people do to learn?" It gives priority to describing behavior patterns of people as they learn, sometimes with Tablet and other mobile PCs in and out of schools. These descriptions have resulted mostly from experimental empirical behavioral studies and their use in the management of learning, such as through instruction. Use of practices these terms describe can lead to increases in learning and learning efficiency.

Few, if any, words in this glossary knowingly have meanings foreign to people who have attended U.S. public schools. At the same time, it offers a specialized behavioral interpretation of learning. These interpretations contrast with some words also having meanings related to biochemical, cognitive, psychoanalytic, psycholinguistic, and other views of learning.

It consolidates and makes these specialized meanings available for common use during discussions of how people learn. In this spirit, no discussion of learning can have more precision and accuracy than the meaning of the words and other symbols that embody it.

So, learners and managers of learning will find these descriptions useful to increase learning efficiency by more closely matching their efforts with ways people learn. These descriptions make explicit what people do, at least implicitly, when they try to increase and in other ways manage learning. It also describes ways to use Tablet and other mobile PCs to analyze, monitor, and manage learning as a finite set of observable behavior patterns.

Introduction

This edition (2.0) in it's latest iteration (2.0.1) updates earlier releases. It increases the number of terms and refines descriptions, especially those related to aLEAP (a Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm/Plan/Program) and NESI (New Era School Initiative).

Each term helps to make transparent an infrastructure of behavior patterns that describes the learning process. Terms have technical, operational criteria used to calculate changes in the probability of a learner reaching learning criteria of lessons, whether formally presented or informally encountered by intent or accident.

People implicitly use this infrastructure when discussing, planning and assessing learning, instruction, and education venues as well as education hardware and software.

These terms also serve as reminders of empirical research, scholarship, and evaluation reports that offer ways to manage learning more efficiently through this infrastructure. And, they indicate the breadth and depth of how it is possible to increase learning promptly and dramatically today.

Key to the Abbreviations, Acronyms, Sources, and Symbols Used in this Glossary

CP - Common practice in one or more learning venues.

ER - Description originated in empirical experimental behavioral research studies.

LA - Description of an analysis of learning.

LI - An element of an infrastructure of learning, especially observable patterns of behavior learners use to adopt new behavior patterns.

LR - A learning resource.

LV - A learning venue, such as a classroom, online video, or mobile PC.

OAL - An organization about learning whether a real or fictitious demonstration of managing a venue to increase learning rates.

POC - A description from a proof-of-concept exercise. (Unless credited to someone else, I coined entries of POC terms and definitions, frequently adapted - with credits given in formal papers - from disciplines other than education.) All have technical frames that allow generalizations beyond uses in their original contexts. Check the tabs on this blog for details about POC entries.

A Glossary of Learning with Tablet and other Mobile PCs

ABCs of Learning (LA). (See Learning, ABCs of)

aLEAP (a Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm/Plan/Program) (LA, POC). 1. A frame to illustrate an infrastructure of behavior patterns people use to learn.
2. Relationships among experimental empirical research study results of behavior patterns people use to learn. a. Relationships among these patterns. b. Elements used in flow charts and algorithms that identify options and decision points that constitute behavior patterns people use to learn.
3. A project to develop a real-time automatic analysis and reporting of learning with Tablet and other mobile PCs.
4. An elaboration of the earlier project Applied Learning Behavior Analysis with Tablets (ALBAT).

Association of Public School Learners (APSL) (OAL, POC). 1. A proposed independent body of public school learners and alumni advocating for public school policies that promote competition with private schools for the best students to address global demands.

Behavioral Principles (ER). (See: Principles of Behavior Patterns.

Children’s Research Center for Mobile Learning (CRCML) (OAL, POC). 1. A proposed empirical research organization.

Direct Learning (DL) (LR, POC). 1. Direct Learning software gives no more than three examples before someone can solve problems offered in a software program.
Example: MathPractice software lets people solve problems without additional mediation by a person or by more examples or directions.
Tip: Writing DL software requires the use straight-line logic to analyze separately the problem presentation process (image sequence) and the content (astronomy, English, mathematics), before blending these two analyses into a single step-by-step presentation of a problem that allows a quick, correct answer by learners.
2. Software has three main dimensions: sensory context, presentation process, and content analysis.
3. DL has a technical legacy (pedigree).
Discussion: Each of these dimension consists of enough operational details to mire a software development project in debates about data point assumptions and levels of confidence. Yet, theoretically, managing these dimensions by using operational criteria from learning research will increase learning rates. (Source: http://tabletpceducation.blogspot.com/2005/03/defining-direct-learning-for-tablet-pc.html)

Information supply chain(LR, POC). 1. Passing an intangible information commodity (such as 1+1=2) along from one source to another as in a tangible business commodity supply chain.
2. The means by which transmission of ideas and processes move from one generation to another as through school curricula and instruction. Discussion: Others set a higher standard by calling this transmission part of a knowledge chain. Teachers and books have been a major part of these chains for learners, with increasing value to users the more they save learner's time in mastering ideas and process of other people.

Learning. (LA, ER). 1. The learner meets criterion for successfully solving a problem or in other ways performing a new task.
2. The learner adopts a new behavior pattern.

Learning, ABCs of (LA, ER). 1. Learning consists of three parts: Ante-behavior (an observable occurrence immediately before an observed action by the learner), Behavior (observable action of the learner), and Consequences of behavior (that which occurs immediately after the learner's action). (Source: Thomas Caldwell, Illinois State University, 1994.)
2. A restating in colloquial terms of Skinner's description of Stimulus - Response patterns.

Learning analyst (LA, POC). 1. A specialist who estimates probabilities of learning from a lesson, educational material such as a software program, and a learning venue, such as classroom or a Tablet or other mobile PC.
2. A person or software program that uses experimental empirical behavior research descriptions of how people learn to assesses instruction, software, and venues.
3. A person or software program that traces the pedigree of lessons, occurrences, and observations that result in someone (learning) adopting a new behavior pattern.

Learning, Commoditizing (LI, POC). 1. The process of making learning processes visible and manageable.

Learning criterion (LI, ER). 1. The observable result expected in order to claim learning occurred.

Learning efficiency (LA, POC). 1. Measures that indicate the extent to which instruction and learners' attentions meet to yield a learning criterion quicker, easier, or with less effort when compared with other possible ways of reaching the same criterion (Heiny, 2007).
2. From a learner's view, learning efficiency means spending less time, effort, and other personal resources acquiring a given set of information or skills. It also means gaining something of personal value in exchange for those resources.

Learning efficiency rating (LER) (LA, POC). 1. An informal system to rate student learning efficiency according to teacher instructional patterns.
2. A learning efficiency rating score (LERS) indicating the level of confidence that an instruction will yield a learning criterion promptly, directly, and easily.
3. Raters use the Learning Efficiency Scale (LES) to score instruction and then convert it into a rating.
4. Discussion: This rating is to teaching what a financial credit rating score is to lending. Both indicate levels of confidence to have in someone’s future performance, based on past performance.

Learning efficiency scale (LES) (LA, POC). 1. Measures of learning efficiency indicate the extent to which instruction and learners' attentions meet.
2. A measure of instructional competence, e.g., power or proficiency.
3. A framework for students and school observers to rank the relative capacity of school lessons and instructional material to yield intended student academic behavior.

Learning efficiency Star Rating System (LESRS) (LA, POC). 1. The number of stars assigned to an efficiency level symbolizes the instructional capacity to yield efficient learning.

***** Highly Efficient instruction receives a Five Star Rating,
**** Efficient instruction receives Four Stars,
*** Normally Efficient instruction receives Three Stars,
** Less Efficient instruction receives Two Stars, and
* Inert / Laissez-faire instruction receives One Star.

Learning forecasts (LA, POC). 1. Use of aLEAP to project the likely learning curves of individuals and aggregates of learners across academic subjects and levels of difficulty.
2. The probability a student or group will meet learning criterion for a lesson.
3. General statements by such indexes as I.Q. scores, academic achievement test results, and grade level assignments to technical estimates based on instructional processes.
4. Projection of a learner's likely learning curve based on real-time data analysis, including for single as well as multiple subject areas at various levels of difficulty.
5. A proposed online subscription service for teachers of online databased real time information indicating whether instructional technique A or B will likely yield the most efficient learning rate by individual and aggregates of students in a given lesson.

Learning, Generics of (LA, POC). 1. A profile of how a person learns across learning tasks and venues.
2. One of two commonalities (with learning genomics) to calculate learning efficiency.
3. The result from examining correlations between vocabulary and logic and adoption of academic behavior patterns. Posted by The Tablet PC In Education Blog, Calculating Learning Efficiency: NESI Conversation 3, April 1, 2009, at 5:24 PM.

Learning, Generic Criteria of (LI, ER). 1. General (universal) criteria used to formulate assessments of whether learning occurs; used in formal and informal judgments of learning.
2. Five generic criteria: (a) What is it? or Name it. (b) What is it like? (c) What is it not like? (d) What is missing? (e) What comes next?
3. Assessment developers use one or more generics for each criterion.
4. The third dimension of aLEAP: performance assessment variables of learning.
Sources: Heiny, R. A Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm Abstract. Posted by The Tablet PC In Education Blog, August 7, 2009, 3:54 AM.
Terman, L. and Merrill, M. (1960). Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Manual for the Third Revision Form L-M. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Learning, Genomics of (LA, POC). 1. A new science based on scientific behavioral literature of the past century.
2. An observable, tangible way to assess the value of advice and instruction.
3. One of two commonalities (with learning generics) to calculate learning efficiency.
4. It can contribute in unmeasured ways to learning in and out of schooling with and without mobile PCs. Posted by The Tablet PC Education Blog, Calculating Learning Efficiency: NESI Conversation 3, April 1, 2009, at 5:24 PM.

Learning, Independent (CP). 1. Adopting a new behavior pattern on demand and without necessary mediation of a teacher or other learning manager.

Learning, Informatics about (LA, POC). 1. The study of the structure, properties, and principles of how people learn as distinct from what (the content) they learn.
2. Extends the legacy of behavioral research about learning with and without Tablet and other mobile PCs.

Learning, Loss of (LA, POC). 1. An index of the negative effect of instructional choices on the learning rate of a student.
2. Learning that could have, but did not occur.
3. The negative difference between learning achieved and that earned by others in the same or different cohorts.

Learning, Manager of (Synonym: learning manager.) (LA, POC). 1. 1. A member of a class of social role holders commonly called parents, educators, and religious leaders.
2. A person or technology that sets the pace and other learning options, such as a teacher, curriculum, or PC hardware or software.

Learning, Mass Market of Independent (LA, POC). 1. 1. A broad undefined aggregate of learners who independently use learning resources, increasingly with Tablet and other mobile PCs as well as with smart phones, to adopt new behavior patterns.
2. Consumption by large numbers of people of learning resources available without educators increasingly through use of PCs and other smart mobile electronic communication tools.
2.

Learning, Monetized (LA, POC). 1. The dollar cost of learning, as in meeting a learning criterion of a lesson.

Learning, Monetizing (LI, POC). 1. Formuli for calculating a dollar cost of learning, as meeting a learning criterion in a lesson.
Example: Formula 1. Total state reimbursement to district per teacher / (Total number of minutes of scheduled classroom instruction per teacher for the Academic Year / Total number state standards for students of a teacher to meet {= Average number of minutes per minimum academic standard}) = Average cost per minimum academic standard.
Example: Formula 2. Average cost per minimum academic standard / Average number of learning objectives per standard = Average cost of learning objectives to meet each state minimum academic performance standard.

Learning, One Step (LI, ER). 1. Human learning occurs in one step.
2. Other activity of learners before learning is random trial and error behavior while searching for the relevant dimension to complete a task successfully.
3. Demonstrated by use of the backward learning curve.
Source: Zeaman and House documented one step learning repeatedly in experimental laboratory studies of two choice visual discrimination tasks.

Learning, Orders of (LI, POC). 1. A hierarchy of four behavioral dimensions of learning.
2. The hierarchy illustrates relationships among these dimensions from sensory input (First Order Learning) to use of values that sustain adoption of a behavior pattern (Fourth Order Learning).

Learning, Rates of (Same as learning rates) (LA, incomplete POC). 1. I don’t think I’ve defined learning rates.
2. Indirectly, I’ve said for software designers that the threshold question about education software seems apparent: What learning do you as the software designer intend from the use of your software? Specify, at least for yourself, an operational definition of what you mean by learning.
Example: This software will increase a users correct responses from 4 out of every 10 tries to 9 out of 10 tries.

Learning, Rationed (LA, POC). 1.

Learning, Risk of Lost (LA, POC). 1. 1. The relative lack/loss of learning compared one or more other learning resources, such as instructional style or software package.
2. Calculated probability that a learning resource will yield less learning than from one or more other resources.

Learning, Self (Learner) Initiated (LR, POC).

Learning Transactions (LI, POC). 1. Exchanges of time, effort and other personal resources learners make to adopt new behavior patterns.
2. A way to assign value a new behavior pattern has for a learner.

Learner, Independent (). 1. A person who initiates adoption of new behavior patterns.

Learner, Resources of (LV, POC). 1. Time, energy, and personal tangibles as well as intangibles required to use prerequisite skills and information while meeting a learning criterion.

Learner View (LI, POC). 1. A view of instruction and its venue as seen by a learner.
2. A learner looks at instruction and its venue for answers to three generic questions: (1) "What do I have to do?" (2) "What will it cost me?" and (3) "What do I get, if I do it?"

Lesson (LR). 1. An arrangement of material, equipment, and instructions intended to produce new behavior pattern(s).
2. An occurrence, instruction, or observed person from which a learner adopts a new behavior pattern.

Lesson, Learning Pedigree of a (LA, POC). 1. Descent of experimental empirical behavioral study descriptions of learning used to plan and offer a lesson.
2. Lessons derived from identifiable experimental empirical behavioral descriptions of how people learn.

National Association for Public School Learning (NAPSL) (OAL, POC). 1. A proposed independent body to advocate for public policies that make public school learning more competitive with private schools and with other efforts for students to prepare to meet global demands.

Nearsourcing (LV, POC). 1. The fewer interventions, the nearer the original source the user selects.
2. Nearsourcing of information acknowledges using insights of an information originator without considering interpretations others assign to those insights.
3. It distinguishes sources closest to originals from farsourcing, or from what academics commonly call secondary, tertiary and other more removed sources.
4. Occurs when information users give priority to content in information supply chains with fewer interventions between original sources and a decision.
5. A simplified information transmission from originators to learners with greater efficiency of collaboration between learners and originators of the information.

NESI (OAL, POC). 1. New Era School Initiative.
2. Descriptions of real practices and arrangements that accelerate learning.
3. A fictitious account of using real instruction, Tablet PCs, and administrative arrangements to demonstrate that it's possible to increase learning promptly and dramatically today.

NESI Conversations, Interviews, Reports, and Press Releases (See also: The link New Era School Initiative (NESI) under Post categories in right-hand column of this blog.) (POC) 1. Fictitious presentations to demonstrate how some real educators accelerate learning dramatically and promptly.
2. Real procedures that teachers know and may use to gain unusual acceleration of learning with existing resources.
3. Presentations describe the utility of aLEAP, an offspring of the development and a core description of the learning infrastructure of NESI.

NESI TipSheet 1: Learning Centered Lesson Plans Checklist (LR, POC). 1. A series of tips for teachers and other learning managers about real, behavioral science based ways to accelerate learning as depicted in NESI statements.
2. Each sheet includes direct instructions for accelerating learning.

Net learning (LA, POC). 1. A calculated or estimated difference between learning gained and learning limited by the learning venue or lesson.

Open learning paradigm (OLP) (LV, POC). 1. A working descriptor of the commonly asserted access that mobile PCs allow anyone to learn anything, anytime, anywhere (Any; ATTW; A3TsW?) on demand.

Open Learning Study Group (OLSG) (OAL, POC). 1. A proposed group of learning scientists and policy analysts who give priority to understanding the potential and implications of learning on-demand anytime, anywhere, about any topic by anyone for any reason.

Patterns of Learning Variables (LI, POC). 1. A four part hierarchy of behavioral principles of learning.
2. Used in aLEAP as "Dimensions of Learning" to distinguish between sensory input, purpose, and other social aspects of a learner adopting a new behavior pattern.

Personal benefits (PB) (LA, POC). 1. A learner gains more than personal resources given in exchange for more advantages, choices, or profits. (Heiny, 1980).

Principles of Behavior Patterns (ER). 1. Descriptions of patterns of observable responses raised by objective empirical data to that of rules that explain human behavior, including "learning".
2. Results and agreement by common use of experimental empirical studies of what people do when they encounter similar occurrences.

QuickStart Learning (QSL) (LV, POC). Activities that provide a person with prompt changes in behavior.
2. Learning-by-doing.
3. A generic category of immediate, efficient behavior change activities.
Discussion: QSL is to learning what instant gratification is to the learner. They define engaged learning. Once the person starts the activity, measurable learning occurs. QSLs increase a learner’s behavior repertoire efficiently, that's one of their common attributes.

Time. (LI) 1. The duration of an event, process, condition, etc., as with passing clock moments, trial blocks, beginning to end, start to finish, before and after, betwixt and between.

Trial and error learning (LI, ER). 1. Learner’s behavior before meeting before learning is random (trial and error) behavior while searching for the relevant dimension to complete a task successfully.

Variables, Patterns of Learning (LI, POC). (See: Patterns of Learning Variables.)

Venture educators (VE) (LV, POC). 1. They are to education as venture capitalists (VCs) are to business.
Discussion: Like venture capitalists, venture educators take the small daily gambles, risking their careers as well as the learning rates of their students as they test the utility of tools for learning. VEs seem more frequent in non-public schools.
2. Calculating risk takers who try to increase student learning rates as VCs try to increase returns from capital investments.
3. No formal schooling or professional preparation exists comparable to VCs.
Discussion: Dodge offers useful insights for VEs to consider. Many of the logic patterns he reviews, VCs learn in business school and through trial and error. Some patterns they adapt and create. Others they create on-the-fly.
4. When a VE fails, theoretically students pay the price of less learning. But in practice, the novelty of the VE’s efforts usually appears to help students more than regular curricula and instruction. I don't know of empirical objective data to support that hypothesis.
Discussion: Observations in a variety of settings appear as a fair basis for this generalization until it's tested empirically.

I'll post an updated version of this glossary with more links to sources, hopefully sooner than later. Let me know of your additions to it and if you have Qs before then. I'd welcome your comments and knowing how you've used these terms.

(Note: I edited these entries, so differences exist between them and earlier postings.)

NYC Tablet PC Users Increase Academic Performance

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:07:00 +0000

A guest post from HP:

The HP Innovations in Education grant program has seen some impression improvements in learning following the use of Tablet PCs.

Over the past six years, numerous New York City schools have received HP grants, including Steinway Intermediate School, a 2008-2009 grant recipient, which saw student grades increase 8.41 points year-over-year in its honors class following the use of HP Tablet PCs and digital cameras into science, math and reading lessons. Another local grant recipient, Isaac E. Young Middle School, used its technology grant to enable students to digitally illustrate a scientific journey through the seven major body systems. The students’ mean test scores in science improved 43 percent from Fall 2007 to Spring 2008. Given the success of Isaac E. Young’s program, HP has awarded the school another higher value grant this year.

Congratulations students for your academic performance improvements as your teachers used Tablet PCs!

Kudos, Teachers, for outstanding achievement.

Thanks, HP, for your generous grants to school districts, so they can use state-of-the-art teaching tools to increase measured student academic performance.

I love the optimism shown by these people, this Education Leadership Team of teachers in NYC public schools. Let us know of other efforts, so we may share them also with readers.

(Announcement sent by email from HP. Please post your comments and questions for company representatives to read and respond. I will post an email address after receiving an appropriate one, so you may ask them questions directly. I forgot to ask and wanted to get this summary posted promptly rather than waiting for that permission.)

(Edited November 2, 2009, 5:PM MST.)

Professors Teach Economics with Tablet PCs

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:53:00 +0000

Two University of the Pacific economics professors continue using Tablet PCs during lectures and assessment of students academic performance. I understand that they appreciate the ease with which they can store and retrieve lecture notes and presentations for classes.

University of the Pacific

Assessing Effectiveness of Tablet PC based Instruction

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:08:00 +0000

Another source of empirical evidence that Tablet PC instruction is effective: C. P. Mathews and R. Khoie, “Assessing the Effectiveness of Tablet PC-based Instruction,” Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Southwest Section 2007 Conference, 2007.

Glossary - Learning with Tablet PCs 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:44:00 +0000

This glossary gives priority to terms that describe behavior of people as they learn, including with Tablet and other mobile PCs. It updates earlier glossary notes. It increases the number of terms and refines definitions, expecially those related to NESI (New Era School Initiative) and aLEAP (a Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm/Plan/Program).

Each term has technical, operational criteria used to calculate changes in the probability of a learner reaching learning criteria of lessons. They help make transparent a behavioral infrastructure that accounts for these changes.

People implicitly use this infrastructure when discussing, planning and assessing learning, instruction, and education venues as well as education hardware and software.

These terms also serve as reminders of empirical research, scholarship, and evaluation reports that offer ways to manage learning more efficiently through this infrastructure. And, they indicate the breadth and depth of what's possible to increase learning today.

Some descriptors originated in empirical experimental behavioral research studies (symbolized by ER), mostly conducted by others. Others come from less rigorous efforts, such as proof-of-concept exercises (identified with symbol POC). (Unless credited to someone else, I coined POC terms and definitions, frequently adapted - with credits given in formal papers - from disciplines other than education.) All have technical frames that allow generalizations beyond uses in their original contexts. Check the tabs on this blog for details about POC entries.

Terms appear in two sections: Behavioral Principles of Learning and Organizations about Learning.

Terms about Behavioral Principles of Learning

aLEAP (a Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm/Plan/Program) (POC). 1. A frame to illustrate an infrastructure of behavior patterns people use to learn.
2. Relationships among experimental empirical researh study results of behavior patterns people use to learn. a. Relationships among these patterns. b. Elements used in flow charts and algorythms that identify options and decision points that constitute behavior patterns people use to learn.
3. A project to develop a real-time automatic analysis and reporting of learning with Tablet and other mobile PCs.
4. An elaboration of the earlier project Applied Learning Behavior Analysis with Tablets (ALBAT).

Direct Learning (DL) (POC). 1. Direct Learning software gives no more than three examples before someone can solve problems offered in a software program.
Example: MathPractice software lets people solve problems without additional mediation by a person or by more examples or directions.
Tip: Writing DL software requires the use straight-line logic to analyze separately the problem presentation process (image sequence) and the content (astronomy, English, mathematics), before blending these two analyses into a single step-by-step presentation of a problem that allows a quick, correct answer by learners.
2. DL software has three main dimensions familiar to educator and education material developers: sensory context, presentation process, and content analysis. Usually, each has a technical legacy (pedigree). Discussion: Each of these dimension consists of enough operational details to mire a software development project in debates about data point assumptions and levels of confidence. Yet, theoretically, managing these dimensions by using operational criteria from learning research will increase learning rates. (Source: http://tabletpceducation.blogspot.com/2005/03/defining-direct-learning-for-tablet-pc.html)

Information supply chain(POC). 1. Passing an intangible information commodity (such as 1+1=2) along from one source to another as in a tangible business commodity supply chain.
2. The transmission of ideas and processes from one generation to another as through school curricula. Discussion: Others set a higher standard by calling this transmission chain a knowledge chain. Teachers and books have been a major part of these chains, with increasing value to users the more they save learner's time in mastering ideas and process of other people.

Learning. The learner meets criterion for successfully solving a problem or in other ways performing a new task.

Learning analyst (POC). 1. A specialist who estimates probabilities of learning from a lesson, educational material such as a software program, and a learning venue, such as classroom or a Tablet or other mobile PC.
2. A specialist who uses experimental empirical behavior research descriptions of how people learn to assesses instruction, software, and venues.

Learning, Commoditizing POC). 1. The process of making learning processes visible and manageable.

Learning criterion (ER). 1. The observable result expected in order to claim learning occurred.

Learning efficiency (POC). 1. Measures that indicate the extent to which instruction and learners' attentions meet to yield a learning criterion quicker, easier, or with less effort when compared with other possible ways of reaching the same criterion (Heiny, 2007).
2. From a learner's view, learning efficiency means spending less time, effort, and other personal resources acquiring a given set of information or skills. It also means gaining something of personal value in exchange for those resources.

Learning efficiency rating (LER) (POC). 1. An informal system to rate student learning efficiency according to teacher instructional patterns.
2. A learning efficiency rating score (LERS) indicating the level of confidence that an instruction will yield a learning criterion promptly, directly, and easily.
3. Raters use the Learning Efficiency Scale (LES) to score instruction and then convert it into a rating.
4. Discussion: This rating is to teaching what a financial credit rating score is to lending. Both indicate levels of confidence to have in someone’s future performance, based on past performance.

Learning efficiency scale (LES) (POC). 1. Measures of learning efficiency indicate the extent to which instruction and learners' attentions meet.
2. A measure of instructional competence, e.g., power or proficiency.
3. A framework for students and school observers to rank the relative capacity of school lessons and instructional material to yield intended student academic behavior.

Learning efficiency Star Rating System (LESRS) (POC). 1. The number of stars assigned to an efficiency level symbolizes the instructional capacity to yield efficient learning.

***** Highly Efficient instruction receives a Five Star Rating,
**** Efficient instruction receives Four Stars,
*** Normally Efficient instruction receives Three Stars,
** Less Efficient instruction receives Two Stars, and
* Inert / Laissez-faire instruction receives One Star.

Learning forecasts (POC). 1. Use of aLEAP to project the likely learning curves of individuals and aggregates of learners across academic subjects and levels of difficulty.
2. The probability a student or group will meet learning criterion for a lesson.
3. General statements by such indexes as I.Q. scores, academic achievement test results, and grade level assignments to technical estimates based on instructional processes.
4. Projection of a learner's likely learning curve based on real-time data analysis, including for single as well as multiple subject areas at various levels of difficulty.
5. A proposed online subscription service for teachers of online databased real time information indicating whether instructional technique A or B will likely yield the most efficient learning rate by individual and aggregates of students in a given lesson.

Learning, Generics of (POC). 1. A profile of how a person learns across learning tasks and venues.
2. One of two commonalities (with learning genomics) to calculate learning efficiency.
3. The result from examining correlations between vocabulary and logic and adoption of academic behavior patterns. Posted by The Tablet PC In Education Blog, Calculating Learning Efficiency: NESI Conversation 3, April 1, 2009, at 5:24 PM.

Learning, Genomics of (POC). 1. A new science based on scientific behavioral literature of the past century.
2. An observable, tangible way to assess the value of advice and instruction.
3. One of two commonalities (with learning generics) to calculate learning efficiency.
4. It can contribute in unmeasured ways to learning in and out of schooling with and without mobile PCs. Posted by The Tablet PC Education Blog, Calculating Learning Efficiency: NESI Conversation 3, April 1, 2009, at 5:24 PM.

Learning, Informatics about (POC). 1. The study of the structure, properties, and principles of how people learn as distinct from what (the content) they learn.

Learning, Monetized (POC). 1. The dollar cost of learning, as in meeting a learning criterion of a lesson.

Learning, Monetizing (POC). 1. Formuli for calculating a dollar cost of learning, as meeting a learning criterion in a lesson.
Example: Formula 1. Total state reimbursement to district per teacher / (Total number of minutes of scheduled classroom instruction per teacher for the Academic Year / Total number state standards for students of a teacher to meet {= Average number of minutes per minimum academic standard}) = Average cost per minimum academic standard.
Example: Formula 2. Average cost per minimum academic standard / Average number of learning objectives per standard = Average cost of learning objectives to meet each state minimum academic performance standard.

Learning, One Step(ER). 1. Human learning occurs in one step.
2. Other activity of learners before learning is random trial and error behavior while searching for the relevant dimension to complete a task successfully.
Source: Zeaman and House documented one step learning repeatedly in experimental laboratory studies of two choice visual discrimination tasks.

Learning, Rates of (same as learning rates) (LR) (incomplete POC). 1. I don’t think I’ve defined learning rates.
2. Indirectly, I’ve said for software designers that the threshold question about education software seems apparent: What learning do you as the software designer intend from the use of your software? Specify, at least for yourself, an operational definition of what you mean by learning.
Example: This software will increase a users correct responses from 4 out of every 10 tries to 9 out of 10 tries.

Learning, Rationed (POC). 1.

Learner, Resources of (POC). 1. Time, energy, and personal tangibles as well as intangibles required to use prerequisite skills and information while meeting a learning criterion.

Learner View (POC). 1. A view of instruction and its venue as seen by a learner.

Nearsourcing (POC). 1. The fewer interventions, the nearer the original source the user selects.
2. Nearsourcing of information acknowledges using insights of an information originator without considering interpretations others assign to those insights.
3. It distinguishes sources closest to originals from farsourcing, or from what academics commonly call secondary, tertiary and other more removed sources.
4. Occurs when information users give priority to content in information supply chains with fewer interventions between original sources and a decision.
5. A simplified information transmission from originators to learners with greater efficiency of collaboration between learners and originators of the information.

Net learning (POC). 1. A calculated or estimated difference between learning gained and learning limited by the learning venue or lesson.

Open learning paradigm (OLP) (POC). 1. A working descriptor of the commonly asserted access that mobile PCs allow anyone to learn anything, anytime, anywhere (Any; ATTW; A3TsW?) on demand.

Personal benefits (PB) (POC). Learner gains more than personal resources given in exchange for more advantages, choices, or profits. (Heiny, 1980).

QuickStart Learning (QSL) (POC). Activities that provide a person with prompt changes in behavior.
2. Learning-by-doing.
3. A generic category of immediate, efficient behavior change activities.
Discussion: QSL is to learning what instant gratification is to the learner. They define engaged learning. Once the person starts the activity, measurable learning occurs. QSLs increase a learner’s behavior repertoire efficiently, that's one of their common attributes.

Time. 1. The duration of an event, process, condition, etc., as with passing clock moments, trial blocks, beginning to end, start to finish, before and after, betwixt and between.

Trial and error learning (ER). 1. Learner’s behavior before meeting before learning is random (trial and error) behavior while searching for the relevant dimension to complete a task successfully.

Venture educators (VE) (POC). 1. They are to education as venture capitalists (VCs) are to business.
Discussion: Like venture capitalists, venture educators take the small daily gambles, risking their careers as well as the learning rates of their students as they test the utility of tools for learning. VEs seem more frequent in non-public schools.
2. Calculating risk takers who try to increase student learning rates as VCs try to increase returns from capital investments.
3. No formal schooling or professional preparation exists comparable to VCs.
Discussion: Dodge offers useful insights for VEs to consider. Many of the logic patterns he reviews, VCs learn in business school and through trial and error. Some patterns they adapt and create. Others they create on-the-fly.
4. When a VE fails, theoretically students pay the price of less learning. But in practice, the novelty of the VE’s efforts usually appears to help students more than regular curricula and instruction. I don't know of empirical objective data to support that hypothesis.
Discussion: Observations in a variety of settings appear as a fair basis for this generalization until it's tested empirically.

Associations and other Organizations of and for Learners

Association of Public School Learners (APSL) (POC). 1. A proposed independent body of public school learners and alumni advocating for public school policies that promote competition with private schools for the best students to address global demands.

National Association for Public School Learning (NAPSL) (POC). 1. A proposed independent body to advocate for public policies that make public school learning more competitive with private schools and with other efforts for students to meet global demands

Open Learning Study Group (OLSG) (POC). 1. A proposed group of learning scientists and policy analysts who give priority to understanding the potential and implications of learning on-demand anytime, anywhere, about any topic by anyone for any reason.

Children’s Research Center for Mobile Learning (CRCML) (POC). 1. A proposed empirical research organization.

I'll post an updated version of this glossary, hopefully sooner than later. Let me know if you have Qs before then. I'd welcome your comments and knowing how you've used the terms in this glossary.

(Note: I edited these entries, so differences may exist between them and some original postings.)

aLEAP and Monetized Learning

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:32:00 +0000

State minimum academic performance standards provide a useful step toward monetizing learning. Teachers have opposed these two indices of public school learning. I have opposed them also, partly because they limit convenient instructional work-arounds. Yet, we all know that we infer an undescribed monetized learning index whenever we request resources for programs and projects.

Describing NESI (New Era School Initiative) and Rationed Learning as well as developing aLEAP (a Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm/Plan/Program) have helped to clarify ways to use monetized learning to student benefit.

An informal analysis of teacher arguments for more state funding leads to this hypothesis. I hope someone tests it formally: Teachers implicitly use at least one of the following formuli to argue for increased funding to match monetized learning costs of their students.

Formula 1. Total state reimbursement to district per teacher / (Total number of minutes of scheduled classroom instruction per teacher for the Academic Year / Total number state standards for students of a teacher to meet {= Average number of minutes per minimum academic standard}) = Average cost per minimum academic standard.

Formula 2. Average cost per minimum academic standard / Average number of learning objectives per standard = Average cost of learning objectives to meet each state minimum academic performance standard.

For development of aLEAP, I assume that student learning with Tablet and other mobile PCs transforms teacher guesses about instructional tactics into databased calculations of the probability of a lesson yielding learning criterion by each student, and thereby costs per trials and errors.

This frame makes it easier to match learning costs with efficient instruction in order to increase student learning and other benefits, including reducing instructionally induced rationed learning.

aLEAP (a Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm)

Calculating Learning Efficiency: NESI Conversation 3

Teachers’ Conflicts of Interest Ration Learning: NESI Conversation 11

Patrick Carman Advises Novice Writers

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:43:00 +0000

"Read a thousand books to find your voice. Tell stories. Carry a journal. Use it "not as a place to go to work, but as a place to have a good time."

This was advice from best-selling author Patrick Carman when he talked with TFK (Time for Kids) Kid Reporter Clara Wicoff during his visit to her school in Iola, Kansas.

Carman is the author of the Atherton series, The Land of Elyon series and the latest book in The 39 Clues series.

TFK: When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer?

Read the rest of Clara's interview.

For novice and experienced writers, including bloggers, check out Time for Kids and Time writing helps.

Maine First with Personal Access to Learning Technology

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:37:00 +0000

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative made Maine the first state (in 2002) to use technology to transform teaching and learning in classrooms statewide; first with a plan to equip all students and teachers in grades 7 to 12 with personal learning technology statewide; first to equip every 7th and 8th grade student and 7th through 12th grade teacher statewide with personal access to learning technology; first to empower every 7th through 12th grade teacher in every school statewide with professional development and support to fully tap the potential of computers and the Internet; and first to provide the option of home Internet access to every 7th and 8th grade student in every school statewide.

Maine Learning Technology Initiative

A Test of School Leadership

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:13:00 +0000

WE BELIEVE TECHNOLOGY is at the core of education reform, so we are giving you money and flexibility, but it is up to you to make it happen and then tell us what works.

That was the clear message I took from recent forays to Washington, DC, where I intended to find out what the Obama administration has in mind for advancing the use of technology in public education.

"The question is," (Jim) Shelton, the assistant secretary for innovation and improvement asked, "what do we do to actually excel, not just meet basic standards?

Arne Duncan (U.S. Secretary of Education) says the stimulus money (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009) earmarked for education technology provides local school districts with the resources for reform. It's on them to carry it through.

Duncan and Aneesh Chopra, White House chief technology officer Chopra believe that technology can play its most important role in education by tracking student progress to help teachers realize when instruction is working and when it is not."

I think they get it! Kudos, Fed Ed and WH.

Fletcher, G H. A Test of School Leadership. Posted by THE Journal, August 01, 2009. (Captured October 15, 2009.)

Blogger Writes Building a Professional Learning Community

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Bill Ferriter offers a quick summary of his and coauthor Parry Graham's new book "Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year." Congratulations, Authors, for a noble effort!

What you’ll see if you decide to pick up a copy is that we’ve started each chapter with the story of Steve — the fictional principal of Central Middle school — and his colleagues who are working to restructure their traditional school as a professional learning community.

Bill's an articulate public school 6th grade language arts teacher who self-reported on his blog over several years his angsts about taking part in teacher team building activities. Looks like he figured out at least enough to suggest how other teachers might approach similar tasks.

He a teacher techie who tries to generate discussions on his blog by taking controversial positions on variations of teacher talk and political issues about schooling. I monitor it as one of the relatively few teacher blogs that sometimes suggests how teachers can intentionally increase learning rates promptly, sometimes with PCs and desktops.

Keep up the good work, Bill.

Building a Professional Learning Community at Work: A Guide to the First Year.

Bill's blog, The Tempered Radical

7K+ Years to Count Teachers' Salaries and Benefits Value

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:30:00 +0000

At the rate of counting one dollar per second, it would take more than 7,000 years to count the $225 billion of salaries and benefits paid by local, state, and Federal funds to U.S. public school teachers in a year.

It would take more than 24,000 years to count the estimated cost $829 billion of the Baucus health bill just voted out of the U.S. Senate committee he chairs. That's longer than there have been human civilizations on earth.

Wow! That's a different perspective from the ones I've seen before.

Given this frequency count procedure, it appears possible to calculate the dollar cost of academic performance increases in classrooms.

I wonder, then, what it costs for a student to learn /a/ and then how much more to learn /b/? When that's known, we can calculate the distribution of costs across teaching methods and instructional material teachers use, including costs of Tablet and other mobile PCs.

In turn, I think I see a way then to figure teacher performance pay increases based in part on allocating part of the learning cost savings to teachers. I wonder if I can include this line of logic with aLEAP? I wish I'd had something like this as a way to monitor instruction/learning cost ratios while instructing.

First, did I calculate the length of time correctly, Math Teacher?

Second, I wonder if anyone else has followed the same or a similar track?

References

Sagan, C. (1997). Billions & billions: Thoughts on life and death at the rink of the millennium. New York: Ballentine, p. 10.

Five myths about paying good teachers more

Heiny, R. A Learning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm Abstract

Five myths about paying good teachers more

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Thomas Tock, Executive Director, Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, identifies antidotes to myths about performance pay for teachers who consume an estimated $220 billion a year in local, state, and Federal funds for salaries and benefits:

(1) there's no conclusive evidence on "the power of financial awards in promoting more-effective teaching and elevating student performance" or on "the long-term effect of performance awards on the supply of effective teachers";

(2) teacher unions have fought the effort because it violated the collectivism at the heart of the industrial-style unionism in public education;

(3) educators do not adequately evaluate each other - 88 percent of the Chicago's 600 schools did not issue a single "unsatisfactory" teacher rating between 2003 and 2006;

(4) only a tiny fraction of teachers are willing to have student academic performance test scores play a role in pay levels; and,

(5) if given a choice between two otherwise identical schools, 76 percent of secondary teachers and 81 percent of elementary teachers would rather work in a school where administrators supported teachers strongly than at a school that paid significantly higher salaries.

Toch, T. Five myths about paying good teachers more. (Captured October 14, 2009, at 9:40 AM PDT)

Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington

A “TEACHER’S DASHBOARD” FOR A HIGH SCHOOL ALGEBRA CLASS

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:52:00 +0000

"Networked Tablet PCs have great potential in classroom settings, including use in small group in-class problem-solving activities. It is possible to obtain substantial amounts of data about student activity during a lesson: what they referred to, notes taken and erased, bursts and lulls of activity.

The raw data is necessarily low level: time-stamped pen strokes, deletions, navigation to and from pages, and such. This data can be used, among other ways, to enable a teacher to monitor learning activities as they happen in real-time.

We call the display of student activity the teacher’s dashboard. We describe the use of a dashboard in several sections of a high school algebra class.

We found that the teacher came increasingly to rely on this display to see how the students were progressing, and the students felt they were getting more timely feedback.

We discuss the challenges in making dashboards that can work in a variety of classroom settings."

Kamin, S., et al. Abstract. A “TEACHER’S DASHBOARD” FOR A HIGH SCHOOL ALGEBRA CLASS. (Captured October 12, 2009, 7:00 AM.)

Lifting Rationed Learning by 2020

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Education Sector ran a 2-day chat about the expansion of "school choice" to public support of computer based individualized K12 student learning choices in and out of schools. The experts in the chat think this expansion will dominate public schools by 2020 and infer that it's possible, but not available now by educators' choices.

The case for the expansion of choice seems to be that public schools unnecessarily ration learning. Without saying it in so many words, experts and questioners appear to acknowledge that rationing.

Readers submitted questions. ES personnel moderated these submissions. Experts responded. The latter represented various commercial and nongovernmental agencies plus one public school (High Tech High School) person.

These ideas in the discussion impressed me most:

Some computer platforms in schools support flexible, individualized learning plans.

A few commercial vendors of "education" software platforms will dominate sales to public schools.

Public schools will likely continue to lag behind "cutting edge" learning venues in and out of schools.

Students "dumb down" in schools from ways they learn with advanced electronic communication devices in order to accommodate public school teachers.

The role of "teacher" will make "obvious" changes away from instructional gatekeeper to information and skills to that of coach, etc.

Independent education software developers will continue to distribute their programs to individual and other venues until a large software vendor buys their product(s).

The Q&As in this chat mostly overlapped with conversations about NESI(New Era School Initiative), descriptions and reasons for the emergence of a mass market of independent learners, and uses of intelligent software platforms to support flexible learning processes and content.

Kudos and thanks, Education Sector, for a timely, informative chat about a critical issue in education.

Education Sector Online Discussion: School Choice a la Carte, October 7, 2009 - October 8, 2009

For more links on this topic, click on Keywords New Era School Initiative and Learning Efficiency on this The Tablet PC Education Blog

Top Twelve Spelling Trends and Fads

noreply@blogger.com (The Tablet PC In Education Blog) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Mark Pennington describes trends and fads educators have followed about spelling. It's a good quick read and reminder of a major foible of public school educators.

He notes that instruction of spelling ranged from none to precise memorization, all during his 30 year career as teacher. Many of us will recognize each item on his list, and remember thinking, "This is crazy," as we tried to read student papers in higher education.

Maybe in the future, he will cite empirical sources for his assessment of which procedures yield which level of spelling by students. Or, maybe I missed it among the other thoughtful posts on this "I Must Monitor" thoughtful blog. He offers insights I find useful to consider while developing aLEAP. Thanks, Mark, for sharing publically.

I found his website after he commented on my post about classic education. And, yes, I welcome your comments about that post also.

Top Twelve Spelling Trends and Fads

Classic Education in the 21st Century Revisited

aLEAP (a LEarning Efficiency Analysis Paradigm)