February 1, 2012, marked the first ever Digital Learning Day!  It was national event and the National Town Hall meeting featured U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski.  Creating a day to focus on digital learning uniting states across the country allowed schools, teachers and students to embrace the digital age of learning and share new ideas.  Alabama is one of only five states that have chosen to continue this effort all month long.

To learn more about how Alabama is leading their state to digital excellence, click here. Pointing to ALEX, ACCESS, and other state-wide initiatives, Alabama is highlighting many forms of digital education in our state. One of the most notable and interesting resources is the "ALEX Resource-A-Day" calendar they have created as a resource for teachers.

Alabama's Digital Learning Story

Via: OnlineSchools.org

Student Debt - Something To Think About

Recently I read the most intriguing article.  I love learning new things and especially hearing something from a different perspective. At SmarterServices we believe in lifelong learning and this article by GeekDad really spoke to the whole idea that we should always be learning and sometimes we need to examine how we actually learn. 

For years, traditional schools have tossed out information to students to learn, memorize, retain, and recite.  The student learns to take notes, record the lecture, and memorize the content to make an acceptable grade on the content.  In some cases the art of truly learning about information, life, and how to connect the two has become more of a checklist.  While getting basic skills is crucial to a child's success; it is equally important that they understand how to apply what they learn and have a desire to learn more. 

I like the article because it reminds us that it's ok to forget what we have practiced in learning in many traditional settings.  It's ok to think outside the box.  Whether you agree with Robert A. Bjork from UCLA or not, he makes you think.  Read the article...don't you want to learn something new today?

Forget What You've Learned About Learning

Retention is not a new concept but in the online arena it has been getting a lot more attention over the past two years.  As many schools continue to grow their online course offerings, student readiness for alternative learning environments remains an issue of concern. Many schools are working hard to help students get in the right course and providing them with the necessary tools to keep them enrolled successfully.  Schools taking this proactive approach are noticing a return on their investment.  

Schools are using various strategies to provide students with the help they need.  Most have an orientation course that includes various tutorials and instructions of how to contact instructors.  Some institutions are using a personal touch assigning a mentor or liaison to assist students in communicating their needs.  Adding a readiness assessment to measure a student's strengths and weaknesses such as SmarterMeasure is serving not only as a remedial tool, but also gives administrators insight about their students. 

Companies like Innovative Educators are noticing a spike in interest of their webinars, many of which focus on student retention.  One of their newest resources is called StudentLingo. It is a suite of tutorials and services that offer students remedial help.  For a free trial of the StudentLingo suite click here.

Online Student Retention

Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr.  A crusader made of true character and conviction. Happy Birthday, MLK!

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically... Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.