Hack Education

Cross-posted at Inside Higher Ed
Monday was Graduation Day at the University of Oregon. As my boyfriend and I wandered nearby campus and saw all the twenty-somethings in caps and gowns and party gear, he turned to me and asked, “Where are all the older students?” “Not at the UofO,” I replied.

I woke up yesterday to the news that Codecademy had raised $10 million. I decided to skip writing another screed, even though I think many of my original complaints about the site are still valid.

Apologies for the light posting this week. I’m currently working on a book chapter, an article for EDUCAUSE, a script for a documentary, and a keynote for the CALI Conference – all with deadlines this week. I’m also hitting the road today for a little jaunt down the left-hand coast, eventually ending up in San Diego.

Every week, Steve Hargadon and I sit down (virtually) to talk about the latest education/technology news. I always enjoy our conversations, and this week was no exception. We were aided, of course, by the news we had to discuss:  untinkerable MacBooks, standardized tests on iPads, Chuck E. Cheese, and "galvanic skin response" bracelets.

Politics and Policies
Unable to get his DREAM Act through Congress, President Obama has issued an executive plan that would would involve granting many of those same provisions to young illegal immigrants.

Cross-posted on Inside Higher Ed
The learning management system startup Instructure unveiled a learning analytics feature for its Canvas platform this week at InstructureCon, its (now) annual user conference.

[View the story "Launch Education & Kids, Storified (in Absentia)" on Storify]

“Education is deep in Apple’s DNA” – Philipp Schiller, Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing

Every week, Steve Hargadon and I sit down (virtually) to talk about the latest ed-tech news. I always find our conversation to be one of the most thought-provoking exchanges I have all week.