October 30, 2010 at 4:23 pm | News | No comment
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/10/19/school-districts-are-anxious-to-assess-21st-century-skills-new-survey-reveals/
Press Release: School Districts are Anxious to Assess 21st Century Skills, New Survey Reveals
21st Century Skills Assessment a Top Priority
Alexandria, Va. (October 18, 2010) – Educators from around the nation gathered in Virginia to discuss issues related to technology in education. School districts and educators placed skills assessment as one of their top priorities. Although the surveyed educators see positive movement in the use of technology, areas of improvement need to be addressed. “As educators across the nation increasingly incorporate 21st century skills into instructional strategies, they believe the federal government should support the development of new assessment models that effectively measure those skills, according to school district leaders surveyed prior to the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) Technology and Learning (T+L) Conference,” said Alexis Rice of the National School Boards Association.
One area where schools are excelling is with the use of technology tools that support problem-based learning. Students are using their computers to collaborate online about assignments, create video and PowerPoint presentations, and submit work. Students are using PodCasts and video tutorials. Students with special needs also benefit greatly from technology tools. Still, educators believe assessment models need to change to reflect higher technology skill levels. According to the survey, more than 43 percent of the respondents said their district had created assessment measures that incorporated technology skills such as problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking.
“The survey also found that school leaders are taking cyberbullying seriously, with nearly 57 percent noting that their districts have created specific policies to prevent online threats and harassment.” eSchoolNews. Bullying is nothing new in school so it seems clear that many of the policies already in place can be applied to the online bullying threat.
The topic of traditional print textbooks was also surveyed. Many educators seem ready to cut ties with the traditional print textbooks and move toward a more digital content. Thirty-five percent said textbooks are necessary citing student access issues, while 35 percent believe the money saved could be spent on other instructional resources. Only 7 percent believed that textbooks are necessary because educators do not have the time or skills to create materials from scratch.
Despite a willingness to embrace digital content and technology, the survey uncovered a continued need for professional development. In excess of 47% of school leaders cited “helping teachers effectively use technology” as the single biggest education technology challenge facing their district. Teachers understand that using technology in their classrooms can benefit student learning. Teachers also understand that the use of technology can save time thus freeing up time for more planning and quality instruction.
Embracing technology to improve the school system need not be expensive. See Novachi technology innovation article for information about Novachi’s FREE learning management system.
October 26, 2010 at 11:36 am | News | No comment
Parental involvement is one of the most important factors in student education for success. Students tend to make higher grades, improve attendance, and become more motivated in school when parents actively participate in their child’s learning process. While this may seem obvious, having working parents devote significant time and attention to student homework after a long day of work becomes difficult. In addition, parents are usually not aware of their child’s school activity throughout the day.
A key component of the Novachi education system is to integrate busy working parents into the education process. Parents can now monitor their child’s grades, attendance, and homework assignments anytime on Novachi. In addition, parents can see their child’s classes, lesson plans, and class syllabus to better understand their child’s classroom requirements. Parents can directly communicate with the teachers using Novachi secured messaging system.
Now parents can actively participate in their child’s education process as time permits rather than having to wait until after school to help their child with homework. By having full insight into their child’s classroom information, parents can better guide their child toward academic success.
Refer to Novachi Features page for other features of Novachi Education System.
October 26, 2010 at 11:35 am | Articles | No comment
The world is rapidly advancing with technology enhancing our daily lives. Some people may argue that technology actually makes our lives more complicated. Nevertheless, today’s students need to be familiar with modern technology in order to be competitive in their future careers. The corporate culture continues to evolve toward greater team integration, interaction, and electronic communication. In order to better prepare students for their future careers, students need to learn how to collaborate with their peers, parents, and educators.
One of the many advantages students using the Novachi Education System have is access to classroom information over the Internet anytime, 24×7. If a student needs to review a class syllabus midway throughout the school year, the student can simply go online for the information rather than having to memorize or carry a class syllabus handout from the beginning of the school year. Classroom and homework assignments from each class can also be found online for students using the Novachi Education System.
The administrative overhead of teachers having to make copies of work assignments, students having to carry a heavy backpack of books and assignments, and parents hoping to see students bring home all homework assignments are all simplified with Novachi Education System. By moving toward an electronic classroom and online homework assignments, teachers do not have to waste time and money on duplicating assignments for every student in class. Teachers can use the time to prepare for class lessons rather than in front of a copier. Students benefit by not having loose paper assignments overloading their backpacks. Parents also have access to student assignments online rather than having to wait until their child brings them home.
Students and parents needing to know current progress grades do not have to review the teacher grade book to find the grade. Novachi automatically calculates grade progress so students and parents are always aware of the current class progress. Students needing improvement in a class can work on them early on instead of waiting until it is too late in the school year. Clearly technology can improve academic performance through greater insight and access to classroom information anytime, 24×7.
Refer to Novachi Features page for other features of Novachi Education System.
