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HMH Fuse and the future of K-12 mobile education on the iPad
Last September we wrote about a fascinating project that, if successful, may ring in the future of digital curricula for K-12 education. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a major publisher of textbooks with an abiding interest in technology, embarked upon a large scale pilot project in digital education. As soon as their new Holt McDougal Algebra 1 textbook was finished, it was decided to re-imagine it as an iPad app named HMH Fuse Algebra 1. The app would include exactly the same content as the 950-page book, but it would also contain over 400 videos, animations, a graphing calculator, multiple presentation methods and numerous other features. John Sipe, the general sales manager of HMH, blueprinted what he wanted the app to be and worked with developers to bring it to fruition. The free app, which weighs in at 141 MB, only gives you a taste of how it all works, but it doesn't include any course content. Seeing that requires a US$59.95 in-app purchase. Loading all the content takes up a whopping 4-6 GB of space, but chapters and videos can be downloaded, erased and reloaded at any time. HMH took this quite seriously and poured some major money into a full-year pilot project; four California school districts were chosen, and teachers were asked to volunteer to teach a number of classes using the textbook and other classes using the app for the entire school year. HMH wanted to measure if students tested better using the app over the textbook and explore attitudinal changes in both teachers and students. All classrooms using the app needed to be Wi-Fi enabled. There was no intention of replacing teachers or turning them into mere facilitators in the HMH Fuse classes. Sipe and HMH wanted to see if delivery methods affected learning, and if so, how?
Intel's Clamshell Classmate PC now more rugged and longer-lasting
Don't expect any new swivels (ahem, Dell), but Intel's education-focused Classmate PC nonetheless learned a few new tricks at this year's IDF 2010. First up is battery life, a six-cell lithium-ion energy source "so students may be able to work all day long on a single charge" also helped by the latest 45nm Intel Atom processor (we're pretty sure that means Pine Trail and not that other newcomer). There's additionally more ruggedness in the form factor, allowing for added protection on 70cm "desk heights" drops, increased water resistance of at least 100cc of liquid, and an antimicrobial coating for a cleaner environment.
Apple Stores welcome kids via Field Trip
Letting a bunch of kids loose in a candy store might be a sticky mess, but letting them loose in an Apple Store should be a delightful, brushed metal and glass wonderland of fun. Right? That's the idea behind Apple's new Field Trip program for elementary, middle and high school students and their teachers. Apple is inviting groups of up to 25 students for the hour-long programs, which can feature a big-screen presentation of work that the students have already done in class (Keynote/PowerPoint, movies & more) or hands-on creation sessions that allow the kids to make new projects in the store. Parents and friends are welcome to come watch the fun. Session reservations are available through November 21; the 'school champion' organizing the event gets email templates to send to attendees, the option of printed invitations, and a complimentary subscription to One-to-One training for a year. Not too shabby. [via Apple Hot News]
States add K-12 educational content to iTunes U
Users of iTunes U, the free educational content channel inside iTunes, will have a lot more elementary education material to choose from -- the states of Arizona, Florida, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah have all added some of their K-12 material to the mix, and a number of school districts and museums from those states have also contributed videos and audio recordings.The content is being uploaded by the SETDA, or the State Educational Technology Directors Association, which has been working with educators in member states to make more use of educational technology. This is definitely a great idea -- not only does it make this material much more accessible to educators and students alike, but anyone on iTunes can view and check out these resources through Apple's program.Plus, it's a great way to distribute student work to a much larger audience. You can find most of the new content under the "K-12" tab on the iTunes U homepage within iTunes.[via Macworld]
Apple customizing MacBooks for K-12?
Here's an interesting little tidbit. Apparently Apple has just landed large contracts to supply MacBooks to local school districts in Kansas City and southwest Louisiana. What's interesting though is that Apple is apparently customizing these MacBooks to meet various security requirements of the districts. The Kansas City Star notes that each of the computers has a sticker "clearly identifying them as the property of the Kansas City, Kan., public schools... [which] will not come off without virtually destroying the laptop." Furthermore, each computer will apparently have a GPS tracker and even "a remote device to destroy the hard drive" if stolen. One wonders whether Apple might eventually make these sort of security features available to the general public.Update: Re-reading the article, It's not clear whether the modifications are being doing by Apple or by some third-party after purchase.[via MacVolPlace]
Entire Pangea catalogue free for K-12 schools
Kudos to our buddies over at The Unofficial Apple Weblog for spotting this one: Pangea Software, the creators of Mac gaming classic like Nanosaur (I wasted my sister wasted so much time playing this) has enacted a free serial number policy for public schools to go alongside their free school site license policy. Now any public school in the U.S. can simply send off a letter to Pangea requesting free serial numbers for any of their games. It's even possible for an entire school district to apply for the free serial numbers.The motivation? Apparently Pangea receives quite a few inquiries about site licenses from schools so that kids can play during recess or as rewards for good work (in other words, we like your style Mr. Bored System Admin). Apparently Pangea doesn't "believe that schools should be spending education dollars on video games" so they decided to give 'em away! Now, EA, about those free Battlefield 2 licenses for Universities...[Via TUAW]
