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Duolingo lays off contractors as it starts relying more on AI
Duolingo has cut 10 percent of its contractors and using AI tools to handle the tasks they used to do, Bloomberg reports.
YouTube will let creators offer paid video courses next year
The move could spell trouble for the likes of Masterclass.
Duolingo is expanding into math lessons and brain training
It's moving beyond language learning for the first time.
Google Classroom will help teachers monitor progress with practice sets
Google Classroom will soon offer practice sets that let students gauge their knowledge before any tests.
Duolingo is adding a family plan and five more languages
The company is planning to release a math-learning app next year.
Google rolls out a slew of upgrades to improve virtual classrooms
Google is announcing a slew of Education tools today to improve its existing made-for-learning products and help students and teachers navigate online schooling.
Bill Nye is pissed
Bill Nye is pissed. The Bill Nye VR science kit is available on Amazon (and soon on Target) for $60, and it includes equipment like test tubes, a beaker, volcano mold, food coloring as well as a basic VR headset and a book with augmented reality bonus content.
Apple updates Schoolwork app to help teachers manage classrooms from afar
Apple has updated its Schoolwork app to make it easier for teachers and students to participate in classroom activities remotely.
Coursera makes courses available for free to the unemployed
Coursera is helping governments return people to work by offering its online courses for free.
Google algorithm lets robots teach themselves to walk
There's no question that robots will play an increasingly central role in our lives in the future, but to get to a stage where they can be genuinely useful there are still a number of challenges to be overcome -- including navigation without human intervention. Yes, we're at a stage where algorithms will allow a robot to learn how to move around, but the process is convoluted and requires a lot of human input, either in picking up the robot when it falls over, or moving it back into its training space if it wanders off. But new research from Google could make this learning process a lot more straightforward.
The best coding kits for children
If you want to try to get your kid into coding as young as possible, then Cubetto is the best place to start. It's appropriate for children as young as three -- which is largely because it strips the concept of programming down to its absolute basics. Oh, and there are no screens in sight. Cubetto is controlled entirely by putting colorful shapes in a wooden block that sends instructions to a smiley little robot. There are even Adventure Packs available that come with a play mat and a storybook to help put the core concepts in context. READ ON: The best educational coding kits for kids
The best blended STEM kits for kids
For starters, the littleBits Base Inventor Kit is an awesome introduction to electronics for little kids! They can build and customize a voice-activated robotic arm and innovate from there or use the tools right out of the box and invent whatever they'd like. In addition to the robotic arm, the kit includes a power supply, slide dimmer, sound trigger, proximity sensor, LED, buzzer and other goodies The littleBits app has some good ideas, too, if your kids need some suggestions. The $100 Base Inventor kit is recommended for eight and up, but younger kids can enjoy it with adult guidance. READ ON: The best blended stem kits for kids
A cheaper, smaller Raspberry Pi 3 is now available
The Raspberry Pi Foundation released its upgraded flagship computing board, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, earlier this year. Now the boards are shipping in volume, the company has been able to turn its attention to what it calls one of its "most frequently requested 'missing' products": the Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+.
Google adds lots of new tools to its Education suite
Summer break is normally a time for rest and recreation, but Google has been busy updating Classroom, Google Earth and other Google for Education tools in preparation for the next academic term.
Full Sail taps VR to help online students feel less isolated
Taking online classes is an easy way to fit college into your schedule without the need to physically be on campus. But, there are drawbacks. Full Sail University hopes that implementing virtual reality into its courses will help eliminate some of those faults. The Florida-based school is collaborating with Doghead Simulations on a virtual classroom app. The idea is to help remote students feel more like they're sitting in a lecture hall rather than watching a professor's YouTube video or taking an online survey, according to VR Focus.
Tennis legend Andre Agassi is building tech to help with dyslexia
Andre Agassi, the legendary American tennis player, made an appearance at SXSW 2018 to announce a partnership with Square Panda, a startup that makes educational apps for kids. Through his Early Childhood Neuroscience Foundation, Agassi and Square Panda are creating Readvolution, an initiative that aims to develop the "first-ever" free dyslexia-assessment game. To make this happen, the plan is to get help from scientists in a number of universities in the US, such as the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and the Weill Institute of for Neurosciences.
Researchers develop a way to train robots with just a gentle nudge
Researchers at Rice University have developed a way to train robots with just a little push. Their method uses algorithms that allow robots to not only respond to a human's touch in the moment, but alter their trajectory based on that physical input. "Here the robot has a plan, or desired trajectory, which describes how the robot thinks it should perform the task," said graduate student Dylan Losey about the project. "We introduced a real-time algorithm that modified, or deformed, the robot's future desired trajectory."
Duolingo adds Mandarin course to its language library
Online language learning company Duolingo has finally added a Mandarin course to its offerings. With more than one billion speakers, Mandarin is the most popular language on the planet, but it's also on one of the hardest to learn, which is why the course will prove a little beefier than its European language counterparts. English speakers will learn the language's characters as well as the four tones of Mandarin, with lessons structured by themes such as greetings, food, health and sports.
Steve Wozniak just created his own online university
Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak has just launched Woz U, a new digital institute designed for those eyeing a career in the tech industry. "Our goal is to educate and train people in employable digital skills without putting them into years of debt," Wozniak said in a statement. "People often are afraid to choose a technology-based career because they think they can't do it. I know they can, and I want to show them how."
Lyft offers 400 scholarships for online self-driving car course
Online learning portal Udacity launched its first 36-week "nanodegree" course for self-driving car engineering last year. There's a new, introductory course available now as well, focused on bringing students with minimal programming into the larger program. Even better, Udacity has partnered with Lyft (which has self-driving plans of its own) to provide scholarships to the intro course in order to increase diversity to the program. 400 scholarships are available to US-based students with "varying levels of experience;" the application window closes October 1st.
