Alexandra Mihai, The Educationalist, Nov 13, 2024

Interesting commentary on the state of research in educational technology today and what's missing. What's missing? Research that links theory through technology to needs and practices (so I summarize). Thus, Alexandra Mihai looks for "insights into how educational technology can enhance the learning process" and "how technology can contribute to addressing the increasing diversity of our learner population." Mihai also considers the impact of AI on the research process, suggesting "it's so important to maintain our agency in the research and writing process." I don't think education as a discipline has come to terms enough with how people actually learn, which (to me) explain the persistence of the sort of teacher- and institution-focused approaches Mihai asks for here.

Roberto J. Rodriguez, et al., Office of Educational Technology, Nov 13, 2024

This is a longish (79 page PDF) resource from the U.S. government's Office of Educational Technology. "The Department heard educators say that AI is here to stay, AI will keep changing, and safely integrating AI in educational settings will require informed leadership at multiple levels across the education system." The toolkit is divided into three sections: migitating risks, strategy for AI integration, and guiding its use. The risks considered include privacy and data security, student civil rights, accessibility, and digital equity. The second section is weaker, focusing on the 'instructional core' (credited to Elmore, but basically Moore (1989)), with a corresponding focus on instruction. The third section begins with a discussion of AI literacy (limited to "includes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to engage with AI safely") and promotion of "responsible use". 

Jared Cooney Horvath, Nov 13, 2024

Obviously you can't simply cite some PISA scores to show that 'ed tech is failing'. Minimally, it may well be that schools today are teaching less of what PISA is testing (eg. computer and information literacy). Additionally, there is a drift in what PISA tests for one year to the next (they don't test against curricula, they test against what PISA test designers believe a 15-year old should know, independently of curricula). There are additional factors, such as the pandemic, but not just that, also war and political change. And a final challenge is that most 15-year olds aren't actually taught using ed tech.

Paul Sawers, TechCrunch, Nov 13, 2024

According to this article, "Meta has launched a new partnership with a slew of universities in the U.S. and U.K., as it looks to ingrain VR across the education system." I guess it's a big deal (per Mixed, Upload, Social Media Today, Technopedia, ReadWrite, etc etc) but it's hard for me to stifle a yawn. It's not simply that I was here for the Second Life hype, it's that their product is a "digital twin" of the university - "environments that directly replicate their real-world campus counterparts" - the least imaginative use of any media ever. I think there's a lot of room for VR in education, but this announcement isn't it.

Salt Lake City and 17 other Utah cities are planning to construct the largest ultrahigh-speed data network in the country using fiber optic cables. The project to complete a direct fiber optic connection to homes is considered by The New York Times as one of the most ambitious of its type in the world.

eGovLinks, the e-Government starting point, is featuring two news feeds on its home page and site navigation bar, and both are from Utah State Government!

ITS has recently polled State agency developers for their ideas for a more collaborative eDG site that will better serve...

The eDG Website is nearing another milestone. In a past meeting, we polled members to learn what improvements could make The eDG more useful. All present expressed interest in having a more interactive site. The new eDG, available April 21, is a PHP portal-driven site with more interactive features.

Governor Olene Walker has announced that the Utah State Advisory Council on Science and Technology is accepting nominations for the 2004 annual Governor's Medal for Science and Technology Award. The awards recognize individuals who have made a significant impact and contribution to science and technology in the State of Utah.

A federal interagency committee on government information has drafted "Requirements for Enabling the Identification, Categorization, and Consistent Retrieval of Government Information." This document has insights of value for those in government engaged in making information more accessible through portals and search engines.

Congress enacts open government legislation in three main areas: (1) laws that provide public access to federal records; (2) laws that allow the government to restrict public access to federal information; and (3) laws that provide for congressional access to federal records. A new 90-page Congressional Report by Rep. Henry A. Waxman provides a comprehensive, though arguably partisan, examination finding the Bush Administration has acted to restrict the amount of government information that is available.

Missouri Governor Bob Holden this week awarded a Governor's Award for Quality and Productivity to the State Portal Newsfeed Development Team. This annual award that recognizes excellence in service, efficiency and innovation went to employees from 17 different state agencies who developed a system for state agencies to share the state's news feed portal at little or no cost to the agency. This system currently publishes the news from 18 government agencies, offices and organizations at the top of each hour on the state homepage, in addition to providing continuous newsfeed to web sites in the public sector.

Web surfing is passé. If you as a government information provider think that visitors will continue flocking to your sites through traditional surfing, following links, or saving bookmarks.... think again. Chad Dickerson, explains in his wake up call in today's InfoWorld that something "profound is happening with the delivery of information online with tools that leverage RSS."

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Innovators in the field of space solar power are outperforming expectations for commercial application, motivated by the potential for harvesting solar energy on a 24/7 basis, unimpeded by weather or climate.

The post A 30-Megawatt Space Solar Power Plant Is Scheduled For 2030 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Many citizens in Paris were caught off-guard on November 5 when a new ban on motorists in the first four arrondissements of central Paris came into effect. As they looked around their city neighborhoods, residents could see nearly forty signs for the ‘Zone à Trafic Limité’ (ZTL) — or “limited ... [continued]

The post The City Center In Paris Is Now Designated A Limited Traffic Zone appeared first on CleanTechnica.

These days, it seems like everyone is into emergency preparedness, or at least wants to think they are. Whether it’s a fear of natural disasters, the communists, the fascists, or even the space aliens, there is no shortage of content these days on social media, blogs, and YouTube. But, we ... [continued]

The post E-Bikes For Preparedness appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The 2024 Earthshot Prize awards were announced last week. Two winners have new technologies that could benefit the entire world.

The post 2024 Earthshot Prize Winners Announced In Cape Town appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The installed solar capacity of the global PV industry is poised for another round of rapid growth, with or without an assist from the US.

The post Global Installed Solar Capacity To Blow Past 2 Terawatts, USA Or Not appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Today, CleanTechnica’s Tesla Ethicist columnist answers a question about the tensions among being true to one’s morals, Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s absolutist tendencies, and personal Tesla stock portfolios increases. Dear Tesla Ethicist: I’ve always prided myself on my personal wherewithal. I self-financed my own college education by working and extending ... [continued]

The post The Tesla Ethicist: How Can I Reconcile My Tesla Stock Gains With Musk’s Skewed Self-Interest? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Colombia’s EV market is booming. As I said a couple months ago, we’re not only seeing significant YoY (year over year) growth (as we are in several other markets, including Costa Rica, Uruguay, Mexico, and Brazil), but we’re also looking at “bursts” of demand that lead to significant MoM (month ... [continued]

The post Colombia EV Sales Report: 1000 Sales Surpassed in October, Country Reaches 6.4% EV Market Share! appeared first on CleanTechnica.

San Francisco, CA — Ever, a premier retailer specializing in high-quality electric vehicles (EVs), is thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with CleanTechnica, aimed at making EV ownership even more accessible and affordable. This partnership brings CleanTechnica readers a unique, limited-time offer: a $500 discount on any Ever Certified ... [continued]

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Following Hurricane Helene, I had difficulty getting a dual-motor e-bike shipped to me in Asheville that I so wanted to review. So, as it went back to the company after more than a week of not being able to be delivered in devastated Western North Carolina, they shipped me another ... [continued]

The post The Extraordinary Traction & Torque of LANKELEISI MG740PLUS Dual-Motor Electric Bike — CleanTechnica Tested appeared first on CleanTechnica.

What difference would it make to be able to unlock ocean data at scale? How would deploying hundreds of marine sensing platforms improve marine weather predictability and accuracy? A company named Sofar is answering some of those questions these days due to their capacity to use real-time data to improve ... [continued]

The post How Networks Of Ocean Sensors Can Improve Marine Weather Predictability appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Both Cadillac and Mercedes plan to expand their electric car offerings to the SUV market segment in the near future.

The post Large Electric SUV Models Coming From Cadillac & Mercedes appeared first on CleanTechnica.

They Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Hyundai IONIQ 6 are two of my favorite electric vehicles. The IONIQ 9 is a coming much larger EV from Hyundai for those who need more space, or at least feel like they need more space. The problem: we don’t really know what the IONIQ ... [continued]

The post Hyundai IONIQ 9 Interior Teased (Slightly) appeared first on CleanTechnica.