Learning anaytics are catalyzing transformative conversations about completion and retention, competencies and ethics, pathways and profiles, micro-credentials and modalities. They are going to have tremendous impact on just about everything that learning technology professionals do. More to the point, they are going to define much of what we do and how we do it.  You might be wondering what this has to do with elearning. One of the little secrets about predictive analytics is that predictions are useful if one takes actions to address whatever weakeness or opportunities that predictions reveal. Going forward, the real action will not be around predictions, per se, but on taking action to address the risks and opportunities that predictive analytics reveal. These days this has a lot to do with what "big tent" elearning offers, at least the kind of elearning that delivers on the promise to personlize and motivate and pace, featuring learning technologies from interactive pdfs to wearable apps to immersive environments and adaptive pathways and everything in between. And with that, we are back on the Road Trip.

Very special thanks to the Mozitis and Syed families of Northfield, The Makerbot Academy and Donor’s Choose! The idea of getting this powerful piece of technology at NO COST TO THE DISTRICT is truly mind-blowing. We’ll be setting it all up tomorrow, December 3rd, just in time for Parent Conferences! Can’t wait to show people what this wondrous piece of hardware can do for kids’ creations! I’ll close with this thought: Image credit: http://www.thequotefactory.com/ LET’S GET BUSY!

What are you doing about the picture superiority effect?Post from: The eLearning CoachUsing Graphics To Improve Learning

Now that predictive analytics are hotter than ever in higher education, it's probably a good idea to review a few fundamentals for those who are just starting to sip from the cup of possibilities. WHY PREDICTIVES? Predictive analytics have been used in a wide variety of settings, including higher education, to manage finances, inventory, operations, assets and resources. Increasingly, higher ed institutions are turning to business intelligence for enrollment management and student recruitment. The next great wave for predictive analytics adoption in higher education is focusing on institutional performance outcomes and individualized student success.  WHY COLLEGES NEED TO CARE: The more that colleges and universities are being held accountable for achieving specific performance outcomes (e.g., improved student retention, better completion rates for college students), the more predictive analytics will be touted as a solution for anticipating risks likely to be encountered while trying to achieve those outcomes.  SIMPLY KNOWING WHO IS AT RISK ISN'T ENOUGH. Knowing how to mitigate risks and how different students can be better served with targeted interventions and support makes predictions actionable. Predictions without action don't really matter very much to anyone. BEWARE THE BRIGHT AND SHINY: It's going to be a little bit like the early days of the first dot.com out there, with lots of  solutions available and even more promises about all the great things that those interventions and solutions can do (!!!). How will you know who to believe? How will you know what's right for you? You owe it to yourself to be informed. THERE IS NO SINGLE "RIGHT WAY" TO CONDUCT PREDICTIVE ANALYSES. There are many techniques used to conduct predictive analyses. Typically one chooses the technique or techniques likely to yield results for the kinds of predictions one wants to make. For example, if you are interested in predicting a discrete attribute you might be likely to use techniques including Logistic Regression, Decision Trees (CHAID, CART, Random Forest), Naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machine, Survival Analysis or Neural Networks. If you were more interested in predicting a continuous attribute, you'd look toward techniques such as Multiple Linear Regression, Time series or Decision Trees (CHAID, CART, Random Forest). If you were most interested in common groups, you might consider Hierarchical k-nearest neighbors, Neural Networks or Decision Trees (CHAID, CART, Random Forest). Selecting the right techniques used for conducting predictive analyses have a lot to do with knowing the questions that the predictions will help answer, or the performance problems that are likely to be solved. Speaking of which... START WITH A PROBLEM TO SOLVE: Sorry to burst your bubble but predictive analytics don't work quite like Magic 8-Ball. Not even Hadoop technologies do that. Answers simply do not emerge fully formed from the mists of your analytic techniques.  It's easier to focus on solving a problem (e.g. what causes students to drop out? Are these causes common in all settings?) or finding a new opportunity (e.g. what motivates students to complete courses faster?). Your problem statements and queries will help you focus on finding data sources and selecting techniques for analyses that are likely to reveal the patterns you seek.

We’re giddy with excitement (and the kids are too) … spending some time getting to know this device, its capabilities, and potential … we’re blown away so far! Click here for a video of the printer at work.

There are lots of creative ways to use mind maps for analysis, design, planning and communicating. Post from: The eLearning CoachDesigning With Mind Maps

This post is part of my continuing series of weekly lesson summaries. My goal is to give parents & caregivers in our school community the resources needed to extend student learning at home, and to share my professional practice with teacher colleagues around the world in the hopes of improving my craft. Synopsis: This was a c-r-a-z-y week, with three "early dismissal" days (two of which were followed by Parent Conferences that ran until 8:30 pm that night) and as a result I had to make lots of adjustments in my lessons. (The arrival of our 3D printer also whipped everyone into a frenzy.) Kindergarten students completed a SMART Notebook activity involving dressing for the weather; First Graders Kerpoof.com to illustrate a "vacation destination" drawn at random from a "grab bag" in class; Second Graders finished working with and programming LEGO WeDo robots; Third Graders began reading the Engineering is Elementary storybook, "Leif Catches the Wind;" Fourth Graders constructed model knees that will be used when they design knee braces. Week ending 12/06/13 Kindergarten What we learned / did / explored together: After a quick conversation about the weather (and there was plenty to talk about) we "warmed up" (sorry, bad pun) with "Weather Wheel" featuring Gerald from Sid the Science Kid. We then had students use their Chromebooks to complete a similar activity I designed using SMART Notebook Express software (shown above). Students also learned how to use the text and pen tools to add their names to the projects (often with delightfully creative results). They "dressed" two different bears, one for a cold day and another for a rainy day. These were saved (when it worked) and kept for later printing. What I observed / inferred / connected: This lesson was easy, fun and a good review of the fine motor skills needed to navigate Chromeboolks effectively. Kids quickly got the hang of the software, even correcting me when I made a mistake by using the wrong tool (it happens from time to time.) The SMART Notebook Express software is simple and easy to use, but unfortunately has issues saving work for reasons we’ve not been able to identify. (We’re still working on it.) What students can do at home: Check out the "Weather Wheel" activity or explore the Kindergarten Symbaloo page that has some winter-themed surprises in store! First Grade What we learned / did / explored together: We started with a bit of geography centering around vacation spots and a discussion of some of our favorite places to go on vacation. I’d anticipated most of the answers and prepared slips of paper with different destinations for the kids to choose randomly and then illustrate using our favorite multimedia creation tool, Kerpoof.com. Kids gleefully reached into the brown paper bag and shouted with excitement as they discovered their destinations. They raced over to the Chromebooks and started working. When finished, students printed their creations. What I observed / inferred / connected: I was surprised how excited the kids were by this lesson. Maybe it was the conversation we had beforehand that activated their memories of recent vacations, or, the trading that ensued (they asked and I said it was okay) allowing kids to get the location they most wanted. In any event, the results were predictably awesome, given how easy Kerpoof.com is to use. What students can do at home: Check out Kerpoof.com - we did the "Make a Picture" activity (yellow square) but the site is full of engaging and creative activities! The First Grade Symbaloo is also loaded with fun and challenging activities, many of which we haven’t explored yet in class. Go crazy! Second Grade What we learned / did / explored together: Our second week with the LEGO WeDo kits was even more productive than the first with every class experiencing success with the robot assembly/build process AND the programming activity. As evidenced above, excitement levels were high! What I observed / inferred / connected: Kids were great about sharing but some still need to get the experience so we will be incorporating the LEGO WeDo robots as an option in the lessons I’m planning for Computer Science Education Week (December 9-13.) What students can do at home: The LEGO WeDo software is not available online but there are many alternatives available to explore programming at home, including Scratch and Tynker. The Second Grade Symbaloo is always worth checking out!   Image credit: Museum of Science in Boston Image credit: Museum of Science in Boston Image credit: Museum of Science in Boston Third Grade What we learned / did / explored together: We began a new EiE STEM unit called "Catching the Wind: Designing Windmills" by reading the first half of the storybook, "Leif Catches the Wind." The main character, Leif, corresponds electronically with his friend Dana, who has left Copenhagen and moved to Aalberg, another town in Denmark. They share an interest in weather, building things, and problem solving. Dana’s pet fish are having problems getting enough oxygen so she and Leif set out to rectify the situation. The first half of the story ends as they begin designing a windmill that will be used to aerate the pond where the fish live. What I learned / observed / inferred: Reading the storybook is always the hardest part of these units. The third graders were great listeners and very patient. What students can do at home: Ask your child about the story - the characters, the plot, the science behind it all - see what they tell you! Check out the Third Grade Symbaloo for fun learning activities! Fourth Grade What we covered / did / explored: The EiE STEM unit "No Bones About it: Designing Knee Braces" requires kids to develop a knee brace and this week we made the model knees they will use to test their designs. It was a fairly involved process, as shown in the video above. (Note: we did not have students cut holes in the cardboard mailing tubes; all components were pre-cut in advance.) What I observed / inferred / connected: This was a lot harder than it looks in the video! The steps in the assembly process are clear but getting everything to fit right was a challenge. We got them done, though! What students can do at home: Talk to your child about bones and knee structure in specific. See what they recall from science class as well as our project. Check out the Fourth Grade Symbaloo, too!

I've always wanted to write a headline like that.   If you are like me, any link suggesting that learning analytics can be easy is worth a quick look. Even if only to sneer at the temerity of whoever would say that. So, thank you for being curious enough to click. Now that I have your attention... Getting started with a learning analytics initiatve doesn't need to be hard. What's hard is sustaining a learning analytics initiative IF one is only doing something, anything, as a pet project, an exploration, or a trial run because someone gave you free software.  To paraphrase the incomparable Tina Turner, we're gonna start this learning anaytics conversation nice and easy (don't worry, no dancing required). Here we go. Five quick easy steps to get started: (1) Start with a real problem to solve. Scope your problem statement so that you maximize your probabiities of  success. Do you have market conditions to address, sneaking suspicions that there might be trouble in River City that you'd better find out about before someone else does? Maybe places where you are pretty sure you can do a better job? You might want to think of something that will help you test the waters of change without putting yourself at risk of total humiliation if it doesn't work. (2) Figure out who needs to be involved in creating the business case to get this problem solved. How much of a priority is solving the problem you identified going to be for others in your organization? Who need to be engaged and on-board to get this done?  (3) Determine what you need to answer questions related to solving this problem. What information do you need? Who owns it? Where does it live? How are you going to secure it? How will it be analyzed? Who can see it, work with it, publish it? How will results be used? How long will the results live, and who will have access? (4) Determine the necessary project talent to make sure you can get the work done. It's not just about having access to people who understand how to work with data. It's about having the right team in place across the board who can execute to plan and deliver results, and making sure that you have planned for enough of their time to be effective. How will you find them? What will you need to attract their attention and keep them engaged? (5) Develop a bottom-up budget to see if you can afford to do what you want to do. Odds are, you will need more money than you have on hand. (Well... odds are that you will end up needing more money than you think you do, too, but that's a conversation for a later time). So, where might you find the funding to do what you want to do? Who else might be interested in getting involved in your great adventure? Obviously each one of these steps can take on a life of its own once you get going, but as a place to begin these are a great way to get your arms around your big idea and see if its possible to move ahead.

Don't lose sleep over how to combine multimedia elements. Read these guidelines instead.Post from: The eLearning CoachHow To Integrate Multimedia For Effective Learning

PLEASE NOTE: WHEN YOU WORK WITH A 3D DESIGN PROGRAM THE FINAL RESULT IS A FILE WITH AN .STL EXTENSION WHICH ON A WINDOWS COMPUTER WILL BE REFERRED TO AS A ‘CERTIFICATE TRUST LIST’.  THIS IS NORMAL. THE FILE CANNOT BE READ OR OPENED BY YOUR COMPUTER. JUST SAVE THE FILE AND SEND IT TO ME (OR PUT IT ON A FLASH DRIVE AND GIVE IT TO YOUR STUDENT TO BRING TO SCHOOL) FOR PRINTING! Of all the 3D design apps I plan to blog about, Printcraft is easily the most exciting: it is the ONE design tool I *KNOW* a majority of my students can use immediately and masterfully. It’s only fitting that it’s the first one I profile here. So, NCS students, listen up! What is Printcraft? It’s a FREE, public Minecraft server on which anyone can build in a designated plot and then export their design to a file that our 3D printer can print. Watch this video for a 50 second overview. What do I need to use it? A Minecraft account / login (you need to have purchased the game) A computer (not sure if iPad or XBox apps will work, try and let me know) How do I use it? (everything you need to know is in this video) Or, follow these text instructions: Start Minecraft Click Multiplayer, add us1.printcraft.org to your server list and log in. Once you spawn, check out the cool, massive castle  (another pic) and instructional signs (walk forward, you’ll see them on the left). Walk through any of the glowing blue portals, look for an open plot, find the control panel and right-click the button to claim it. Build your masterpiece! You can return to the spawn point by typing /spawn and find your claimed lot by entering /home. When ready, right-click the PRINT button on the control panel. Follow the link that appears in text chat ("Click here to get your model,") a website will appear, download the file, bring it with you to school or have your parents send it to kjarrett@ncs-nj.org. Please keep in mind this is an OPEN PUBLIC SERVER. You can handle yourself … but if anyone says or does anything that makes you uncomfortable, TELL YOUR PARENTS OR A TRUSTED ADULT. Oh, and one last thing: STAY FROSTY. Now, GET BUSY.  Can’t wait to see what you design! Mr. Jarrett