Plurality of Diversity
Miguel Guhlin, Around the Corner-MGuhlin.org, January 1, 2014

According to Chris Moersch, writes Guhlin, "blending technology into curriculum typically fails because technology - the spice - is left out of the cooking process, as this article on the What Didn't Happen in Edtech in 2013 highlights." Meanwhile, in Inequity and BYOD (well worth reading in its own right) George Couros writes, "Technology should be at the point of instruction and be as accessible in learning as a pencil; it shouldn’t be an event." And in particular, Once the possibility exists for students to study informally, at online (and offline) schools, compiling their own learning playlist, putting together units of study that appeal to their passions, the one-size-fits-all model of high school will appear alarmingly anachronistic." See also Maggie Hos-McGrane on Personalized learning and whether BYOD give students more voice and choice.

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Learning Analytics: Readiness and Rewards
Norm Friesen, Canadian Journal of Learning, Technology, January 1, 2014

Norm Friesen examines learning analytics "by looking at two main levels at which learning analytics can be or has been implemented in educational organizations." He advises that institutions adopt an incremental approach (which is kind of like advising that people get some sleep every day or that babies should be fed milk). The paper itself, though, is the sort of solid analysis Norm Friesen is capable of. He examines, for example, "the way data are simplified and represented visually for... individuals." He looks at SNAPP, short for “Social Networks Adapting Pedagogical Practice.” and adds "This tool analyzes one particular kind of online course data: student participation in online discussion forums." It forms the basis for analytics in most learning management systems.

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Screencasting for educators
Kathy Schrock, Kathy's Klatch, January 1, 2014

'Screencasting' is the practice of recording screen events to video. You might for example record a PowerPoint presentation, demonstrate an application, or record an online video conference. This is a nice post introducing screencasting for educators. If you find this resource isn't sufficient (and if you go beyond basic screencasting you will want more) then you'll find a link at the bottom of the post to Ian Ozsvald's comprehensive Screencasting Handbook (don't lose this link as it's broken in Kathy Schrock's article). There are also links to the Screencast Academy wiki as well as screencasting resources on the PALibrarians Wiki (also broken in the Schrock article, but corrected here)

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Lessons From the CEO Of The First Ever MOOC
Peter High, Forbes, January 1, 2014

ALISON continues its ongoing campaign to claim credit for inventing the MOOC. What the company offers, of course, are online self-paced courses, and these were available long before ALISON ever came along. But online self-paced courses are not MOOCs, and never were MOOCs. It's pretty easy to fool Forbes, I guess, but they should not think they are fooling anyone else. And we should wonder what this campaign of theirs tells us about their business practices generally.

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