Kerry Best

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In his blog post yesterday, Wim Elfrink shared the recent news that the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina and the State University of New York (SUNY) will join The Global STEM Alliance. Since I had someone ask me this week – “what exactly IS the Global STEM Alliance?”, here are the basics. Unveiled last month […]

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How exciting it is when we see student gains in math that are consistent regardless of language, culture of origin, gender, and even learning disability! As Peter Tavernise wrote this week in his blog post, it is even more exciting when we are able to support the learning models that have created such gains. Since […]

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“On the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour in 1918, a cessation of hostilities was honored and WWI came to its unofficial end. Veterans Day (then known as Armistice Day) began as a commemoration to acknowledge the heroism of those who died and to show gratitude for the WW1 victory. Over […]

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Day 2 of Educause 2013 has been both information-filled and somewhat fascinating. During the general session this morning, author and renowned game designer, Jane McGonigal, shared some intriguing facts about the power of gaming in higher education. A few facts she shared that I found especially interesting included – 71% of employees are not engaged […]

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Even in the face of the U.S. government shutdown, law enforcement around the world continued undeterred. The 120th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference and Law Enforcement Education and Technology Exposition will take place October 19-23, 2013 in Philadelphia. A key event for law enforcement education, IACP 2013 topics will include everything from […]

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As our team has prepared for Educause 2013 this week, we have been talking a lot about technology in higher education and how it’s impacting colleges, universities, students and...

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More and more we are seeing the education landscape change to include more technology for collaboration and mobile learning. Colleges and universities are enabling secure networks for staff and students...

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What if we could change learning in the classroom to better suit students’ needs and accommodate individual learning styles? That’s exactly what Denton Independent School District in Texas is doing through flipped learning and collaborative video technology. In his recent blog, Barry Fox describes what the future of education looks like at Denton ISD, and […]

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Think back to your favorite class in school. How would that class be different if it took place today? My favorite was a 7th grade art class. While it’s hard to imagine Mrs. Vincent in a modern classroom with a tablet or smartphone, I know she would be on the cutting edge of art education. […]

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What happens when libraries transform from traditional, quiet places to engaging spaces that inspire learning? The old perceptions of libraries are swept away and energized by interactive, connected learning for the entire community. That’s exactly what the strategy is at the Midland County Library in Texas. When the county decided to upgrade one of its […]

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Technology is a wonderful thing, at least in my opinion; especially when it’s used to inspire creativity, knowledge and to make learning fun and interactive. New and interactive technologies inspired the Midland County Library in Texas to change people’s perceptions of what a library can and should be. Coined as the “library of the future”, […]

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With so many schools looking to integrate various technologies for things like blended & distance learning, increased staff and student collaboration, and mobility options, many are asking “are we sure we have the necessary infrastructure?”. And if they answer yes, will it support the newest technologies, and will it work all the time, every time? […]

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For the last four or five years, I’ve watched as the Idaho Education Network (IEN) has implemented and reaped the benefits from their distance education program and use of video conferencing, or telepresence. To this day, they continue to improve on success, and during a session at ISTE 2013 last week, Brady Kraft and his […]

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For one week this last March, hundreds of thousands of workers from around the world made the commitment to telework. This year’s Telework Week resulted in a 91 percent increase in involvement in 2011, with more than 130,000 total pledges! These record numbers really show the momentum of telework in both the public and private […]

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Colleges and universities continually innovate to address the changing demands on them – increased demand by millenials for virtual offerings, pressure to keep costs down, and the changing needs of the community for a skilled workforce. These demands combined with ongoing resource constraints – limited budgets, classroom space and faculty resources – consistently drive the […]

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Budget cuts are costing many American students their arts education. As a wanna-be artist and overall proponent of all things creative, I have long valued the impact of arts education – especially in public schools. Unfortunately, these are the programs that are too often cut when budgets are slashed and difficult decisions must be made. […]

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The Johnson City School District transformed its students’ learning experiences, teachers’ teaching experiences, and parents’ academic insights with BYOD applications, allowing them the freedom to learn and connect anywhere, anytime and on any device. With wired Internet access readily available in each of the 11 schools, the district took its first steps into wireless Internet […]

It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but remember a couple of months ago when we were all reading articles like “5 ways technology will impact higher ed in 2013” about trends to watch in 2013? Well, at the beginning of the year, I highlighted four of those high-impact trends educators should be on […]