Applied Abstractions

Saw a few jobs that look interesting: E-Learning Instructional Designer / Technical Writer  - Unsure of who it is for, but you would be working with engineers. Contact Biology Item Writer  - It says it requires a PhD in Biology, but if you have a Masters and experience writing Biology items, give it a go. Let them tell you 'no'. Macmillan is looking for a Freelance Media Producer .  Good luck!

The Cavalier Daily's article Rate my MOOC discusses the differences between the standard bearer of student angst RateMyProfessors , and the creation of MOOC review sites, Top Free Classes , Grade My Course , and CourseTalk . The article discusses the inherent biases of the review sites, given the properties of the students. Traditional undergraduates usually use RateMyProfessors when they feel strongly about a course, usually negative feelings. I have found that it is unlikely that a student who passed a course, and enjoyed it will take the time to write a review. The drive to assign blame is unfortunately greater than the drive to offer positive feedback. Students who use the MOOC review sites, the article claims, are those that strive through the course and complete it. For these students, the blame for not completing the course rests solely on them because there are no outside forces require them to take these courses. Undergraduates on the other hand have to take courses the

MarketWatch posted this article New Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Delivered by Blended Schools Network Using SoftChalk Platform  yesterday about a course offered by Blended Schools Network (BSN), through SoftChalk , using Google+ . Hear Mark Radcliffe from BSN discuss the course; While there is a lot of edu-tech babble and self-promotion in that video, he does have a point. Educators need to become more comfortable using technology. But, my question is, how will this course do that? From the press I don't get a sense of what the assessments and resources will be. It being a MOOC I may enroll as a lurker and pick and choose the parts I want to participate in. Reading the article I couldn't help but get a little cynical. This is a great visibility booster for BSN, SoftChalk (which is going up against both well-heeled LMS, and open source ones), and Google+ (which could use a boost). On the other hand, it may prove a useful experience. Time will tell.

Thought this looked like a good opportunity;  http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?FullSite=1&Job_DID=JHQ05P705FWFVY9CHX2  . Seems that Priestley Publishing , a small publisher in Vermont is looking for freelance math item writer.

Open Universities Australia has just released a new MOOC platform, Open2Study . The platform has courses from a number of colleges and universities; International College of Management, Macquarie University, Polytechnic West, and TAFE NSW - Sydney Institute. Their current course offerings are business and humanities focused, with 10 courses to start. The Conversation wrote an article about the new platform. This new platform may be a good outlet for Australia's over educated workforce , and grow distance education institutions. With  Moodle HQ  located in Perth, Western Australia, I may have to make a trip out there.

My home institution is in the middle of a Moodle conversion from 1.9 to 2.3. We use a Moodle-specific host who has a variety of plug-ins, and enhancements to core Moodle. They're great, but the conversion process for courses that use their products are cumbersome. If anyone has an easy way to move courses from Flexpages in Moodle 1.9, to a weekly format in Moodle 2.3, I'm all ears.

I just learned that a New York City based educational publisher is looking for a Supervising Editor, Math K-8 for their print products. Their texts are primarily test-prep focused, but they are looking to expand their offerings. Contact me for more info.

This last week I completed the Quality Matters Peer Reviewer Course , and successfully applied to become a Quality Matters Peer Reviewer. It has taken quite a bit of my time these last two weeks, and I'm a bit behind on LAK13 , and need to catch up. I enjoyed the Peer Reviewer Course, and gained a broader understanding of what QM reviews should focus on. The primary area I had difficulty with was providing balanced feedback without sounding repetitive or insincere. I consistently provided constructive feedback that used evidence from the course and the QM Rubric, but was a bit terse and may have turned off the course instructor. I'm generally good at providing positive feedback to students and faculty, but didn't include many positive statements or comment. I suppose I was focusing on the rubric and the course, and not the fact that there was a person behind the course. I do wish the course relied on individual files less. Almost every link in the course was a separate 

Saw this ad and thought you all might be interested: Math Standards Aligner (Vancouver) . I know as much as the ad says, and am not affiliated with the poster. Good luck! via craigslist portland | all jobs search "math" at March 05, 2013 at 03:28PM

Saw this ad and thought you all might be interested: Math Educator (Remote) . I know as much as the ad says, and am not affiliated with the poster. Good luck! via craigslist new york | all jobs search "math" at March 04, 2013 at 09:53AM

In Learning Analytics and Knowledge 2013, the first assignment, Analytics: Logic and Structure  (link is live only if you are registered for the course), has the following description: For this assignment, develop an analytics model to gain insight into a complex topic using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Select a particular topic or subject area that interests you (current events, historical activities, a learning challenge) and detail how you will "interrogate" this subject using various analytics tools or techniques. Your project can be in the form of a presentation, a blog post, a video, a simulation, or other digital artifact. The important aspect of this assignment is to walk through the processes and considerations that pre-date tool selection. There are additional details, but this is the core charge of the assignment. I commented on the assignment in the forums : Our first assignment seems to allow for a wide variety of projects. This is  understanda

Introduction There is an effort within US public K-12 schools to analyze student performance, and use that analysis to improve schools. The most public and political aspect of this effort has been the use of this data to measure teacher effectiveness. A few school districts have released student and teacher information (Los Angeles, New York City, etc.), and have made them widely available. This data can be used to answer basic questions about student and teacher performance. Questions My main question; is this a good idea? Are student scores a good reflection of teacher effectiveness? There are a few other related questions I'd also like to explore: Are the analysis methods between school districts transferable?  Is the value-added model a 'good' one? Should parents use the teacher ratings/rankings to make decisions about where their child goes to school? Do these ratings/rankings say anything useful about college and work readiness, unemployment, crime, etc.?