Brent Sordyl's blog » e-learning

Alleyoop – Pearson-backed Startup Aims to Be the Zynga for Learning

Brent Sordyl — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:51:43 +0000

What if the 232 million people who log into Zynga’s Facebook games each month instead spent hours working through online learning resources?

At least where teens are concerned, a new Pearson-backed startup Alleyoop is betting the result would be more college graduates.

(Full Story: Alleyoop – Pearson-backed Startup Aims to Be the Zynga for Learning)

Gates Paying Murdoch For System To Track U.S. Kids’ School Progress – Slashdot

Brent Sordyl — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:02:25 +0000

The Gates Foundation has ponied up $76.5 million for a controversial student data tracking initiative that’s engaged Rupert Murdoch’s Wireless Generation to ‘build the open software that will allow states to access a shared, performance-driven marketplace of free and premium tools and content.’ If you live in CO, IL, NC, NY, MA, LA, GA, or DE, it’s coming soon to a public school near you.

(Full Story: Gates Paying Murdoch For System To Track U.S. Kids’ School Progress – Slashdot)

Freakonomics » How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?

Brent Sordyl — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:00:14 +0000

So you’re saying that if plumbers or if IT designers or engineers, or writers, or presidents, performed at the level, at the objective level that New York City teachers did, we’d either get rid of all of them, or radically change the job?…

All the learning modalities -
Large live instruction, small live instruction, virtual live instruction (which we call virtual tutoring, colloquially) independent practice, small group collaboration and independent virtual instruction.

(Full Story: Freakonomics » How Is a Bad Radio Station Like Our Public-School System?)

Early Thoughts on MITx

Brent Sordyl — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:00:01 +0000

MIT today announced MITx which appears to be an open learning initiative. They describe it as “an online interactive learning platform” that will offer a portfolio of MIT courses.

(Full Story: Early Thoughts on MITx)

Coursekit – simple way to manage your course and engage your students

Brent Sordyl — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:07:14 +0000

We believe that there’s a lot more to class than lecture. Post links, videos, files. Start discussions. Write a blog post. Ask about an assignment. Classes are meant to be social, but they rarely are. We’re changing that.

(Full Story: Coursekit – simple way to manage your course and engage your students)

The Ingenious Business Model Behind Coursekit, A Tumblr For Higher Education | Fast Company

Brent Sordyl — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:08:25 +0000

“We wanted to create a simple, elegant LMS that covers 95% of instructors’ needs, like grading, file management, calendaring, submitting assignments, and emailing with the class,” says Joseph Cohen, 20, who left Wharton after his sophomore year when he scored $1 million in seed funding this past June to start Coursekit. “Blackboard covers 100%– that’s why it’s such a cluttered platform.”

(Full Story: The Ingenious Business Model Behind Coursekit, A Tumblr For Higher Education | Fast Company)

Mahalo Lays Off 25 Percent for Shift to Apps

Brent Sordyl — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:56:28 +0000

a transition from cheaply churning out gaming videos in the style of Machinima.com to making educational iPad apps like Learn Guitar.

(Full Story: Mahalo Lays Off 25 Percent for Shift to Apps)

Overselling educational software

Brent Sordyl — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:56:21 +0000

A federal study, conducted a year earlier, examined ten leading software programs for teaching math, and concluded that they had no “statistically significant effects on test scores.”

(Full Story: Overselling educational software)

Grockit Raises Money for Online Test Prep – NYTimes.com

Brent Sordyl — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:49:16 +0000

On Monday, Grockit announced that it raised $7 million in venture capital, for a total of $24 million, from GSV Capital and NewSchools Venture Fund, which invests philanthropic donations in education businesses and nonprofit organizations.

(Full Story: Grockit Raises Money for Online Test Prep – NYTimes.com)

Launchpad Toys Looks To Create The Next Generation Of Early Learning Toys

Brent Sordyl — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:48:49 +0000

Launchpad wants to bring toys into the digital age. The startup is building a suite of apps for the iPad that allow children to create, learn, and share their ideas through games — in an effort to become “the Lego of digital play”. Through its apps, the startup aims to bring classic toys (and toy makers) like Play-Doh, Crayola, and Erector Sets to the iPad, but with an educational backdrop that is standardized and meets national educational requirements.

(Full Story: Launchpad Toys Looks To Create The Next Generation Of Early Learning Toys)