E-mail:Too outdated for students?

Posted 09/28/2013 in Uncategorized

E-mail: Its been around since 1971 and used to be quite the popular tool, but is it now considered “old fashioned”? Teachers are using it to contact students with important schedule changes or reminders of upcoming homework due dates. Teachers are finding, however, that students don’t check their email for these announcements and some don’t even know that they have a school e-mail. Why are students, especially college aged, so disinterested in e-mail? According to The New York Times, students are much more interested in social media than they are a 40-year-old electronic messaging system. However, teacher’s find themselves in hesitation to add students as friends on Facebook, as they don’t want to be informed of their social lives. Along with social media, students find text-messaging much more stimulating. E-mail is just “too slow compared to texting”, wrote a teacher to The New York Times. So, if student’s keep up with the newest technology, shouldn’t teachers? Here at IQ technologies, we think so. That’s why we’ve integrated technology into world of education. Read more about this topic and visit the article here.

making the best of use of technology: Education

Posted 09/26/2013 in Funding education, Industry Trends, Interactive Technology, Mobile Technology, Uncategorized

It’s true- Students are getting more and more excited about technology as it’s development improves. The younger generation spends more time on technology than ever before, but for what use? Technology has allowed us to have many conveniences to make life easier, but what about building up a stronger, motivated generation of students who are eager to learn? Our entire lives are structured around the newest technological advances, but we never took technology in education seriously. Imagine the endless possibilities if we were to take the expanding technology revolution into the world of learning. Read this fascinating article with new, innovative ideas that could transform schools- or even the world. Check out “Technology: The Next Giant Leap in Education?” here.

Bozeman Science: A free online science teacher

Posted 09/21/2013 in Uncategorized

Ever need that little bit of extra help in school, when a traditional classroom setting just isn’t working? Paul Anderson, a Biology teacher at Bozeman High School, may be able to help you. Mr. Anderson received a biology undergrad degree, a broad field science certification, and a master’s degree in science education at Montana State University. Anderson first started making videos after class for his students so that they may watch them and go over them in class the next day. Anderson then had the idea to post them on YouTube, where his videos quickly gained popularity from eager biology students around the world. He has created thousands of videos that have been viewed millions of times by students and shared by teachers. Among his hundreds of videos, Anderson has created a wide variety of topics in science. Anything from a mitosis simulation, to a how-to video on the use of the “Chi-Squared Test”. He divides his channel into different subjects; Biology, AP biology, Anatomy, Physiology, Chemistry, and Physics, so that students will be able to easier find their desired topic. Anderson will explain the material verbally, along with visuals and written demonstrations. Along with Students, Teachers also find his […]

College Students: Are you making sleep a priority?

Posted 09/21/2013 in Uncategorized

Is your student schedule so busy that you’ve made sleep your last priority? Is cramming all night your go-to method for studying? Recent studies have made discoveries that will make you rethink your sleeping routine. It turns out sleep is much more important than we think, especially for college students. In a study made by The Journal of American College Health, students were asked to either stay awake for a full day, or get a full 8 hours of sleep. The study showed that students who got the complete night sleep did significantly better. Studying intensively for the long hours of the night has been a college student’s go-to strategy for ages. The theory that cramming all through the night before the testing day will help you better remember material is a misconception. In fact, studies show that this technique actually works the opposite way of how you want it to. Instead of reserving the information in your brain, studying at the eleventh hour doesn’t give the brain enough time to “properly store the last minute material.” This is a result in the brain’s inability to secure recently conformed memories on little sleep. Sleep can not only interfere with school […]

What are YOU teaching the world?

Posted 09/19/2013 in Uncategorized

Robby Novak, also known as “Kid President,” has captured the hearts of people all over the world. Robby, an enthusiastic 10-year-old, has not only become an inspirational YouTube sensation, but has interviewed celebrities such as Beyonce Knowles and Rainn Wilson. With his contagious energy and high spirit, “Kid President” posts clever videos once a week to empower not only kids, but adults. Robby makes motivational calls to “make the world less boring” and “to create something that will make the world awesome.” Kid President’s viral video, “A Pep Talk from Kid President to You,” has hit over twenty-eight million views since January of this year. Novak appeared on an official White House advertisement for the White House Easter Egg Roll and starred in an ESPN video for Men’s Division Basketball Tournament. With Robby’s undeniable bright outlook on life, you would have never guessed he was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. OI, or Brittle Bone syndrome, is a condition in which bones are prone to fracture and causes poor muscle tone. Brittle Bone syndrome can create several obstacles, but that doesn’t stop “Kid President” from sharing his enthusiasm for life and words of encouragement. Not only does Robby advocate an optimistic attitude, […]

Studying Tips for College Students

Posted 09/19/2013 in How-To, Tips & Guides

Did you know that if you review new material within 24 hours of first hearing it, you can keep yourself from forgetting 80% of it? Or that knowing your “learning style” (auditory learner, visual learner) may not help you at all in your studying process? With the new school year starting, many students are searching for ways and methods to make this year’s grades even better. Often students become so bombarded with schoolwork and studying material that they forget the way they are studying can dramatically affect the outcomes of their hard work. New studies have discovered improved methods of studying (that don’t involve cramming all night) to bump up those test scores. Some of these tips may come as a surprise to you, as you may have been taught some ineffective studying habits. Make your long hours of studying worthwhile and read these helpful tips. Check out “17 Scientifically Proven Ways to Study Better This Year” here

By the Numbers: Education in the U.S. improving by leaps and bounds

Posted 09/07/2013 in Industry Trends

Teachers are taking responsibility for educating their students. Schools are taking responsibility for getting the best teachers in front of those kids. Parents are taking responsibility for getting involved. Lawmakers are taking responsibility for reworking stale education processes. And students are listening. Here it is, by the numbers: 120,254: The number of low-income graduating seniors nationwide passing at least one AP exam in 2012. That’s an increase of 270 percent since 2003, says Ron Matus.(redefinED, h/t @ChadAldeman). 34: The percentage of Americans who believe math has been the most valuable subject in their lives, according to a recent Gallup “Work and Education” poll. English and science were favored by 24 percent and 4 percent of adults respectively. (Gallup, h/t Education Week) 165: The number of Indiana schools whose A-F grades were impacted by grade changes in the state’s accountability system. State lawmakers called for review of the accountability system after public accusations that former Indiana education chief Tony Bennett and his team manipulated the scoring methodology to boost Christel House Academy’s grade from a C to an A. (Indiana State Legislature, h/t @kystokes from StateImpact Indiana) 11: The percent of New York City teachers who earned a “highly-effective” on their […]

Revealing the new Super Hero

Posted 09/05/2013 in Industry Trends, Online Education

No doubt about it: there’s a super hero in the classroom now – one who’s set to save education in the U.S. For answers to its national budget bust, education is turning to tech. Why? With a $2.5 billion – yes, that’s a b: billion – funding gap on the doorstep of the U.S. Department of Education, schools are bulking up class sizes while being forced to cut back on individual courses and resources. In addition, tuition is skyrocketing, and enrollment competition is fierce. How to keep costs down for students and schools while keeping teachers in their jobs? Turn it online. “There’s a bevy of startups in this space that are looking to help students, parents, teachers, and also school districts combat this dilemma. And so, while the community is battling with its local government for funding, it appears tech companies are leveraging their know-how to keep the train going, so to speak,” says The Next Web’s latest report. Spurning the natural merge between education and tech is the mastery of the industry by those under 25. In fact, according to OnLineColleges.net: • Educational institutions are continuing to adopt cloud-based technologies; • eBooks continue to replace traditional textbooks; • […]