Why Colleges Will Benefit from Implementing Tech Solutions in Classes

The world of education expects the biggest changes soon. Now, when society finally understands the benefits of technologies, colleges worldwide start implementing various digital solutions across the globe. Tutors experiment with new approaches to educating their students.

63% of K-12 teachers apply technologies in the classroom every day. This number keeps on growing with each year. No one knows how far it will go, but here are the main reasons for implementing tech in class.

Getting Ready for the Real World Cases

It is hard to imagine an industry nowadays that survives without technologies. They are everywhere! Digital literacy has already become a part of the overall literacy. Often, technical skills that students obtain in their IT lessons are not enough to meet the real-world cases. Only 40% of adults in the US today answer questions on digital literacy correctly.

If digital devices can be added to the general curriculum, students will obtain more chances to get ready for their future careers in almost every sphere. To succeed beyond school, it is recommended to attend extra courses in computer science or programming. Some of the basic skills to master include:

  • Crafting PowerPoint presentations
  • Using Microsoft Word
  • Mastering Photoshop
  • Creating emails
  • Setting up online campaigns
  • Developing profiles in social networks
  • Editing videos, etc.

More Skills That Will Serve in Real Life

Students can develop not only tech skills when implementing digital tools in class. With the help of computers, tablets, smartphones, and an instant internet connection, they can gain and improve communication, time management, decision-making, adaptability, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Some classes like English 101 and literature are aimed to train such abilities. However, teachers will benefit from allowing students to use various devices during the class. It will make the students work as the team easier. All of the contemporary recruiters expect applicants to have a set of both soft and tech skills. Thus, mastering some digital devices will help with the job application process.

Ensuring Full Participation of the Class

It is impossible to keep an eye on every student in the class, especially when it is a class of 40 or even more people. Some students may be yawning or even falling asleep, and, as a result, their productivity will fall. Tutors can control the situation in class with the help of digital devices and special programs.

One of the effective methods involves online polling and various questionnaires and fun quizzes for class engagement. Some learners may simply feel shy and unsure about answering and performing in front of the class. Different apps will help them to become more confident or, at least, to avoid the stress associated with responding in front of the class.

Many colleges today have successfully implemented interactive engagement systems. Also, they have added grading rubrics and online evaluation for simpler estimation of test and exam scores. Some software is there to collect student’s feedback to understand which type of homework is not effective or seems too complex for young people. It allows adjusting the assignments as well as the entire study plan quickly and effectively.

Student response systems assist young people with detecting weaknesses in the learning process and make their studies more efficient. Most of the systems like that offer multiple-choice questions or simply “yes-no” answers. In a single click or few, a student, as well as their teacher, may retrieve plenty of useful information and correct the educational program.

Getting Acquainted with Different Types of Software

To use different software for education and training, students should have instant internet access and the ability to use their digital devices. As admitted above, many applications assist in studying and grading students. Many free online tools today even allow creating personal websites and blogs without having to know how to code.

On the web, students can find help and support that they need but cannot get from their teachers or families for different reasons. The main one is the lack of time. On the Internet, learners may always find homework assistance by entering keywords like “write my essay” or quick counseling on basically any subject.

Remote Education to Replace Traditional One

On the whole, it is not even necessary to attend physical schools to obtain certification. Students can even receive MA and Ph.D. degrees online, living in a completely different region of the world. Most often, you can find online programs for MBA as business degrees are extremely popular nowadays. They also include plenty of computer-oriented subjects. It is possible to simply combine courses in programing, SMM, and copywriting with the basic business disciplines.

Gamification Element for More Fun

The apps used for learning should not necessarily be serious, and all about academics. Some fun apps like games motivate the educational process as well, but it is hidden. Students may learn a lot when playing various games that improve strategy and logic.

Three Major Tech Advancements That Extend Education Today

Enhancing learning opportunities is a huge issue for our society. Various tech advancements can be utilized to improve teaching methods as well as academic performance and grading system. Nowadays, technologies allow improving the entire learning process in-class or at home. Many families choose distant education, and the results are impressive.

So, what are the main innovations that stimulate the growth of literacy? We will list tech advancements that can extend education in many ways.

Specialized Communication Channels

Often, the main reason for the specific lessons to be ineffective and cause confusion is the lack of communication between students and their teachers. The explanations provided in class might be insufficient to make pupils understand complex topics. At the same time, personal counseling for everyone is impossible as tutors have things to do in their lives.

Nowadays, it is possible to create college dashboards in the online regime and post all the necessary materials and additional documents there. Also, most schools add forums for discussions of homework and upcoming exams. Teachers can answer students 24/7, and this process takes less time today.

If a student is missing some class, he or she can go online, enter the official school’s website, and check the lesson materials as well as homework. It is easier to mark absence in an online regime so that teachers know who and why did not attend the specific class.

Not to miss the deadline, students can upload their essays, research papers, and other homework tasks directly to their personal accounts or college forums/dashboards. It is a perfect chance to avoid failing grades and other troubles. Students can reach out to their teachers almost as customers do with client support. Sure, tutors are not available 24/7, but some colleges add robots to answer at least FAQs. Immediate assistance and tips help students to do homework assignments more effectively on their own.

Opportunities for In-Depth Research and Data Processing

College libraries often lack the materials necessary for a successful learning process. The amount of textbooks is often limited, so not all students get the necessary resources for education. It isn’t easy to share a physical book, but it’s simple to do that with an e-book. Thus, the Internet has become a more popular place than a traditional library. Sure, some universities can boast research centers that can replace any online resources, but it is better to combine both. Students get easy and free access to numerous sources on the web:

  • Books
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Journals
  • Memos
  • Scholarly articles
  • Research papers
  • Videos
  • Dissertations, etc.

They may use some of them as citations and references for their essays; some of them can be used as templates and examples. Multiple search engines make it possible to find any sort of information within seconds. Students are encouraged to use as many sources as possible, but they should be relevant and up-to-date. Most online sources reveal the publication dates. It is easy to detect a trusted source: they usually pop up among the first search results and belong to domains like .gov or .edu.

Students can store and view info easily with the help of various cloud storage services. Google Docs is just one of the many. Gone are the times when learners had to flip through heaps of educational books and papers. They can simply and quickly share data with their peers and tutors. It allows for faster and more effective data processing.

Newest school equipment and tools make it possible to conduct experiments in classes. Students can research different questions and problems on their own in the labs. It was proven that digital sources are more cost-effective than traditional materials. For instance, it is impossible to delete an online source without admin access. As for the textbook, a student can lose or harm it, and it will cost a penny. Finally, it is simpler to find even a rare book online than in a physical store or library.

Services That Help Students

With the appearance of multiple online platforms for education, students received valuable help and support. Early days, they had to ask their parents or peers for assistance. Now, it is enough to type the keywords like “essay writer online” or “help with homework” to obtain the fast and quality solution to any assignment.

Some of the online tools for students and writers are designed to check grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Those apps are perfect for international students – they help to enrich vocabulary just like Thesaurus. Grammarly and Copywritely are two other popular tools. One can find software created to avoid issues with plagiarism. You simply insert the text in the special field and check how original your writing is (most colleges require at least 95% uniqueness).

Before, we used to turn to the psychical translation bureaus to write papers. Now, there is no need to go outside. Other applications can help to generate topic ideas and even entire sentences. Isn’t that amazing?

Tech Pioneer Launches Next Evolution in Online Videos

Vusay Transforms Online Viewing  Into a Powerful Interactive Social Experience

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 8, 2014—Wendell Brown, founder of groundbreaking tech companies Teleo, LiveOps, Nularis and eVoice, announces his latest venture, Vusay (pronounced view-say). Vusay is a powerful platform that makes online videos interactive with any device, vusay.com or any website with digital content. With Vusay’s point-in-time commenting technology, instead of  just passively watching videos, viewers can immediately add their thoughts and comments at  specific video moments they connect with, then instantly and seamlessly share them via Facebook  and Twitter without ever leaving the video screen.

Vusay disrupts the fast-growing online video industry with this new, powerfully immersive way for fans to engage with media, brands and millions of other viewers around the world. Vusay’s free  embedded technology integrates with virtually any video player on video content websites. The Vusay sidebar features real-time comments flowing at precise moments in videos, making the old scroll-down commentary format—which buries each comment and lacks connection to specific moments—a thing of the past.

“Social media is a vital transformation in the way we engage and communicate,” said Brown. “Especially with video, it’s a moment that matters. With Vusay, comments will no longer be afterthoughts at the end of videos. Now, fans can Vusay their comments in videos at meaningful points, thereby connecting with content, and each other, on a much deeper level.” “Today, more than 1 billion unique users watch more than 6 billion hours of video each month on YouTube alone, with online video users expected to increase globally to 1.5 billion by 2016,”
continued Brown. “There’s a massive opportunity for Vusaying to become an integral component of the video-watching experience.”

Other pioneering companies founded by Brown have been acquired by Internet giants including AOL, Microsoft and Cybermedia. Vusay has offices in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Tel Aviv, Toronto and Berlin, and expects to launch in Europe by the end of September.

For more information, visit www.vusay.com.

About Vusay
Vusay (pronounced view-say) is an innovative social platform that makes videos more interactive for consumers and enterprise customers. With Vusay, viewers add comments that highlight specific moments of Internet videos, while instantly and seamlessly sharing them via Facebook and Twitter. Vusay Media Corp., founded in 2014, is a privately held company with offices in San Francisco, Santa Monica, Tel Aviv, Toronto and Berlin. To share in the experience, visit vusay.com. Don’t just watch your favorite video, Vusay it!

Tech N9ne talks about his love for music and latest album “Therapy”

You may not be familiar with the name Aaron Donetz Yates, but if you’ve been a fan of rap and hip-hop for the past two decades you surely know the name Tech N9ne!

Born in Kansas City, he embraced rap early in life, even rapping the letters in his name to alert others as to how to spell it. In 1991 he began his professional career as a member of the group Black Mafia. In 1997, after appearing with several groups on different record labels, his solo song “Questions” appeared on the soundtrack album for the Tupac Shakur film “Gang Related.” In 1999 he had partner Travis O’Guinn founded the Strange Music record label.

His thirteenth studio album, “Something Else,” was released last summer and features guest collaborations with artists like Cee Lo Green, Krizz Kaliko and the three remaining members of the classic rock group The Doors (keyboardist Ray Manzarek passed away in May 2013 before the album was released). His current EP, “Therapy,” was released at the end of 2013.

While preparing for a recent concert in Grand Rapids, Iowa, the rapper and music label president took time out to talk with Media Mikes about his 2013 releases and what he has planned for the future.

Phillip Smith: How is “Therapy” different from your other past records?
Tech N9ne: “Therapy” is 7 songs that are just amazing to me. It is just what I was feeling at the time. I know there are some fans that won’t be down with the rock rap sound but that’s what I was feeling, it’s what I wanted to do. The beats were constructed in KC and we than flew out to Venice Beach to meet with Ross Robinson. We stayed at Ross Robinson’s house and Wes Borland (formerly of Limp Bizkit) was staying out there at the same time. He sat in on the album and played on nearly every track. It’s condensed but it’s full of energy. It’s totally different from anything Tech N9ne. It has elements of Tech N9ne because it’s me, it was fun. But it’s all new, a new sound, a new message.

PS: When you come back and play in the KC Metro Area, what is one of your favorite places to play?
T9: I have played everywhere from the Uptown Theater to Kemper Arena. I’m about to play at the Sprint Center here soon. But I’d have to say right now it has to be the Midland Theatre. I won’t know that answer when I play the Sprint Center. I was on stage there one time, Lil Wayne brought me on stage when he was here and it was crazy man. I felt that whole place roar, but this time I get to perform.

PS: Is there any other place that you circle on your tour or make sure that you play every tour?
T9: Denver, totally man. It’s incredible man, incredible. I don’t know how it happened over the years but it happened. It’s still going man, that’s why I have a song called “Colorado” on “Something Else”. I have to give to all the people who have been down with me for a long time. They were always down before KC and now KC is finally catching up! You know it’s crazy out there energy wise.

PS: And they let you get away with Chiefs colors in Denver?
T9: Yeah man (laughs) because they all wear the colors when I come to town. They wear the colors of the rival team for me man (laughs loudly).

PS: Do you ever envision yourself stopping the touring and just falling back on family or just writing?
T9: It’s funny you asked that man…I’ve been saying with this tour that If I stopped…. I would be letting everyone down. They are so with me you know what I’m saying? I feel like I’d leave them high and dry I don’t know if I’ll be able ever to stop man. It’s not like they stopped liking the music and said alright stop. Than it would be easy to stop you know. But I get doper as I get older. I just had my 42nd birthday but I feel like I’m still 19. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to stop…I don’t know. It’s weird.

PS: That sounds like a lot of pressure to keep going.
T9: Man, it’s a wonderful thing to still be afloat after all this time, but to be still getting bigger. It’s wild. I can’t quit this!

PS: Now that you have become known nationally and internationally… you’re no longer just Kansas City’s secret. Is this what you expected? Not just the money and being famous, but that you still have people who want to hear what you have to say, than afterwards stand up and cheer?
T9: Well man I’ve been planning this for a long time, a real long time. I always knew I had something special. It just took longer for me to make it here because I’m different. I’m the black guy with the painted face. It’s like it’s always going to be… I don’t know man… I’m gonna push hard no matter what. I’m going to always stand out. I’m not going to perform for no amount of money and change. I am the way that I am. I always knew that I was going to do this. But this isn’t the end. This is a wonderful thing but it’s not Global Domination. I won’t stop till the world knows my story.

PS: Is there someone out there right now that you haven’t worked with that you would love to collaborate on a song or an album.
T9: I think Two Murders together would be great, I think people would like to hear that, I know I would like to hear that. I would like to hear myself next to one of the best rappers in my opinion. You know I have tried a couple times, and I just haven’t been able to get it done . If it happens it will and if it don’t it don’t. I’m still a fan of the man’s music. We will just see if we can make it happen.

CD Review: Tech N9ne “Something Else”

Tech N9ne
“Something Else”
Label: Strange Music, RBC Records
Various Producers
Length: 66 minutes

Our score: 5 out of 5 stars

Earlier this summer Tech N9ne released his 13th studio album, “Something Else.” It is a massive and brilliant collection of songs that show a maturation in the styles and messages delivered by the artist.

A Kansas City native, and local music legend, Tech N9ne has been performing for the better part of 20 years. My experiences with Tech N9ne are definitely not limited. As a teenager I named our family dog Techanina: my family calls her Nina for short but they know her real name. In 2003 I traveled to Phoenix for a concert of his and remember being in awe that there were so many people who knew who he was and that had bought a ticket for his show. He wasn’t just KC’s secret anymore. That being said, there probably weren’t 250 people at the small venue he performed at. In the decade since Phoenix Tech N9ne has accomplished so much and it shows in his enormous fan base, his record sales and the list of collaborating artists he brings in on this CD.

“Something Else” is a journey broken down into three parts: fire, water and earth. The story and songs focus on a meteor that hits outside of Kansas City and the ripple effect the devastation has on the surrounding communities. There are people looking to the heavens for answers; there is looting and corruption. There are fighters of evil and heroes who are making a difference. The roller coaster effect the songs have are reflective of the collaborating artists brought in for their unique styles, thoughts and artistry. From the surviving Doors to CeeLo Green and an all-star collection including System of a Downs’ Serj Tankian, T-Pain, Kendrick Lamar, Game, Wiz Khalifa, B.O.B. and the Strange Music Artists, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun and Big Scoob. Introducing the songs is KC news anchor Mark Alford.

“See Me” and “B.I.T.C.H.” were the first two singles off of the album and both were met with great response and radio play. Every song on the album is worthy of the air waves, and the DVD is an added bonus. It has a behind the scenes view not just on the making of the album but stories and life events detailed by Tech N9ne as to the importance of the songs, and collaborators. “Strange 2013” was the first song recorded for the album and it features all the remaining member of the Doors including keyboardist Ray Manzarek who passed away this past May. The Doors and their music were an enormous influence on Tech N9ne as a child. Their song “People are Strange” was an anthem for him when he was young because he was, well, strange. It’s no secret why his record label is named Strange Music. For him to end his album with this collaboration is a tribute to both the artists, then and now, and the music they have created.