Category: Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resource (OER) Repository Plugin For WordPress

Post author By North Navigation
Post date August 16, 2017

Today our team launched WP OER – a free plugin which turns any WordPress education website into an open educational resource (OER) repository, available on the WordPress plugin directory.

Open educational resources (OER) are freely accessible, openly licensed documents and media useful for teaching, learning, and assessing as well as for research purposes.

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[irp posts=”7638″ name=”Prepare Your Students For Digital Assessments By Using Free Online Resources”]

If your school or district leverages the power of WordPress for your website, users can now access millions of resources through WP OER. Alternative and more flexible licensing options have become available as a result of the work of Creative Commons, an organization providing ready-made licensing agreements less restrictive than the “all rights reserved” terms of standard international copyright. These new options have become a “critical infrastructure service for the OER movement.” Another license, typically used by developers of OER software, is the GNU General Public License from the free and open-source software (FOSS) community.

WP OER is easy to install, import, publish and administer!

Install the WP OER plugin – simply search for WP OER in your WP admin interface
Go through the setup options to customize
Import resources or spreadsheets of external resources
Publish your resources for everyone to use!

[irp posts=”8277″ name=”Is Your Education Website ADA Compliant?”]

More information about Open Education and the U.S. Department of Education’s #GoOpen Campaign can be found on the Office of Educational Technology’s website.

Visit www.wp-oer.com for more details.

Company News Digital Learning Design Education Industry Open Educational Resources

Navigation North Project Earns 2017 Gold MUSE Award

Post author By North Navigation
Post date May 15, 2017

The Smithsonian Learning Lab was launched last year as a result of the partnership between The Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access in Washington, D.C. and educational technology agency Navigation North. Last week, the project was awarded a 2017 Gold MUSE Award for Education & Outreach from the American Alliance of Museums.

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Joe Hobson and Brian Ausland of Navigation North spearheaded prototyping initiatives with educators determining how best to leverage digital resources in classrooms, leading to the team’s extensive user testing and post-launch research released last month.

The Smithsonian Learning Lab has received several recognitions over its inaugural year, including Top 10 Tech of 2016 by School Library Journal and Best EdTech of 2016 by Common Sense Education. Over 2 million digitized museum resources are currently available online, with thousands more are being added every week.

Learn more about the project here.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Company News Digital Learning Design Education Educational Partnerships Industry Open Educational Resources

Leading OER Resource Research Partnership: Smithsonian Learning Lab

Post author By North Navigation
Post date April 24, 2017

For over five years the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access (SCLDA) has been researching, building, and improving the Smithsonian Learning Lab for educators. But now it is time to hear from the students!

We at Navigation North are proud to be a partner in this exciting venture which brings digitized collections from Smithsonian’s 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the National Zoo into classrooms across the country.

And new resources are being added every day!

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As it currently exists, the Learning Lab was created with input from a variety of classroom teachers. Our leadership team partnered with Smithsonian staff to lead prototyping, along with providing recommendations for metadata and resources structuring.

Not only do we love teacher input on tools we develop for the classroom, but students also need to be heard!

Navigation North VP and Director of Education, Brian Ausland, leading an in-class session with students.

In 2015, SCLDA launched a research project, Understanding the Needs of Student Users of Digital Smithsonian Resources. The goal of this research was to provide additional insight into how digital systems, tools, and content can better align with the needs of student learners.

Last week, members of the SCLDA project team presented an overview of this research at the Museums and the Web Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. The findings from this research are also available on the Learning Lab blog here.

[irp posts=”7638″ name=”Prepare Your Students For Digital Assessments By Using Free Online Resources”]

If you have questions about how to leverage Open Education Resources (OER) or are contemplating a partner for your next EdTech research project, feel free to reach out to our team.

We don’t byte! ;)[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Career and Technical Education Education Innovative Instruction Open Educational Resources STEM

Prepare Your Students For Digital Assessments By Using Free Online Resources

Post author By North Navigation
Post date April 5, 2017

Preparing Students For Digital Assessments

The second half of the school year brings with it major education assessments which can be a stressful time for teachers, parents, and students. PARCC, Smarter Balanced, ACT Aspire, and Common Core States Standards (CCSS).

According to The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment:

“The average difference in the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced in the CSTs between laptop and non-laptop students was 17 percentage points for English-language arts and 18 percentage points for mathematics, both favoring the laptop program. The greatest difference, 20 percentage points between the two groups, was observed in the sixth grade mathematics scores and eighth grade English-language arts scores.“

Student use of technology for learning and assessment prior to standardized digital testing improves test scores, along with several other benefits including directing their own learning, a greater reliance on active learning strategies, engagement in problem solving and critical thinking, and deeper and more flexible uses of technology than students without regular access to technology (source).

There are many challenges these assessments place on teachers. Here are some no-cost resources for the classroom which will help prepare students for digital assessments.

Comfortability With Technology Testing

Engaging students with a variety of online tools will help prepare students for an assortment of evaluation programs. Differences in user experience between testing platforms often confuse students. Students familiar with navigating and responding to questions in an online environment are able to focus more of their attention on the critical thinking, reading and writing requisite with assessments of all subject areas. Research shows reducing students’ cognitive load is crucial to helping them more accurately demonstrate their actual learning.

The Smithsonian Learning Lab is a free resource teachers love. The ability to add activities and assessments to the plethora of Smithsonian resources and collections provides a no-cost means to prepare students of all ages to navigate digital content, examine resources, and respond to online question banks similar to those found in the new digital statewide platforms.

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The newly released Sorting Activity Tool familiarizes students with timeline ordering and experience with another digital tool.

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Encourage Critical Thinking

Through the use of web-based tools, teachers create and publish their most innovative lessons and projects for use by colleagues on CTE Online. With over 4,000 unique lessons and tens of thousands of quality embedded OER instructional materials, this free educator platform has become a definitive source for teachers seeking ready-to-use curriculum.

[irp posts=”6790″ name=”California’s Blended PD/Curriculum Project Works To Explain Growing Popularity In Other States”]

Customize curriculum, projects, lesson plans, and resources for use in your classroom to encourage creative problem solving and get students thinking!

Creating a Martian Society STEM Integrated Project

What Works For Other Educators?

Use social media to connect with other teachers to see what works for them!

A hashtag we like to review regularly on Twitter is #EdTechChat – Educational technology experts and educators regularly share insights and reviews using this hashtag.

[irp posts=”7584″ name=”Teachers Rocked The Booth At CUE Conference”]

A source for general standardized test preparation can be found on Education.com.

Have questions about these resources? Reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook, we’d be happy to help![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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Teachers Rocked The Booth At CUE Conference

Post author By North Navigation
Post date March 27, 2017

Navigation North had a blast at CUE 2017!

Our team demonstrated some of the platforms we helped develop, including CTE Online, The Smithsonian Learning Lab, and Open ED Community. It was wonderful to meet so many different, creative, and excited teachers.

We were asked time and time again, “How is all this stuff free?!?”

Thank you to all the teachers who registered! We hope you find these free resources helpful in your classroom.

We felt the Twitter love. #OERsuperhero

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As a teacher who has NEVER taught out of a textbook, I approve 😂 #cue17 #smithsonian #edtech #cue17expo #oer @openEDcommunity pic.twitter.com/l79Ivh61pg

— Vanessa Vosburg (@MissVTechie) March 17, 2017

Congratulations to the winners from us back in Washington DC! #CUE2017 https://t.co/omtBUCIkMe

— Learning Lab (@SmithsonianLab) March 17, 2017

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We know how to have fun in booth 513! #CUE17 #OERsuperhero pic.twitter.com/rVKvWH7DSp

— Navigation North (@NavNorth) March 17, 2017

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We gave away decks of the limited edition Curio Smithsonian Learning Lab collectible card game, countless stickers, green swag and temporary tattoos for St. Patty’s Day, t-shirts, blow up dice, and more.

Not to brag, but our booth was the fun booth. Duh!

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To see more photos from the conference, visit our Facebook page.

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Communities of Practice Company News Education Educational Leadership Industry Open Educational Resources Professional Development

Navigation North Announces New Open Educational Resources Platform

Post author By North Navigation
Post date March 1, 2017

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/1/2017

Fast Growing EdTech Company to Launch Free Open Educational Resource Platform in Summer 2017

Chico, CA: Today, Navigation North, an educational technology research and development firm, announced a summer 2017 release of a no-cost online platform for educators titled Open ED Community.

www.openEDcommunity.com[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”0″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text][/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”0″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text]Navigation North has been instrumental in several educational development projects including the U.S. Department of Education’s Learning Registry, California Department of Education’s CTE Online, and the Smithsonian Institution’s Learning Lab.

Open ED Community will feature free resources for educators, librarians, site administrators, education leaders and more. Areas of specialty will include professional development, customizable curriculum, collaboration tools and resource repositories.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”0″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text][irp posts=”7049″ name=”4 Reasons Students Love The Smithsonian Learning Lab”][/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”0″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text]Of the company’s much anticipated launch, Navigation North President Joe Hobson said, “We’ve spent the last twelve years developing innovative tools for educators across a wide variety of systems, and it’s exciting to finally bring the best of those ideas together in one unified platform.”

Navigation North will be showcasing a variety of tools which served as precursors to this new platform at the CUE 2017 National Conference in Palm Springs, the largest and longest running education technology conference in California.

Interested parties can register to be notified of further Open ED Community launch details.[/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”0″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text][/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”0″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text][irp posts=”6679″ name=”How Is Navigation North Different From Other EdTech Companies?”][/fusion_text][fusion_separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”20″ bottom_margin=”0″ sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””/][fusion_text]Whether creating digital learning tools or online professional development environments, Navigation North combines educational expertise with innovative development to help promote the power of learning and sharing.

www.navigationnorth.com[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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EdTech Thought Leaders To Follow In 2017

Post author By North Navigation
Post date January 30, 2017

[fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]If one thing remains the same in educational technology, it’s change. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of visionaries and mavericks to follow for thoughtful insights into trends and advances in the EdTech world.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Tom Vander Ark

CEO & Partner: Getting Smart

Tom Vander Ark is an EdTech writer, speaker and influencer. He is CEO of learning design firm Getting Smart and previously served as the first Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Vander Ark has published thousands of articles and white papers, authored books such as Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World and Smart Parents: Parenting for Powerful Learning.

Below is Tom Vander Ark addressing innovations in education at TedX Manhattan Beach.

Vander Ark’s passion for personalized digital learning inspires us to stay on the forefront of benefiting students through a variety of opportunities for learning.

Follow Tom Vander Ark on Twitter.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Audrey Watters

Troublemaker: Hack Education

Audrey Watters is a self-described education writer, independent scholar, serial dropout, rabble-rouser and ed-tech’s Cassandra.

Watters’ essays can be found in countless outlets and her published works include The Monsters of Education Technology, The Revenge of the Monsters of Education Technology, The Curse of the Monsters of Education Technology, and Claim Your Domain.

What Happened in Ed-Tech in 2016 (And Who Paid for It)? https://t.co/tDXKqjOYjX pic.twitter.com/dkUqTmc6Lz

— Audrey Watters (@audreywatters) December 31, 2016

Our team looks forward to getting insightful email and social media updates from Watters’ Hack Education. Her approach to analyzing and observing EdTech trends is thought-provoking and often laced with our kind of humor.

Follow Audrey Watters on Twitter.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Steve Midgley

CTO Technology Consulting: Learning Tapestry

Steve Midgley offers CTO technology consulting and development through Learning Tapestry.

Previously, Midgley consulted with the Federal Government to develop approaches including the Learning Registry and Race to the Top.

Steve has worked extensively within leading for-profit companies and within non-profit and bureaucratic organizations. He doesn’t mind stirring the pot when it’s necessary, but always as a means to move the technology and conversation forward.

Follow Steve Midgley on Twitter.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Richard Culatta

Educational Innovator

In 2012, Richard Culatta was appointed by President Obama as the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S. Department of Education.

Culatta currently serves as Chief Innovation Officer for the State of Rhode Island. He has also served as an education policy advisor to U.S. Senator Patty Murray.

Below is Richard Culatta addressing personalized learning at TedX Beacon Street.

Culatta’s commitment to improving access to education and closing the achievement gap inspires us. He is driven by a personal passion for helping students succeed, and his willingness to try new things helps countless teachers and students.

Follow Richard Culatta on Twitter.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Susan Van Gundy

CEO & Founder: Eduvate

Susan Van Gundy is the former Director of Technology for the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (the PARCC Assessment Consortium), was Director of Education and Strategic Partnerships for the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and Deputy Director of the NSDL Resource Center.

Susan serves on numerous educational technology and science education advisory boards and speaks frequently at conferences and workshops.

We originally partnered with Van Gundy to share NSDL resources to California teachers through Digital Chalkboard. This collaboration lead to the beginnings of the Learning Registry, a nation-wide resource repository of open educational resources. We look forward to working with Van Gundy in the future!

Find Susan Van Gundy on LinkedIn.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Douglas Levin

Founder & President: EdTech Strategies

Doug Levin is a trusted adviser to federal and state policymakers and education leaders. He was instrumental in developing and implementing the nation’s first education technology plan and strategy in 1996 under President Clinton, as well as its subsequent updates in 2000 and again in 2004 under President George W. Bush.

Previously, Levin held positions with the American Institutes for Research, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and the National Association of State Boards of Education.

Amazon will now send your kids tech and science toys for $20 a month as part of new STEM club service https://t.co/DtKYz8kj06

— Doug Levin (@douglevin) January 25, 2017

We recently ran into Doug at the Open Ed Tools Symposium and it reminded us how much we value his honest approach to EdTech development and will always look forward to sharing ideas with him.

Follow Doug Levin on Twitter.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]The leadership team at Navigation North also shares current happenings and insights into education and technology on Twitter: @joehobson & @bausland

Follow @NavNorth on Twitter for industry updates and news!

Did we miss someone you value following? Let us know in the comments below.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Digital Learning Design Education Open Educational Resources

4 Reasons Students Love The Smithsonian Learning Lab

Post author By North Navigation
Post date January 11, 2017

The Smithsonian Learning Lab was created to connect students to over 2 million digital resources available from 19 Smithsonian museums and the Smithsonian National Zoo. Partnered with this is the adoption of new state and federal policies calling for curricula to include digital materials and resources, including open education resources.

But let’s not focus on the stuffy adult whatnot. There are fun and interactive ways students of all ages can enjoy learning with the Smithsonian Learning Lab! Students who don’t have financial or geographical access to Smithsonian resources can now replace a field trip with digital experiences.

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1. Collections Are More Fun Than “Sit and Get”

Students can save, sort, edit and recall resources from the search function, creating their own collections. Building collections allows kids to learn based on their interests and can challenge them to make connections between disparate resources.

If students find interesting items outside of the Learning Lab, they can also add non-Smithsonian resources from any web link.

Famous Pharaohs Collection

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2. Personalized Learning

The new Sorting Activity Tool allows students to arrange items in a linear order or group items into buckets. This example asks participants to sort presidents by the year they were in office. Students find these activities more engaging than dull instructional alternatives.

The Last 100 Years, In Order

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3. The Variety Of Resources To Engage Students

From space exploration to insects, from old books to ruby slippers; there are over a million unique resources for students to explore.

Smithsonian Insect Resources

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[irp posts=”6679″ name=”How Is Navigation North Different From Other EdTech Companies?”]

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4. This Is Not Yesterday’s Technology

The Learning Lab is continuously being improved with features added. New 3D objects allow students to move resources as if interacting with the physical items!

Abraham Lincoln 3D Mask

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Check out the Smithsonian Learning Lab today! Click here to read about Navigation North’s support and to view press and features of the project.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Education Open Educational Resources STEM

How To #GoOpen Using The Learning Registry

Post author By North Navigation
Post date January 5, 2017

#GoOpen Campaign

The U.S. Department of Education’s #GoOpen Campaign encourages states, school districts and educators to use openly licensed educational materials to transform teaching and learning.

Open data is the idea that data should be freely available to the public—both technically and legally—to use and redistribute without limitation. When high-value data sets are publicly available practitioners, researchers, and the public can use the data to inform their work in classroom and communities across America.

Open data follows the following principles:

Public – available to all in accordance with the law and the Office of Management and Budget’s Open Government Directive.
Accessible – available to the widest range of users in a machine-readable format that is non-exclusive and usable without restriction.
Remixable – available under an open license that allows others to use, share, and add to data without restriction.

The GoOpen campaign goes beyond traditional data, actively urging participants to share learning resources and curriculum. As more and more states are approving the use of digital tools and texts, educators need to be able to easily locate and use those resources with their students, and the Learning Registry provides the network infrastructure to handle those exchanges.

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#GoOpen Success

Learn how the Williamsfield School District leveraged education technology to save families and taxpayers money while providing unique, targeted learning opportunities for each student.

At today’s date, 19 states and 107 districts have enjoyed the benefits of #GoOpen status according to Kristina Peters, K12 Open Education Fellow at the Office of Educational Technology.

#GoOpen Using The Learning Registry

Whether you are a publisher, developer or educator; there are resources online to guide you on becoming a #GoOpen state or district!

There are a variety of tools and methods to find, collect, and publish resources to and from the Learning Registry, depending on the size and technical capabilities of your organization. Navigation North‘s President, Joe Hobson, has provided documentation on publishing using the EZ Publish Tool, one of the easiest ways to quickly get your resources out there. For large-scale implementations, there are a variety of open source libraries and custom scripts that can be tailored to your specific needs.

Anyone can link up with other contributors and get the latest news and updates by subscribing to the Collaborator Mailing List. Simply send an email to learning-registry-collaborate@googlegroups.com to register.

You can also attend one of the regularly scheduled community phone conferences regarding development, publishing and using the Learning Registry. More information about these meetings is available through the Learning Registry Developers Google Group.

[irp posts=”6848″ name=”6 Reasons Teachers Love The Smithsonian Learning Lab”]

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Digital Learning Design Education Educational Partnerships Open Educational Resources

6 Reasons Teachers Love The Smithsonian Learning Lab

Post author By North Navigation
Post date December 16, 2016

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The Smithsonian Learning Lab provides an online toolkit for teachers to discover Smithsonian’s digital resources and create personalized learning experiences for themselves and others.

Educators can visually explore more than 2 million resources from across the Smithsonian, so it’s easy to find something of interest. The website’s tools enable users to easily organize and customize the resources to make them their own.

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As teachers share their work with others – whether it’s one person, an entire classroom, or the world – the Learning Lab becomes an ever-richer source of knowledge and ideas and a more collaborative community.

Here are six reasons teachers love using the Smithsonian Learning Lab!

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1. Bring millions of Smithsonian resources to your students.

Teachers can help students engage in deep examination of an image by using image annotation. Describe details and highlight notable information from your lesson.

Minimize resource information to just what your students need to know by adding an item to your collection, selecting the information panel, and clicking the description to edit to your liking.

The Hotspot Tool allows you to pinpoint areas on an image or document and provide further information.

2. Digital resources from across Smithsonian in a variety of media formats.

There are now over 2 million digitized resources with new ones being added constantly, including 3D scans which are available for download. Read more about Smithsonian digitalization efforts.

No one is limited to only Smithsonian resources. You can also add resources from your own website, a YouTube video, or any document into your collection for student review.

Check out this 3D replica of Abraham Lincoln.

3. Bring collections to where your students are.

Likewise, instructors can find items from the Smithsonian collection and embed them where learners already like to connect, be that a class website, Google Classroom, Moodle, or other tools.

Embed codes are easily found in the options of the Share button.

This is a collection about the Apollo 11 crew:

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4. Teachers build collections, share resources and expand the Learning Lab.

There are a wealth of resources and activities to introduce students of all ages to the Smithsonian Learning Lab, including over 1,400 collections shared by users and the Smithsonian Staff.

5. Adapting collections for instructor needs is easy.

Using another teacher’s resources for your own is great, but adaptation is even better! If you like a collection another instructor has created, but want to add items such as a quiz, that’s no problem. You can also update the language used to better speak to your own students.

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6. Test Subject-area knowledge and encourage critical thinking.

Assignments and quizzes are a great way to track student engagement with the content you’ve created.

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For more detailed information on getting started with the Learning Lab, click here.

Don’t wait, explore the Smithsonian Learning Lab today!

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Interested in how Navigation North helped develop this educational technology tool?

[/fusion_text][fusion_button link=”/work-item/smithsonian-learning-lab/” color=”default” size=”xlarge” stretch=”no” type=”flat” shape=”square” target=”_self” title=”Smithsonian Learning Lab” button_gradient_top_color=”” button_gradient_bottom_color=”” button_gradient_top_color_hover=”” button_gradient_bottom_color_hover=”” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”0px” icon=”” icon_divider=”yes” icon_position=”left” modal=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””]Click Here To Learn More[/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]