Education & Technology Blog

In Our Own Write

Education sets our imaginations aloft. Technology excites our senses. And—together—they help us to see the world anew.

At Clarity, we're always seeking, always learning, always looking for opportunities to share the latest exciting discovery. Be sure to visit our blog for the latest Clarity musings and revelations.

Android Apps on Chromebooks

September 22, 2016 Tod Johnston

Not that long ago, if someone asked for a recommendation about a Chromebook to buy, I’d send them an Amazon link to an older Chromebook with a powerful processor—maybe even an Intel Core processor. You would get a faster device than many newer models at a very competitive price. It didn’t matter that the device was a year or two old. The device specs were rarely much different and automatic updates always ensured you ran the most up-to-date version of the Chrome operating system. Read more about Android Apps on Chromebooks

The Power of Empathy in Design Thinking for Education

September 9, 2016 Lisa Fisher

I recently completed a Design Thinking course to better understand how to increase innovation and creativity in the workplace. While the course was primarily geared toward design thinking applications in business, one universal message stood out: empathy is key. It’s the piece that makes design thinking different from other problem solving models, and I think this idea has enormous potential in the field of education. Read more about The Power of Empathy in Design Thinking for Education

Learning in Motion: Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

August 12, 2016 Dale Basye

Children are natural born storytellers. And they love to trade their tales like currency: whether their own stories or through sharing new concepts or discoveries.

This is why digital storytelling has become such a popular tool for today’s students and educators alike. Digital storytelling allows students to:

• Convey their ideas through the media they themselves most enjoy: video

• Create personal stories and statements that can be shared beyond the classroom

• Provide feedback and interaction Read more about Learning in Motion: Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

Pokémon GO to School?

July 22, 2016 Stefanie Hausman

I’m a fan of geocaching for the very reason that my son, Jonas, agrees to go on an “adventure” (we can’t call it a “hike”) if it involves geocaching. On the trails, we look for hidden treasures, usually little plastic chachkes. The other day, while driving home from the store, Jonas asked me to drop him off a few blocks from our house so he could play Pokémon GO. Since he won’t even walk the dog a few blocks, I agreed. Read more about Pokémon GO to School?

Gamification in Higher Education

July 12, 2016 Jess Sanders

In September 2009, Lee Sheldon, a video game writer and designer-turned-college-professor at Indiana University, decided to try something different with his game design course. In Sheldon’s class, students needed to earn “experience points” to build their “score” up from zero towards a passing grade. The system mirrored video game scoring, where players start at zero and “level up” by completing missions, collecting coins, etc. Read more about Gamification in Higher Education

Including Computational Thinking

June 27, 2016 Tod Johnston

A recent change.org petition urges the U.S. Senate to support more computer science courses across K-12 education. The petition, organized by the Computer Science Education Coalition in partnership with Code.org, cites the glaring discrepancy between a lack of computer science courses in schools and the large demand for computer science workers in the modern economy. Read more about Including Computational Thinking

Opening Up to Open Educational Resources

June 1, 2016 Lisa Fisher

“There is the possibility for open practice to allow students to more directly own their own learning in a broader sense. Openness in learning can help students to be more collaborative, more proactive and more independent, skills that will benefit all of us beyond just the walls of school.”
-Karen Fasimpaur, educational consultant for K12 Open Ed

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are freely available online for everyone to use and can be remixed, revised, and redistributed at no cost. Read more about Opening Up to Open Educational Resources

Microsoft HoloLens: The Future is Now?

May 26, 2016 Jess Sanders

Imagine a future where a teacher can speak a word or wave a finger and make any object in the world’s greatest museum collections materialize in his or her classroom. That future may come sooner than you think with Microsoft’s release of an amazing new product, HoloLens. Read more about Microsoft HoloLens: The Future is Now?

From Reluctant to Triumphant: Turning Wary Writers into Writing Winners

May 21, 2016 Dale Basye

Part Two: Reaching Auditory Learners

A reluctant writer comes in many guises: a student who is good at telling stories but lacks the skill (or desire) to put them down on paper; someone who is never satisfied with what they write; a poor speller; someone who thinks that writing is just grammar and rules; someone who abandons their writing easily; or someone who is simply scared to push themselves or risk appearing foolish. Read more about From Reluctant to Triumphant: Turning Wary Writers into Writing Winners