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EdTech Center at World Education
XPrize Semi-finalists Announced
Man with cell phone
Semi-finalists were announced this week for the Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPrize, a global competition in which 109 teams competed to develop mobile applications for smart devices that result in the greatest increase in literacy skills among participating adult learners in just 12 months.

The eight semi-finalist apps will now be field tested for 15 months in Philadelphia, Dallas and Los Angeles by 12,000 adult participants who read English at a third-grade reading level or below. We at the EdTech Center will be following the field testing to report on leanings on the effectiveness of different instructional strategies used in the apps with different demographics (ELL, ABE, etc.).

Approaches vary from teaching through song lyrics ( Lyrica), interactive audio and texting messages ( Cell-Ed), gaming ( People ForWords, AutoCognita and Learning Games Studios), videos and other multi-media content ( Learning Upgrade and Alphabet), and culturally appopriate e-content linked to life skills ( AmritaCREATE). Some of the apps deploy a combination of strategies.

For more information on the competition, see the XPrize competition's announcement. Of note is that apps that perform best in field testing will be made available across the United States for complimentary use for 18 months.

Photo by Trevor Traynor. Courtesy of XPrize Foundation.

TECH TIPS BLOG
Learning Upgrade: XPrize Semi-finalist Leveraging Big Data
Alison Ascher Webber shares her conversation with Vinod Lobo, CEO of XPrize semi-finalist Learning Upgrade, about their transition to adult learning and how they use data to differentiate instruction.
E-LEARNING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Mathematizing ESOL I: Integrating Whole Number Operations

The idea of integrating math into the ESOL classroom originated with ESOL teachers and students who saw both the need and the opportunity to learn math skills for employment, academics, and daily life. ESOL lessons are often contextualized using themes such as shopping, banking, and employment — topics where math is inherent. The wonderful reality about teaching ESOL in adult education is that learners are eager to learn and are grateful for the opportunity to grow personally and professionally – and that includes being fluent in basic math skills.

This course is designed to help ESOL teachers build conceptual understanding of math topics around whole numbers and to offer strategies for integration of math into ESOL instruction. The intention is to encourage teachers to look for where, when, and how it makes sense to include math in lessons while continuing to focus on language acquisition and effective communication.

August 23-September 27, 2017 (5 weeks)

Estimated Completion Time: 4 hrs/week

Format: Online, asynchronous, facilitated
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44 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA, 02210

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