The 2013 Dean's List: 50 Must-Read Higher Education Technology Blogs
At EdTech, we strive to create the most valuable resources for higher education technology professionals. One of the ways we do that is by highlighting the smartest and most innovative education tech bloggers on the web. Last spring, we released the first annual Dean’s List, a collection of 50 of the top higher education tech blogs on the Internet. That list was selected by our editors, and while it is a great resource, it lacked input from the community. This year, things are different.
We asked readers to submit their favorite blogs and vote on the submissions. We we’re overwhelmed by the response. Crowdsourcing is a fantastic way to collect information, and now we are ready to share the results. We are thrilled to present the 2013 Dean’s List. It represents contributions from professors, administrators, ed-tech startups and independent thought leaders.
Congratulations to all of the bloggers on the list. You can grab a badge to embed on your site here.
If you think we missed a great blog, don’t hesitate to let us know in the Comments section.
UPDATE: An OPML file is available here.
.eduGuru
Every college is compelled to use the Internet to engage current students, entice prospective students and involve alumni. In the rapidly changing world of web marketing, resources are needed for the unique challenges that colleges face online. Founder Kyle James and his team of seven experts — several of whom are currently involved in communications for various universities — tackle marketing, social media and web development.
Read the blog: doteduguru.com
Alan Levine Barks Here
Alan Levine launched his first website in 1993 while working for Maricopa Community College in Arizona. In the last 20 years, he has served as the vice president of community and the CTO at the New Media Consortium and has written thousands of blog posts — 400 in 2012 alone — on web development and disruptive educational technology.
Read the blog: cogdogblog.com
Beestar Blog
This blog is run by the team at Beestar, a technology outfit that builds real-time location systems and learning analytics software. The team’s unique view of Big Data, and the tools used to analyze it, makes their blog an interesting mixture of technology and education. If you want a glimpse into the future of education, start here.
Read the blog: beestar.eu/blog
Bryan Alexander
A senior fellow at the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education, Alexander “researches, writes, and speaks about emerging trends in the integration of inquiry, pedagogy, and technology and their potential application to liberal arts contexts.” His blog is the synthesis of his work in education and technology, with posts on everything from gamification to a vocabulary database that can predict the future.
Read the blog: bryanalexander.org
Changing Higher Education
Lloyd Armstrong, a professor and provost emeritus at the University of Southern California, writes about the “future of research universities, with special emphasis on the effects of globalization.” His posts are thoughtful and articulate and focus on technology, economics, politics, demographics and religion.
Read the blog: Changing Higher Education
College Web Editor
Karine Joly’s blog covers everything you need to know about responsive web design, social media and communications for higher education professionals. In addition to publishing this blog, Joly is the founder and executive director of Higher Ed Experts and an adjunct professor in the social media marketing MBA program at Southern New Hampshire University. Learn more about Karine Joly in our 2012 interview.
Read the blog: collegewebeditor.com/blog
Cyberpop
Run by Sidneyeve Matrix, an associate professor of media at Queen's University in Canada, Cyberpop is a collection of resources about new media and education. This excellent blog was also on our 2012 list. An example of her work can be found in a recent post, Blended, Online and Mobile Technology in Higher Ed.
Read the blog: cyberpopblog.com
Daily Edventures
This blog is published by Anthony Salcito, vice president of education at Microsoft. It’s designed to inspire educators around the world, and it delivers. The blog breaks down technology and policy in classrooms around the world, ponders ways to make education more accessible and encourages readers to submit the names of educators who have been inspirational.
Read the blog: dailyedventures.com
Dave Olsen
Dave Olsen is a programmer at West Virginia University who focuses on mobile technology. Sure, you can find him on Twitter, but you can also follow him on GitHub, the code-sharing social-networking site for developers and programmers. Tech types will appreciate his posts on command-line interfaces and his archive of presentations on mobile strategy in higher ed.
Read the blog: dmolsen.com
Digital: How Technology Is Changing Education
How is digital technology changing the way universities deliver education? There is no simple answer to that question, which is exactly why the people behind The Hechinger Report weigh in on the issue several times a week. A perfect example of the excellent insight offered can be found in a recent blog post, Is online learning only for STEM?
Read the blog: digital.hechingerreport.org
Doug – Off the Record
In addition to being a prolific blogger, Doug Peterson is a sessional instructor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor in Canada. He has been blogging on education and technology, often twice daily, since 2008 and has conducted several interviews with inspirational figures in education.
Read the blog: dougpete.wordpress.com
Duke Center for Instructional Technology
If you want education information straight from the horse’s mouth, particularly about MOOCs, this blog from the Duke Center for Instructional Technology is a can’t-miss resource. Contributions from 13 Duke staff members make the blog an essential read for any educator.
Read the blog: cit.duke.edu/blog
e-Literate
Michael Feldstein’s blog features a distinguished network of experts who cover instructional design, MOOCs and open learning tools. Frequent contributions from Phil Hill, educational technology consultant; Jim Farmer, former CIO for the California State Universities; and a number of other education authorities will ensure that this blog remains a valuable resource for years to come.
Read the blog: mfeldstein.com
edCetera: Straight Talk on Ed Tech
Technology has a wide reach on college campuses, affecting professors, students, administrators and even bookstores. Although Rafter sponsors this site, it’s far from a corporate blog. Some posts offer real insight into consumer and enterprise technology, while other posts examine the leadership skills that will help colleges stay relevant in these changing times.
Read the blog: edcetera.rafter.com
Education News
This is one of the premier education publications on the web today. Education News provides news and insight from education experts who follow the policy developments that govern higher education and funding. The blog’s feature on the higher education “bubble” sparked conversation all over the web and is a great example of the staff’s Web 2.0 approach to content.
Read the blog: educationnews.org/higher-education
EDUCAUSE
EDUCAUSE is the foremost authority on higher education IT. This nonprofit association drives real change, connects IT professionals around the country and hosts one of the best higher education conferences of the year. Their staff blogs frequently on everything from pedagogy to cybersecurity.
Read the blog: educause.edu/blogs
Edudemic
Edudemic covers both K–12 and higher education and has emerged as a popular source of technology tools, guides and resources for any educator. As editors Jeff Dunn and Katie Lepi note, “Edudemic exists and flourishes because there is a need to enable resource discovery among educators around the world.” With 1,000,000 monthly site visitors to prove it, Edudemic truly is a must-read blog.
Read the blog: edudemic.com
Edukwest
This is more than just a blog. The team, led by Kirsten Winkler, hosts three podcasts: EDUKWEST, review:ed and KICKSTART:ED. The shows cover education technology, startups and gadgets and can be downloaded on iTunes or viewed from their extensive library of YouTube videos.
Read the blog: edukwest.com
EmergingEdTech
In addition to running this blog, Kelly Walsh is the CIO at The College of Westchester in White Plains, N.Y. He carefully packages educational technology resources into digestible blog posts. Over the years, Walsh has brought on other writers to keep the valuable information on social media, professional development and course management flowing on a regular basis.
Read the blog: emergingedtech.com
Eric Stoller
Eric Stoller’s professional background speaks for itself. With more than 10 years of experience in student affairs, advising and technology, he has positioned himself as a thought leader in higher education, particularly when it comes to social media. In addition to writing for Inside Higher Ed, Stoller offers up a wealth of information on a wide range of topics on this blog.
Read the blog: ericstoller.com
eSchool News
For the last 15 years, eSchool News has covered “education technology in all its aspects—from legislation and litigation, to case studies, to purchasing practices and new products.” You will need to create a free account to access most of the content, but the thoughtful, high-quality articles are valuable resources for educators.
Read the blog: eschoolnews.com
Faculty eCommons
It’s easy to immerse yourself in the sea of information on this website. Sponsored by Academic Partnerships, Faculty eCommons provides a social community for faculty to discuss best practices for online teaching and learning. Readers are treated to articles that delve into instructional design, gamification and mobile technology.
Read the blog: facultyecommons.org
Hack Education
Blogger Audrey Watters is one of the foremost thought leaders — or, as she puts it, rabble-rousers — in higher education. The term hacker gets a bad rap because of malicious programmers who are determined to wreak havoc on the web. In contrast, Watters simply embodies the hacker spirit by pushing the bounds of what is achievable in higher education. Read just one post and you will be hooked.
Read the blog: hackeducation.com
HighEdWebTech
Mike Richwalsky is the senior director of creative services and e-marketing at John Carroll University in Ohio and is the sole author of the HighEdWebTech blog. Since 2008, Richwalsky has been writing about his experience with web development, cloud computing and web applications. In addition to his posts, be sure to check out Richwalsky’s WordPress themes and plugins.
Read the blog: highedwebtech.com
Higher Ed Management
This blog, the brainchild of Dr. Keith Hampson, is about strategy in today's digital environment. The blog is actually an offshoot of the Higher Education Management group on LinkedIn. The group has nearly 50,000 members and only accepts applicants who work or study in higher education. If you meet the criteria, this group is a wise investment of your time. For everyone else, the blog is a great place to read about strategy and tactics.
Read the blog: higheredmanagement.net
Imagine Learning
This Tumblr blog is run by Stephen Harris, director and founder of the Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning. Although the focus is mostly on K–12 pedagogy, the principles set forth, primarily in Harris’ Manifesto for Education Change, make this blog hugely important to the higher education community. K–12 education is evolving along with higher ed, and colleges can take lessons from innovators like Harris.
Read the blog: imaginelearning.tumblr.com
Inside Higher Ed Technology Blog
Every educator and administrator is familiar with the outstanding web publication Inside Higher Ed. Their technology section lives up to the publication’s high standards and consistently delivers timely, noteworthy news about online learning, classroom technology and policy. You will also find vibrant discussions in the Comments section of nearly every article, where readers share their insight into educational technology.
Read the blog: Inside Higher Ed Technology Blog
Jeff Selingo: The New School of Thought for Higher Ed
Jeff Selingo is an editor at large for the Chronicle of Higher Education and a senior fellow at the think tank Education Sector. His blog links to his work on the Chronicle and on LinkedIn, where he is one of a handful of people deemed influential enough to blog on the platform. He often explores philosophical issues, such as Why the College Campus Experience Still Matters and What Is College?
Read the blog: jeffselingo.com/blog
Kevin Corbett
Kevin Corbett is an online learning program developer with a keen interest in social media, gamification and mobile learning. His active blog collects snippets of education technology news from all corners of the web. His posts are a gateway to an abundance of information, and both his blog and his Twitter feed make it easy to access the latest news related to education technology.
Read the blog: kevincorbett.com
Learning and Educational Technology in Higher Education
Publisher Mark Smithers has deep experience in educational technology, online learning and web strategy. His posts regularly challenge the status quo; one of his most popular posts, Is lecture capture the worst educational technology?, generated enormous discussion in the education community. Keep an eye on this blog for information on e-portfolios and open education and a fresh perspective on all things ed tech.
Read the blog: masmithers.com
Learning Confluence
While many educators are thinking about flipping their classrooms, Julie Lindsay recommends flattening them. The flat-classroom idea, according to author Thomas Friedman, promotes “[lowering] the classroom walls so that instead of each class working isolated and alone, 2 or more classes are joined virtually.” The model Lindsay advocates has many implications for professionals in higher education.
Read the blog: learningconfluence.com
Learning Design and Technology at Maryville University
Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo., has created this robust website to provide support and training to educators interested in instructional design. In addition to the regularly updated News section, readers can enjoy an example of an effective, informative website.
Read the blog: blogs.maryville.edu/learn
Learning Ecosystems
Daniel Christian is a senior instructional designer at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. He curates technology, pedagogy and education news from around the web and adds his reflections in his posts. Topics vary, but you will find plenty of information on MOOCs, libraries, mobile learning and cloud computing.
Read the blog: danielschristian.com/learning-ecosystems
Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities
Situated on the University of Maryland campus, MITH is a digital humanities center that “specializes in text and image analytics for cultural heritage collections, data curation, digital preservation, linked data applications, and data publishing.” In addition to a blog, MITH’s site features thought-provoking weekly podcasts, such as Finding Values Levers: Building Ethics into Emerging Technologies.
Read the blog: mith.umd.edu
Mike Bohlmann
The University of Illinois created the publish.illinois.edu service to give students and faculty of the school’s College of Media a place to create microsites. IT director Mike Bohlmann uses his microsite to discuss his thoughts on technology and IT leadership. You will find posts on a wide range of topics, from technology to meditation.
Read the blog: publish.illinois.edu/mikeb
Mistaken Goal: Where Higher Education & Technology Meet
Blogger Kevin Guidry is a senior research analyst in the Center for Teaching & Assessment of Learning (CTAL) at the University of Delaware. He gives a firsthand account of his experience as a MOOC student and investigates the junction of student affairs and technology. This blog serves up an abundance of information and promises to be a must-read for years to come.
Read the blog: mistakengoal.com/blog
mStoner
The mStoner team has been pioneering new media strategies for higher education institutions for more than 10 years. This blog is loaded with information for education web strategists. If you get the title of this post — 50 Shades of #CCCCCC — you will love this blog.
Read the blog: mstoner.com/blog
NspireD²
Chris Clark, assistant director of the Kaneb Center for Teaching and Learning on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, publishes the NspiredD² blog to inspire faculty and students. Clark explores both sides of the learning paradigm. If you are overwhelmed by all of the valuable information, skip to the top posts.
Read the blog: ltlatnd.wordpress.com
On the Go with Ed Cabellon
Most higher education professionals are familiar with Cabellon’s blog. A 2012 must-read blogger, Cabellon is the director of the Campus Center at Bridgewater State University in Massachussetts and, with his take on social media has distinguished himself as a thought leader in the education community.
Read the blog: edcabellon.com
Open Thinking
Dr. Alec Couros is a professor of educational technology and media at the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina in Canada. His blog posts, which focus on digital pedagogy, aren’t frequent, because his real web home is Twitter. Also check out this library of his presentations.
Read the blog: educationaltechnology.ca/couros
Perry Hewitt
Perry Hewitt is the chief digital officer at Harvard University, and one of only a few female CDOs in the United States. Hewitt and her team are working on a comprehensive strategy to meet needs in communications, engagement and transaction and are exploring the ways in which organizations are transformed through and for their digital constituencies.
Read the blog: perryhewitt.com
Ray Schroeder
Ray Schroeder is the associate vice chancellor for online learning at the University of Illinois Springfield Online and the director of the university’s Center for Online Learning Research and Service. In 1997, he founded the U of I Online and initiated the university’s online program, which now hosts more than two-dozen online degree and certificate programs.
Read the blog: sites.google.com/site/rayschroeder
Some Guy Named Rae...
Raechelle Clemmons, CIO at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis., took a nontraditional route to her current position, having started her career in retail sales management before moving to business-to-business marketing. She later joined a Silicon Valley startup and in 2004 made the leap to higher education. She shares her love of technology and offers actionable advice for organizations looking to leverage technology.
Read the blog: rclemmons.wordpress.com
Stephen's Web
Stephen Downes works for the National Research Council of Canada, where he specializes in the fields of online learning, new media, pedagogy and philosophy. He writes prolifically about online learning and the connectivist learning theory. Downes describes “Stephen’s Web,” founded in 1995, as “a digital research laboratory for innovation in the use of online media in education.”
Read the blog: downes.ca
Student Affairs & Technology Leadership
Joe Sabado, associate director for information systems and software development for the UC Santa Barbara Division of Student Affairs, developed his blog to share his “thoughts on anything student affairs related, including technologies, leadership and management.” He is a proponent of the use of technology in student affairs and writes frequently on the intersection of technology and professional development in higher education.
Read the blog: joesabado.com
TechDean
TechDean, the blog of Purdue University College of Technology dean Gary Bertoline, presents his perspective on the ever-changing world of technology and the college’s role as a leader in technology innovation and education, and includes his vision for keeping the college at the forefront of the technology landscape.
Read the blog: blog.tech.purdue.edu/techdean
Technology Enhanced Learning Blog
David Hopkins, a learning technologist at the University of Leicester in England, started his blog to engage with other educators, facilitators, technicians and designers interested in e-learning, m-learning, simulation-based learning, technology in the classroom, Web 2.0 and more. He writes frequently on developments in theory, pedagogy and approaches related to learning, as well as the evolving role of learning technologists.
Read the blog: www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk
The Higher Ed CIO
Jerry Bishop doesn’t write specifically for an IT audience. Rather, Bishop works to offer non-IT readers a glimpse behind the IT curtain, enabling them to become better consumers of internal IT services. His blog also aims to help IT professionals and CIOs shift their roles from being tactically oriented in operations to being strategically focused on transforming their institutions.
Read the blog: blog.thehigheredcio.com
U of Admissions Marketing
Jens Larson works in admissions at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash. His blog is focused on sharing digital enrollment techniques and strategies and helping other higher education leaders improve their skills in web analytics and content strategy. The blog presents best practices from other higher education institutions and news on Web 2.0.
Read the blog: www.uofadmissionsmarketing.com
Wired Campus
Wired Campus, published by the Chronicle of Higher Education, delivers the latest news and developments in technology and education. Compiled by the members of the Chronicle’s reporting and editorial staff, it offers some of the most insightful, current and deeply reported information on higher education technology on the web.
Read the blog: Wired Campus