13 Higher Education Bloggers Helping Educators Create Technology-First Curriculums

Technology is the future.

How do we know?

Well, let’s take a look at businesses for a moment. In the business world, it is estimated that, by the year 2020, customers will manage 85% of their relationships without ever even speaking to a human.

Technology isn’t just infiltrating the business world, however.

We live in an age where any random person you stop on the street will tell you that they have their own fashion blog and also run a social media marketing firm based on their skills on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Tumblr, and who knows what else. The younger generation is technology obsessed, so it is only natural that our world as we know it is seeing a shift in the way that it runs.

Every single day, technological advances are being made in order to better our lives. Simple tasks like paying your bills are now made even easier with mobile applications and automated internet technology, so it makes sense that technology be used in schools as well.

Beyond the ‘smart board’ and dvd players, schools have taken to prepare the younger generation for a world of technology. Higher educators, as well, are beginning to make that shift.

With 4 out of 5 students graduating without a job, post-collegiate employment being a higher priority than ever, some educators are dedicating courses to helping students start a blog that they can use to differentiate themselves, showcase their skills and increase their chances of landing that first job.

Higher education, whether we are talking about colleges or accredited universities, all have one common goal: to bring students in. The best way to do this is to reinvigorate these schools with technology. Students today are all too accustomed to the technological trend and no longer want the burden of paper and books.

Schools with a technology-first approach to their curriculum are at a higher advantage than those that are not. Perhaps this is why higher education bloggers have taken it upon themselves to help educators with this phenomena.

Higher education blogs that cater to the technology-first approach are becoming much more popular. To help educate the educators themselves, we have compiled a list of the top 13 higher education bloggers and what their blogs offer their readers.

1. Higher Education Ed

Inside Higher Ed, as it claims on its site, is an online source for news, opinion and jobs for all of higher education. Digital Tweed, the blog sector of Inside Higher Ed, is the work of Kenneth C. Green, who founded the Campus Computing Project. Digital Tweed chronicles the evolution of technology in higher education, ranging from tech company sales to the inevitability of digital course materials in higher education. He promises that you will not always agree with him, but that this is a good and necessary thing in order to spark interest and debate in people because, as he says, “a little dissonance can be a good thing.”

2. Educause Review

This nonprofit company is dedicated primarily to IT leaders in higher education. Its main goal is to help those who lead, manage, and use information technology to shape strategic IT decisions at every level within higher education through informative articles and blog posts. The primary focus on their services is on analysis, advocacy, community building, professional development, and knowledge creation to support the role that IT should be playing in higher education. It currently has a network of over 1,800 colleges and universities, all of whom share their valuable perspectives on IT strategies. Furthermore, there are over 300 corporations involved in Educause.

3. Hanover Research Higher Education

This scholarly blog publishes IT information in various industry niches. Quite interestingly, the user is able to filter by industry, tag, and date to find the exact article information they may be seeking. Readers are able to find information on everything from digital classrooms to online marketing through this website and its superb filtering. Its main purpose is to analyze the findings of educational researchers and provide the material to clients in the corporate, education, and healthcare sectors so they can make informed decisions, identify and seize opportunities, and heighten their effectiveness.

4. Cisco Education

As one of the largest, most prominent technology companies in the world, Cisco is a great leader to turn to if you are seeking out some tech advice. Their education blog in particular focuses in on exactly what you'd imagine --- technology in education. Whether seeking out information on particular schools who are on the top of their game in technology or you simply want to learn a bit more about vocational education and training, you can look no further than this site. Cisco even showcases universities that are implementing the best technology so you, as a higher educator, can be more informed and get new, innovative ideas from the ground floor.

5. Wires Crossed

This blog isn't fancy. It isn't implementing the highest level of web design or website structure. It is hosted by Tumblr. But the reason this blog is so innovative and cool is because of who ist is run by. This is not a technology company pushing its agenda on the masses. It is run by Yale University college students. What was originally created to explore the mobile habits of Yale students eventually turned into a blog about up and coming technologies and how these technologies can affect a student's educational experiences.

6. Kevin Corbett

With a hashtag like #EdTech smacking you in the face as soon as you enter the site, it's only natural that this would make our list of higher education technology blogs. Kevin Corbett has been involved in internet technology for over 30 years now, and has made it his goal to provide the latest information in mobile learning, technology, and online teaching for higher educators and students alike.

7. Higher Innovation

Cameron Evans, the chief technology officer for Microsoft Education, runs this blog. Ultimately, the goal of Higher Innovation is to "accelerate education transformation" with school supply lists, student technological privacy, and educational tablet options for students. Though the site hasn't been updated in a little over a year, it still finds its place on this list for the sole reason that the articles provided are insightful and interesting, and just may inspire students to seek out more technology based education.

8. Hack Education

Audrey Watters, the voice behind Hack Education, speaks on the past, present, and future of education technology in a conversational, often humorous tone to keep tech experts and novices alike engaged and interested. In addition to her blog, she also produces a podcast that focuses on the latest technology and education news.

9. Dave Olsen

A programmer and the West Virginia University project manager, Dave Olsen's blog mainly focuses on technology in education from the mobile stand point. He offers tips and lessons in mobile application and provides "tutorials" in various technology education endeavors for anyone who wants to learn. His website, unlike many of the others, does not simply report on the latest technology findings --- it teaches people how to use these findings for themselves and how it can better their lives.

10. Higher Ed Live

A twist on your average higher education technology blog, Higher Ed Live provides weekly web shows on everything from innovation and technology to student affairs. They provide live shows three times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), but you can also catch all of their previously aired programs on their YouTube channel. Furthermore, Higher Ed Live also has its own blog if you prefer to read your information as opposed to watching it.

11. WCET Frontiers

WCET is the leader in practice of technology enhanced learning in higher education, which makes them an important --- if not pivotal --- source to receive higher information technology information from. This non profit, which brings together colleges and universities from around the globe, is guided by experienced leaders in the higher education technology sector and provides opportunities to connect colleagues and innovative academic technology information to better schools and higher educators alike.

12. University Business

University Business is widely known as the most regularly read publication for higher education leaders at two and four year colleges and universities nationwide. This site provides up to date coverage of all kinds of higher education technology news, as well as important information in other closely related niches such as finance, policy, and more.

13. Educational Technology

This daily blog, which started in 2002 from the University of Illinois at Springfield, is intended to provide a scholarly chronicle of the development of the technology, pedagogy, and practice of using technology to enhance learning at all levels of education in the US and elsewhere. They compile useful articles from around the web and post them on their own blog so their loyal readers only have to stop at one place to get all of the most up to date information on technological education out there.

Andrew Wise is a serial entrepreneur whose sites generate $1+ million in revenue and receive 2.6+ million uniques per year. On his blog, Wise Startup Blog, he shares actionable advice on how you can build massive, passive income streams, designed for the complete newbie. Follow him on Twitter.