Best Practices Articles



Best Practices in School Technology Spring 2009

Best Practices Spring 2009 Cover BEST PRACTICES
in School Technology

Best Practices in School Technology is
a publication of eSchool News and is
dedicated to providing K-20 educators
real-world solutions to school
technology challenges.

BEST PRACTICES in School Technology (pdf)

1-10 of 52

  • Visual learning delivered on Cat 6A cable
    Tue, Oct 13, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Audio-visual technology
    Students can watch TV programs on a large projection screen from their desks or anywhere in the classroom, thanks to a specially designed and integrated video and data system that uses a simplified cabling network. Teachers use a computer to project live programs or to preview and record shows for viewing later. [ Read More ]

  • Predictive assessments help enhance one district's performance
    Fri, Sep 25, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Assessment & Evaluation
    Missouri's Park Hill School District (PHSD), with 15 schools and more than 10,000 students, has seen a 17 percent increase in enrollment over the past decade. Teachers used classroom assessments, but the district lacked the capability to track data on student progress toward state standards, and also lacked predictive assessment data. Key words: Acuity Predictive Assessments, state educational data, educational technology, student data tracking [ Read More ]

  • Online tools boost parent-teacher communications
    Tue, Sep 22, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Communication & Collaboration
    Few will dispute the fact that parental involvement improves a student's chances for success. And in order to engage parents, first we need to communicate effectively with them. To increase the participation of parents in our California district, Natomas Unified School District created a Communications Committee in 2007 to research and identify ways that we could improve the district's communications with our parents and other stakeholders. Key words: school communications, Schoolwires, educational technology, school technology [ Read More ]

  • Going green saves green
    Mon, Aug 03, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Networks and infrastructure
    School districts consume huge amounts of energy. But as much as we wanted to turn green talk into action, it was difficult to do with our aging buildings, large installed infrastructure, and rapidly growing student population. The perfect opportunity came with a bond measure in 2006 that gave us a chance to remake our technology program with a new green vision. We built architecture around virtual desktops--and that has resulted in huge cost savings and considerable energy reductions. Key words: NComputing, virtual desktop, Judson Independent School District, green IT, education, technology [ Read More ]

  • IPTV goes to school
    Mon, Jul 27, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Video technologies
    Though parting may still be sweet sorrow, no one at Michigan's new Pennfield High School misses the days when they had to search for an AV cart to show Romeo and Juliet. Whether it's film or television in the classroom, or daily announcements in the cafeteria, everything travels in digital format over a single IP network. Gone are the days of tangled cables, damaged tapes, and precious class time wasted wondering why there's no sound coming from the system. Key words: IPTV, school video, educational video, education, technology [ Read More ]

  • Florida Department of Education builds plans for disaster and recovery
    Wed, Jul 15, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Emergency Planning
    In preparation for a disaster, Florida's DOE was paying an annual maintenance fee to SunGard to reserve equipment in their facilities. Duncan realized there were significant cost inefficiencies in that approach and saw an ideal opportunity to save money and still acquire the necessary DR technology and functionality. Key words: disaster recovery, InMage, school data, school emergency preparedness [ Read More ]

  • Unlocking the power of film in education
    Tue, Jul 07, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Copyright , Video technologies
    Ten years ago, I used movie clips in my classroom teaching, but now that VHS has disappeared, I don't use movies so much anymore. In the classroom, DVDs are just plain cumbersome when it comes to effective use of film. When you're seeking to compare and contrast two versions of the balcony scene in different film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, fast forwarding through trailers of Hellboy, American Gangster, and Baby Mama really spoils the mood. And because of the time it takes to load a DVD, the process is so time consuming that by the time you get the second scene cued up the bell has rung and the period is over. So much for comparison-contrast. [ Read More ]

  • Adobe software helps award-winning Palo Alto journalism students shine
    Thu, Jul 02, 2009    Primary Topic Channel:  Software
    California's Palo Alto High School (Paly) has enjoyed a rich legacy of excellence. Influenced by its proximity to Stanford University, the Silicon Valley business community, and San Francisco's metropolitan culture, Paly has been continually recognized for its exemplary learning environment--particularly in the journalism program. [ Read More ]

 

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