Federal judge rejects plans for Google digital library
A federal judge on March 22 rejected a deal between internet search leader Google Inc. and the book industry that would have put millions of volumes online, citing…
Year: 2011
Peanut allergy issue stirs controversy at Florida school
According to Reuters, some public school parents in Edgewater, Florida, want a first-grade girl with life-threatening peanut allergies removed from the classroom and home-schooled, rather than deal with…
Amazon shuts down eBook loans via Lendle
Since Amazon gave Kindle users the ability to loan their eBooks in December, we've seen a number of startups launch in the eBook lending space, creating networks to…
NC historian uses Twitter to show Civil War life
A historian with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources is telling the story of the Civil War, 140 characters at a time, the Associated Press reports.
Deal to combine AT&T, T-Mobile raises questions
AT&T's surprise announcement that it plans to acquire T-Mobile USA will force federal regulators to confront a difficult antitrust question: Can American consumers get good wireless service at…
On college campuses, a gender gap in student government
More than half of George Washington University’s 10,000 undergraduates are women. But the latest candidates for student body president were Kwasi, Joshua, Chris, Phil, Jason, Caleb and John.…
For law students with everything, dog therapy for stress
Yale Law School, renowned for competitiveness and its Supreme Court justices, is embarking on a pilot program next week in which students can check out a “therapy dog”…
How to fight back against devastating budget cuts
If educators are going to win back the hearts and minds of the public in support of public schools, they need to learn how to engage social media…
No Child Left Behind: Can Obama revamp the education law?
The Obama Administration is doubling down on its push to overhaul the federal No Child Left Behind Act, reports TIME.
SAT’s reality TV essay stumps some
Every year, the SAT reduces more than a few teenage test-takers to tears. But few questions on the so-called Big Test appear to have provoked more anxious chatter--at…
Loan study on students goes beyond default rates
According to the New York Times, for each student who defaults on a loan, at least two more fall behind in payments on their student debt, a new…
Bringing your new iPad 2 to work
As most companies have looked to cut costs any way they could, the result has been a workforce equipped with underpowered devices, plastic enclosures and an outdated mobile…
US student quits over ‘appalling’ Japan rant
A US student whose "appalling" anti-Asian and anti-Japanese rant went viral on YouTube announced she was quitting college, after receiving death threats, reports the AFP.
Rural schools face uphill climb for funding
Large, low-performing, urban school districts make national headlines with their struggles and successes. But rural school districts, less frequently noticed or mentioned, also face significant challenges in helping…
ED sticks by controversial rule; online college officials concerned
The Education Department (ED) said in a March 17 letter that it would not rescind a controversial new rule requiring online schools that operate nationwide to register with…
Facebook can help in disasters: academic
An Australian academic Friday praised the increasing use of social media during disasters, saying there had been a "beautiful display of humanity" on Facebook during recent catastrophes, reports…
Will Smith helps Philly school replace computers
Will Smith is donating replacements for 30 stolen computers to a high school in West Philadelphia, where he was born and raised, the Associated Press reports.
Univ. of Delaware wrongly lauds 61 for admission
The University of Delaware is apologizing to dozens of applicants who were mistakenly congratulated for winning admission to the university, reports the Associated Press.
Home schooling’s appeal spreads to mainstream
Studying at Harvard, meeting for group French lessons, volunteering at a hospital and spending a day in the wilderness are just a glimpse into a typical day of…
What the U.S. can learn about improving teacher effectiveness
U.S. policy makers and educators should look to high-performing global education systems for valuable lessons as they seek to develop systems that improve teacher and school leader effectiveness,…
FTC, White House urge internet privacy measures
Top federal officials pushed forward March 16 on efforts to establish mandates for internet privacy, the Washington Post reports. In a Senate hearing on internet privacy, the chairman…
Kickball, tennis, and app writing
Summer camps have long been part of the American experience for children and teenagers, and for the last 30 years or so, computers and technology have added to…
Baidu’s online library accused of piracy by Chinese authors
An online library operated by Chinese search engine giant Baidu is drawing criticism that its becoming the next online hotbed for pirated works, IDG News reports. This week,…
SAT’s reality TV essay stumps some
Every year, the SAT reduces more than a few teenage test-takers to tears, the New York Times reports. But few questions on the so-called Big Test appear to…
Google Docs does the wave
Do you miss Google Wave? Judging by the adoption rate of that ill-fated service, probably not, reports the Washington Post. But for those who were fans of Google’s…
CoSN’s crystal ball: Get ready for mobile learning, cloud computing
In one of the highest attended sessions of the Consortium for School Networking’s annual conference in New Orleans, CoSN, in collaboration with the New Media Consortium (NMC), on…
New report details children’s media consumption
While children's use of mobile media devices and computers is on the rise, they still use television as their primary media source, according to a report released March…
Free math software helps students from elementary school to college
Math teachers and students will find helpful resources on GeoGebra, a free and multi-platform mathematics software for all levels of education that joins geometry, algebra, tables, graphing, statistics,…
U.C.L.A. student’s video rant against Asians fuels firestorm
When Alexandra Wallace recorded her rant about Asian students using cellphones in the library at the University of California, Los Angeles, she was alone, speaking to her computer,…
FACT CHECK: Are 82 percent of schools ‘failing’?
President Barack Obama declared this week that four of five public schools could be labeled as "failing" this year under the No Child Left Behind Act if Congress…
Bring back textbooks
In schools and school board meetings, and in the news, they are often ridiculed. People say they are too heavy. They are too expensive. They induce sleep. They…
Ohio governor’s budget plan includes union limits
In another move that would limit the influence of organized labor in the state, Ohio Gov. John Kasich has proposed exempting universities from a requirement that they pay…
Meteoric Twitter serving a billion tweets every week
Twitter is extremely popular. You know it. We know it. Another news story reiterating that fact perhaps isn’t necessary, The Tech Herald reports. That being said, certain major…
Claim: Google Apps for Education inaccessible to blind students
An advocacy group has filed a complaint with the federal government accusing New York University (NYU) and Northwestern University of discriminating against the blind by adopting Google’s eMail…
Mobile learning, online communities take the spotlight
During its annual conference in New Orleans March 15, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) launched two new initiatives: one to help school leaders understand how to lead…
Obama pledges crackdown on cyber bullying
President Barack Obama paved the way for victims of cyber bullying and their families to speak candidly about how school bullying has affected their lives in profound ways…
Experts: Use national budget crisis as an opportunity
In the opening session for the Consortium for School Networking’s annual conference, held this year in New Orleans, the theme was "Mastering the Moment," which referred to the…
$600K awards to strengthen STEM
This program aims to strengthen predominantly black institutions to carry out programs in the following areas: science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM); health education; internationalization or globalization; teacher…
Up to $1.8M for history education
This program supports the establishment of Presidential Academies for Teaching of American History and Civics (Presidential Academies) that offer workshops for both veteran and new teachers of American…
$1M to help parents of children with disabilities
This program helps to ensure that parents of children with disabilities receive training and information to help improve results for their children.