Six lessons learned as a grant reviewer
In the May 2012 edition of eSchool News, Grants and Funding columnist Deborah Ward reveals how serving as a grant reviewer can help you in writing your own…
Month: May 2012
10 books for high school summer reading
Students might not enrich their minds inside a classroom over summer break, but that doesn’t mean enrichment can’t be found in one of the original 24-7 tools for…
Watch: NYC bans student-teacher interaction on social media
Should teachers in the digital age be allowed to Facebook friend and Twitter follow their students? The New York Department of Education (NYC DOE) says no, Mashable reports.
A state that just says ‘no’ to modern school reform
Quietly marching to its own drummer, Washington State has mostly turned its back on the education reform movement that is sweeping much of the rest of the country,…
Why the nation needs more female engineers
“Are you sure you want to be a software engineer? You are such a people person. Won’t you be stuck working alone, staring at a computer for hours…
Gay student faces expulsion for firing stun gun to fend off bullies
Darnell "Dynasty" Young, a 17-year-old gay student at Arsenal Tech High School in Indianapolis, Ind., is facing possible expulsion after he fired a stun gun at bullies he…
Watch: Former, current Chicago mayors clash on longer school day debate
While former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has thrown some veiled criticism at successor Rahm Emanuel in the past, the man who led the city for 22 years…
Top educational technology news: May 2012
In the May 2012 issue of eSchool News, we report on several significant ed-tech developments, including a speech by education historian Diane Ravitch about the promises—and perils—of school…
Educational gaming on the rise, but funding remains a challenge
In a national survey, teachers say they believe that using digital games in the classroom helps students maintain concentration and enthusiasm for learning, while making it easier for…
Alan November Invites You to the BLC Conference
Join Alan November at the Building Learning Communities Conference.
MIT launches student-produced educational video initiative
MIT has launched an initiative encouraging its students to produce short videos teaching basic concepts in science and engineering to ... Read more
Social media and video games in classrooms can yield valuable data for teachers
Social media, video games, blogs and wikis are playing increasingly important roles in classrooms across the country, according to the Hechinger Report.
Watch: Colbert on ‘don’t say gay’ in school bill
There is a bill now being considered by Missouri legislators that would come close to banning all conversations in public schools about sexual orientation as well as bar…
For some parents, leaving a private school is harder than getting in
In February 2011, Nicole Smolowitz’s son was admitted to the Mandell School on the Upper West Side. She signed a contract and paid the $7,500 deposit. By late…
Young student urinates on class MacBooks, costs school $36,000
An 11-year-old male student at Upper Allen Elementary School in Mechanicsburg, Pa., is facing serious consequences after he urinated on the school's MacBook computers, causing around $36,000 in…
Pontiac school district finances to be reviewed by Michigan Department of Education
The Pontiac school district took a step this week that may put the school system on the road to a state-appointed emergency manager, the Huffington Post reports.
‘Brogrammers,’ ‘hogrammers,’ and the gender gap in college computer courses
The rise of the brash, stylish, computer-geek-turned-cool-guy known simply as a “brogrammer” among popular technology startups threatens to further alienate women from enrolling in computer science courses, where…
Personalized instruction provides HOPE to Colorado students
HOPE Online Learning Academy Co-Op in Colorado’s Douglas County has used a blend of online and face-to-face learning to deliver highly individualized instruction to students, many of whom…
Senate bill on the use of restraint would tie school leaders’ hands
In the 1990s I was the superintendent for an intermediate school agency that provided the special-education services for its component school districts.
eSchool News April 2012
• K12 faces class-action lawsuit • Digital revolution changing lives of students with disabilities • Ten ways schools are teaching internet safety • How to approach funders who…
Six lessons learned as a grant reviewer
I recently received an eMail message from an individual who attended a workshop I led on grant writing in February. During my workshops, I often encourage attendees to…
Resources
StopBullying.gov http://www.stopbullying.gov This is a federal website for parents, educators, other caring adults, and kids themselves, created by the U.S. ... Read more
New video game-themed high school may be a hard sell
Never mind video games getting in the way of homework or learning time. At one Florida school, video games are homework, the Huffington Post reports.
Kid cheats; Father sues school district
A high school sophomore supposedly cheated on homework. He was kicked out of his honors English class, and his father doesn't deny the cheating occurred. But that's not…
Students win $115,000 by doing the math on high-speed rail
Many high school students do math problems about trains. Fewer win $115,000 in college scholarships by calculating the possible future of U.S. high-speed rail, LiveScience reports.
Studying the Kentucky Derby: More than a horse race
Good teachers know how to wrap a lesson around almost anything (when they are allowed to), says Valerie Strauss, columnist for the Washington Post.
School district fights subpoena of Penn State victim records
A Pennsylvania school district on Monday moved to quash a subpoena asking for psychological and other records of one of the 10 boys Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky…
Groups advocate for mobile learning, 21st century education
Two working papers from educational technology stakeholder groups advocate for mobile learning and its ability to expand educational opportunities to students of all circumstances.