The ‘human touch’ in computer-based learning
Here’s an interesting look at research on the impact of technology, says the Washington Post. This was written by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, professor and director of graduate…
Month: September 2012
Obama credits education with boosting ‘mixed kid’ and ‘little black girl’ to White House
President Obama today credited an affordable college education with helping a "mixed kid from Hawaii" and a "little black girl from the South Side of Chicago" make history…
Parents mull private, charter schools amid teachers strike
With a Chicago Public School teachers strike in its fourth day on Thursday, some parents are looking into possible alternatives including charter or private schools, Reuters reports.
Student creativity celebrated internationally on Sept. 15
In today’s AYP-focused school culture, it might be hard to see students as more than just data sets and test scores. In an effort to remind educators, students,…
Create an infographic, win a laptop
The KIDS COUNT Infographic Challenge is a crowdsourcing competition to give young people the opportunity to get graphic with KIDS COUNT data and enter to win great prizes,…
Grants of $1K to fight obesity
YSA and UnitedHealthcare are inviting schools and other community-based nonprofit organizations to Step into Service by applying for UnitedHealth HEROES grants. Grants of up to $1,000 are available…
$1,500 for teen drivers
To support teens and their teachers in this rite of passage, YSA and State Farm® are offering $1,500 YOUth in the Driver Seat Grants to implement a service-learning…
Choosing the Best LMS for Your School District
In rolling out a one-to-one laptop program, North Carolina’s Rockingham County School District knew it needed a learning management platform that could serve as a digital space for…
Facebook and Google help launch online safety platform for teens
Teenagers live online — nearly 58% of teens own smartphones and make up the market’s largest growing sector. However, mobile-crazed teenagers aren’t as unconcerned about online safety as…
High-tech product announcements this fall
It's high season for consumer electronics. Manufacturers of various gadgets are unveiling their holiday lineups, including Apple with its new iPhone on Wednesday. Add to that products surrounding…
Districts stand to lose millions under Ryan budget proposal
A New America Foundation analysis has calculated that under Paul Ryan’s budget proposal to cut federal spending by 20 percent, 77 percent of the 1,500-plus school districts that…
How things look to a returning Chicago teacher
With the Chicago teachers strike continuing for a fourth day, it makes sense to hear how things look in the Windy City to an actual Chicago teacher, the…
Miami-Dade Superintendent on public schools, immigration, and the FCAT
It's hard to imagine more than a handful of jobs more difficult than that of Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the Huffington Post reports.
Students’ science proficiency all over the map
A series of reports found that K-12 students in many states spend less time learning science and don't have access to rigorous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)…
School lunches get a 21st-century makeover
With new limits on calories, sodium, and saturated fats, as well as increases in minimums for fruits and vegetables, schools are revisiting their nutrition management. Thankfully, there are…
A Day in the Life with Technology
Watch this short video to get a glimpse into a “day in the life” of parents, students, and educators who are immersed in technology.
Curriki launches free, project-based algebra course online
Curriki, a global K-12 community for creating, sharing, and finding open learning resources, has launched a free Algebra 1 course aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Available…
Watch: Spending on education programs not buying better test scores
The federal government has spent more than $293 billion in the past decade to improve student academic performance, on top of a combined $5.5 trillion spent by the…
U.S. students lag, struggle more than foreign peers to surpass parents
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s 2012 Education at a Glance report has found that while the U.S. boasts high education attainment levels overall, it lags behind…
Meet San Francisco’s own version of the American dream–beginning in the classroom
After serving as San Francisco's Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, Innovation and Social Justice, Carranza assumed the role as the district's head honcho this past July, the Huffington Post…
Florida probes online school company over teachers
The largest operator of online schools in the United States is being investigated by the Florida Department of Education over allegations the company may employ teachers who are…
HarperCollins reaches deal to lower eBook prices
A new and uncertain era of e-book prices has begun, the Associated Press reports.
New technologies for schools: September 2012
A new way to measure the color brightness of projectors, a messaging service that could boost parent engagement in their children’s lessons, and math software that targets “perceptual…
Seven steps to implementing critical student skills
A new book outlines seven key steps to help schools integrate the "4 Cs"—communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity—into their instruction.
Poll: Teachers, parents want more technology
Results from a new poll suggest that parents and teachers support more use of technology to improve students’ education and real-world skills. The poll comes from the Leading…
Chicago teacher strike poses test for unions
The massive teacher strike in Chicago offers a high-profile test for the nation’s teacher unions, which have seen their political influence threatened as a growing education reform movement…
Op-ed: For first-year teachers, it’s sink or swim
When students across the country go back to school this month, the vast majority will have an inexperienced rookie teacher. It’s startling but true. The teaching workforce is…
Watch: Harry Potter-themed Wonderbook: Book of Spells gets release date
One of the coolest announcements to come out of this year's E3 gaming expo was Sony's augmented reality Wonderbook peripheral, Tecca reports.
Elementary schools get rid of recess
For Syracuse’s elementary school students, recess will no longer be part of the daily agenda, as the district’s master schedule for the new year mandates every minute of…
Will the new Kindles change the game for tablets in education?
The pundits have spoken. Amazon hit a homerun with its new Kindles. 8.9" is just right. Performance is going to rock. Exchange support is top notch. And the…
Strike highlights division on teacher evaluation
One of the key disagreements driving Chicago teachers to the picket lines this week is also a central component of President Barack Obama's education policy: evaluating instructors in…
School districts, cyber charters vie for students
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Chicago teachers strike for first time in 25 years
Thousands of teachers walked off the job Monday in Chicago's first schools strike in 25 years, after union leaders announced that months-long negotiations had failed to resolve a…
Chicago teachers strike for first time in 25 years
Thousands of Chicago teachers walked off the job Monday for the first time in 25 years, after union leaders announced they were far from resolving a contract dispute…
Studies find more students cheating, with high achievers no exception
Large-scale cheating has been uncovered over the last year at some of the nation’s most competitive schools, like Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, the Air Force Academy and,…
Private school vaccine opt-outs rise
Parents who send their children to private schools in California are much more likely to opt out of immunizations than their public school counterparts, an Associated Press analysis…
Elementary school nixes homework
Instead of assigning homework, teachers at Gaithersburg Elementary School in Maryland are asking students to spend 30 minutes a night reading, Fox 5 reports.
Texas backs away from NCLB, its own Bush-endorsed creation
Texas, the state that launched school accountability as an experiment, has applied to untangle itself from parts of the federal No Child Left Behind mandate, the same law…
CoSN examines BYOD safety and security
A new report from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), titled “Safe & Secure? Managing the Risks of Personal Devices,” examines today’s advancing Bring Your Own (BYO) initiatives…
Slanted Wikipedia revisions dog Idaho schools chief
The spokeswoman for Idaho state schools superintendent Tom Luna triggered a tug of war over his Wikipedia entry when revising the web page last week to make changes…