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Top ed-tech news: January 2013

Here are some of the top ed-tech stories featured in the January 2013 edition of eSchool News.

A new tech spec could improve school web searches … Schools use Gallup to predict teacher success … A lawsuit targets the use of “smart IDs” for students: These are among the top ed-tech stories featured in the January 2013 edition of eSchool News.

Our January issue is now available online. You can browse the full publication here [1], or click on any of the headlines below to read these highlights:

New spec could improve educational web searches [2]

A major effort to help publishers tag educational content using a new specification could help teachers quickly find age-appropriate resources online…

School systems use Gallup to predict teacher success [3]

The three largest school systems in Georgia, tasked with screening avalanches of job applicants, are using a high-tech tool that’s supposed to identify people with a passion for teaching…

Lawsuit targets ‘locator’ chips [4]

To 15-year-old Andrea Hernandez, the tracking microchip embedded in her student ID card is a “mark of the beast,” sacrilege to her Christian faith—not to mention how it pinpoints her location, even in the school bathroom. But to her budget-reeling San Antonio school district, those chips carry a potential $1.7 million in classroom funds…

School districts ask parents to insure iPads for students [5]

Covering textbooks with paper grocery bags isn’t going to cut it anymore when it comes to protecting learning materials in public schools. As districts across the country put expensive technology in students’ hands, a growing number are turning to insurance policies from companies like the Stillwater, Okla.-based Worth Ave. Group…

Comparing the leading classroom observation tools [6]

Policy makers are demanding more rigorous teacher evaluations that lead to real improvements in instruction—and school systems are changing their practices as a result.

Central to this effort are software tools that help school leaders record their observations during classroom walkthoughs and share this information with teachers to foster their professional growth. To help school leaders compare some of the leading options, we’ve assembled this handy guide…