Using cell phones in class? The Oregon Department Of Education approves
Mobile devices are traditionally considered a nuisance in schools, Northwest Public Radio reports.
Month: October 2013
October: Five education grants you don’t want to miss
School funding difficulties show no sign of abating, and school budgets are stretched to the limit. Many educators and administrators rely on school grants to fund important projects…
Happy Connected Educator Month: A day in the life
October has been deemed "Connected Educator Month" by the U.S. Department of Education, the Huffington Post reports.
Can children’s TV characters boost STEM learning?
Can relationships formed with media characters like Dora the Explorer or Elmo help young children learn science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) skills?
Young women will find engineering inspiring, not intimidating
Equality and diversity within engineering have been a hot media topic recently, with figureheads such as the president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Barry Clarke, speaking…
Finding the beauty in math
Math has a bad rap, writes math professor Manil Suri in a recent New York Times op-ed, and would be better geared to students as a playful and…
Best Connected Educator Month tweets
Here are the Connected Educator Month tweets that we found most enlightening, helpful, or interesting this week. #CE13
Editorial: Duncan disregards own advice
In a Sept. 30 speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that “too many [Beltway] inhabitants … are so supremely confident…
Time to focus on the real education problem: Poverty
Many Americans believe public schools are failing our students. Public officials, the media, and investors seeking to cash in on the billions of dollars supporting education by privatizing…
$20K for science teachers
The challenge invites middle and high school science teachers (Grades 6–12) in the United States and Canada (with special attention to urban and underrepresented groups) to illustrate replicable…
Up to $25K for middle school STEM
The Christopher Columbus Awards is a national, community-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program for middle school students. The program challenges the students to work in teams…
Win up to $75K for STEM
The American Honda Foundation engages in grant making that reflects the basic tenets, beliefs and philosophies of Honda companies, which are characterized by the following qualities: imaginative, creative,…
Win up to $50K for science writing
The National Association of Science Writers invites proposals from individuals or groups to apply for grants ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 for projects and programs that are designed…
Five awards of $4,500 for STEM educators
This award recognizes excellence and innovation in the field of STEM education at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels.A total of 5 awardees will be selected…
Administrators share favorite apps, tools for the job
On any given day, school administrators must juggle a variety of responsibilities, support staff, and respond to last-minute issues or emergencies. In an effort to empower busy school…
States, districts take the next step in Big Data
data-studentIt’s a theme often discussed during national education technology conferences across the country: “Now that we have the data, what do we do with it?” With guidance from…
Our future depends on putting tech education at the core
The Huffington Post reports: "Does this class count as an Advanced Placement course?" It's been a common question of my returning IT Academy students.
Education reform advocate John White: We’re in danger of becoming the enemy
Advocates for charter schools, teacher evaluations and other changes to public education that have become mainstream in recent years are at risk of turning into the establishment they…
Are you a technophobe or a technophile in the classroom?
The fact that technology hardware today is ever-changing does not help a technophobe, according to an ASCD blog.
Students are ‘hacking’ their school-issued iPads: Good for them
Almost immediately after receiving their new school-issued iPads this fall, students in Indiana and in California (and probably elsewhere) managed to bypass the security on the devices, “hacking”…
Noteworthy October ed-tech events
October is full of important education-related spotlights. Here, we've highlighted four important events, along with relevant resources, to help you and your teachers observe or implement concepts associated…
Shutdown’s impact on ed programs uncertain
As Congress failed to reach a budget agreement on Sept. 30, triggering a federal government shutdown, education leaders and ed-tech stakeholders wondered how long, and to what extent,…
New Common Core writing resource could save billions
It seems that writing has almost gone the way of mathematics, with many students saying, "When will I need to use this in real life?" But according to…
Didn’t ace SAT? Just design microbe transplant research
The New York Times reports: High school seniors with poor grades and even worse SAT scores, you may be just what one of the nation’s most prestigious liberal…
BYOD to school? 5 tips for keeping student devices secure
Whether in junior high or in college, many students have one thing in common: a smartphone or tablet is in their pocket or backpack, the Huffington Post reports.
Building a “startup culture” in schools
For most, start-ups and school districts couldn’t be more different, EdSurge reports.
How to stop high school from stifling creativity
“Education is not the learning of facts,” said Albert Einstein, “but the training of the mind to think,” The Globe and Mail reports.
Duncan: U.S. failing ‘core responsibilities’ on education
[Editor’s note: In a Sept. 30 speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged education stakeholders to move “beyond the Beltway Bubble”…
How Flipped Learning Is Helping Stillwater Schools Differentiate Instruction
Teachers in Minnesota’s Stillwater Area Public Schools are using Camtasia software from TechSmith to create videos for students to watch outside of class. This has enabled teachers to…
‘Schoola Stitch’ helps clothe families, support schools
The website Schoola has been described as a “Groupon-style” fundraising site that connects parents with local businesses for special deals on food and merchandise, with a portion of…
Six can’t-miss Connected Educator Month panels
What better way to commence Connected Educators Month (CEM), starting Oct. 1st, then to connect educators across the country to discuss topics most relevant to education today? In…
How to support young learners with tablets
Tablets and other mobile devices are not uncommon in today's classrooms and in the hands of students. But companies targeting "typical" students sometimes forget an important subset that…