Pa. AG files lawsuit against ComputerTraining.com
The Pennsylvania attorney general is suing a recently closed computer training school in an effort to recover fees for former students, the Associated Press reports. Attorney General Tom…
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland's prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
Latest posts by Laura Ascione (see all)
- CoSN 2025: Humans in an AI world - March 21, 2025
- K-12 cyberattacks threaten data–and students - March 20, 2025
- 7 sites to boost SEL in the classroom - March 19, 2025
Verizon Wireless ups data charges to raise revenue
Reuters reports that Verizon Wireless said on Jan. 15 that the company is raising its prices for data services like mobile web surfing to increase revenue and profits.…
Conficker Worm hasn’t gone away, Akamai says
PC World reports that variants of the Conficker worm were still active and spreading during the third quarter, accounting for much of attack traffic on the internet, according…
Haiti text donations to Red Cross pass $5M
U.S. cell phone users have contributed more than $5 million in $10 increments to the Red Cross for Haiti disaster relief, by far the largest outpouring of support…
HP, Microsoft in $250 million cloud computing pact
Tech heavyweights Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft on Jan. 13 announced an ambitious partnership under which they will jointly invest $250 million over three years to develop and market systems…
Chinese spy agency behind Google cyber attack, report claims
Information Week reports that in a blog post heard around the world, though muffled in China's state-controlled media, Google said on Tuesday that it and at least 20…
Schools must embrace mobile technology
BBC News reports that need for schools to prepare for 21st century learning was top of the agenda at this year's BETT conference. They must embrace mobile technologies,…
Groups seek to challenge U.S. gov’t on seized laptops
The policy of random laptop searches and seizures by U.S. government agents at border crossings is under attack again, with a pair of civil rights groups seeking potential…
Microsoft brings kids developer tool to the PC
CNET reports that Microsoft researcher Matt MacLaurin came up for the idea for Kodu in his kitchen in the fall of 2006, noticing the way his three-year-old daughter…
‘Baby Einstein’ founder takes university to court, seeking research data
A co-founder of the company that created the "Baby Einstein" videos has asked a judge to order the University of Washington to release records relating to two studies…
New group will fight cell-phone use by drivers
Safety advocates credit Mothers Against Drunk Driving with helping to change attitudes about getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. Now, they hope a new organization will similarly dissuade…
France plans its own rival to Google Books
France's culture minister on Jan. 12 unveiled a plan to develop what he hopes will prove a uniquely Gallic competitor to Google Books, reports the Associated Press.
Warner Brothers to produce ‘Sesame Street’ video games
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has signed a deal with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization that produces "Sesame Street" in more than 140 countries, to create and publish…
$34 million? Schools say no thanks
Turning their backs on millions of dollars--and potentially controversial changes that come attached to the money--a divided Broward County, Fla., School Board rejected signing on to the state's…
Schools face tough economic road ahead
While some economists point to signs that the nation's economy is improving, others say the U.S. faces a much slower climb out of the recession--a scenario that will…
Duncan: Schools ‘need to be more creative’
Education leaders in the United States must work to close the digital divide and ensure that all students have access to top-notch technology, while at the same time…
FTC: Virtual worlds pose real threat to minors
Minors are able to access explicit content in virtual worlds without much difficulty, and the operators of those virtual worlds should take steps to keep that content away…
R2D2: A model for using technology in education
The Read, Reflect, Display, and Do (R2D2) model is intended as a problem-solving wheel that represents phases of learning--from reading and exploration, to reflective writing, to visualization of…
Software helps students with autism
Using software that includes both on- and off-computer activities led to significant gains in the communication and social skills of students with autism, a Los Angeles Unified School…
2010 e-Rate filing window opens
The 2010 filing window for the federal e-Rate program opened Dec. 3, and interconnected voice over IP (VoIP) and text messaging used for educational purposes are two services…
Avg. school district IT director makes $87,898
Despite the slumping economy, technology personnel working in public school district central-office positions saw a 2.1-percent increase in average salary over the past year, with district-level technology directors…
Students learn dangers of distracted driving
Amid alarming statistics about the number of teens who text or use cell phones while driving, school districts are starting to play a role in educating their students…
FCC proposes web-safety education rules
e-Rate applicants would have to certify that they are teaching students about internet safety, according to a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
FCC proposes web-safety education rules
Schools and libraries receiving federal e-Rate funding would have to submit proof that they have implemented internet safety education programs along with their e-Rate applications, according to a…
Educators focus on dropout prevention
As education leaders align their programs with the goals set forth by Education Secretary Arne Duncan under the Obama administration, a major point of emphasis is turning around…
Report: Top students spurning STEM fields
For years, educators have heard dire warnings about a supposed decline in the number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates from U.S. colleges and universities, and…
Educators share H1N1 preparedness plans
As H1N1 virus-related illnesses continue to increase, schools are hoping to keep students healthy and avoid closures--but many already have plans in place to sustain learning and keep…
Free web filtering catching on in schools
As schools struggle with shrinking budgets and try to work around technology funding cuts, many are turning to OpenDNS, a free network security service that provides content filtering,…
How tech drives success in Title I schools
A new report examines how districts can make the most of education technology funds, and an accompanying guide identifies effective school technology tools. Together, these resources are intended…
e-Rate wants to be user friendly
When the filing window opens later this fall, applicants will find no major changes to next year's e-Rate, the $2.25 billion-a-year federal program that provides discounts on telecommunications…
Experts: Prepare now for autism’s rising flood
As the number of school-age children diagnosed with autism continues to rise at an alarming rate, parents and special-education teachers are trying desperately to make school leaders aware…
San Diego explores effective ed-tech integration through TPACK
The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) has embraced a concept called Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in its professional development model, to ensure that the smart use…
San Diego’s vision aligns with Obama’s plans for school transformation
San Diego's plan to reinvent teaching and learning echoes many of the key focal points of the Obama administration's plan for advancing school reform across the country. These…
1-to-1 computing in the spotlight
South Dakota, Maine, and Wyoming top the list of states with the highest percentage of schools that have ubiquitous (one-to-one) computing programs for their students--while California ranks last…
TPACK explores effective ed-tech integration
As technology becomes an increasingly important tool for teaching and learning, a relatively new concept--focusing on how educators can effectively and effortlessly tailor technology to their instructional practices--is…
$650M in new grants target innovation
U.S. schools will have a chance this fall to compete for part of $650 million in new "innovation" funds that are intended to reward districts that have designed…
Momentum building on STEM education
As part of the Obama administration's emphasis on bringing education into the 21st century, it comes as no surprise that policy makers have trained their focus on STEM…
Let retiring ‘Boomers’ transform schools
An innovative and potentially ground-breaking approach to 21st century education is placing baby boomer retirees from STEM fields into "learning teams" with educators in an attempt to give…
Layoffs prompt teachers to move online
In what could be a result of widespread teacher layoffs, some virtual schools and online learning providers are reporting huge increases in teaching applications for the coming school…
Hard times push Catholic schools toward crisis
In a trend that has been intensified by growing economic worries, declining enrollment in Catholic schools across the nation is forcing many of those schools to close. Key…