Wi-Fi to come in a much faster, short-range flavor
The industry group that supports Wi-Fi is adopting a new technology that should boost data speeds more than 10 times at short distances, which could replace video cables…
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)
- How AI is streamlining special education - November 3, 2025
- How Windows 11 is powering the next generation of K-12 innovation - October 23, 2025
- Rethink the classroom: How interactive tech simplifies IT and supercharges learning - October 22, 2025
The cybersecurity boom
Analysts have noted a growing boom in cybersecurity work, the Washington Post reports. From small, recently-established firms all the way up to the well-known defense contracting giants, local…
Guest-teaching Chinese, and learning America
The New York Times reports that Zheng Yue, a young woman from China who is teaching her native language to students in this town on the Oklahoma grasslands,…
SharePoint for the K-12 environment
In a January 18, 2010 post on his eLearning Technology blog, Tony Karrer gave his list of the top 10 eLearning Predictions for 2010. Prediction #5 was “Lots…
Like Facebook, but for learning
Aiming to engage students who are multitasking with different forms of technology, companies are creating collaborative learning spaces online where students can help one another solve homework problems…
Know your security risks
Before beginning any major campus security project or even a minor upgrade, I recommend a thorough risk assessment. Most quality, experienced security integrators will provide one free of…
It could happen here
Most of us would like to think that the campus where we work or send our children to school is safe--free from the shootings, stabbings, and assaults we…
Let’s work together
For more than 30 years I have been involved in security and law enforcement. I have helped to protect presidents, heads of state, and other senior dignitaries. But…
Lots of technology, but we’re missing the point
No matter how much technology we throw at our students, they will flounder if they do not know how to handle information effectively.
Digital copiers pose security threat
Although stolen laptops and computer-savvy hackers are frequently the focus of school security discussions, information retained when sensitive documents are photocopied poses another very real, although often overlooked,…
Solar power making a comeback among schools
Web surfers requesting a Google Earth view of the Athenian School in Danville, Calif., are greeted with an image of what school officials call the "solar A"—a mass…
Bill Gates kicks off college tour
While the world faces enormous challenges such as feeding its populations, developing clean energy, and fighting diseases, many of its best and brightest citizens are focused on other…
Report: Race to Top winners chosen arbitrarily
A new report by a non-partisan research institute alleges that Tennessee and Delaware, the first two states to win education funding through President Obama's $4 billion Race to…
Apple rejects kid-friendly programming app
About 40 years ago, tech legend Alan Kay invented the idea of a lightweight tablet computer that children could use to learn programming. Apple’s iPad delivers on the…
Plano ISD hits the road with stimulus-funded mobile computer lab for parents
On April 20, the Plano Independent School District unveiled its new $300,000 mobile computer lab, an outreach effort to connect needy families with social services and better engage…
Rule change takes aim at loophole in Title IX
The Education Department no longer will allow universities to rely solely on electronic student surveys to prove they are meeting the requirements of the gender-equity law known as…
Public access to school computers raises questions
A move that will let schools use federal e-Rate funds to help their stakeholders get online by opening up their computer labs to the community after school hours…
Meet the Ph.D.s Facebook is putting through school
Facebook has named the first recipients of its new fellowship program for Ph.D. candidates doing research in areas related to "the social web and internet technology," reports the…
Library of Congress to archive ‘tweets’
Not everyone would think that actor Ashton Kutcher's Twitter musings on his daily doings constitute part of “the universal body of human knowledge”--but the Library of Congress now…
9-year-old hacks into Fairfax schools’ computer system
Are you smarter than a third-grader? Because the online education system used by the Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia apparently is not, reports the Washington Post. Police…
U.S. falls short in measure of future math teachers
America's future math teachers, on average, earned a “C” on a new test comparing their skills with their counterparts in 15 other countries, reports the New York Times--significantly…
Facebook unveils revamped online safety site
Facebook has launched a revamped internal site designed to help people stay safe and report threats while on the popular online hangout, reports the Associated Press. Facebook's "Safety…
Six technologies soon to affect education
Cloud computing and collaborative learning environments are set to take hold in K-12 schools in the very near future, with mobile devices, game-based learning, and other education technologies…
Expanding school district gets a boost in interactive technology
As the fourth largest school district in Texas, the Northside Independent School District (NISD) in San Antonio makes it a priority to keep up with the ever-changing need…
California district cuts energy consumption costs
The Silicon Valley is known as a high-tech apex and is quickly cementing itself as a leader in the green movement. Located just 15 minutes south of San…
Integrating STEM in the elementary years: Your lesson plans may already hold the answer
Are you a teacher searching for ways to teach engineering in your elementary classroom, but want to start simple and are not quite sure how to begin? Well,…
A look at the technology culture divide
The arrival and rapid dissemination of digital technology in the last decades of the 20th century fundamentally changed our students. Today's students represent the first generation to grow…
From proposed plan to implemented program
The partnership between public and private stakeholders has never been more important to American education. That's especially true now, as we consider the recommendations set forth by the…
Critics say administration’s blueprint is too similar to NCLB
As the Obama administration seeks support for its plan to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), many education policy analysts worry that the new blueprint's guidelines…
Enough hardware, already!
Guess the years: a computer in every classroom; internet access in every school; 1:1 laptops for middle or high school students; an interactive whiteboard in every classroom; 3D…
What a Business Process Analyst can do for K-12
Delivering financial savings, continuous innovation, and better execution is a must for every K-12 organization. A Business Process Analyst (BPA) can deliver that benefit and allow the organization…
Digital access, collaboration a must for students
In a national survey that reveals K-12 students' use of technology at home and at school, students overwhelmingly agreed that access to digital media tools and the ability…
Adventure Learning: Authentic online learning
Adventure learning (AL) is a recent framework used for designing and developing online learning. This AL approach engages teachers and ... Read more
Federal officials address ed-tech concerns
Before an audience of chief technology officers from across the country, Karen Cator, director of education technology for the U.S. Department of Education, and Federal Chief Technology Officer…
A ‘green’ solution–in more ways than one
One of the main reasons for the growing interest in desktop virtualization is the potential for huge energy savings over time. While a typical PC uses about 110…
Extending the life of old computers
Another key benefit of desktop virtualization is the prospect of extending the life of old computers. Most districts have a computer refresh cycle of three to five years.…
Once a leader in school diversity, NC retrenches
The Associated Press reports that when North Carolina's Wake County decided to do away with race-based busing to desegregate schools, local officials came up with a novel solution…
MeriTalk tech conference brings public and private sectors together
Government geeks and private-sector geeks will get a chance to rub elbows at a brand-new technology conference taking place March 4, the Washington Post reports. But beware of…
Obama angers union officials with remarks in support of R.I. teacher firings
President Obama voiced support March 1 for the mass firings of educators at a failing Rhode Island school, drawing an immediate rebuke from teachers union officials whose members…
At Singularity University, blowing minds and taking meetings
For Rob Nail, Feb. 27 was a bonanza of opportunity, CNET reports. Over dinner that night in building 20 at the NASA Ames Research Center here, Nail found…