File-sharing hearing to be shown online
With oral arguments set to begin this week in a copyright-infringement lawsuit that pits a Boston University graduate student against the music recording industry, the federal judge overseeing the case has authorized the use of live video streaming to make the proceedings public.
Key concepts: RIAA, music file sharing, Boston University, copyright infringement
Schools make inauguration a teachable moment
Schools across the country used the inauguration of President Barack Obama as a teaching opportunity, broadcasting the historic event live in their classrooms and using web sites and other technologies to help provide historical context.
Key concepts: Barack Obama, Obama and education, inauguration, Obama and technology
New technology a big draw for school’s library
An injection of $30,000 worth of new computer technology into the Mifflinburg Area High School library has resulted in more student visits and nearly triple the amount of subject research, reports the Daily Item of Sunbury, Pa.
Tech giants vow to change global assessments
Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco–three technology giants that last year vowed to increase their efforts aimed at global education reform–have banded together to develop the next generation of assessments: tests that measure 21st-century skills and provide a global framework for excellence.
Key concepts: Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, 21st century skills, education assessments, Learning and Technology Forum
HP grants aim to redesign college engineering
Aiming to reinvent undergraduate computer science and engineering programs through the use of technology, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) is accepting proposals from colleges and universities for a new grant program called “HP Innovations in Education”–and more than $2.4 million in cash and equipment is available. Key concepts: college grant, Hewlett-Packard, global economy, engineering technology.
Inauguration is inspiring classrooms nationwide
The inauguration of America’s first African-American president has captured the imagination of students and educators with an intensity that surpasses previous ceremonies, and schools from New Hampshire to Florida to California are working to bring the excitement and pageantry, the sheer history of it all, to life in the classroom, reports the New York Times.
Ruling backs school in internet free-speech case
A federal judge has ruled that Burlington, Conn., school officials acted within their rights to discipline a student for an internet posting she wrote off school grounds, reports the Boston Globe.
NYC education department set to give kids and parents eMail addresses
New York City public school kids and their parents soon could be getting their own free eMail accounts from the city’s education department, reports the New York Daily News.
Schools save cash as IT goes green
Low-voltage servers are powering universities’ supercomputers. Students can no longer print pages by the ream. Computers are being recycled. And the glow of screensaver fish tanks is disappearing from many college campuses as new energy-efficient programs put computers on standby, saving superfluous wattage that can cost schools thousands every year. Key concepts: green technology, green IT, supercomputer, university of buffalo, babson college
Jobs’ hiatus doesn’t ruffle educators
The news that Apple Inc. co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs is taking a health hiatus until the end of June sent the company’s shares tumbling 4 percent last week, reportedly wiping out some $10 billion in shareholder wealth. But in considering what the news might mean for schools, educational technology leaders who spoke with eSchool News were more measured in their response.
Key concepts: Steve Jobs, Apple Inc, Apple computers, Apple CEO