Federal broadband service map reveals need for connectivity
#4: 5 ways teachers can improve student learning based on current brain research
How students can better overcome language and reading problems thanks to the plastic brain and teacher know-how.
Got a question for Watson? Ask away on Reddit
You've probably heard about Watson, IBM's latest smarter-than-you supercomputer. This week it competed against champions on Jeopardy--and won, CNET reports. Thankfully, Watson is not self-aware (yet), because we…
A huge win for artificial intelligence … but what does it mean for humans?
A gigantic computer created by IBM specifically to excel at answers-and-questions left two champs of the TV game show “Jeopardy!” in its silicon dust after a three-day tournament,…
Qualcomm has high hopes for augmented reality gaming
Qualcomm is demonstrating a number of augmented-reality games for Android-based smartphones at Mobile World Congress, IDG News reports. The games were developed using its AR SDK software development…
D.C. schools to use data from teacher evaluation system in new ways
Although the main purpose of the District's new teacher evaluation system is to rate teachers' effectiveness, officials are beginning to use the fresh troves of data it generates…
Report: Blended learning could hit or miss
Blended learning has the ability to transform education, according to a new report—but if certain guidelines and practices aren’t ensured, blended learning could become just another add-on to…
In census, young Americans increasingly diverse
Demographers sifting through new population counts released on Thursday by the Census Bureau say the data bring a pattern into sharper focus: Young Americans are far less white…
Researchers develop ‘camera’ that will show your mind
Two Toronto doctors, a general practitioner and a medical biophysicist, are laying claim to a research innovation that could expand our knowledge exponentially, reports the Globe and Mail.
U.S. says 25 percent of for-profit students default
For-profit schools' former students default at more than double the rate of those from nonprofit schools, according to data released by the U.S. Education Department as part of…
Holographic TV now a possibility
Holographic TV, although it might sound like the technology of a sci-fi film, is following closely behind, reports Smarter Technology.
Survey reveals educators’ must-have technologies
Interactive whiteboards are the classroom technology that teachers say they most value, and though tablet-style eReader devices such as Apple's iPad haven't been around for long, they're already…
Study: Students need more paths to career success
The current U.S. education system is failing to prepare millions of young adults for successful careers by providing a one-size-fits-all approach, and it should take a cue from…
Define gender gap? Look up Wikipedia’s contributor list
Surveys suggest that less than 15 percent of its hundreds of thousands of contributors are women, reports the New York Times.
Readers sound off on value-added model, district efficiency
In recent eSchool News stories, we asked readers if teachers should be evaluated using the value-added model, and whether school districts should be judged based on their efficiency.…
US students stressed out: study
First-year students on US campuses are experiencing record levels of stress, according to a study showing increasing financial and academic pressures on young people entering university, reports the…
Research finds text-messaging improves children’s spelling skills
A new study from Coventry University finds no evidence that having access to mobile phones harms children's literacy skills, reports ReadWriteWeb. In fact, the research suggests that texting…
If education were a business…
A controversial new study published by the Center for American Progress analyzes K-12 school districts based on their productivity: the academic achievement a district produces relative to its…
Study: US college students don’t learn core skills
According to the AFP, a large number of US university students fail to develop critical thinking, reasoning and writing skills because of easy classes and too little time…
Pew study says internet users more social, civically engaged
That old stereotype that internet users are isolated and anti-social is getting harder and harder to justify, ReadWriteWeb reports. In ... Read more
How much do college students learn, and study?
While The Choice tends to focus on the process of applying to college, we also consider it within our mission to ask how much learning and studying students…
Report shows high school graduates enter college unprepared
High school students should be exposed to college-level courses early on, and they should learn in technology-rich classrooms that redesign the learning process to emphasize problem-solving, critical thinking,…
Should student test scores be used to evaluate teachers?
The so-called value-added model is an “imperfect, but still informative” measure of teacher effectiveness, especially when it is combined with other measures, according to the preliminary results of…
Can you build a better brain?
This would be a whole lot easier—this quest for ways to improve our brain—if scientists understood the mechanisms of intelligence even half as well as they do the…
Readers: ‘Bad’ teachers aren’t the problem
On Dec. 15, we published a story about the results of an Associated Press-Stanford University poll that revealed 78 percent of respondents think it should be easier for…
Nearly 1 in 4 fails military exam
According to the Associated Press, nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the U.S. Army fail its entrance exam, painting a grim picture of an education…
Home 3-D is DOA: Majority of U.S. won’t buy a 3DTV
The dream of delivering 3-D video into consumer homes is one that probably won’t be realized--at least not anytime soon, and most likely not in North America, reports…
How Twitter use has changed, from 2009 to 2010
It's been a good year for Twitter, and not merely because the company announced yesterday it has secured another huge round of funding, reports ReadWriteWeb.
Survey: Parents start to see TV, internet the same
No TV for a week, the time-honored punishment for misbehaving children, has been enhanced. Now, parents are also withholding internet access to punish their kids, further sign that…
Early applicants more likely to gain college admission
High school seniors who apply to college early--through "Early Decision" or "Early Action" programs with fall deadlines--are more likely to receive admission letters than those who apply using…
U.S. public wants an easier way to fire bad teachers
An overwhelming majority of Americans are frustrated that it's too difficult to get rid of bad teachers, while most also believe that teachers aren't paid enough, a new…
Report: Only one percent of ‘bad’ schools turn around
A study out Tuesday underlines just how hard it is to actually turn around a failing school, reports the Christian Science Monitor.
Adults blame parents for education problems
Blaming teachers for low test scores, poor graduation rates and the other ills of American schools has been popular lately, but a new survey wags a finger closer…
What U.S. schools can learn from abroad
