Tips for understanding copyright rules
With headlines about tough copyright rulings fresh in their minds, educators across the nation might hesitate when it comes to using copyrighted material in their lessons or sharing…
New course is like traffic school for sexting
Students who send explicit photos on their cell phones wouldn’t have to be branded as sex offenders, if a new curriculum developed by Yahoo! Inc. catches on.
Seven iPad alternatives for schools
With their interactive touch screens, easy portability, and quick boot-up time, tablets are increasingly becoming schools’ classroom computers of choice. And while many schools have invested in Apple’s…
Colleges taking a team approach to eTextbooks
Reining in exorbitant textbook costs is no longer a campus-by-campus venture: A unified approach, powered by EDUCAUSE and the Internet2 consortium’s NET+ cloud-based collaborative purchasing program, could make…
Microsoft offers free cloud-based Office software for schools
In a back-to-school move that could be the large company equivalent of distinguishing who has the cooler Trapper Keeper, Microsoft has released a free version of Office 365…
Online learning platform uses ‘Hollywood Squares’ model to boost engagement
The ever-present temptations of Facebook, Twitter, eMail, instant messaging, text messages, and online shopping are no match for face-to-face-to-face-to-face interaction.
Project to evaluate use of tablets in schools
Tablets—with their lightweight portability and interactive touch screens—have been hailed as the next “must have” as schools move toward mobile computing. But questions linger: How much network access…
District ‘Race to the Top’ rules spur mixed reaction
Proposed guidelines for school districts to vie for $400 million in new federal grants have elicited mixed reaction from education groups—from concern among ed-tech groups over how “personalized…
ISTE 2012: Educators seek the brass ring of student engagement
“Redefining horizons: Encouraging students’ passion to achieve” is the theme for this year’s International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference—but in what looked like a scene that…
Public university becomes first to endorse untraditional online model
Students at the University of Wisconsin (UW) can earn college degrees based on proven competency in a subject, making UW the first publicly-funded school to launch a competency-based…
College cost website raises questions about Romney’s higher-ed stance
The for-profit Florida university that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney supports as a model for holding down college costs is one of the country’s priciest schools, according to…
‘Data center in a box’ could ease virtual computing
A new disruptive technology aims to help schools cut costs and streamline the deployment of virtual computing by combining servers, storage, and virtualization in a single box.
Colleges join internet goliaths in long-awaited protocol change
June 6 was perhaps the most important day in the history of the commercial internet, and hardly anyone noticed.
New site offers a whole new approach to online safety
While schools are right in teaching students about the dangers that exist online, a new website aims to promote the benefits of internet use—as well as bridge the…
Ed-tech leaders schooled on interoperability standards
When school technology directors purchase an innovative product from one vendor and an exciting upgrade from another vendor, schools can find themselves in a tangle of incompatible formats.…
University research will evaluate physical data to gauge teacher effectiveness
A student’s physical reaction to a classroom lesson soon could be used to judge how successful—or unsuccessful—an educator is in keeping students engaged.
Social media trends should prompt a rethinking of school communications
Websites are slowly taking a backseat to text messaging and micro-blogging tools like Twitter for breaking news, emergency messaging, and sharing other urgent information, writes award-winning eSN columnist…
Computerized searches help identify non-resident students
“Boundary hoppers”—parents who falsify their residency so their children can attend a particular school—can strain already cash-strapped districts. Now, a new technology-based solution claims it can help.
Readers: Six ways to rate a high school’s quality
TIME magazine, U.S. News, and other publications have begun to release their "best" school rankings for 2012. Many of these rankings rely on two key factors in particular:…
How can schools better motivate students?
It might seem like common sense: To achieve better results, students have to be motivated. But what can schools do about this? A new report from the Center…
Survey: Analytics ‘revolution’ slow to reach recruitment
Campus technology leaders are using their massive reams of data to improve their schools’ websites, social media presences, and marketing strategies—but many campuses aren’t using analytics to optimize…
New concussion-management service targets schools
Sports concussions have captured public attention in recent years, with high-profile NFL players and other professional athletes stepping forward about the long-term effects of sports-related head injuries. Now,…
New: 10 of the best Android apps for education in 2012
Last year we presented “Ten of the best Android apps for education,” which highlighted some of the best apps for Google Android-based mobile devices. However, with new upgrades…
What are college students talking about on Facebook?
General confusion might be the key ingredient to an engaged crop of incoming freshmen on a college or university’s Facebook page.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt seeks to reassure schools amid bankruptcy filing
Education publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) is seeking to reassure schools that it’s business as usual after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy May 28 to wipe out $3.1…
Educators who use technology on their own are more likely to support ed tech
A new report reveals that it’s not just students who love using 21st-century technology; it’s many of the adults in education, too—and the adults are translating this love…
The top 10 ways college students plagiarize
When it comes to plagiarizing, students who use the unethical shortcut seem to be all in: Copying and pasting a research paper word for word is now the…
School groups craft seven-part plan for improving teaching
National, state, and district education leaders have convened at a conference this week focused on establishing better labor-management collaboration to ensure that teachers are respected, supported, and equipped…
Six technologies that soon could be in your classrooms
Looking into educational technology’s crystal ball for the fourth time, the annual Horizon Report for K-12 education has listed six emerging technologies that schools are likely to adopt…
Report calls for more broadband access in schools
School districts should provide a minimum of 100 megabits per second of bandwidth for every 1,000 students and staff members within the next two years, and federal lawmakers…
New PBS deal could shake up video streaming market for schools
A new agreement between the Public Broadcasting Service and SAFARI Montage will make SAFARI the main provider of PBS video content streamed to schools—an arrangement that could shake…
Virtual worlds among latest trends in language education
A new way of teaching and learning foreign languages has emerged: using virtual worlds, such as Second Life, to increase student engagement and confidence as they build new…
Universal Design for Learning: The next big thing in school reform?
As educators brace for new reforms, what will these changes look like? How will assessments and curriculum differ from previous versions? How can all students get the best…
Share your story using multiple digital formats
For too long, educators have let others define and shape their profession, often to the detriment of children and themselves. By telling their stories in a variety of…
Study: Common Core could boost U.S. math performance
The Common Core State Standards in mathematics have the potential to enhance students' academic performance if properly implemented, but most states have a long way to go, according…
Six great special-education resources for parents and teachers
Here are six special-education websites that provide vetted tools and technology that can help in many aspects of a child’s learning.
10 books for high school summer reading
Students might not enrich their minds inside a classroom over summer break, but that doesn’t mean enrichment can’t be found in one of the original 24-7 tools for…
Educational gaming on the rise, but funding remains a challenge
In a national survey, teachers say they believe that using digital games in the classroom helps students maintain concentration and enthusiasm for learning, while making it easier for…
‘Brogrammers,’ ‘hogrammers,’ and the gender gap in college computer courses
The rise of the brash, stylish, computer-geek-turned-cool-guy known simply as a “brogrammer” among popular technology startups threatens to further alienate women from enrolling in computer science courses, where…
Students create their own 3D content
