Formative assessment that ‘clicks’ with students
Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School, a member of Uncommon Schools, is the only school in New York City where every student in grades 5-8 passes the state exams. In…
educational technology
Race to the Top program spurs school-reform debate
The U.S. Department of Education has named 18 states and the District of Columbia as finalists in the second round of the federal "Race to the Top" (RTTT)…
Q&A: Rumors, cyberbullying, and anonymity
Last week in this space, I shared excerpts from an interview with David Mikkelson, half of the husband-and-wife team behind Snopes.com, the online clearinghouse for internet rumors and…
‘Wikiracing’ picking up speed among college students
The latest procrastination-tool-of-choice on college campuses is called "Wikiracing," reports the Philadelphia Inquirer--and like the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game, albeit modified for the internet age, it…
Editorial: Ed-tech funds sit idle as California bickers
California is the home of Silicon Valley and the most sophisticated data systems in the world, yet it continues to rank near the bottom for student and teacher…
Student programmers solve real-world challenges
An interface that allows hearing-impaired people to communicate with others using an augmented-reality environment took home the grand prize of $25,000 in the eighth annual Imagine Cup Worldwide…
Keynote: STEM should include arts education
Not only do global learners create global leaders, but the world's future depends on education focusing on creative and innovative science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, said…
Thoughts from the show floor
Which came first...the chicken or the egg? I sometimes wonder about that when I'm in the exhibit hall at educational technology conferences like ISTE. When you look around…
Study: Student access to classroom tech limited
Just 8 percent of high school teachers said that technology is fully integrated into the classroom; and the technology that is available is primarily used by teachers, and…
ISTE focuses on excellence, global education
The 31st annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, formerly NECC) conference kicked off in Denver with inspiring and thought-provoking comments from ISTE President Helen Padgett and…
S.C. district increases student motivation, confidence, and success
The leap from elementary school to middle school can be daunting, particularly for students who struggle academically. Each day, students working below grade level not only toil to…
Speech recognition, mobile apps help build reading skills
Students’ scores on a national reading assessment have remained relatively flat for nearly 40 years. As educators work hard to bring that average up, many are excited about…
Michigan uses online learning to reach at-risk students
As a struggling high school student in metro Detroit, Kyle Grigg faced a terrible prospect. Last spring, Kyle was asked by his public high school counselor to leave…
The 21st century classroom
Imagine a classroom where the teacher can evaluate and analyze student performance in "real-time." Envision collaborative instruction on one side of a metropolitan area, using team teaching, with…
Colleges click the ‘like’ button on social media classes
From public relations in social media to the potential marketing power of “mommy bloggers,” colleges and universities are offering graduate-level certificates focusing on the business side of Twitter,…
New Visions for public schools
New Visions is an outside organization contracted by the New York City School District to support schools instructionally. Thus, it is contractually responsible for school performance on student…
Reading instruction: Getting it right the first time
In his sweeping 2004 article, Preventing Early Reading Failure, Joseph Torgesen established that the reading skills students acquire in their earliest elementary years are critical predictors of their…
UNC expects to save $100K through eBilling
Paying bills online is nothing new for 20-somethings, but the University of North Carolina’s elimination of traditional snail mail in sending out tuition bills means students will have…
West Virginia looks to Second Life
On Dec. 21, 2009, the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) launched a definitive online resource for potential and current educators in West Virginia called Teach West Virginia.…
Are video games the answer to college counseling shortage?
With college counseling dwindling in public schools, University of Southern California researchers have created a video game that lets student simulate the application process in all its complexity.
Texas college teams up with digital signage industry
Students enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Digital Signage Technology program will be able to network with digital signage professionals and stay up to date with the latest…
Exam lets prospects ‘test drive’ online education
Prospective students returning to college after a lengthy layoff can gauge their basic English and math skills beforehand to make sure they’re ready for online classes with a…
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…
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,…
Disney turns its focus to curriculum
Readers might associate Disney with its slew of animated features over the years. Now, the company is hoping educators will think of it as a provider of educational…
Are today’s students addicted to social media?
University of Maryland students who went 24 hours without TV, cell phones, MP3 players, and laptops reported symptoms you might expect from someone struggling with substance abuse, including…
Colleges appeal to students with green policies
Small private colleges and large research universities alike have adopted green policies in recent years in an effort to trim energy bills, encourage sustainability, and lure environmentally conscious…
Family: Pa. district snared thousands of secret webcam images
New allegations have surfaced in the case of a suburban Philadelphia school district accused of activating laptop web cameras to spy on students in their homes.
Educators seek delay of Texas curriculum vote
A group of university educators has called on the Texas State Board of Education to delay a final vote on contentious new social studies curriculum standards until experts…
New program to recognize Online Teacher of the Year
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) have teamed up on a new awards program that will recognize an outstanding…
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…
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…
Feds release new national ed-tech plan
The new National Education Technology Plan, released March 5, sets an ambitious agenda for using technology to transform teaching and learning, ed-tech advocates say--and a call to action…
UCLA resumes streaming video after legal complaint
In the latest development in a dispute with broad implications for colleges nationwide, UCLA says it will continue to stream online instructional videos to students. The move comes…
University library sees demand for Kindles soar
For students looking to temper sober textbook readings with a literary escape into the world of vampires and zombies, Oregon State University is loaning out Amazon Kindle electronic…
Study: Too few schools are teaching cyber safety
Students aren’t getting enough instruction in school on how to use technology and the internet in a safe and responsible manner, a new poll suggests.
Princeton students, profs give Kindle mixed grades
Princeton University has released findings from its semester-long pilot of Amazon.com’s Kindle DX electronic reader, and the results appear mixed: While students reduced the amount of paper they…
TCEA sessions focus on tech for all ages, online learning
The second day of the Texas Computer Education Association's 30th annual conference was filled with sessions focusing on STEM education, online learning, and iPods in classrooms, as well…