Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Panasonic expands SOLID SHINE projector series

 New 5,000-Lumen, 1-Chip DLP Phosphor projector is built for marathon endurance

Panasonic, a provider of professional projector solutions, has introduced a new PT-RZ570U 1-Chip DLP Laser Phosphor projector. This compact model is the latest in the SOLID SHINE lineup and is positioned towards the middle of Panasonic’s range for education, achieving an ideal price-to-performance ratio with a balance of high 5,000 lm brightness, brilliant picture quality, up to 20,000-hour1 maintenance-free operation, and practical features for use in mid-size classrooms with about 50-student capacity.

Utilizing the latest DLP™ module for detailed WUXGA resolution and new-generation solid-state laser diodes, PT-RZ570U’s outstanding performance stems from a four-segment Quartet Color Harmonizer color wheel that improves efficiency from the laser light source, boosting the perceived brightness and improving color accuracy.

“Laser technology holds tremendous promise for projection technology, improving efficiency, performance and delivering costs savings through maintenance-free operation. As the technology evolves, we’re able to expand access to an increasing number of products and at the same time expand into new markets previously in-accessible due to limitations in lamp technology,” said John Baisley, Sr. Vice President, Visual & Imaging Business Operations, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America. “In particular, we hear from our education customers that they are looking forward to laser technology with low maintenance operation – to reduce stress on their increasingly overburdened technology support staff. The PT-RZ570U projector delivers that exactly.”…Read More

Hawaii partners on statewide STEM, energy curriculum

Defined STEM Curriculum aims to engage students in statewide renewable energy initiatives

The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is moving to further support Ka Hei, its statewide strategic program kicked off in 2014 that educates students about sustainable energy transitions happening across schools throughout the state, through partnerships with Defined STEM, the flagship curriculum supplement of Defined Learning, and OpTerra Energy Services.

Hawai’i is the most fossil-fuel-dependent state in the nation, and the state’s schools spend $48 million a year on electricity alone. The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative aims to relieve the state’s dependence on oil by using 100 percent clean energy by 2045.

The goal of the Ka Hei program is to integrate innovative energy technology with meaningful learning experiences, all while reducing energy costs.…Read More

How ESSA will boost ed-tech funding

The Every Student Succeeds Act includes block grants intended for technology, among other uses. It also opens the door to new state testing systems

essa-ed-techEight years after the No Child Left Behind Act was supposed to expire, Congress finally passed a bill to replace it—the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—that gives states more latitude in deciding how to close achievement gaps. The legislation also includes a sizeable state block-grant program intended for technology, among other uses.

Although it’s not the program that ed-tech advocates had hoped for, many expressed cautious optimism that a section of ESSA under Title IV (“21st Century Schools”) could help schools use technology tools to transform teaching and learning.

“We’re pleased that the federal government has renewed its commitment to funding educational technology,” said Lan Neugent, interim executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association, in an interview. “It’s great to see that become a priority again.”…Read More

Report: States improve teacher policies

NCTQ’s annual report finds state policies to support teacher effectiveness are no longer the exception in the U.S.

teacher-policyTeacher policies across the U.S. averaged a C- grade, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), which on Dec. 8 released its ninth annual State Teacher Policy Yearbook.

The annual policy yearbook analyzes every state law, rule and regulation that shapes the teaching profession, from teacher preparation, licensing and evaluation to compensation, professional development and dismissal policy.

Across the 50 states and the District of Columbia, states average a C- for their teacher policies in 2015, up from an overall grade of D in 2009. The average state grade has held steady since NCTQ’s last comprehensive report card in 2013, despite the bar being raised on several key topics, including aligning teacher licensing policies with the expectations of college- and career-readiness standards adopted by many states.…Read More

These 3 policy areas could help principals become more effective

New report details how state policymakers can help strengthen, support principals

principals-policyWhile school principals are often low priorities on state education policy agendas, a handful of states have taken steps to strengthen the role principals play in schools, according to a new report commissioned by the Wallace Foundation.

After analyzing how principals are supported and prioritized in a number of states, Paul Manna, professor of government and public policy at the College of William & Mary and the report’s author, suggests that those states’ actions focus on three areas in policymaking.

1. State leaders can move principals higher on policy agendas. Teachers typically have the larger share of agendas and professional development investments, according to the report. But when principals are elevated in state policy agendas, it can strengthen other state education efforts. “Numerous state education policy initiatives developed during the last two decades depend heavily on excellent principals for their success,” the report notes.…Read More

Are states measuring students’ career readiness?

New report shows Common Core has “little impact” on states’ career and technical tests

career-assessmentsWith a nationwide emphasis on preparing students for the workplace, accompanied by a push to use the Common Core State Standards to buoy these skills, a new report sheds light on the varying ways in which states and school districts assess students’ career and technical skills.

The report, “Career Readiness Assessments Across the States: A Summary of Survey Findings,” from the Center on Education Policy (CEP), found that while most states give one or more assessments of career readiness, technical, or employability skills to high school students, the types of tests used vary considerably across states and are sometimes decided at the school district level.

Despite the fact that Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses are not always part of the required curriculum, 96 percent of students take at least one CTE course, and 38 percent take three or more, according to 2013 statistics from the U.S. Department of Education–thus, knowing how states assess course outcomes is critical, stakeholders say.…Read More

State leaders learn tips in Connected Educator Month

SETDA details new initiatives, communities for state leaders as part of Connected Educator Month

state-connected-educator-month If state technology leaders know one thing, it’s that community and connection are vital for achievement–both professionally and for student achievement. As part of Connected Educator Month (CEM), the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has partnered with CEM to provide state leaders with vital resources to bring states up-to-speed on key technology issues.

“Keeping up with new ways to teach and learn to ensure our students are successful…is a mind-boggling task if a teacher only has his or her own colleagues in the local school to talk to,” said Geoff Fletcher, deputy executive director of SETDA.

According to Fletcher, having access to other educators, and especially state technology leaders, is the most valuable resource teachers can have, providing ideas and support that will “enrich the lives of students in many classrooms.” For that reason, being connected is “essential.”…Read More

Using research to inform education practice

How do state education agencies gather research to influence school and district policy?

research-stateSchool improvement is on every education agenda across the country, but with guidance from a first-of-its kind study, schools and districts can better understand how state education agencies find and implement research to inform practice.

According to the report, “How State Education Agencies Acquire and Use Research in School Improvement Strategies,”conducted by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), over the last 20 years, state and federal laws and grant programs have given state education agencies (SEAs) more responsibilities for improving low-performing schools.

“At the same time, they have pressed SEAs and school districts to incorporate research-based school improvement policies and practices in their statewide systems of support for low-performing schools, technical assistance for districts, professional development for teachers, and schools improvement programs,” according to the report.…Read More

A State-By-State Look at Top Ed-Tech Initiatives

What initiative are you most proud of in your state?

tech-initiativeSometimes, an ed-tech initiative grabs national headlines. Other times, a technology initiative quietly spreads throughout a school building or district as it connects teachers with mentors, helps administrators become more efficient, or boosts student achievement and engagement.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of one ed-tech initiative in each state and the District of Columbia, to offer a look at some of the great technology advocacy and work being done around the nation.

The initiatives included here are not necessarily the most-discussed or the biggest in a given state. Sometimes they’re small, and sometimes they’re well-known. Some relate to the use of digital content, some support broadband expansion, and in others, states have formed groups to better support administrators and teachers as they work tirelessly to advocate for ed-tech’s crucial role in today’s classrooms.…Read More