COPA dies quietly in Supreme Court
A federal law intended to restrict children’s access to internet pornography died quietly Jan. 21 at the U.S. Supreme Court, more than 10 years after Congress overwhelmingly approved it.
Key concept: COPA, internet safety, supreme court decisions
Report details upcoming ed-tech trends
A higher-education study released this week highlighted six technologies that soon could change college campuses–including mobile devices with abundant applications, cloud computing that bolsters data accessibility, and web tools that could make campus-based research faster and more thorough. Key concepts: educause, educational technology, mobile devices, pitzer college, onondaga community college
Texas grapples with evolution in new science standards
The latest chapter in a long-running debate over how evolution should be taught in public schools opened Jan. 21 as the Texas State Board of Education ramped up its review of the state’s science standards. Experts say the state’s actions could have significant implications for schools nationwide, because Texas is one of the country’s largest purchasers of textbooks–and publishers are reluctant to produce different versions of the same material.
Key concepts: evolution theory, Texas State Board of Education, science curriculum
Judge delays hearing in file-sharing case
A federal judge has postponed a hearing in a high-profile music file-sharing case that would have been the first in federal court in Massachusetts to be streamed online. Judge Nancy Gertner postponed oral arguments set for Jan. 22 in the copyright infringement lawsuit that pits a Boston University graduate student against the music recording industry. Proceedings will resume Feb. 24. Key concepts: file share, p2p file sharing, file sharing programs, copyright infringement, boston university.
Canadian school division fined for software piracy
When hearing about organizations involved in software piracy, schools probably wouldn’t be the first culprits to come to mind. But for the Chinook school division in southwest Saskatchewan, the issue of software piracy very quickly became front and center, reports the Regina Leader-Post.
Mother, son indicted in online tutoring scheme
A Minneapolis mother and son who ran an online tutoring program face federal fraud and conspiracy charges after they allegedly collected more than $2 million in state tax refunds meant for low-income families, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
New web site connects K-12, higher-education communities
Achieve, an organization created by the nation’s governors and business leaders to ensure that students graduate from high school prepared for college and careers, has launched “Postsecondary Connection,” a new online toolkit to help higher-education leaders effectively engage with the K-12 community to ensure that high school graduates enter college ready for success. “The only way to ensure that high school graduates are prepared to succeed in college is if the K-12 and higher-education communities work together,” said Nevin Brown, director of Achieve’s Postsecondary Initiative.
Crowds flood National Mall to witness history
As more than a million people flooded the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 to watch Barack Obama become the first black president of the United States, many had high hopes for what he can do for education while in office–including the new president himself. Key concepts: inauguration day, presidential inauguration, washington mall, education policy, national mall, Barack Obama.
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