Obama urges action on stimulus plan
President-elect Barack Obama shed more light on his economic recovery plan in a Jan. 8 speech at Virginia’s George Mason University–and for education, the news is encouraging.
Key concepts: Obama and education, George Mason University, Obama and economy
Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama as prepared for delivery (Jan. 8, 2009)
Throughout America’s history, there have been some years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare. Then there are the years that come along once in a…
FETC 2009 kicks off Jan. 22
Thousands of educators from across the nation will convene in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 22-24 for the annual Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC)–and eSchool News will be there, too, providing daily conference updates from the convention center floor.
Key concepts: FETC 2009, education conferences, Philippe Cousteau
Minnesota wants all schools to combine purchasing power
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and state legislators in the House and Senate want to require all the state’s school districts to band together in a purchasing pool to lower the cost of technology, supplies, and other goods and services, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
One Laptop Per Child slashes workforce in half, cuts salaries
Citing the poor economy, the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child project announced Jan. 7 that it is slashing its workforce by 50 percent, reducing salaries for the remaining staff, and restructuring its operations, CNET reports.
Educators to Obama: Focus on 21C skills
As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office, his education reform plan has the potential to modernize library technologies, make school buildings more energy-efficient, and invest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and research. Yet, according to a recent survey, educators say addressing 21st-century (21C) skills should top the list of priorities in Obama’s plan, so students are prepared for the workplace of tomorrow.
Key concepts: education reform, 21st century skills, 21C, Obama and education, ASQ
Simulations help faculty ID at-risk students
Some students are cranky and irritable. Others are nervous and uneasy. College classrooms can include a variety of behaviors, and judging whether these behaviors could indicate something more troubling beneath the surface can be difficult. Now, a computer simulation is helping professors identify and approach so-called “at-risk” students and recommend a visit to a campus counselor. Key concepts: At risk youth, city university of new york, American College Health Association, Virginia tech, college counseling
Fair-use guide offers copyright protection for educators
Hoping to clear up the confusion over the “fair use” of digital materials in teaching and learning, a panel of university professors has developed a “Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education.” The document clarifies how fair use applies to the most common situations where media-literacy educators make use of copyrighted materials in their work, and it offers guidance for instructors so they can make more informed judgments about using these materials
Is virtual education the answer to school budget cuts?
Virtual instruction might provide school districts with a way to save money during the poor economy, reports Channel 10 News of Tampa Bay, Fla.
Tracking equipment leads to recovery of stolen school computer
Thieves had better think twice before stealing a computer from the Fort Worth, Texas, school district, reports the Dallas Morning News: Fort Worth school officials say police have recovered a laptop computer taken from one of their schools because a tracking device had been installed on it.