Court strikes down California video-game law
In a decision that could have a far-reaching effect on other states’ efforts, a federal appeals court on Feb. 20 struck down a California law that sought to ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, reports the Associated Press.
Learning with blogs and wikis
Technology has made it easy for educators to embrace continual professional development, writes Bill Ferriter in the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s publication, Educational Leadership.
AASA hears what’s about to disrupt schools
If Harvard Business School’s Clayton Christensen is right, half of all instruction will take place online within the next 10 years–and schools had better get into the online-learning market or risk losing their students to other providers.
Key words: online learning, AASA, disruptive innovation
Electronic tutor helps accounting students
Accounting students now have access to the same kind of artificial intelligence-based tutoring software that math and chemistry students have had for years–and science teachers-in-training soon could benefit from the technology as well.
Key words: artificial intelligence, science teachers-in-training, tutoring software, virtual mentor
Free Microsoft curriculum encourages students to be good ‘digital citizens’
Students interact with music, movies, software, and other digital content every day–but many don’t fully understand the rules surrounding the appropriate use of these materials, or why this should even matter. To help teach students about intellectual property rights and encourage them to become good “digital citizens,” software giant Microsoft Corp. has unveiled a free curriculum that offers cross-curricular classroom activities aligned with national standards.
2009 Tech-Savvy Superintendent Award winners honored during AASA conference
Ten superintendents who are among the nation’s most successful in leading their schools into the 21st century were honored in a special ceremony Feb. 20. The occasion was eSchool News’ Ninth Annual Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards, sponsored by Promethean, the Pearson Foundation, and K12 Inc. This year’s award winners were honored during a private ceremony held in conjunction with the Century Club 100 meeting at the American Association of School Administrators’ annual conference in San Francisco.
Key words: Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards, education, technology, technology leadership
What it means to be ‘tech savvy’
At our Ninth Annual Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards ceremony in February, we asked the winners what technology-related programs they were most proud of in their districts–and what it means for them to be a “tech-savvy” school leader. Here’s a sampling of what they said.
Key words: superintendent, Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards, school technology
Editorial: Stimulating education, technology
President Obama’s stimulus plan includes more than $150 billion in new federal money for education, with “infrastructure projects” like school modernization and repair, programs to make schools more energy efficient, and technology infrastructure upgrades being put forth as the most productive use of the money. So, with the prospect of an extra billion dollars in the budget that the stimulus plan dictates must be spent right away, where will it do the most good? asks Ed Bouryng of the Washington Times.
Facebook has removed 5,500 sex offenders since May
The AP reports that Facebook has removed more than 5,500 convicted sex offenders from its social networking Web site since May, Connecticut’s attorney general said Thursday.
Crisis survival tops agenda at AASA meeting
The tanking economy and its devastating effect on education budgets, as well as the freshly signed economic stimulus package that promises billions of dollars in new money for cash-strapped schools, dominated the conversations on Day One of the American Association of School Administrators’ annual conference in San Francisco.
Key words: education budgets, education budget cuts, school budgets, economic stimulus package