T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education) articles from June 2009

T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education) archives from June 2009

School districts increase emergency alerts, surveillance on students.(what's ONLINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... School districts are saturating their campuses with surveillance cameras, with nearly four in five (79 percent) reporting that they use cameras at their schools--an increase of nine percentage points over the last 12 months, according to a new...

High-tech with a green touch.(what's ONLINE)(Upland Unified School District)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... When they wave goodbye to their students this summer, teachers and administrators at Upland Unified School District (CA) will know that some of their classrooms will look very different when they return in the fall. That's because the district...

Electronic alerts: a simple, timely message can make all the difference.(what's ONLINE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... How do you stop a pandemic? Seven centuries after the Black Plague wiped out a third of Europe's population, scientists are still working on a reliable answer to this evergreen question. Thankfully the internet age has arrived, and with it, a...

Two virtual schools launching in CA.(what's ONLINE)(Kaplan Academy of California, San Diego)(Kaplan Academy of California, Central)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Two new virtual academies--Kaplan Academy of California, San Diego and Kaplan Academy of California, Central--are launching this fall, both providing tuition-free online education for middle school and high school students. ...

Education secretary wants ARRA applications pronto.(NEWS)(American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The US Department of Education recently urged states to "act now" to get their applications in for stimulus package funding from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to help move reforms forward and to protect teaching jobs that are at risk....

Big-picture politics: the proposed cut in EETT funding shouldn't obscure the more positive signs of the new administration's support for ed tech.(our SPACE)(enhancing education through technology)
June 1, 2009... A GREAT SIGH OF DISAPPOINTMENT escaped from technology advocates on the day the Obama administration's proposed budget for 2010-2011 was announced. It showed a two-thirds cut in funds for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT)...

keynotes.(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... "We were working backward. We started with what we had and then tried to make it work."--Matt Federoff, district CIO, on using a textbook-based curriculum to teach academic standards, a process the district has reversed by adopting digital...

Tech: watch: this issue's ups and downs.(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [down arrow] TEXTBOOKS: Their failure to align with state academic standards leads one district to launch new curriculum model: BYOC (Bring Your Own Content). [up arrow] ERGONOMICS: Rise in technology use compels schools to teach new...

And the Charp Award goes to ... this year's honoree is a once low-performing New York district that reformed itself through a fresh instructional vision founded on technology use.(Glen Cove School District)
June 1, 2009... T.H.E. Journal and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE; www.iste.org) have chosen Glen Cove School District in New York as the 2009 winner of the Sylvia Charp Award for district innovation in technology. The district was...

Lutron challenges students to dream in green.(GreenSpot)(Lutron Electronics Company Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Lutron Electronics' (www.lutron. corn) Greenovation energy education program has announced the start of its 2009 Bright Green Dream School Sustainability Challenge. Lutron is inviting K-12 students to take a critical eye to their school...

2009 ExploraVision winners announced.(Awards and Contests)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The ExploraVision Awards program, a yearly K-12 science and technology competition sponsored by Toshiba (www.toshiba.com) and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA; www. nsta.org), has announced its 2009 winners. This...

SIIA presents new ed tech award.(Awards and Contests)(Software and Information Industry Association)(education technology)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA; www.siia.net) recently presented its first Education Technology Impact Award to Ellen Bialo, co-founder and president of Interactive Educational Systems Design...

Weekly Reader goes digital.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Weekly Reader (www.weeklyreader.com), a publisher of supplemental literacy education materials for students in preK through grade 12, has launched two new online resources, the company's first digital offerings. Now subscribers to Weekly Reader...

Epson announces projector recycling and upgrade program.(Industry News)(Epson America Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Epson America (www.epson.com) is encouraging schools to swap out their old Epson projectors for more feature-rich and environmentally friendly models through its Brighter Futures Graduation Program (www.epson brighterfutures.com/grad). Until...

eChalk opens regional center in Austin.(Industry News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A provider of online networks for K-12 learning communities, eChalk (www. echalk.com) has opened its first US-based regional center in Austin, TX. The facility will focus primarily on in-depth client service and support. The company, which has...

Elementary ergonomics: with the use of digital devices occupying a central role in students' lives, what was a workplace issue long ignored by schools now demands their attention.(healthy tech)
June 1, 2009... WHAT'S THE NO. 1 THREAT to young students using computers today? According to Dan Odell, Microsoft's (www.microsoft.com) in-house ergonomist, when he asked parents this very question, "the things they were most concerned about were online...

Inspiration information: a free digital resource brings students up close with leading professionals across a variety of fields to help them see the real-world relevance of their studies.(e-learning)
June 1, 2009... WHEN MICHELLE VILLARREAL, who teaches gifted classes at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, TN, and at Eagleville School in Eagleville, TN, wanted to give her students some insight into how they could parlay their love of science into a...

More than machines: comprehensive technology integration programs go beyond laptop initiatives to provide teachers with the support they need to improve student engagement and achievement.(technology integration)
June 1, 2009... "WHAT A DIFFERENCE THIS PROGRAM has made for Nicholas--it is wonderful!" exclaims Geneas Huether, Nicholas' mother. "He actually hears the lessons, he can ask questions, hear the class discussion--and he even takes a lunch break when the class...

Free at last: by creating a user-generated, ever-growing library of original digital content, an Arizona school district has liberated its teachers from the restraints of a textbook-driven curriculum model.(digital content)
June 1, 2009... WHEN SUPERINTENDENT CALVIN BAKER Of the Vail School District in Vail, AZ, substituted laptops for textbooks in Vail's first 1-to-1 high school in 2005, he saw that his district now had the freedom to purchase digital content the way he...

Sony Electronics.(product Focus: The latest releases, services, and new product versions)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... SONY ELECTRONICS has come out with PCS-XG80 Version 2.03, the newest version of its high-definition Videoconferencing system. The device is now compatible with both high-definition and mixed-format audio environments, and has the ability to...

Auralog.(product Focus: The latest releases, services, and new product versions)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AURALOG introduces the latest version of its language learning software, Tell Me More Version 9.0. Now the software offers weekly activities based on current and traditional events in a language's country of origin,...

Epson.(product Focus: The latest releases, services, and new product versions)(Epson America Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... EPSON presents the PowerLite 826W, part of its new line of projectors. A number of features make the projector ideal for classroom use: a built-in microphone input and closed-captioning decoder to help teachers present to the entire class;...

Drill down.(Survey)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A new digital curriculum model allows teachers to choose their own instructional materials (see "Free at Last," page 39). The Speak Up 2008 survey gave students the power to handpick content for a new kind of online textbook. HIGHLIGHTS...