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

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

Industry to tackle global assessments.(what's ONLINE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Intel, Microsoft, and Cisco recently unveiled their plans to join forces "to develop new assessment approaches, methods, and technologies for measuring the success of 21st-century teaching and learning in classrooms...

Immersive gameplay: the future of education?(HOT TOPICS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... New immersive learning environments--built on state-of-the-art data modeling and "intelligent" game systems--may be the future of education, according to researcher Jim Brazell. But are educators themselves ready to make the shift?...

Partnership for 21st Century skills calls for reevaluation of learning environments.(HOT TOPICS)
March 1, 2009... The Partnership for 21st Century Skills released a report calling for a reevaluation of what we define as a learning environment and advocating some sweeping changes in the spaces, tools, policies, and other aspects of education that the group...

Google Earth 5 goes underwater, travels to Mars.(HOT TOPICS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Google has released the Google Earth 5 beta, a major update to its geographical exploration software. The new release adds the ability to explore below the oceans and also incorporates features for exploring portions of the surface of Mars....

Tiversa research: identity theft searches on the Rise.(RESEARCH)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Research by Tiversa, a company specializing in helping organizations mitigate data leaks, indicates identity theft searches are on the rise, suggesting that identity theft itself is also increasing. www.thejournal.com/ articles/23859

Top 10 Web 2.0 tools for young learners.(RESOURCES)
March 1, 2009... Ed tech consultant Gall Lovely is adamant about the nature and potential of web-based learning tools. That is why she has created a list of 10 go-to technology tools to help inspire young students and empower underfunded teachers. ...

Spend wisely ... or else: thoughtful use of our share of the stimulus package is the only way to guarantee more ed tech funding in the future.
March 1, 2009... AS STE WONDER SANG for the first time in 1970, and we heard countless times during Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency: Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours. I can imagine animated money bags representing the $650 million in ed tech...

Tech watch: this issue's ups and downs.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... GREENWASH: Refers to efforts that purport to have environmental interests at heart but in reality are profit-driven. In other words, you might say, they're green on the outside and green on the inside. DIGITAL SETTLERS: Teachers who are...

An 'envelope' approach.(go look it up)
March 1, 2009... AN 'ENVELOPE' APPROACH: To first check a structure's packaging--doors, windows, etc.--for sources of energy loss before delving deeper. (p. 28)

Fact finder!
March 1, 2009... According to one environmental advocacy organization, Americans throw out this many computers every day. (p.20)

Okemos HS strives to be carbon-neutral.(GreenSpot: MICHIGAN SCHOOLS MODELS OF ENERGY AWARENESS)(Okemos High School )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Carbon Neutral Volunteers (www. carbonneutralvolunteers.org), an organization dedicated to empowering people to reduce their carbon footprint, is helping Okemos High School (MI) become the world's first carbon-neutral high school. The school...

Whitmore Lake HS pilots green tech courses.(GreenSpot: MICHIGAN SCHOOLS MODELS OF ENERGY AWARENESS)(High School )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Throughout a yearlong pilot program, Whitmore Lake High School (MI) is using the Creative Learning Systems' (www.creativelearning systems.com) Alternative Energy SmartLab--a fully integrated system of curriculum, computer workstations,...

US schools leaving mobile devices idle: a new study reports that we lag behind Asia and Europe in the use of handheld technologies to enhance learning.
March 1, 2009... THE USE OF POPULAR HANDHELD mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and iPods in schools continues to attract debate among US educators. But according to "Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children's Learning," the...

Online safety contest launches.(Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... In their continued efforts to build awareness about cyber safety issues, The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA; www.staysafeonline.org) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC; www.msisac.org) have launched a...

Adobe accepting entries for innovation awards.(Adobe Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Through May 8, Adobe (www.adobe.com) is accepting submissions for its 2009 School Innovation Awards program. The annual program honors imaginative technology design projects from high school students in the US and Canada. Students in grades 9...

Pearson and Tabula Digita form Math partnership.(Pearson Education Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Tabula Digita (www. tabuladigita.com) is creating customized versions of its DimensionM educational math video games that align to the math curriculum in three of Pearson Education's (www.pearsoned.com) math programs: Scott Foresman-Addison...

Project tomorrow to hold congressional briefing.(Speak Up 2008)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Julie Evans, CEO of nonprofit education research organization Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org), will present the key findings of its Speak Up 2008 survey during a congressional briefing. Speak Up is an annual national research project that...

Scotch and Discovery create new science website.(Discovery Education)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Scotch brand products from 3M (www.3m.com) and Discovery Education (www. discoveryeducation.com) have recently launched a website that provides free resources for creating innovative science fair projects. The website, called Scotch Science...

Funds for learning launches E-Rate blog.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... To boost understanding of the federal E-Rate program, Funds for Learning (www.fundsforlearning.com), a national E-Rate compliance services firm, has launched the E-Rate Blog on its website. The new blog offers information and tips on the...

Desire2learn to continue XOXO program.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Continuing its successful XOXO program begun in fall 2008, Desire2Learn (www.desire2learn.com) has set a goal of raising funds to purchase 100 XO laptops for the One Laptop per Child (http://laptop.org) project in 2009. In addition, the...

Turning technologies unveils new services.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Turning Technologies (www.turningtechnologies.com), a provider of student response systems, recently introduced three new consulting services for K-12 schools. The Turn Up Achievement program is a comprehensive school improvement initiative...

Inspiration software offers free webcasts.(Industry News)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Inspiration Software (www.inspiration.com), a provider of visual learning tools, is offering K-12 teachers two free online workshops a month as part of its 2009 webcast series. The webcasts will focus on helping teachers use visual learning...

Epson and PolyVision donate to teacher program.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... Technology manufacturers Epson America (www.epson.com) and PolyVision (www.polyvision.com) have teamed up to donate new audiovisual products to Florida Digital Educator (http://etc. usf.edu/fde), a statewide program that aims to integrate...

James Richmond: the veteran district superintendent looks to his students' future with stars in his eyes.
March 1, 2009... WHO WOULD DENY the sweet irony of a 70-year-old man stepping into his very own classroom of the future? James Richmond certainly would, if it would mean fast-forwarding the premiere of the digital, domed theater his district has in the works,...

The dirt of e-waste: environmentalism isn't measured only by green purchasing. A healthy, green disposal method is the back end of a district's responsible energy plan.(Green Schools)(Company overview)
March 1, 2009... POP QUIZ! What happens to your computer equipment when you've declared it surplus? Does it get shuffled into a warehouse, awaiting attention at some unspecified later date? Do you stick it on a pallet and have it hauled away by a recycler? Do...

Power grab: facilities departments combine sophisticated technologies with ordinary common-sense steps to shave dollars and kilowatts off energy consumption.
March 1, 2009... PETER PISTORINO SAYS there's a name for the way he thinks a school district should launch an energy conservation initiative: an envelope approach. He says the term refers to looking at the outside package of a structure to check for...

Resistance is futile: even as technology use grows embedded in education, some teachers still prefer the old ways. Here's how to make them understand that ...
March 1, 2009... HOW ODD IT SHOULD SEEM THAT EVEN TODAY, with interactive whiteboards, content management systems, wireless broadband, handhelds, and every sort of sophisticated computing device penetrating and improving the classroom experience for students,...

The kids are all right: a major study on the impact of digital technologies on learning argues that students' online pursuits are productive and edifying, and should be exploited by teachers for educational gain.
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN THE JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MacArthur Foundation launched its $50 million digital media and learning initiative three years ago, the expectation was that research in this area would expand our understanding of...

Dreambox learning.(introduces K-2 Math)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... DREAMBOX LEARNING introduces K-2 Math, an online learning product for students in kindergarten through second grade that combines standards-based mathematics with interactive games. Supporting and reinforcing what children learn in the...

Lumens.(introduces PS660 desktop HD visual presenter)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LUMENS presents the PS660 desktop HD visual presenter, the first product of its kind available for less than $2,000. The device features one-touch integrated audio and video recording, 1280 x 1024 SXGA resolution, an...

Qwizdom.(releases Q7 Presenter Tablet)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... QWIZDOM has announced the release of its Q7 Presenter Tablet, a wireless tablet that uses radio-frequency technology to interact with the Qwizdom Student Response System. Using the lightweight tablet, teachers can view student response data and...

Drill down.(ultimate schools)
March 1, 2009... WHAT TECHNOLOGY TOOLS would populate your ultimate school? Would an interactive whiteboard be set in every classroom? Would cell phones and MP3 players be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum? Students, teachers, parents, and...