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About K12HSN Orange, Fresno, Ventura and surrounding counties: Become a Verizon Thinkfinity Trainer! In April, K12HSN is offering face-to-face trainings to train educators and technology integration specialists who are interested in becoming Thinkfinity Trainers. eSchool News: Math and English instruction in the U.S. moved a step closer to uniform-and more rigorous-standards March 10 as a revised draft of new national guidelines was released. But the move toward common standards still faces several hurdles. Education Week: FCC experts discuss the ideas and recommendations that are likely to be in the National Broadband plan when it is released next week. K12HSN is offering a face-to-face training at Fresno COE on April 19 to train educators and technology integration specialists who are interested in becoming Verizon Thinkfinity Trainers. K12HSN is offering a face-to-face training at the Orange County Department of Education on April 7. Do not miss this great opportunity to become a Verizon Thinkfinity Trainer! K12HSN is offering a face-to-face training at the Ventura County Office of Education on Saturday, April 24. Do not miss this great opportunity to become a Verizon Thinkfinity Trainer! Verizon Thinkfinity: Visit a zoo without leaving the classroom. This & many more resources for National Wildlife Week at Thinkfinity. Verizon Thinkfinity is offering an online facilitated course, delivered via Blackboard. This session is intended for educators, technology integration specialists, etc. who are interested in training others to locate and integrate Thinkfinity resources. Edutopia: Author and school-technology facilitator Steve Johnson believes that schools should no longer be blocking social media because of fears of possible misuse. The Bulletin: It's pricey and of unknown value in boosting achievement, but local districts say this: It gets kids interested and involved. The Leadership 3.0 Symposium is a collaborative effort of the ACSA, CUE, and TICAL. It is truly Educational Leadership for the 21st century. This year's theme is 'Think Globabally, Lead Locally'. April 15-17 -- Santa Clara Marriott, Santa Clara, CA Sacramento Bee: Three schools in Twin Rivers Unified School District will participate in a video conference today with three schools in Matsuyama, Japan. K12HSN/CDE: Addressing gaps in California's broadband infrastructure requires that we provide accurate and up-to-date information on behalf of CA’s school districts. Your cooperation is needed to ensure that connectivity data is reported accurately. eSchool News: According to a new report, one out of every four rural students fails to graduate from high school. From changing Title I formulas to providing cutting-edge technology, it's time to provide more support to rural schools, the report says. Education Week: The draft released today tries to describe the grade-by-grade skills and knowledge students need in English and math to thrive after high school. Council of the Great City Schools: The March Edition of the Urban Educator is now available online. Government Technology: California has become the latest state to take advantage of free technology training from Microsoft with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement Wednesday, March 10, that the state will participate in the company's Elevate America eCampus News: Clickers first appeared in college classrooms over a decade ago and have since spread to just about every college and university, thanks to cheaper and better technology. A divide has emerged over how sophisticated they should be. eSchool News: Just days before the U.S. Department of Education released applications for the $650 million Investing in Innovation (i3) Fund on March 8, ed tech researchers and developers expressed some concerns about the i3 program's procedures. USA Today: In an ideological switch, prominent education scholar Diane Ravitch says NCLB, the nation's foremost education law and one she once supported, has caused schools to lose sight of their goal. eSchool News: Karen Cator, director of education technology for the US Department of Education, has heard the concerns from ed-tech groups about the lack of a dedicated funding stream for education technology in the 2011 budget. eSchool News: The new National Education Technology Plan, released March 5, sets an ambitious agenda for using technology to transform teaching and learning, ed-tech advocates say--and a call to action that is long overdue. eSchool News: The federal government's investment in education technology is an opportunity for the publishing industry, which must respond by creating more engaging content that is relevant for today's tech-savvy students, said Education Secretary. CDE: State Schools Chief O'Connell, Education Secretary Reiss, and State Board of Education President Mitchell Release Preliminary List of Schools Identified as 5 Percent of Persistently Lowest Achieving and Call for Action. CUE: Do not miss the archives of several CUE sessions: Digital Textbook Summit, Rigorous Learning through Digital Storytelling, Digital Storytelling across the Curriculum, Videoconferencing in the Classroom, Rock your Socks with Google Docs, and more!! The digital edition of District Administration - March 2010 is available now. Education Week: Some Kentucky school districts are embracing Internet tools like Twitter and YouTube in class. The decision to block those Web sites has been recently re-evaluated, and some districts are now allowed to explore them with students. MAGPI: MAGPI is pleased to announce two exciting programs: 'Teaching History via Authentic Research - Children of the Lodz Ghetto: A Memorial Research Project' and 'The Road to Activism: Afghanistan Program for Students.' eSchool News: Before an audience of chief technology officers from across the country, Karen Cator, director of education technology for the U.S. Department of Education, and Federal CTO Aneesh Chopra discussed the nation's ed-tech efforts. eSchool News: The U.S. Department of Education has named 16 finalists in the first round of its Race to the Top competition, which will deliver $4.35 billion in school reform grants. The Sacramento Bee: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that California must be 'more aggressive and bolder' in changing its education system after losing out in a highly competitive national contest for federal money. K12HSN: Visit BOOTH 620 and make sure you participate in our sessions to learn more about Calaxy, Brokers of Expertise and Verizon Thinkfinity. CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today commented on the U.S. Department of Education announcement that California was not selected as a finalist in Phase 1 of Race to the Top (RTTT) competition. CDE: February 2010 Highlights-- A Message from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. eSchool News: The latest national blueprint for how schools can leverage technology's power to transform teaching and learning is coming next week, said Karen Cator, director of the Office of Education Technology for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). THE Journal: By virtually every measure, electronic learning is experiencing unprecedented growth and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. eSchool News: In one of the largest national surveys of public school teachers, thousands of educators agreed that today's students aren't college-ready when they graduate from high school. NPR: The survey 'Primary Sources: America's Teachers on America's Schools' asked some 40,000 U.S. public school teachers for their opinions on testing, merit pay, etc. The results show many teachers feel ignored in the debate over how to improve schools. K12HSN/CDE: When you receive your Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) from USAC (see attachment) you have 20 days to respond from the date of the letter, and to make corrections to any errors that may result in reduction or denial of funding. CENIC: CENIC's Monthly Newsletter February 2010 is now available. In this newsletter, you'll find information about what's on the horizon for CENIC's Associates, CalREN, etc... CENIC: California's K-12 System also received new Gigabit connections this month, as the Merced County Office of Education received a circuit to the Merced backbone node and the Ventura COE received a second Gigabit connection to the CalREN backbone. eSchool News: How to offer a successful online-learning experience, and how to integrate technology in meaningful ways, were 2 of the many education technology themes explored at the Texas Computer Education Association Conference. School Library Journal: The E-Rate program, which provides discounted telecom services to schools-may be getting a 21st-century lift. the updated law, E-Rate 2.0, would now grant discounts on services and technologies for e-books. The Sacramento Bee: This August a few hundred students in the Elk Grove Unified School District will have their school year delivered to their doorstep in a giant UPS box. The K-12 students will be part of the district's first-ever virtual school. eSchool News: Students aren’t getting enough instruction in school on how to use technology and the internet in a safe and responsible manner, a new poll suggests... Bismarck Tribune: From chalkboards to iPods, technology use in schools has come a long way -and state and local officials say technology such as iPods and electronic book reading devices help to enhance students' learning. K12HSN: CUE 2010 is around the corner. Make sure you stop by our booth! We will have three presentations this year: Calaxy, Brokers of expertise and Verizon Thinkfinity. The Center for Teaching Quality has released a report on the results of a Teacher Network survey aiming to better understand the role of collaboration in supporting and retaining effective teachers in high-needs urban schools. K12HSN: We will be present at several conferences in the coming months. Make sure you stop by our booth or attend our sessions to learn more about Calaxy, Verizon Thinkfinity and our training opportunities. CDE: State Schools Chief O'Connell Honors Schools Designated as Schools To Watch-Taking Center Stage Model Schools. eSchool News: A majority of students say their science and math teachers aren't discussing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career options-which doesn't bode well for leaders counting on STEM education to keep the nation at the forefront eSchool News: School officials in Pennsylvania who admit remotely activating webcams to locate missing laptops could have used far less intrusive methods of finding the machines, such as GPS tracking or call home systems, technology & privacy experts say. eSchool News: Being an IT official at a California university today requires a close look at any measures that can save the campus cash. But Hilary Baker, vice president for IT at CSU Northridge, has found ways to maintain and improve technology services. Ed Source: Why some schools do better? Middle-grade schools in California that are outperforming their peers are doing so with a 'full-court organizational press on improved student outcomes,' according to a new report from Ed Source. CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Comments on New Study of What Leads to Middle School Success. eSchool News: Peer-to-peer file sharing in schools and colleges has come under scrutiny again after a Federal Trade Commission probe turned up massive security breaches that made student grades, Social Security numbers, and medical records accessible Microsoft: Microsoft Announces Global Launch of Windows MultiPoint Server 2010. This new shared resource computing solution increases access to affordable technology in education. The deadline to participate in CaliforniaStreaming's Digital Photography Contest 2010 is Sunday, March 14, 2010. The contest theme for this year is: ENERGY! Office of the Governor: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Bonnie Reiss as Secretary of Education. FREE 2010 Virtual Symposium: Education for Everyone: Expanding Access Through Technology. The symposium will open on March 1st. Valley Sun: A California district is helping educators narrow the technology gap among educators through its Tech Leaders Integrating Technology in Education team. The team is comprised of five teachers who act as mentors to train fellow educators. eSchool News: Saying America’s “primacy in the world” is at stake, President Barack Obama on Feb. 22 prodded states to raise their academic standards by using the best leverage he has: money. eSchool News: Upgrading the federal e-Rate program, removing the barriers to online learning, and unlocking the power of data are three key recommendations to help education prosper under the National Broadband Plan that will be released next month. PBS/Newshour: Former hedge fund analyst Salman Khan now devotes his time to providing free online help for students who are struggling with math. In this interview, Khan talks about his nonprofit enterprise, which now has 1,200 short instructional videos Teacher Magazine: Most principals and teachers say they believe creating school environments that allow educators to work together more would have a 'major impact' on improving the chances for student success, according to a new national survey by MetLife The Washington Post: Sitting on the desk of the secretary of education are dozens of ideas bold enough to finally start solving our country's education crisis, says Melinda Gates in an editorial opinion piece for the Washington Post. ISTE: ISTE and HP invite educators around the world to participate remotely in the 2010 HP Innovations in Education Worldwide Summit, February 22-24. Participate in live webcasts of presentations and panels on Feb 23 and 24. Alliance for Excellent Education: The Online Learning Imperative: A Solution to Three Looming Crises in Education, by Governor Bob Wise. Education Week: The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is getting kicked into high gear with the announcement today that the House will start holding hearings next Wednesday, with the first meeting focused on charter schools. eSchool News: Roughly 40 percent of Americans do not have high-speed internet access at home, according to new Commerce Department figures that reinforce what educators believe causes some students to fall behind. eSchool News: Responding to private lenders' lobbying efforts against White House plans for direct federal loans, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Feb. 17 that he trusts the U.S. Senate will pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA). ISTE: Author and former World Bank Vice President, Jean-Francois Rischard will deliver the opening keynote Sunday evening, June 27, at ISTE 2010 in Denver. eSchool News: A compilation of four new studies of one-to-one computing projects in K-12 schools identifies several factors that are key to the projects' success, including adequate planning, stakeholder buy-in, and strong school or district leadership. eSchool News: eSchool News honored 10 superintendents who are among the nation’s most successful in leading their schools into the 21st century. THE Journal: Ed tech policy and advocacy groups have a lot to deal with these days. There's the new proposal to expand the federal E-Rate program. There are the National Broadband Plan and the new National Educational Technology Plan. And there is EETT. NTIA released a new report taking a first look at data collected through the Internet Usage Survey of more than 50,000 households, commissioned by NTIA and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in October 2009. eSchool News: Keeping college students and their professors connected through social media outlets could be key in boosting graduation rates, education technology experts said during a panel discussion at Social Media Week in New York. Minneapolis Star-Tribune: A fast-growing number of K-12 students in Minnesota and across the nation are migrating from the classroom to online learning. But while some schools tout impressive test scores, many fall short of statewide performance levels. Verizon Thinkfinity: February 14-20, 2010, marks the 20th anniversary of National Engineers Week. Engineers use their imagination and skill to design things we use every day. eSchool News: Calling No Child Left Behind a 'blunt instrument' that placed more emphasis on defining failure than encouraging success, Arne Duncan on Feb. 12 outlined the Obama administration’s vision for rewriting the nation's education law. Education Week: Discussions of technology in education typically center on what policymakers, academic experts, and educators would like to see happen in the classroom. Rarely heard are the voices of the students... eSchool News: A new House bill seeks to overhaul the e-Rate, which provides telecommunications discounts to eligible schools and libraries, to make it a more useful tool in the federal government's National Broadband Plan. K12HSN: Do not miss this great opportunity to become a Thinkfinity Trainer! Come join us for a free Thinkfinity Train-the-Trainer session at the Los Angeles County Office of Education on Friday, February 19, 2010 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Verizon Thinkfinity: The Verizon Foundation and its Content Partners are publishing a Featured Resources newsletter. In this newsletter, you will find a selection of new Thinkfinity resources, tried-and-true favorites and other special features... Government Technology Magazine: The executive order signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger on Feb. 9, sets a target date of June 2013 for individual agencies to shutter their server rooms, and mandates that energy consumption is slashed 30 percent by 2012. CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces 2010 Title I Academic Achievement Award Schools. The Patriot-News: A 1st year math teacher at a Pennsylvania middle school is reinforcing math concepts by creating and posting math videos on YouTube. Access to the site is blocked on school computers, so students watch his problem-solving videos at hom eSchool News: Google Inc. plans to build a handful of experimental, ultra-fast internet networks around the country to ensure that tomorrow's systems can keep up with online video and other advanced applications that the company will want to deliver. Campus Technology: A bill introduced in the US House of Representatives, known as the E-Rate 2.0 Act of 2010, would amend the school technology program by adding a 5-year, $750 million broadband pilot program for community colleges and head start programs CDE: Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Issues Statement on College Board's Sixth Annual AP® Exam Report to the Nation. eSchool News: On Jan. 28, a group of inspiring educators from four diverse school districts came together to share their experiences on how they have turned their underperforming schools around, and the tools they used to succeed. eSchool News: Giving teachers hands-on science experience not only helps improve student achievement, but also reduces teacher attrition, according to results from a Columbia University study. eSchool News: Carnegie Mellon University will use a $20,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to create and distribute web safety advice to faculty, teachers, and students in K-12 schools and on college campuses. CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 349 California teachers became National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT®s) in November 2009. Office of the Governor: Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Executive Order to Further Improve California’s Information Technology Systems. K12HSN/CDE: Due to adverse weather conditions in many areas of the country, USAC - in consultation with the FCC - has extended the close of the filing window to Friday, February 19, 2010. eSchool News: Education technology consultant Alan November reveals key lessons that today's students must know in order to thrive in the Information Age - but not every middle or high school is teaching these lessons. Education Week: States and school districts are tapping into several pots of federal economic-stimulus money to rev up their educational technology. Yakima Herald-Republic: Educators at a Washington state elementary school are using blogs to help enhance math lessons and prepare students to provide written explanations of their math work, as required on state tests. eSchool News: School leaders hoping to get clarification on the limits of discipline in the Internet Era might have to wait for Supreme Court action. Education Week: Statewide about 25 percent of schools will participate in the pilot program. The rest of the students will take the paper-and-pencil test. The Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service has released an application guide for its second and last round of broadband stimulus funding. CENIC: Four groundbreaking projects that focus on the innovative use and expansion of high-performance networking were honored by CENIC as recipients of the 2010 Innovations in Networking Awards. Verizon Thinkfinity: Want to learn more about Verizon Thinkfinity but only have 5 minutes to spare? NO PROBLEM! The Verizon Thinkfinity Professional Development team has developed a handful of short training videos! No login or registration is required. Education Week: The Obama administration calls for a shift toward measuring college and career readiness as it prepares proposals for revamping the law. eSchool News: The use of social-networking web sites among young Americans continues to climb—but fewer teens and young adults are blogging now than four years ago, and the number of those who use Twitter is still very low... CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces New Tool to Help Close the Achievement Gap by Improving School Culture and Climate. CENIC: The Full Speed Ahead Conference Program is now available online. U.S. Department of Education: See the narrative portion of applications submitted by 40 states and DC for Phase 1 of Race to the Top. Verizon Thinkfinity: Learn how to be a better parent, teacher or caregiver to the "digital natives" in your life and gain the knowledge and skills for understanding, analyzing and participating in our technology-infused world. Verizon Thinkfinity: The February-March schedule for the free Verizon Thinkfinity Webinar, School Administrators: Leading with Thinkfinity, has been posted. Verizon Thinkfinity: Just in time for Black History Month, Verizon Thinkfinity (www.thinkfinity.org) has added a new feature highlighting free lesson plans, teacher resources and student activities to bring the stories of African-American history to life. eSchool News: A recent study from the Brookings Institution says education isn't getting its fair share of national news coverage--and isn't getting the right stories reported when it does. eSchool News: The 2009 Sloan-C report on online education confirmed what campus officials have seen during the country's economic downturn: Americans are flocking to web-based classes. THE Journal: If adopted by Congress without alteration, President Obama's proposed fiscal year 2011 budget would pump an additional $3.5 billion into education. But it would also cut the sole source of dedicated federal funding for education technology. eSchool News: President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 calls for sweeping changes to programs within the U.S. Department of Education, including a restructuring of federal education technology grants... CENIC: CENIC's Monthly Newsletter January 2010 is now available. In this newsletter, you'll find information about what's on the horizon for CENIC's Associates, CalREN, etc... CENIC: The Ventura County Office of Education now enjoys a second Gigabit connection to the CalREN backbone, providing the Office with diversity. eSchool News: Free online tools that can save teachers time, new innovations that could make online learning more accessible, and insight into how educators can let students take responsibility for their own learning safely were among FETC's highlights Education Week: The federal program is seen as not keeping up with technological advancements that could help schools. CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today named 12 California schools as 2010 Model Continuation High Schools for their programs designed to help struggling students stay in school. Office of the Governor: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger thanks Secretary of Education Dr. Glen Thomas for his dedicated service to California after the Secretary announced his retirement. K12HSN/CDE: Warning: The deadline for filing Form 471 applications for FY 2010/2011, is Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST (remember that is 8:59 PST). School Library Journal: The National Science Digital Library is a digital database that provides standards-based instructional resources, K-12 lesson plans, digital downloads, streaming video, and 2.0 collaborative tools for math and science and it's free School Library Journal: Here are some titles that significantly inform the conversation about Web 2.0 in education, along with their accompanying blog or Web site, where readers can continue the conversation. U.S. Department of Ed: The President's 2011 education budget signals a bold new direction for federal K-12 education policy with more competitive funding, more flexibility and a focus on the reforms likely to have the greatest impact on student success. School Library Journal: The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) believes that when it comes to technology training, we should look no further than a terrific resource already in the classroom—students. eSchool News: Despite all the buzz about Apple's iPad tablet and how it could be useful for reading electronic textbooks, a new software program on the way might hold even more promise for education... eSchool News: A technology incentive program that is reducing the dropout rate and closing the digital divide; an online-learning program that has solved the challenge of declining student enrollment: are some of the many accomplishments of the winners... eSchool News Commentary: Skillful leaders are able to articulate their vision clearly and inspire their communities to action--and the winners of our annual Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards epitomize this idea.... Education Week: Digital tools for defining and targeting students' strengths and weaknesses could help build a kind of individualized education plan for every student. CLRN: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Superintendent Jack O'Connell, State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell, and Secretary of Education Glen Thomas have announced phase two of the Digital Textbook Initiative. CUE: On the Saturday morning of the CUE Conference, CUE is proud to hosting a Digital Textbook Summit from 7:30-9am. Join Susan Patrick, CEO and President of iNACOL and panel of expert guests for a discussion on the future of online learning in California ISTE: Don't miss the 90-minute documentary, Digital Nation, produced by Frontline and airing on PBS TV channels Tuesday evening, February 2. Frontline crews collected interviews and footage at NECC 2009 in Washington, DC. Megaconference Jr. 2010 will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 7:00 AM- 7:00 PM EST (UTC-5). Register now - New Final Deadline for Interactives is Feb. 1, 2010. K12HSN: We are gearing up to launch our 'February Give and Get' Campaign exclusively for Verizon Thinkfinity Trainers in California. eSchool News: Schools and colleges that use wireless microphones operating on the 700 megahertz (MHz) frequency band have until June 12 to change the radio frequency or buy new equipment, according to a Jan. 15 ruling by the FCC. eSchool News: Education is one of the few areas of the federal budget that would not see a spending freeze, if President Barack Obama gets his way this year. eSchool News: Apple's new tablet computer, the iPad, could push other companies to bring more color-capable eReaders to the market in a move that could make digital books more commonplace on school campuses, educators said after the long-awaited release. eSchool News: States and school systems are making significant progress in building educational data systems and are starting to use these systems to improve student achievement, according to a new report. Internet2 together with 27 national, state and regional R&E network organizations, filed comments to the FCC on January 27, 2010 to help inform the development of its National Broadband Plan. BroadbandBreakfast.com: National Telecommunications and Information Administration head Larry Strickling was in Denver Friday talking up the NTIA's second round of broadband stimulus funding. eSchool News: Students at six schools from across the country are taking part in a pilot program that uses 'service learning' as a way to revitalize their schools and communities while gaining valuable 21st-century skills. U.S. News & World Report: Online college education is expanding rapidly. More than 4.6 million college students were taking at least 1 online course at the start of the 2008-09 school year. That's more than 1 in 4 college students (17% increase from 2007) eSchool News: Can the release of Apple's eReader tablet do for textbooks what the iPod did for music: combine an online store for purchasing books with sleek hardware that holds every text a student needs? eSchool News: A growing number of schools now offer what's known as 'hybrid' courses, which mix an online experience with traditional classroom learning. eSchool News: Educators should change the way they view technology's role in everyday life in order to understand students' educational needs, said Don Tapscott, chairman of nGenera Insight, during a Jan. 19 Consortium for School Networking webinar. Chattanooga Times Free Press: Teachers at Georgia's LaFayette High School are enhancing math lessons with technology and helping students take ownership of their learning by asking them to prepare and record podcast lessons to be posted to a Web site. The Associated Press: The Agriculture Department is handing out nearly $310 million in stimulus money to bring high-speed Internet connections to 14 rural communities around the country. KPBS: A who's who in California public education filtered into an auditorium at the state capitol on Friday morning to hear the annual State of Education address given by State Schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell. Race To The Top takes center stage. eSchool News: Teachers looking for ways to incorporate the Olympic Winter Games into their instruction have a new resource they can use: NBC Learn has teamed up with the NSF to produce a video series focusing on the science behind the games. eSchool News: It's no surprise, really, but it turns out Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates is a strong supporter of the open-courseware movement that has swept through higher education in the last few years. The New York Times: A bold recommendation in 2001 to set up a federal multibillion dollar trust that would act as a venture capital fund to research learning technology is finally being implemented. eSchool News: Educators face a growing challenge in trying to compete for their students' attention with near-constant access to entertainment media outside of school, a new study suggests. Associated Press: In a move that could benefit researchers and consumers alike, the Obama administration is posting to the internet a wealth of government data from all Cabinet-level departments on topics ranging from child car seats to Medicare services. Education Week: Warning that school systems are facing permanent budget constraints, the authors of 10 papers present ideas for targeting spending to achieve results. CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Details Accomplishments, Challenges, and Opportunities to Improve Public Schools in State of Education Address. The digital edition of District Administration - February 2010 is available now. District Administration: Districts are using social networking Web sites like Twitter and Facebook to tout their accomplishments and communicate with the public. District Administration: Why is mobile technology different from other technology? Among many other reasons, students will be using their own devices. School Library Journal: An educator's take on ereaders and more from the Consumer Electronics Show U.S. Department of Education: Read this review of the Obama Administration's education efforts in 2009. Verizon Thinkfinity: The Verizon Foundation and its Content Partners are publishing a Featured Resources newsletter. In this newsletter, you will find a selection of new Thinkfinity resources, tried-and-true favorites and other special features... eSchool News: Some grant-giving entities have had to make adjustments in their award programs owing to the economic downturn, affecting both educators and students... eSchool News: A Microsoft official argued Jan. 13 that the U.S. Congress should create rules and regulations for cloud computing, a burgeoning technology that has gained traction among schools and colleges. Los Angeles Times: Statewide poll reveals an increase in cutbacks and layoffs at schools, and unemployment and homelessness among families. CUE: To help ease tightened budgets this year, CUE has created three cost-saving bundles around popular topics at the CUE 2010 Conference. U.S. Department of Education: 40 states and the District of Columbia submitted applications to compete in Phase 1 of Race to the Top. President Obama announced plans to expand the program. U.S. Department of Education: Watch this video for tips on filling out FAFSA - the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Education Week: Kaiser study shows student use of media such as mobile devices and the Internet has increased more than an hour a day over the past five years. THE Journal: 'It's about taking what's already out there, what's free and available right now, and fitting it to match your needs.' eSchool News: Open scholarly content will become more commonplace in higher education in the next year as online universities and textbook companies organize and harness the internet's mass of educational material, according to the 2010 Horizon Report. The Arizona Republic: A new state law that lets all 227 Arizona school districts and 500 charter schools offer K-12 courses online has the potential to revolutionize instruction. eSchool News: Combining text, audio, and video chat with features like drag-and-drop documents and interactive polls, Google Wave is a free web program that could add unprecedented depth to student interaction, many educators say. Education Week: The budget proposal would open the high-profile grant competition to districts--and extend it beyond the economic-stimulus program. Education Week: In the final sprint to polish Race to the Top applications, hundreds of school districts shunned a shot at a share of $4 billion in grants by refusing to sign on to their states' plans for the federal competition. NTIA: The Commerce Department's NTIA and USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced availability of $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America. eSchool News: To help provide broadband access to more citizens, the Federal Communications Commission should expand the eligible uses of e-Rate discounts to include after-school programs and community centers, many school leaders and education groups say eSchool News: Opinion-- Educational technology expert credits Florida lawmakers for seizing on the promise of virtual academies. Education Week: Starting next semester, some West Virginia students will have one less book to carry. But that doesn't mean the workload will be any lighter. AASA's School Administrator: As the role of technology in education has progressed from a supplemental component to an essential element of the educational environment, so too have the responsibilities of district technology leaders become more critical. Washington Post: Microsoft invests millions in Innovative Teaching Practices Research. Microsoft announced that its Partners in Learning program is sponsoring the Innovative Teaching and Learning (ITL) Research project, which is led by SRI International. Education Week: Educators nationwide would have to exchange long-held practices for newer ones if all 50 states were to adopt a set of common content standards. THE Journal: CoSN creates a new framework of skills that draws a greater range of responsibility for the 21st century technology leader. eSchool News: Finalists in the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Superintendent of the Year competition met to discuss ways that districts and the federal government can transform education... CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and State Board of Education President Ted Mitchell today signed California's official application to enter the Race to the Top (RTTT) competition. ISTE: Today ISTE launched a campaign to raise awareness about key Ed Tech priorities for 2010. These 'Top Ten in '10' provide a framework for policy-makers and educators as legislative and funding decisions are made. BBC News reports that need for schools to prepare for 21st century learning was top of the agenda at this year's BETT conference. They must embrace mobile technologies, games, podcasts and social networking... THE Journal: Microsoft has released a free search engine optimization (SEO) tool for Web sites. The software, called "SEO Toolkit," works with Web sites supported by Microsoft's Internet Information Services Web servers on Windows-based machines. THE Journal: Discovery Education has announced it will stream each episode of Discovery Channel's new natural history series Life beginning the day after it premieres on the cable TV network. Education Week: Quality Counts 2010: The New Surge Toward Common Standards. The 14th edition of Education Week’s annual report card on American public education focuses on the latest iteration of the national debate over common academic standards. CTAP Region 7 hosted an Online Learning Symposium last year. Most of the presenters were recorded. For those who couldn't attend the 2009 Online Learning Symposium, these archived sessions are available online. CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the nomination of two California public schools for the 2009-10 National No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Title I Distinguished Schools Recognition Award. eSchool News: In a move that could shake up the interactive whiteboard (IWB) market, two projector manufacturers have just released new products that can turn virtually any surface into an IWB.... eSchool News: Bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. is launching a textbook rental program for college students, making it the newest entrant in a growing field. The announcement will raise college students' awareness of the burgeoning market. eSchool News: Users of Google Apps for Education now will be able to store photos, videos, and other media files on Google Docs, after Google announced an upgrade to its service.... Information Week: Tech heavyweights Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft on Jan. 13 announced an ambitious partnership under which they will jointly invest $250 million over three years to develop and market systems geared toward cloud computing. Information Week: Google said on Tuesday that it and at least 20 other companies in the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors had been targeted in a sophisticated cyber attack in December. THE Journal: Three K-12 schools will win a 21st century classroom outfit that includes 20 tablet or notebook computers, three wireless access points, a notebook cart, interactive whiteboard, student response system, projector, printer, and more. CDE: Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Congratulates California Teacher of the Year Selected as a National Finalist. CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced 804 local educational agencies (LEAs) have submitted a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to partner with the state of California in the federal Race to the Top CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced the designation of three high-performing schools as California's 2010 Schools To Watch™—Taking Center Stage (STW™—TCS) model schools. San Gabriel Valley Tribune: In September, a class was chosen for a pilot program to gauge if students' English comprehension and fluency improved with daily use of the iPod Touch. Oswalt Academy is already using technology in the classroom eSchool News: Moving public education to a model that will better prepare students for today's knowledge economy, and one that will strengthen teacher development and evaluation, is critical to the nation's ability to compete on a global scale... The Internet's leading resource for literacy professionals has a whole new look-and much more. With a fresh look and many exciting new features, the redesigned site offers a wider audience more opportunities to find just the literacy resources they need. eSchool News: While most American schools employ an education-technology leader either full or part time, 17 percent of districts surveyed in fall 2008 reported having no one in place to oversee the use of technology in schools... The OCIO has issued its first Information Technology Policy Letter of the year, formally establishing the use of Open Source Software (OSS) in California government as an acceptable practice. CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces Submission of Application for $213 Million in Federal State Fiscal Stabilization Funds Recordnet.com: Struggling Lodi Unified high school students will be ushered into the age of education technology in February, as the district officially launches online coursework in lieu of its now-defunct summer school program. CNET: Among the budget cuts California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed to health care, prison, environment, and other parts of the state budget, there's one area that has a good chance of actually getting a budget increase: open source in IT. The New York Times: Researchers theorize that the ever-accelerating pace of technological change might be creating a series of mini-generation gaps. CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today responded to Governor Schwarzenegger's 2010 State of the State address. CDE: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today issued the following statement following passage of SBx5 1, authored by Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, and SBx5 4, authored by Senator Gloria Romero. Office of the Governor: Gov. Schwarzenegger today submitted his proposed budget for 2010-11, which closes a $19.9 billion gap over the next 18 months between revenues and projected state expenditures. The Governor also declared a fiscal emergency. THE Journal: With cost concerns squeezing districts out of 1-to-1 computing programs, a once unthinkable solution is now in play: allowing students to bring their own laptops, PDAs, and—heaven help us—cell phones. Education Week: While experts see whiteboards as powerful tools for improving instruction, teachers vary widely in their ability to use them effectively. Computerworld: In a development likely to be closely watched by Google Inc., Microsoft, and other vendors, as well as users of these companies' cloud-computing services, the FTC is examining potential threats to consumer privacy and data security. The Reporter: Thanks to technology, parents in California's Vacaville Unified School District have been able to use the internet to monitor their children's progress and grades. Now, that same technology is being used to alert parents of outstanding fees. The Saratogian: Fifth-graders in a New York state school are part of a pilot program to use smart phones -- which are linked to the Internet but cannot be used to make calls or send text messages -- as mini-computers to find and share information. eSchool News: As educators struggle to define effective 21st century instruction, one practice that many have viewed as fundamental to teaching and learning has come under new fire: catering to different learning styles. K12HSN: Become a Verizon Thinkfinity Trainer! K12HSN is offering a face-to-face training at the Contra Costa COE on Saturday January 23, 2010 to train educators, technology leads, etc. who are interested in becoming Verizon Thinkfinity Field Trainers. K12HSN: Warning! Using a non State Form 470 and Form 470 posting deadline eSchool News: President Barack Obama on Jan. 6 announced an expansion of the Educate to Innovate program he launched last November, including the creation of several new partnerships to help attract, develop, reward, and retain outstanding STEM teachers. eSchool News: New netbooks, tablet computers, and eBook reader devices, as well as fresh developments in television are among the technologies being unveiled this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The digital edition of District Administration -January 2010 is available now. Capitol Weekly: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger intends to call the Legislature into emergency session to confront a nearly $6.6 billion budget gap in the current fiscal year. The governor will unveil his new budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year on Friday. THE Journal: Mobile devices are increasingly playing a role in students' lives as more and more schools look to transform education through technology and help bridge the digital divide by supplying core learning tools to students. La Crosse Tribune (Wisconsin): Some local college officials are jumping on board Google Wave to see what the new technology might mean for education. San Diego Union-Tribune: The California Partnership for Achieving Student Success is a statewide program that uses students' academic records to help educators align instruction for students. CalPASS has collected data from 25 million students since 1998. eSchool News: Teachers are making significant progress in adopting digital media and using the internet for instruction, according to findings from a new survey released Jan. 5 by PBS. eSchool News: The new online version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will allow college applicants to skip series of questions that don't apply to them and includes help text and easily accessible instructions. New York Times: With his state strapped for cash and his legacy looming, Gov. Schwarzenegger on Jan. 6 proposed to greatly reduce the amount of money California spends on its prisons and to funnel that sum to the state's higher-education system instead THE Journal: The National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) has launched a Web site aimed specifically at teenagers that gives them access to current NASA spacecraft data, potentially taking school science projects to a new level. Education Week: After carving deeply into California’s K-12 budget over the past two years, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed Wednesday to spare schools from further cuts in the budget he will propose for fiscal 2011. Sacramento Bee: California's lowest-performing schools would be targeted for a sweeping overhaul and the state could vie for a slice of $4.35 billion in federal Race to the Top funds under legislation narrowly approved Tuesday by the Assembly. The Orange County Department of Education is presenting open discussions with some of the most important authors of fiction for children and young adults. Students can interact with authors and learn more about selected writings. InformationWeek: Microsoft is looking forward to strong sales of Office 2010 when the productivity suite ships later this year, based on what the company called record interest in the beta version of the product. eSchool News: Here's a look at five stories that could have a huge effect on education technology in the new year. eSchool News: Educators and their students soon could have another communications and mobile computing option that isn't tied to a specific cellular provider, giving schools more flexibility in deploying a smart-phone solution on campus. CDE: State Schools Chief O'Connell and Secretary of Education Thomas Announce Hundreds of Local Educational Agencies Intend to Participate in Race to the Top. CLRN: One of the frequent questions CLRN received after completing phase one the Free Digital Textbook Initiative was how the Williams Settlement applied when districts choose to purchase or utilize open source digital textbooks. eSchool News: For years, tech-savvy educators and product developers have pushed for more open educational resources in classrooms as a way not only to engage students through technology, but also to save money in a time of tighter budgets. eSchool News counts down the ten most significant developments in education technology during the past year. THE Journal: A report ('The Status of the Teaching Profession') offers current data on the supply, qualifications, and distribution of California's educators. The 2009 report includes the results of a survey of high school principals throughout the state. THE Journal: Discovery Education has announced the DENSCIcon 2010, a free, virtual professional development event demonstrating the many ways educators can integrate digital content and educational technologies into science education. Will be held Jan 9. The White House: Vice President Biden kicked off $7.2 billion in Recovery Act broadband grant and loan programs to bring high-speed Internet to communities that currently have little or no access to the technology. The Arizona Republic: This year, Arizona has joined a national effort to get more students to take their courses online, reports the Arizona Republic. ISTE: Don't miss the three-part series on animation unfolding this week on the ISTE Connects blog. Written by ISTE member and library media specialist, the series offers tips, techniques, and tools for creating and publishing short animated videos. eSchool News: While some economists point to signs that the nation's economy is improving, others say the U.S. faces a much slower climb out of the recession--a scenario that will have a huge effect on public education in the coming years. Education Week: More states are taking strides to connect K-12 data systems with postsecondary institutions, but challenges remain. eSchool News: Colleges and universities will help bring broadband internet to underserved schools, businesses, and neighborhoods after Vice President Joe Biden announced the first round of federal stimulus funds to expand high-speed web access on Dec. 17. PBS Teachers Offers New Collection of Resources For Teaching Critical Economic and Financial Literacy Skills. PBS Teachers launches this new collection to help students understand complex economic concepts. Verizon Thinkfinity: The Verizon Foundation and its Content Partners are publishing a Featured Resources newsletter. In this newsletter, you will find a selection of new Thinkfinity resources, tried-and-true favorites and other special features Verizon Thinkfinity: ReadWriteThink, EDSITEment and Xpeditions will unveil their new, redesigned Web sites in the new year! Verizon Thinkfinity: The Professional Development team has just launched pre-recorded versions of its free Webinars that can be viewed any time. K12HSN News will return the week of January 4th, 2010. The K12HSN Offices will be closed between December 28, 2009 and January 4, 2010. Happy Holidays! eSchool News: A Washington, D.C.-based privacy advocacy group and nine other organizations have filed a complaint against Facebook over the online social network's latest privacy changes. CENIC 2008-09 Annual Report is now available for download. TCSII: Celebrating Middle Grades - A special display at the California Department of Education celebrates the achievements of three new Schools To Watch™--Taking Center Stage (STW-TCS) schools. eSchool News: A new booklet released by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other government agencies helps parents and teachers steer kids safely through the online and mobile-phone worlds. eSchool News: Education leaders in the US must work to close the digital divide and ensure that all students have access to top-notch technology, while at the same time using technology not just for technology's sake, but as a game-changing learning tool. Education Week: Money in the version passed by the House could be used to stem layoffs; a Senate version has yet to be unveiled. CSLA: The California School Library Association invites you to explore an online tutorial that appeals to teachers who like to be one step ahead of their peers and their students! The course is free, fun, and a fantastic way to learn 21st century tools. Education Week: At Westside Community Schools in Omaha, Neb., the Director of Information Technology keeps the computers humming by staying on a strict cycle of replacement and recycling. Steve Hargadon: Educational Networking: The important role web 2.0 will play in education eSchool News: A new video game designed to help New York students learn to manage their money tries to make the dullness of balancing a checkbook look more like the thrill of driving for a touchdown. eSchool News: Minors are able to access explicit content in virtual worlds without much difficulty, and the operators of those virtual worlds should take steps to keep that content away from children and teenagers, according to a new report from the FTC. Associated Press: Australia plans to introduce an internet filtering system to block obscene and crime-linked web sites, despite concerns it will curtail freedoms and won't completely work. Education Week: An examination of three off-the-shelf designs for improving schools finds learning gains for the two with more-prescriptive approaches. eSchool News: All schools in Arkansas will have access to geographic information system (GIS) technology. The Arkansas Dept of Ed hopes will continue to give students 21st-century skills and community service opportunities. eSchool News: The 10 University of California campuses expect to save $36 million in annual utility costs after a series of green initiatives that include replacing 500 energy-intensive servers with 270 servers that require about half the electricity. Council of the Great City Schools: The November/December, Special Fall Conference Edition of the Urban Educator is now posted online. eSchool News: With the growing immigrant population in the United States, the need for ways to help educate English-language learners (ELL) continues to increase. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has announced the launch of an online community designed specifically for California teachers on the popular social networking website Facebook: the California Teachers' Network. eSchool News: Ed-tech writer and professor Curtis Bonk explains the Read, Reflect, Display, and Do (R2D2) model, a framework for using technology to teach and learn. UC College Prep: UC College Prep's new interactive 2008-2009 annual report has been launched. The report not only shows significant growth in the usage of the UC initiative's online courses and content, it also contains links to new courses. TWICE invites you to participate in a celebration of reading using videoconference technology! Classes can participate in English, or a variety of other languages, or special education. Classes share skits, raps, original poetry/writing, songs, game U.S. Department of Education: Three students win the 'I Am What I Learn' video contest and will receive a $1,000 prize. The Denver Post: New standards for subject matter as varied as reading and theater were unanimously adopted by the state school board Thursday. Colorado's new educational standards stress strategic thinking. San Diego Union Tribune: California legislators have approved a set of education reforms, but some critics say the changes do not go far enough to improve education for minority and low-income students. THE Journal: A non-profit after-school program serving more than 50,000 students in communities throughout Southern California, has received a $250,000 grant from energy provider Southern California Edison to support the program's STEM education efforts. THE Journal spoke with a handful of technology experts and came up with a short list of top tech trends you'll want to watch in the new year. A look at the top technology tools and trends to keep an eye on in the coming year. eSchool News: 8 out of 10 colleges included in a recent study were deemed vulnerable to cyber attacks that could cost IT departments thousands of dollars, highlighting the security downfalls of decentralized campus networks with little interconnectedness. The Washington Post: The Justice Department just issued a new guide for school communities with strategies to help prevent and respond to school violence. State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Nominates 35 California Public Schools for National Honor. eSchool News: Five of the nation's largest publishers of newspapers and magazines plan to challenge Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle electronic-book reader with their own digital format that would display in color and work on a variety of devices. eSchool News: As video games continue to permeate our culture, schools and students are increasingly interested in using video games for learning. This interest has prompted universities and neurologists to explore what makes a successful educational game Des Moines Register: Iowa schools are getting $60 million from software giant Microsoft's payment to settle an antitrust lawsuit in the state. THE Journal: With the help of a $100,000 supplemental grant from the United States Department of Education Office of Special Education (OSEP), Bookshare will begin to make open content textbooks accessible to readers with print disabilities. THE Journal: When the Nebraska Public Power District started looking into wind farms as potential sources of electricity seven years ago, Bob Marks had no idea what impact the initiative would have on his school district. eSchool News: Now that the filing window for schools to request 2010 e-Rate discounts on their telecommunications services has opened, here is some timely advice on applying for your share of the $2.25 billion in funding available. eSchool News: Fewer than half of college students responding to a national survey said their professors are using instructional technology, and educators worry that the technology gap between faculty and students might hinder campus learning. Associated Press: California's promise of an affordable higher education for its residents is being jeopardized by state budget cuts, the leaders of the state's college and university systems warned. Education Week: The District of Columbia and San Diego make gains, while Detroit and other districts lag behind. THE Journal: Three universities have joined 25 other institutions in granting teachers graduate credit for completing PBS TeacherLine courses. eSchool News: Using software that includes both on- and off-computer activities led to significant gains in the communication and social skills of students with autism, a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) study found. eSchool News: As would-be educators and the schools looking to hire them continue to explore alternative routes to teacher certification, Pearson has announced a new pilot program that intends to provide a completely computer-based certification system. MSNBC: A team led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology spread the wealth far and wide to locate 10 red balloons in undisclosed locations across the country on Dec. 5 and win a $40,000 cash prize from the Pentagon's think tank. Reuters: Social networking site Facebook said it has formed an advisory board consisting of five internet safety organizations to consult on issues related to online safety. CDE: Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces Submission of California's Application for Federal Education Data Grant. ABC 7 News: A growing number around the country that are abandoning traditional policies of cell phone prohibition and incorporating them into class lessons. Spanish vocabulary becomes a digital scavenger hunt. Notes are copied with a cell phone camera. eSchool News: The 2010 filing window for the federal e-Rate program opened Dec. 3, and interconnected voice over IP (VoIP) and text messaging used for educational purposes are two services now included in the FCC's revised Eligible Services List (ESL) eSchool News: The Obama administration will spend at least $3.5 billion to push local officials around the country to close failing schools and reopen them with new teachers and principals, and applications for the money are now available to state. eSchool News: Social networking soon could be used to help form a virtual community of campus educators charged with creating a national certification for teachers of remedial college courses. $12.9M in Gates Foundation funding will support the effort. PC World: Internet search leader Google has released two more helpful tools to help users get a richer search experience, PC World reports: a dictionary project that goes beyond simple definitions of words, and a new translated web-search feature. Clarksville Online: The Tennessee Dept of Education has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to provide training to teachers statewide on using the thousands of free, standards-based education resources available through Thinkfinity. Christian Science Monitor: The federal stimulus money for education is prompting states, much more than before, to embrace reforms promoted by the U.S. Department of Education BBC: Children who blog, text or use social networking websites are more confident about their writing skills, according to the National Literacy Trust. The Philadelphia Inquirer: Thirty-seven students at the Delaware County Technical School in Aston, Pa., are enrolled in a new network systems program that offers a concentration in the exploding field of computer forensics. Verizon Thinkfinity: The first session of a new webinar -- School Administrators: Leading with Verizon Thinkfinity -- is scheduled for Thursday, December 10 at 9:00 am Pacific (registration closes 2 days prior to session) THE Journal: It doesn't take much to disrupt an entire high school classroom and get a student off task, particularly when that student is using a desktop or laptop computer to finish a lesson. Schools are using technology to control classroom management Verizon Thinkfinity will be offering an online facilitated course to the educators and technology integration specialists who are interested in becoming Verizon Thinkfinity Field Trainers. Registration closes on January 4th, 2010. K12HSN is offering a series of face-to-face trainings to train educators, technology integration specialists, etc. who are interested in become Verizon Thinkfinity Field Trainers. eSchool News: As America's brand-new director of education technology, career educator Karen Cator underscores the determination of President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to develop a transformative agenda for schools and colleges. eSchool News: School districts have a new resource to help them define effective leadership in education technology: CoSN has released an updated version of its Framework of Essential Skills for K-12 chief technology officers. Education Week: Some push policy changes to help secure up to $700 million in federal economic-stimulus cash, while others warn against hasty action. CENIC's Monthly Newsletter November 2009 is now available. In this newsletter, you'll find information about what's on the horizon for CENIC's Associates, CalREN, etc... Educated Guess: One district, Riverside Unified, has risen to the challenge, and its director of K-12 instructional technology says Riverside wants to be in the vanguard of an online movement that inevitably will radically change the way textbooks. K12HSN/CDE: Last chance to attend E-rate training for Fall 2009 and USAC announces Commitment Levels THE Journal: Science education promises to be critical to American competitiveness on the world stage in the 21st century, and President Obama recently delivered a call to action to promote science literacy and to encourage student interest in science. THE Journal: Jean Smith is used to standing up in front of a live classroom of high school students, but these days she's testing her acting skills by also delivering those lessons to students located in other school systems. eSchool News: Police across the country are getting help from text-a-tip programs that allow people to send anonymous text messages from their cell phones -- and in many cases, the programs have been used to enhance school and campus safety. eSchool News: Programs are designed to capture web pages and create citations automatically, saving valuable time for students and faculty. The Idaho Statesman: Student-teacher interactions via video conferencing over a dedicated broadband network soon could become commonplace in Idaho, thanks to the new Idaho Education Network. Education Week: A national organization, with philanthropic backing, is launching a campaign to build support for common academic standards among a potentially influential constituency: parents. eSchool News: Average salary for district-level technology directors rose 2.1 percent last year, but trails average instructional director's salary by nearly $15,000 eSchool News: Students' use of mobile devices to go online is on the rise, and this trend has policy implications for colleges and universities. Associated Press: A growing number of schools around the country are abandoning traditional policies of cell-phone prohibition and incorporating the devices into class lessons. PC World: Taiwan's Ministry of Education plans to offer e-readers to school kids on the island next year as part of its efforts to digitize schools and promote reading. Join the California K-12 High Speed Network at the CLMS/CLHS K-12 Technology Conference in San Diego, December 4-5. Make sure you stop by our booth! (booth 25). There will also be a Verizon Thinkfinity session Friday -- 10:30 to 11:30 am (Royal Palm 3) The California K-12 High Speed Network is proud to release the 2009 edition of its Connecting California's Children Report. eSchool News: President Barack Obama on Nov. 23 announced the launch of several nationwide programs to help motivate and inspire students to excel in science and math, including a grassroots effort called 'National Lab Day' and a White House science fair. eSchool News: College and university library officials are largely disappointed with Google's decision to exclude non-English books from its digital library in a concession to critics of a proposed legal settlement. Education Week: Three education laureates stood beside former Vice President Al Gore and 11 other awardees last week at The Tech Awards. Two of the awards were given for free online learning projects. The New York Daily News: Parents of students at a public school last summer launched an online viral marketing campaign that brought in $40,000 in just a month and rescued the school's arts programs from the chopping block. School Library Journal: Educators from around the globe shared methods for tying media and technology into literacy lessons at the 99th annual National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention held in Philadelphia, PA, November 19-22. eSchool News: The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced a $2 million open competition for ideas to transform learning using digital media. eSchool News: According to a new report, every state is on track to have a longitudinal data system that follows the progress of individual students from preschool through college by 2011, thanks in part to funding from the ARRA. But more work remains. eSchool News: Annual AASL conference explores the changing role of school libraries in the 21st century. The conference focused on how school library media specialists can help students develop valuable multimedia skills. eSchool News: Three school districts (in Florida, Tennessee, and Kansas) and a coalition of charter schools (in California) have agreed to be test kitchens for some radical ideas for improving teacher quality. The Associated Press: Google, in a significant development for deaf internet users, said it is adding automatic caption capability to videos on YouTube. THE Journal: iNACOL has announced the winners of its 1st annual Online Innovator Awards: best and most innovative learning practice; important new research furthering the advancement of K-12 e-learning; and most innovative individual achievement. THE Journal: No Child Left Behind's accountability measures had no impact on children's reading achievement but did lead to some gains in math achievement by some measures, according to a new study. CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Urges Progress on Race to the Top Legislation. eSchool News: In the second stage of the 'I Am What I Learn' video contest from the federal Education Department (ED), 10 student videos have been chosen as national finalists--and ED is asking the public to help it pick the winners. CNET: The Federal Communications Commission met Nov. 18 to discuss obstacles to enacting a national broadband policy that will provide high-speed internet access to every American. THE Journal: Schools tap application developers for mobile solutions. While still in their infancy, the apps promise to deliver students and school data on the go. K12HSN: The live video stream from the State Board of Education (SBE) meeting originating from the California Department of Education is available online. eSchool News: A delegation of U.S. education technology leaders from CoSN visited Scotland and the Netherlands to learn more about the world's first national intranet for education, international approaches to online safety, and more. eSchool news: Private counseling for high school seniors proves too pricey for most families, while low-cost admissions help can be found on the web THE Journal: The implications for HTML5 technologies on learning are profound. As technologies become more intelligent, teaching and learning can focus more clearly on the processes of thinking. Education Week: Although a majority of states do not require financial-literacy classes in K-12 schools, the nation's recent economic struggles have spurred growing interest in the subject. Many educators are turning to digital-game-based approaches. eSchool News: ED is accepting public feedback as it develops the new plan. Train every pre-service teacher to teach online; invest in the development of open courseware; are some of the many recommendations ED has received so far. The New York Times: More than 600 schools post lectures to iTunes U, Apple's free catalog of lectures from colleges and universities around the world, which recently got some added visibility when Apple rolled out iTunes 9 this fall. Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Textbooks could be going away within a few years in Texas classrooms. State legislation passed in the spring could put up-to-the-minute instructional content at students' fingertips, eliminating the mass-market hardback textbook. Verizon Thinkfinity: Verizon Thinkfinity has received Library Media Connection Magazine's Editor's Choice award for the best free educational Website. eSchool News: In an annual survey titled Online Learning Policy and Practice Survey: A Survey of the States, education officials from 44 states provided insight into the status of online learning in their states. eSchool News: Innovation was the watchword at the National School Boards Association's 2009 Technology + Learning (T+L) conference last month in Denver. District Administration: Phones, netbooks and iPods are finding a place in the curriculum and expanding student access to technology. District Administration: Since the Supreme Court approved a 2006 amendment to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure requiring public entities such as school districts to produce electronically stored public records during the discovery process in lawsuits. NEA: The National Education Association (NEA) and Harris Interactive have released the results of an Omnibus poll showing parents have embraced the benefits of Internet at school and even use the technology to communicate with their children's teachers. The New York Times: Thousands of teachers are cashing in on a commodity they used to give away, selling their lesson plans online for extra money -- a practice that has some officials questioning who owns material developed for public school classrooms. Discovery Education: The Oregon State Board of Education has approved 'Discovery Education Science' for statewide adoption in Elementary and Middle schools. This is the latest evidence of national shift from traditional textbooks to digital curriculum. eSchool News: According to experts, the state of math and science instruction in the United States is in crisis--and only a major overhaul of the education system will get the nation back on track. Education Week: States will need to make a persuasive case for their education reform agenda, demonstrate significant buy-in from local school districts, and develop plans to evaluate teachers and principals based on student performance. CoSN: The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) this week submitted comments in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Education for input on the National Educational Technology Plan. CTAP: CTAP is distributing the new MyCTAP flyer to spread the word and disseminate information about the New CTAP Web Portal. Join the California K-12 High Speed Network at the CETPA Annual Conference next week in San Diego. Make sure you stop by our booth! (Grand Foyer) Education Week: Some people in the field are concerned about the lack of high-quality recommendations for guiding the plan's development. eSchool News: The 2009 EDUCAUSE higher-education technology conference saw campus IT administrators present ways to preserve technology budgets during an economic downturn that has devastated many institutions' operating budgets and endowments. eSchool News: Here's a look at what this year's computer trends mean for the personal computing--and especially for education. eSchool News: Hewlett-Packard Co.'s $2.7 billion takeover of 3Com Corp. is a shot at networking leader Cisco Systems Inc., analysts say--and a sign of how old relationships are being frayed by a flurry of maneuvers by technology heavyweights. eSchool News: The Obama administration on Nov. 12 is opening its competition for states to receive $5 billion in Race to the Top education funding, but states have been jockeying for the new stimulus money even before the contest begins. Los Angeles Times: California could be eligible for up to $700 million in federal education stimulus funds under guidelines scheduled to be released today by the U.S. Department of Education. eSchool News: U.S. senators, students, and education-technology experts gathered on Capitol Hill last week for an event that highlighted the benefits of technology in K-12 and higher education. eSchool News: Another $11.5 billion in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds available, but states will have to demonstrate progress toward Obama's school-reform goals to qualify Sacramento Bee: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger estimated Monday that California's budget will fall out of balance by $5 billion to $7 billion this fiscal year, on top of a $7.4 billion gap already projected for 2010-11. eSchool News: Schools and libraries receiving federal E-Rate funding would have to submit proof that they have implemented internet safety education programs along with their E-Rate applications, according to a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. eSchool News: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has released a new guide intended to help schools and districts evaluate the integration of 21st-century skills into their policies and practices. San Jose Mercury News: The third annual conference of the Family Online Safety Institute brought together about 400 Internet safety advocates around the theme of Building a Culture of Responsibility: From Online Safety to Digital Citizenship. Education Week: A new report card finds little to celebrate in areas such as technology, high school quality, and removing ineffective teachers. Education Week: Universities and science organizations have launched initiatives to make advanced scientific work seem less intimidating and more appealing. P21: The 21st Century Skills Implementation Guides are designed to help state leaders and policymakers understand the basic steps involved in implementing statewide 21st century education initiatives. Star-Ledger: New Jersey teachers and students are slowly but increasingly using Web 2.0 tools to share creative, collaborative content. CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Comments on Senate Approval of Measure to Advance Application for Race to the Top. USA Today: When report cards went out in a Tennessee school last month, students did not have a printed version for their parents to sign. The district went paperless with its report cards making grades available to parents with secure accounts online. eSchool News: Controlling what children see on TV, online, and in other electronic media requires a delicate balancing act between the First Amendment rights of content providers and the desire to protect kids from inappropriate material, said panelists. eSchool News: As part of its efforts to develop a National Broadband Plan, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking comments about how the E-rate program can be improved to meet the broadband needs of schools and libraries. eSchool News: At least two presenters at the annual EDUCAUSE spoke out about the unfair application of strict copyright protections to scholarly journals -- a practice, they said, that hinders academic endeavors. CDE: State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Names Five Remarkable Educators as 2010 California Teachers of the Year. School Library Journal: PBS TeacherLine has partnered with NASA to create a series of professional development courses and teaching resources on climate change. U.S. Department of Education: Over $67 billion in ED Recovery Act formula grants have been awarded, and some 400,000 jobs have been saved or created through these ED grants. Computer-Using Educators (CUE), Inc. is proud to announce the return of its Fall Conference, to be held Nov. 5-6, 2010 in the Napa Valley. eSchool News: School and college IT departments have until the end of the calendar year to take advantage of an offer from automated systems management software provider, which provides its IT inventory software to educational institutions free of charge eSchool News: The annual EDUCAUSE conference opened with advice from best-selling author Jim Collins on how to take higher-education technology departments from good to great. THE Journal: The concern that we may be losing our competitive standing on the world stage, in terms of leadership in innovation, in technology, and in overall math and science proficiency has sparked the debate over education reform. CUE: Any District or County LEA may participate if they complete a MOU with the state, as long as it is signed by their Superintendent, School Board President and Teacher's Union President. CUE offers its service to districts interested in participating. CENIC's Monthly Newsletter October 2009 is now available. In this newsletter, you'll find information about what's on the horizon for CENIC's Associates, CalREN, etc... CDE: SSPI Jack O'Connell congratulated Wesley Sever, Ph.D., principal of John S. Wash Elementary School in Fresno, for his selection by the U.S. Department of Education to receive the 2009 Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership. TCSII: Visit Taking Center Stage-Act II (TCSII), the Web portal for California middle grades educators, to access three new professional learning activities featuring Dr. Kate Kinsella, news items, information and resources, events, and more. ASCD: Through November 17, ASCD's newest e-book, 'Supporting the Whole Child: Reflections on Best Practices in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership', is free to download. Computer World: Is cloud computing inevitable? Maybe but IT still has a lot of questions to ask before floating away on its promises, according to the director of cyber infrastructure and network and operations at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Sacramento Bee: Senate Bill X5 1 would make the state more likely to get a piece of the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top federal stimulus funds offered to the nation's schools. California may be gaining ground in its race to the top. eSchool News: From interactive whiteboards to digital textbooks and high school reform, SETDA's annual Education Forum gave educators sound advice for using technology to advance learning. eSchool News: Karen Cator, former director of education leadership and advocacy for Apple Inc. and a long-time education technology leader, will serve as the new director of the Office of Educational Technology for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). BBC News: In Denmark, the government has taken the bold step of giving pupils full access to the internet during their final school-year exams. Education Week: Teachers in Louisiana may soon think twice before sending a text message or e-mail to a student from a personal electronic device. FCC: The Federal Communications Commission is seeking comment on various issues related to broadband access in education and on modifications to the schools and libraries universal service support mechanism (the E-rate program) Chattanooga Times Free Press: Some Tennessee teachers and principals have started a book club where they read and discuss professional-development books intended to make them better educators. Belleville News: Student at an Illinois middle school are using MacBook laptop computers through the Apple 1:1 Initiative, a pilot program that educators say is expected to improve student learning, especially among disadvantaged students. THE Journal: When a high school with a dormant videoconferencing room hires a 20-year videoconferencing veteran, that school can expect big changes in the AV department. This new employee quickly zeroed in on how to leverage the vc equipment. AFP: Contrary to popular belief, technology is not leading to social isolation, AFP reports -- and Americans who use the internet and mobile phones have larger and more diverse social networks, according to a new PEW study. eSchool News: As education leaders align their programs with the goals set forth by Education Secretary Arne Duncan under the Obama administration, a major point of emphasis is turning around underperforming schools and stemming the nation's dropout rate. eSchool News: Blackboard Inc. and Northwestern University have teamed up on a project to make the education version of Google Apps available to students using the Blackboard Learn platform with a single sign-on. eSchool News: Budget cuts could force Missouri's statewide virtual school to close midway through the academic year, leaving students with half-earned credits scrambling to complete their education. Online school could close unless funding is restored. Associated Press: The Nebraska Department of Education and Apple Inc. have partnered to offer teachers a new online educational tool. The issue includes an article on the purposes of the big tests (NAEP, PISA and TIMMS) and whether they're being misused. Other articles address performance pay, value-added tests and grading. eSchool News: A recent report that suggests 40 percent of U.S. teachers are disheartened with their profession indicates how difficult these challenges will be. The Press-Enterprise: A Riverside school district is among the 1st in the state to begin using digital textbooks in some of its classes, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and others encourage the technology as a way to improve student learning and save money. Education Week: With single-sex classrooms gaining in popularity as a way to tap into teaching methods that may appeal to one gender or the other, the world of online schooling is looking at the idea of targeting virtual classes at just boys or just girls |