October 19, 2011
Digital Directions, Vol. 05, Issue 01
Professional Development
Professional Development (Data)
Teachers report the number of hours they spent in professional-development activities for educational technology.
Accountability
Feedback Loops for Better Schools
Editor Kevin C. Bushweller discusses how technologies that provide immediate feedback about behavior or performance can help districts turn information into action.
Law & Courts
States, Districts Move to Require Virtual Classes
But the new graduation requirements raise concerns about the equity of access to online learning tools and the technological costs of supporting such measures.
Special Education
iPads Become Learning Tools for Students With Disabilities
In a growing number of special education programs, students and teachers are relying on iPads and other tablet computers to pave a smoother path to learning.
Law & Courts
ACLU Puts Pressure on Districts to Ease Internet Filtering
Access to online information related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues and resources is being blocked by some district Internet filtering systems.
Classroom Technology
Moving Digital Learning Beyond the 'Wow' Factor
Students in Mooresville, N.C., have come to expect regular access to digital learning tools, which have become as commonplace as pencils and paper.
Teaching Profession
'Capturing Kids' Hearts' Initiative Focuses on Relationship Building
Educators in Mooresville, N.C., say the initiative has been just as integral to improved achievement as its heavy emphasis on digital learning.
Classroom Technology
Building the Digital District
The 1-to-1 laptop program in Mooresville, N.C., is producing results and helping other districts develop a strategy to link technology to achievement.
Curriculum
Publishers Turn to Cloud Computing to Offer Digital Content
But schools are just beginning to tap into the cloud because most lack the technological resources or knowledge for how to do it.
Law & Courts
Districts Tackle Questions Surrounding BYOT Policy
"Bring-your-own-technology" to school efforts are prompting schools to determine how to set rules for using student-owned computing devices for learning.
Curriculum
S. Korea Outlines Ambitious Plans for All-Digital Scholastic Network
South Korea is taking a $2 billion gamble that its students are ready to ditch paper textbooks in favor of tablet PCs as part of a vast digital scholastic network.
Student Well-Being
San Jose Student Writes App to View Grades
The teenager got Apple's approval to hawk it on the App store, and the application now has more than 2,300 users who downloaded it across the country.
Law & Courts
ACLU Wants Zuckerberg Gift Records Released
Both the civil liberties organization and parents say they want to know more about how the highly publicized $100 million gift to Newark schools will be spent.
Classroom Technology
La.'s First Online Charter School Starts
Nearly 600 students have started school from their homes as Louisiana's first online charter school for kindergarten through 12th grade opened.
School & District Management
'Sexting' Suit Settled
A Pennsylvania school district has settled a lawsuit alleging that a principal illegally searched a student's cellphone and found nude pictures she had taken of herself.
School Climate & Safety
Study: Teen Users of Facebook, MySpace More Likely to Drink, Use Drugs
A research organization says teenagers who regularly log onto Facebook and other social networks are considerably more likely to smoke, drink, or use marijuana than teens who don't visit the sites.
Classroom Technology
Michigan Pushes E-Learning Options
The Michigan Department of Education has released guidelines that allow more middle school students to take all classes online and some districts to open more virtual charter schools.
IT Infrastructure & Management
Schools Seek the Right Mix of Digital Computing Devices
Educators weigh cost and effectiveness when determining the different types of digital devices they need for their 1-to-1 computing initiatives.