Arkansas launches $13M school broadband upgrade

By Colin Wood, eSchool News

Arkansas started investing in technology for its K-12 system in the early 1990s through the development of the Arkansas Public School Computer Network. The network linked schools together, but in 2015, broadband internet connectivity is lacking. Recently elected Gov. Asa Hutchinson recognized a need for its students to get connected and the state is now launching an upgrade–totaling about $13 million annually–to its fiber infrastructure that will bolster education efforts and provide a stepping stone for further broadband development in the state.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/05/04/arkansas-broadband-upgrade-958/

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U of A Preps Classroom Spaces for Active Learning

By Michael Hart, Campus Technology

The University of Arizona is preparing for a massive initiative to implement active learning in several courses next fall. With a grant from the Association of American Universities, the Tucson, AZ campus is overhauling several classroom spaces to accommodate active learning in environments that will vary in size once the fall semester begins. Once construction that begins in May is completed, a classroom space in the Science-Engineering Library will have a capacity for 260 students while another in the Biological Sciences West building will accommodate 112 and two more in the Integrated Learning Center will provide room for 60 students each. A fifth space is being scouted as well.

http://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/29/u-of-a-preps-classroom-spaces-for-active-learning.aspx

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What are IT leaders worried about? Assessment readiness and money

By Keith Krueger, eSchool News

A CoSN survey reveals CTO concerns about privacy, budgets, and assessment readiness. For the past three years, CoSN—the Consortium for School Networking—has conducted the K-12 IT Leadership Survey seeking to identify major trends and challenges, and provide a picture of these leaders. What are the key technology trends in education according to leadership in our school systems? What do the data tell us? Assessment readiness is again the No. 1 priority for IT Leaders. The growing imperative about being assessment ready isn’t likely a surprise for those living in states adopting the Common Core. However, regardless of where you live, all states are increasingly moving their high-stakes assessments online. And, they are doing it quickly. Yet less than 30 percent report they are fully prepared for online assessments.

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2015/04/28/it-leaders-survey-693/

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Stanford: Cheating technology is growing, and here’s why

By Carla Rivera, Los Angeles Times

Cheating-friendly technology is becoming more common in competitive higher education settings, some say. Stanford University’s honor code dates to 1921, written by students to help guide them through the minefield of plagiarism, forbidden collaboration, copying and other chicaneries that have tempted undergraduates since they first arrived on college campuses. Exams aren’t proctored and students are expected to police themselves and speak up when they see others committing violations. But there appears to have been a massive breakdown during the recent winter quarter culminating in “an unusually high number of troubling allegations of academic dishonesty” reported to officials, according to a letter to faculty from Provost John Etchemendy.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/cheating-digital-age-652/

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How Embedded Technology Is Inspiring Student-Centered Learning

by Dan Gordon, THE Journal

At the beginning, technology was a tool that we would bring in, use and then put away. Now it’s embedded in everything. About four years ago, we implemented Google Apps for Education. We went from a district of 30 Chromebooks to now having nearly 22,000. We have 10-gig connectivity for every school, and on top of that we have a Student Interoperability Framework (SIF), where you have a centralized server and, for any programs that you connect to it, information is replicated immediately. We have our own assessment tool, and now that we have Chromebooks the students are taking assessments with that as well. That SIF integration is something we’re really proud of as a district. And I think having data back immediately has transformed the classroom as well. What you’re needing to reteach can be done right there in that class session rather than waiting to grade over the weekend and then bringing it back in the next week.

http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/04/28/innovator-kirsten-wright.aspx

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Report: Utah is ‘one of the best examples’ of quality digital learning

By Morgan Jacobsen, Deseret News

Utah is leading the nation in the way it uses technology to enhance learning among students, according to a national education advocacy group. In a report released Tuesday, Digital Learning Now gave Utah a grade of A- in its overall digital learning efforts. Utah was the first state to earn an A on the report and has done so every year for three years. Florida is the only other state to earn an A this year. The report also praises a Utah program known as the Student Achievement Backpack, which, when fully implemented, will give parents and teachers access to information to better personalize instruction for students.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865627432/Report-Utah-is-one-of-the-best-examples-of-quality-digital-learning.html

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#Infographic on Mobile Learning Techologies

by Citrix

The rapid evolution of technology is changing the way we learn, work and educate. Students want the freedom to learn and study using the latest software or applications on any device, in the location where they feel most productive and inspired. Great data in this infographic.

https://www.citrix.com/content/dam/citrix/en_us/images/info-graphics/infographic-student-mobile-workspaces.pdf

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