One-to-one learning: Area schools embrace technology as educational tools

by Emma Crawford, Djournal

The Tupelo Public School District began its one-to-one technology initiative in 2009, with the introduction of laptops for seniors at Tupelo High School. All students in sixth through 12th grades received devices the following year, and the district later introduced one-to-one laptops in third through fifth grades. Starting in the fall, second-grade students also will have the devices. Jason Harris, who became principal of THS in 2011, said the initiative was still a work in progress when he arrived. Now, though, Harris said the technology has become an integral part of day-to-day life at school.

http://djournal.com/news/one-one-learning-area-schools-embrace-technology-educational-tools/

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from Educational Technology http://people.uis.edu/rschr1/et/?p=25537

Silicon Valley staff beef up CV with tech courses, Artificial Intelligence big hit

by Swathyr Iyer, TNN

Latest data collected by the Indian wing of the Silicon Valley-based edu-tech startup, Udacity, Hyderabad, shows a rise in terms of the demand for specialised online tech courses.Artificial intelligence, deep learning, android development, machine learning, data analyst, full stack developer are some of the courses people in the city are now taking up. “This increased interest in learning specialised skills is a result of changes happening in the IT industry now and the slow recruitment and appraisal season across the sector this year,” said Ishan Gupta, managing director, India, Udacity.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/cheer-fizzles-out-silicon-valley-staff-beef-up-cv-with-tech-courses-artificial-intelligence-big-hit/articleshow/57834812.cms

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Arizona lags behind in schools’ internet access, but change is coming

By Yoohyun Jung, Arizona Daily Star

Twenty years ago, internet access was a luxury that only a small number of schools in the country could afford. That’s no longer true . However, data from a nonprofit advocating for better internet access in schools shows Arizona is still lagging. That’s not to say progress isn’t being made; a statewide initiative coupled with federal funding could boost internet connectivity in Arizona’s public and charter schools substantially in coming years. Education Superhighway ranked Arizona 44th worst out of 50 states for connectivity in 2016.

http://tucson.com/news/local/education/az-lags-behind-in-schools-internet-access-but-change-is/article_c6398795-a3b4-562b-87b5-27c4345592ac.html

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Five Reasons to Teach Robotics in School

by Matthew Lynch, tech Edvocate

In today’s’ technology-driven world, it’s important now more than ever to prepare students for the future. Teaching robotics to young students throughout their schooling can increase their ability to be creative and innovative thinkers and more productive members of society. Many governments have already recognized the importance of robotics in the classroom and have begun to create programs and laws that would incorporate it into their public education system. By teaching our students the basics of robotics, we can open a whole new world to them and exciting opportunities that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

http://www.thetechedvocate.org/five-reasons-to-teach-robotics-in-schools/

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Teachers: Khan-style online tutorials go 2.0 with new technology

BY PETER WEST, eCampus News

Khan Academy-style tutorials go 2.0, humanizing online learning thanks to the LightBoard. This next stage of evolution of tutorials allows students to get an enhanced experience with a more personal connection between the student and the teacher. Students no longer view only writing with a disembodied voice. They now get to see their teacher, complete with facial expressions, gestures and all the “human” things that make person-to-person explanations appealing. While nothing can replace a one-to-one, face-to-face explanation, this is better than anything in the past. This type of tutorial is simple to make; any teacher who can stand at a board, write with a standard marker and explain a concept can now make tutorials—no digital pens and touch-enabled devices needed, and almost no technical knowledge required.

http://www.ecampusnews.com/ed-tech-leadership/khan-online-tutorials-lightboard/

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Budget would slash funding for online classes, hurt smallest schools most

by MATT HOFFMAN, Billings Gazette

Montana’s proposed budget would slash funding for an online class program that disproportionately serves rural students, where small schools typically struggle to offer specialty classes. The Montana Digital Academy has grown significantly since its first classes in 2010, but it has never received sustainable funding from the state keeping pace with that growth. Instead, one-time-only funding has been added on top of its original $2.3 million allocation. This year, no one-time only funding has been added, effectively resulting in a $1.7 million decrease.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/budget-would-slash-funding-for-online-classes-hurt-smallest-schools/article_0faa9b2c-3424-5047-8471-fdeae7ab77ac.html

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Jefferson County middle school offering online safety classes to students

by David Belleville, KMOV St. Louis

Administrators at Valley Middle School in House Springs are teaching 6th graders a new class on the internet safety. The district is doing this partly because when students leave middle school, they will be issued laptops. Teachers want to make sure students know how to be smart and safe when they’re online. “When I get online and I see something that might be a hacker, I just do the things I learned in this class to not do it so I don’t get hacked at all,” Destiny Clary, a 6th grader, said. “If its got an update to your computer, don’t do it, ask your parents, let them do it,” she continued. Along with online safety, students are also learning about how to use online tools, such as customizing Google pages or building websites.

http://www.kmov.com/story/34984962/jefferson-county-middle-school-offering-online-safety-classes-to-students

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