A survey of states towards 1:1 computing

Welcome Back for the 2009-2010 school year! Let's start the school year with a nice article summarizing recent work by Project Red on state's current progress towards implementing 1:1 programs:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=60444

Eugene (WA) Schools deal with theft of educational technology

Two elementary schools grapple with the loss of $100,000 worth of educational technology. KVAL.org's full story here:

http://www.kval.com/news/local/45361322.html

Greek High School students to recieve 120,000 laptops

A new program will provide 120,000 Greek high school students beginning in Fall 2009. The Information Society Program (financed by the EU) will fund the new program. From the GRReporter:

http://www.grreporter.info/statiaen.php?mysid=2040&t=3&SESID=cvqru76eu4f0t3smgi3nm5fcd6

Texas House approves bill on funds for electronic texts in school

Texas House approves bill that opens up funding for electronic textbook resources in schools.

From the Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-textbooks_03tex.ART.State.Edition1.4afd165.html

Norway experiments with computer-based student assessments

In an effort to improve student assessment, the Norwegian Ministry of Education is piloting a program whereby students complete a national assessment using specially developed software.

From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8027300.stm

Maine High Schools Surveyed on 1:1 Interest

Maine high schools weigh in on their interest in the state's 1:1 high school plans.

From the Kennebec Journal (ME):

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/6206227.html

Anti-theft laptops to be issued to Australia students

As past of Australia's grade 9-12 1:1 laptop program, Lenova, the Chinese laptop supplier, promises to foil would-be thieves with built in security features:


http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25323465-421,00.html

Australia invests in 200,000 Lenova laptops

"NSW students currently in Years 10, 11 and 12 will be given one laptop between two students to use in class, and those computers will be in schools by the year's end. All the laptops will come with Microsoft Office Professional, giving students access to programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint."

From the Australian:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25274027-5013404,00.html

Rwanda: Laptops Will Increase Quality of Education

"The State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education has said that the use of computers by students will help increase the quality of education in Rwanda."

From the New Times:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200904010021.html

Webcam brings school to special needs students

"Having this technology available is really a turning point for children with cancer and other serious illnesses," said Aziza Shad, Georgetown's pediatric oncology director. "They miss their teachers. They miss their friends. These laptops with webcams provide a perfect way for them to participate in a lesson and stay connected with their school."

From the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033002130.html?hpid=sec-education

Test scores and attendance improve in California 1:1 study

A recent evaluation of the Palm Springs Unified School District 1:1 laptop program has found student test scores and attendance has improved.

From the Desert Sun (CA):
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090325/NEWS04/903250315/1006/news01

Legal Risks for teens "sexting"

Teen use of new technologies for "sexting" challenges the current legal system...

From the NY Times:
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/sexting-may-place-teens-at-legal-risk/

Maine's DOE expands 1:1 student laptop access

"What are school computers worth? Superintendents must decide"

From the Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Courier (ME):
http://blog.biddefordsacooobcourier.com/2009/03/26/what-are-school-computers-worth-superintendents-must-decide-march-26-2009.aspx

1:1 vs 3:1: Minnesota district considers financial and political alternatives

The long-running debate over how the school system should proceed with its controversial laptop initiative has taken on a new urgency.

From the Stillwater Gazette (MN):
http://www.stillwatergazette.com/articles/2009/03/17/news/news510.txt

Maine's 1:1 laptop program to expand

Despite the nation’s economic turmoil, Maine is expanding its middle school technology program to provide 1:1 laptop computers to 53,000 high school students:

From the Bangor Daily News (ME):


http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/101299.html

Education reform and educational technology

Andy Carvin for PBS's Learning.Now summarizes the recent EduCon conference in Philadelphia:

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/2009/02/education_reform_and_the_freed.html

Lexington students begin taking 1:1 laptops home

From the Lexington Clipper Herald (NE):

http://www.lexch.com/articles/2009/02/25/news/local/doc49a56e91d2fc3003017551.txt

Students enthusiastic about new 1:1 laptop program

"If the effectiveness of giving every student a laptop were measured in enthusiasm, the results so far in the West Bend School District would show success."

From the Journal Sentinel (WI):
http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/40065842.html

Use of technology grows at the elementary level

From Madison Daily Leader (WI):

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20268625&BRD=1302&PAG=461&dept_id=181987&rfi=6

By the Numbers: Educational technology in the school budget

From the Ridgefield CT Press:
“The reason blackboards lasted so long in the classroom,” Josh Smith told the school board, “is because every day when you walked in, you knew that chalk was going to work.”
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20848:with-over-3000-pieces-of-equipment-schools-tech-department-seeks-10-budget-increase&catid=46:rfd-local&Itemid=778

One Laptop Per Child gets cheaper...

From the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/02/11/cheaper_cheap_laptop_promised/

Laptops for all high school students in Kerala India

From Sify News:
All the 1,016 government-run high schools in Kerala will be supplied with a laptop each as part of the IT@School project.
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14852990

16,000 Georgia Students equipped with NComputing Virtual Desktops

From MSNBC:
Dougherty County School System in Georgia has began to expand computer access for its 16,000 students using NComputing virtual desktops connected to PCs.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29011761/

Australian state working toward 1:1 by 2011

The Canberra Times:
The New South Wales (AU) government expects the current ratio of one computer for every 8 high school students will decrease to one laptop per student (1:1) by 2011 across grades 9-12:


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/laptop-rollout-starts-to-compute/1421682.aspx?storypage=0

Positive Results from PA's 1:1 Program

From THE Journal:

Pennsylvania Ed Tech Initiative Shifts Students to Project-based Learning

http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23893

Technophobe teachers wasting millions

From the Times Online (UK):

"Becta, the Government’s adviser on IT in schools, says that many teachers are intimidated by the equipment and struggle to cope, and that children have a better understanding of how it works."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article3142536.ece

Education and Business Leader Call for Increased Educational Technology

Four leading education and business organizations -- CoSN, ISTE, SIIA and SETDA -- today applauded President-Elect Barack Obama's call to invest in technology for the classroom as part of the forthcoming economic recovery package and urged targeted action by Congress.

http://sev.prnewswire.com/education/20090114/DC5885314012009-1.html

The potential of mobile technology in schools

From Businessweek: "Get Cell Phones into Schools"
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2009/tc20090114_741903.htm

"Forget one laptop per student. Its time to embrace the device that kids are expected to put away when they get into the classroom..." By Cathie Norris and Elliot Soloway

Teacher's role is critical to integration of educational technology

From the Times Record News (Wichita, Kansas):
http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2009/jan/14/cutting-edge-teaching-technology-in-classrooms/

A Community Debates 1 to 1 Computing for New High School

From the Eagle Tribune (North Andover, MA):
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_009023924.html

Environmental Impact of 1 to 1 Computing

Here's an interesting news story with the environmental perspective of 1:1 computing at a school in Texas:
http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/01/05/01052009_green_classroom.html

Why Obama Can't Ignore Education Tech

From Business Week:
"Not only is it a proven way to generate significant economic benefits, the cost would be only a few drops in the bucket of his stimulus plan..."
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2008/tc20081223_067401.htm

By Jim Goodnight and Keith Krueger