In The News

Officials of the Pennsville (N.J.) School District introduced a policy recently that sets up parameters for staff using social networking sites while working within the district. The policy outlines security and appropriate procedures for using district technology resources.

When Noah Davis, Solar Energy International’s "Solar in the Schools" program manager, started thinking of ways to engage high school students across the U.S. in learning about the ever-evolving technology, he thought back to what interested him as a teenager. “I used to have remote control cars when I was that age, and I thought that just might be something we could use to get our program into high schools,” Davis said.

Stevenson High School seniors are using the newest technology in the video programming class to design Kinect body movement games for Xbox 360. Lake County high schoolers have the opportunity to become "not just users of technology, but creators of technology," said Joe Judge, who teaches the video game programming course at Lake County High Schools Technology Campus.

To ensure students thrive in a technology-rich world, the Le Sueur-Henderson school district has put over 400 iPads in the hands of STEM and middle school students. Next up: BYOD for high school students.

Watchung Hills (N.J.) Regional Board of Education members have been working on a new three-year plan to guide technology development and systems at the school, and the primary goal of a new plan set for a board vote next week is to expand the school network to a 1GB wireless system.

Multiple Indiana schools are suspending ISTEP+ testing for the day after students experienced problems with the testing website. “Kids are getting kicked out of their testing procedure, then when we try to get them back in, there are long waits,” says Brad Schuldt, superintendent of Culver Community Schools.

The Graham (Texas) High School Technology Student Association Chapter was successful at the state competition in Waco earlier this month. Despite being in only its second year of competition, the chapter sent 45 students to represent Graham. Of those, 39 students placed in the top 10, with six qualifying for the national competition in Orlando, Fla., this summer. Graham also placed first in overall competition against 16 other 3A schools.

Technology Director Ryan McGee of the Mattapoisett (Mass.) schools estimates that the district's funding for technology needs over the next five years will cost at least $366,000. While selectmen were not opposed to most of the items included in McGee’s priority list, including computer labs and iPads, they did take issue with the source of the funding.

The North Allegheny (Pa.) School Board approved wiring upgrades and security measures for its buildings. Projects include replacing the network infrastructure equipment, upgrading data wiring for all seven elementary schools, and installing wireless coverage in each district building.

A few weeks ago, Don Greenberg, CEO of eGenio Education Solutions in Cleveland, had lunch with a superintendent who used to forbid students from using their smartphones at school. But his attitude toward technology in the classroom has changed. In fact, his start-up is one of many northeast Ohio companies riding a wave of interest in education technology.