June 15, 2011
Digital Directions, Vol. 04, Issue Spring/Summer 2011
Classroom Technology
Tech-Trends Update
This special Digital Directions data section examines the growth of online coursetaking, how often teachers use computers, and the views of educators and students.
Assessment
Nev. Students Accused of Hacking Network to Change Grades
Authorities in Pahrump, Nev., have arrested 13 people as part of an investigation into students' hacking into a school computer system to change class grades.
IT Infrastructure & Management
How Far Can Schools Go in Regulating Teachers' Social-Media Use?
Many teachers and professors nationwide are finding themselves in hot water for expressing their views through blogs and social media.
IT Infrastructure & Management
High School Teacher Battling Cancer Skypes His Lessons
On the first day of class, students remembered walking into the classroom and seeing their teacher’s image projected onto a 4-by-6-foot whiteboard.
Equity & Diversity
ACLU, Yale Law School Run Campaign Against Filtering LGBT Content
The ACLU says that schools who filter LGBT content on the Internet are infringing on free-speech and the Equal Access Act.
School & District Management
Tracking the Pace of E-Learning
The 2010 "Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning" report breaks down the state of e-learning in the U.S.
School & District Management
NYC Tech Programs Coming Under Microscope
Local media criticizes some New York City Department of Education programs for increasing tech spending amidst teacher layoffs.
Classroom Technology
Surveys Track Social Networking, Online Ed.
Survey finds that social networking and smartphone use is increasing in both students and teachers.
Classroom Technology
The Innovation Balancing Act
Editor Kevin C. Bushweller discusses the issue of balancing digital innovation and academic accountability.
Student Well-Being
E-Portfolios Evolve Thanks to Web 2.0 Tools
New technologies are making it quicker and easier than ever to create digital portfolios of student work, a method of assessment experts say increases student engagement.
Classroom Technology
'Hybrid' Charter Schools on the Rise
Loosely based on the idea of combining face-to-face education with online instruction, the blended model of schooling is growing in popularity.
Classroom Technology
Schools Struggle to Balance Digital Innovation, Academic Accountability
Using educational technology in new and different ways to improve student learning is often at odds with standardized testing and other traditional measures of achievement.
Classroom Technology
Educators Evaluate Learning Benefits of iPad
In the wake of the iPad 2 release, teachers are still determining best practices for the different versions of the tablet computing device.
Classroom Technology
Educators Eye iPad Alternatives
As more schools and districts explore using tablet computers, some are beginning to think beyond the iPad.
Teaching
Taking Risks and Achieving Results
A former New York City schools principal recalls the path he took to transform a struggling school into one of the best in the city.
IT Infrastructure & Management
'Second Life' Struggles to Catch On With Educators
The amount of training required to become proficient with "Second Life" has discouraged many educators from using it for professional development.
Teaching Profession
Video Tools Take Panoramic View of Classrooms
Technology aims to help teachers see how things are going in all parts of their classrooms and then make instructional adjustments.
Science
Programming Digital Fun Into Science Education
Despite a lack of hard-hitting research linking video games and simulations to learning gains, educators are showing increasing interest in using them to teach.