Google’s free computer science education program, Code Next, is adding a virtual component and expanding into more states. The launch of the virtual component of the program, called Code Next Connect, was announced as part of Google’s Computer Science Education Week activities.
This robotics teacher has found creative ways to continue STEAM lessons with her students virtually, even when they don't have robots.
Among the considerations: connecting all learners with devices and high-speed internet, supporting teachers by providing the professional development they need and then recognizing their efforts with "credits and compensation," following best practices for online programs from sources such as ISTE, SETDA and the National Standards of Quality and rethinking the use of instructional time "to take advantage of the strengths of both synchronous and asynchronous learning."
The U.S. Department of Education has launched on online portal intended to show how much states have spent of their CARES Act education allocations for K-12 districts and colleges and universities.
The original form of personalized learning — tutoring — is about to take a giant step forward. Pandemic-era learning loss has motivated a group of national education leaders to develop an initiative to make "high-impact tutoring" available to all K-12 students, no matter whether their families can afford tutoring or not.
Is "seat time" really the optimal way to measure attendance during a pandemic? There are better alternatives, according to a new brief from the Aurora Institute (formerly iNACOL).
Research on the scope of learning loss during the pandemic has a new addition. Education technology company Illuminate Education examined assessments done by students who use its programs and found "modest reading losses" in grades K-8, "modest math" losses in the early elementary grades and "substantial math losses" in grades 4-8.
An analysis of teacher retirements during 2020 found that the rate was down by about five percent. Just one state under study — Alabama — showed an increase in retirements, of 7.2 percent.
A new integration for Panopto and Webex users will allow them to transfer their video recordings to their media library. Panopto produces video management applications; Webex is a video conferencing program.
The state of Vermont has implemented a plan to increase "surveillance testing," which tests asymptomatic populations to find the virus in the community more quickly. To set a baseline, public health officials have begun routine testing of K-12 teachers and staff. All of the testing is voluntary, and those who undergo it won't need to quarantine. There are no plans to expand testing to students at this time.