Researchers have identified a new security risk that takes advantage of remote learning to launch a ransomware attack from a teacher’s computer. The attack attempts to trick teachers into opening fake student assignments, which, when opened, can download, install and activate the malware.
While there was little effect on high school graduation rates this year, due to changes in education wrought by COVID-19, the number of 2020 high school graduates who went to college immediately this fall dropped by nearly 22 percent compared to 2019 graduates.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/14/20
Malicious actors have disrupted remote learning by targeting school systems in their ransomware, malware and DDoS attacks.
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.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/08/20
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."
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/07/20
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.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/03/20
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.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 12/01/20
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).
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/30/20
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.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/30/20