2020 packed a wallop unlike any other period in living memory. The pain is still with us — and will continue to be for a long time. But the start of this new year brings an opportunity for us to renew our hope and energy. How will that play out for K-12 education, especially in the area of technology? We turned to a number of education leaders to find out what they expect — or look forward to — in 2021. Here's what they told us.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 01/12/21
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.
Malicious actors have disrupted remote learning by targeting school systems in their ransomware, malware and DDoS attacks.
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
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
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.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/17/20
"Busy work" was the way most students and parents might classify K-12 instruction last spring, during the first spate of remote education.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/16/20
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound and wide-reaching effect on students, from the quality and nature of the instruction they have received to their social and emotional well-being.
An analysis of early assessment data found that between a quarter and a third of students began the 2020-2021 school year unprepared for on-grade level instruction in reading and math (28 percent and 29 percent, respectively). And compared with the historical average of the previous three school years, more students began the latest school year behind grade level, especially in math.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 11/02/20