Applications for the federal E-rate program were up to 44,139 for the 2011 funding year, representing $4.31 billion in requests, the highest level in nearly a decade, according to an analysis released this week.
The NEA Foundation is expanding the focus of its Challenge to Innovate (C2i) grant program. In the latest phase, the foundation will award five grants to support innovative ideas for using smart phones in the classroom.
Although high-end videoconferencing is still new to this Maryland school district, it's a sensible next step on a well-planned path to location-free communication.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 04/06/11
When faced with a serious threat, an Iowa school district quickly mitigates panic and confusion with the help of a newly implemented mass notification system.
- By Susan McLester
- 04/06/11
Public K-12 school districts have begun shifting their unified communications solutions over to the cloud. In fact, according to new research released this week, a quarter of them either have done so already or are in the process of doing so.
Enhanced 911 hasn't gained widespread adoption in schools yet, nor is it even well understood among IT people. Although 65 percent of education organizations reported they have a "comprehensive" emergency communication plan in place, only 40 percent currently use an E911 system.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 03/15/11
The New York City Department of Education has signed a five-year, $43 million agreement to overhaul voice communications at 300 of its schools.
HP has debuted three new webOS-based mobile devices--a slate called the HP TouchPad and two smart phones, including the smallest webOS-based phone to date.
Worldwide sales of Apple's iOS-based smart phones grew from 24.9 million in 2009 to 46.6 million last year, bringing it to a 15.7 percent overall market share. But that growth was dwarfed by Google's Android OS, which leapfrogged over both No. 3 Apple and No. 4 Research in Motion and climbed to 67.2 million units in 2010, up 888.8 percent from sales of 6.8 million in 2009, according to a new report from market research firm Garner.
We need a new educational model that makes learning personal and motivating, and helps secure our students’ future in the knowledge economy. Mobile technology opens the door to it.
- By Mary McCaffrey
- 02/08/11