THE IT Trends
Strategies & Insights for Technology Leaders in K-12 7/23/2020

IT Spotlight





Ed Tech Research & Trends



K-12 Technology News


  • ED Opens $500,000 Competition for Rural HS Tech Training Projects

    Rural schools and districts have until Oct. 8 to vie for funding to cover development of programs to help students gain skills in advanced technology.

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  • 900 San Diego Students to Get Always-Connected PCs

    A grant from Qualcomm Technologies, a San Diego-area company, will enable the San Diego Unified School District to deploy 900 new personal computers to students. What's unique is that the units have built-in cellular connectivity. The company has also committed to a one-time $141,000 donation to cover the cellular connectivity costs for the devices.

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  • Extreme Intros Kits for Hosting Safer Events

    A network gear company has compiled a bundle of products that's being promoted as a ramp-up for hosting virus-safe esports and athletic events at schools and other locations.

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  • Guide Lays Road to School Reopenings

    The National Labor Management Partnership Coalition, a loose group of education organizations, has issued a short report to help schools plan their reopening in the fall. The seven-page guide advised the use of a "collaboration matrix" involving administrators, district staff and teachers and community members for decision-making.

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  • Google Launches Free Curriculum for Certified Ed Tech Coach Credential

    Google has kicked off a new Google for Education Certified Coach Program, for instructional coaches, and specifically the individuals who work with educators to help them integrate technology appropriately into their instruction.

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  • School Librarian Delivers Books by Drone for Summer Reading

    A librarian at Montgomery County Public Schools has introduced book delivery services via drone, to keep kids reading during the summer. Librarian Kelly Passek, a Blacksburg Middle School librarian, pitched district leaders on the idea as a response to school closures related to COVID-19.

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  • Sending AI Off to School

    Can machine learning really free up time dedicated to grunt work, giving your educators more time for working with students?

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  • Video & Lecture Capture App Updated to Record Zoom/Teams Sessions

    Lecture capture and video management company Sonic Foundry has updated and renamed its Mediasite desktop recorder program. The new app, Mediasite Mosiac, enables users to manage and upload collaborative recordings from Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other video and web conference systems as well as create video communications.

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  • Ed Tech Company Intros New Platform for Delivering VR Lessons

    A company that creates augmented reality and virtual reality education applications has launched a new platform for creating and delivering lessons to be taught in VR. VictoryXR Academy from VictoryXR enables the user to build lesson plans for a single class or a course.

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  • Free Class Teaches Python Data Wrangling

    Students who have some familiarity with Python can attend a free four-day course in July on the use of data manipulation with Python. The "Data Wrangling with Python Bootcamp" is being taught by an instructor from Data Society, a company that does corporate data science training, and hosted by Skillsoft, which maintains a learning platform.

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  • Upcoming K–12 Grants

    Quarterly K–12 Grants

    • MicroGrant Program for Educators & Teachers

      Sponsor: Educators of America
      Award: Equipment (varies by request)
      Number of Awards: Not specified
      Application Deadline: Ongoing (quarterly:January, April, July, October)
    • Mobile Beacon Connect for Success

      Sponsor: National Education Association Foundation
      Award: Up to 25 laptops and 4G LTE hotspots with free 4G LTE high-speed Internet service for 12 months
      Number of Awards: Not specified
      Application Deadline: Ongoing (quarterly)

    Ongoing K–12 Grants

    Call for Papers & Proposals

    Upcoming Events

    Webcasts

    • THE Journal Distance Learning Summit

      On Demand
      Presenters: Lisa DeLapo, Director of Information & Instructional Technology at Union School District in San Jose, CA; Rick Bray, Instructional Technology Professional Development Specialist, Professional Learning and Innovation Center at Broome-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES); Dr. Caprice Young is the National Superintendent of Learn4Life, a network of nonprofit public schools that serves Opportunity Youth and formerly disengaged high school students; David Nagel, Editor-in-Chief of THE Journal and Editorial Director, 1105 Media Education Group (moderator)
      Sponsor: Connection, Veeam
    • NGSS Deep Dive: Middle School Grades

      On Demand
      Presenters: Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan; Idit Adler, CREATE for STEM Institute at Michigan State University; Renee Bayer, CREATE for STEM Institute at Michigan State University; David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Microsoft
    • NGSS Deep Dive: Middle School Grades

      On Demand
      Presenters: Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan; Idit Adler, CREATE for STEM Institute at Michigan State University; Renee Bayer, CREATE for STEM Institute at Michigan State University; David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Microsoft
    • NGSS Deep Dive: Elementary Grades

      On Demand
      Presenters: Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan; Sam Severance, Michigan State University; Monique Coulman, Haas Elementary School (Genesee, MI); David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Microsoft
    • NGSS Curricula: A Deep Dive into an NGSS-Aligned Curricular Unit

      On Demand
      Presenters: Joseph Krajcik, Michigan State University; Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan; David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Insight Public Sector, Microsoft, HP, Intel
    • Speak Up Survey: Trends in STEM and STEAM Education

      On Demand
      Presenters: Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow; David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company
    • Critical Thinking and Next Generation Science Standards

      On Demand
      Presenters: Joseph Krajcik, Michigan State University; Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan; David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Insight Public Sector, Microsoft
    • STEAM Research from the Front Lines: The Impact of STEAM on Teachers, Students, Administrators and Parents

      On Demand
      Presenters: Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow; David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Connection Public Sector Solutions
    • Funding STEM: How Schools Can Get Creative with Federal Dollars

      On Demand
      Presenters: Anand Vaishnav and Jacob Waters, Education First; David Nagel (moderator)
      Sponsor: Acer, Connection Public Sector Solutions
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Professional Resources