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Adobe Launches Global Philanthropic Program for Teens Adobe Systems Inc. has launched Adobe Youth Voices, its new global philanthropic program that is designed to help middle- and high-school aged youth develop critical skills necessary to become active and engaged members of their communities. Working in collaboration with five leading youth media organizations, Adobe will introduce the program at 36 sites worldwide by year-end, including locations in San Francisco; New York; Seattle; London; and Bangalore, India. Adobe is committing $10 million in funding over five years, as well as donating Adobe software and supporting employee volunteerism. Adobe Youth Voices will provide young people with access to multimedia tools and training, enabling them to explore and comment on their world through video, audio, multimedia, digital art, animation, and Web design. Additionally, Adobe will support exhibition of Adobe Youth Voices projects at community festivals, film screenings, and conferences. Online showcases of youth works will be available on the Web at http://www.ymdi.org, the site of the Youth Media Distribution Initiative, and at http://www.adobe.com. For the full story, visit http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200606/062106AdobeYouthVoices.html -
Rhode Island District Launches High-Tech Recruiting System Recruiting teachers is now more efficient and cost-effective for the Middletown Public Schools, one of the first districts in Rhode Island to adopt a new online technology called SchoolSpring that centralizes the management of its hiring process. The Web-based recruiting system will allow the district to reach a broader range of teachers with more diverse backgrounds. SchoolSpring not only allows teacher candidates to apply more easily to school district jobs, it also lets the district more effectively communicate with candidates. Middletown Public Schools should see substantial savings in advertising costs from previous years. Additionally, SchoolSpring is planning to launch a cooperative advertising program in Rhode Island that will allow schools to advertise their open positions together in one newspaper advertisement. For the full story, visit http://www.schoolspring.com/press/releaseView.cfm?id=20060620& -
Poll Shows Arizonans’ Support for Technology
—The Business Journal of Phoenix Arizonans—regardless of location, income, education, or gender—are convinced that science and technology will deliver on high-paying jobs, personal benefits, and solutions to environmental and health problems. That is among key findings in Arizonans’ Attitudes toward Science, Technology, and their Effects on the Economy, a report from Morrison Institute for Public Policy at Arizona State University. The survey also found Arizona residents in agreement that science and technology play an important part in the state’s economic development. In addition, Arizonans want their state to be a leader in science and technology research. Responses by Arizonans also acknowledge that leadership would require investment and a commitment to science education. Specific findings in the study included the following: - More than 70 percent of those surveyed said they would be willing to pay higher taxes to support science and technology research that would create new jobs and improve health care.
- Eight out of 10 said science education is at least as important as teaching math, reading, and writing.
For the full story, visit http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/06/19/daily17.html?jst=b_ln_hl -
Ohio District Selects VBrick Systems to Stream Cable TV to the Classroom The Geneva Area City Schools in northeast Ohio has selected VBrick Systems to stream cable television to its classrooms economically and reliably—eliminating $200,000 in traditional IT infrastructure costs. VBrick also enables Geneva to select and restrict access to specific cable stations, thereby ensuring age-appropriate content throughout the district. Geneva’s cable television streaming initiative is a component of the district’s modernization plan to build five new schools for its 3,011 students. In addition to the new high school that opened in January, Geneva’s strategic plan includes four additional schools by 2010. Ohio funding for new school development is contingent on Geneva’s compliance with state guidelines that require all classrooms to include network connections, PCs, and cable television access. For the full story, visit http://www.vbrick.com/news/index.asp?ItemID=243&rcid=71&pcid=70&cid=71 -
Asset Loss, Damage Costs Drain Millions of Dollars from Districts Annually Asset loss and damage costs the average district nearly a quarter of a million dollars a year. Larger districts lose even more, some topping $1.4 million in loss and damage annually. These are among the results of a recent study of district asset management, conducted in conjunction with Quality Education Data (QED). The study, which was co-sponsored by Follett Software Co., provides a picture of how districts manage their assets and the growing challenges they face. Its findings illustrate the importance of the emerging category of Educational Resource Management (ERM) solutions—products that centralize the management of district resources. The study surveyed 479 district business managers, administrators and technology chiefs in all 48 contiguous states. Respondents were asked about the problems they faced in managing assets, and about the systems they used to keep track of everything from laptops to band uniforms. They were also asked to estimate the cost of loss, damage, and redundant purchases of these assets. Other major findings of the study included: - Investments in educational technology (primarily computer and AV equipment) are among the assets most at risk, averaging more than $80,000 in loss annually per district.
- Districts that used manual tracking for computers reported a 41% greater annual cost of loss/damage than those that used a commercial asset tracking program, and 32% greater loss than those that used a spreadsheet/database program.
For the full story, visit http://www.fsc.follett.com/newsnevents/pressreleases/release.cfm?pressID=22 - Share Your Success
Whether your district just appointed a new superintendent or your school finally hired that new tech coordinator, we want to know! Please share your staff and faculty successes with us by sending the person's name; title; school, district, and location information; any relevant educational and occupational background; and a high-resolution color image of the person to [email protected]  |