Australia, US Ed Tech Organizations Agree to Share Digital Leadership Knowledge

Australian-based education.au limited and US-based Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to share research and knowledge about powerful uses of education technology in learning environments. This agreement will build stronger ties between the US and Australian education technology leaders, and gives policymakers, principals, and teachers access to the latest research on digital classrooms in both countries. The new MOU recognizes that education.au and CoSN have complementary roles in promoting and developing innovative learning technology for their respective education sectors. The MOU will strengthen international collaborations between Australia and the US through activities, information sharing, technologies, and emerging specifications. This agreement will also facilitate joint research projects, access to significant research findings, and learning content on a global scale…

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New Maryland Science Assessment to be Created, Delivered by Pearson Educational Measurement

Pearson Educational Measurement, the largest comprehensive provider of state and national educational assessment solutions, has been awarded a five-year contract to create and deliver the new Maryland Science Assessment for grades 5 and 8. This full-service contract includes content and test development, as well as integrated online and paper-test delivery capability. The Maryland Department of Education plans to launch this new assessment in spring 2008…

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Google Enrolls Teachers in Online Software Crusade

Google, a company synonymous with searching the Internet, hopes to define far more of the world’s computing experience with a helping hand from schoolchildren. For several months, it has been giving away to all takers an online word processor, spreadsheet, and other programs that can perform tasks usually handled by desktop software. Offering a convenience that worries some privacy experts, the programs automatically store everything in Google’s vast data centers so the information can be retrieved on any internet-connected computer. As it tries to usher in a new era in computing, Google is promoting its software applications in kindergarten through high school classrooms, where kids who have grown up with the web are more likely to experiment with different technology...

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