News Briefs for Thursday, Dec. 14

Mexican Ministry of Education Expands Satellite Broadband

Hughes Network Systems has announced that it will deliver an additional 10,860 broadband satellite terminals for the Mexican Ministry of Education's Enciclomedia program. The expansion, which adds to the previous 13,000 terminals installed, will serve approximately 17,500 secondary school classrooms in Mexico, in addition to the 37,500 primary school classrooms already being served. The Enciclomedia project is an initiative of Mexico's Ministry of Education to bring an enhanced learning environment to more than 150,000 classrooms throughout Mexico. The present network uses HN7000S broadband satellite terminals to provide high-speed Internet access, classroom monitoring and voice-over-IP (VoIP) communications. Installation of the network began in early December.

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Branch Brook School Awarded $200,000 from Samsung, Microsoft and The Magic Johnson Foundation

The Branch Brook School in Newark, N.J. has ben awarded a $200,000 grant in the form of technology products and software by Samsung's Hope for Education, Microsoft and The Magic Johnson Foundation. The award was the result of an essay contest sponsored by Samsung's Hope for Education. It was the group's third-annual essay contest, in which Branch Book school was the grand prize winner. Twenty first-prize winners were also selected from the 8,000 schools that entered the contest, and these winners received $60,000 in technology products, including Plasma, LCD, CRT and DLP high-definition televisions; Ultra Mobile PCs; Multi-function products; PDA Phones; Digital Camcorders; DVD Players; LCD
computer monitors; color printers; and various pieces of Microsoft software.

Winning schools included:

  • Joseph C. Wilson Magnet High School, Rochester, N.Y.
  • Upper Little Caillou Elementary, Chauvin, La.
  • International School of Louisiana, New Orleans, La.
  • Flamingo Elementary School, Hialeah, Fla.
  • Boonville Junior High School, Boonville, Ind.
  • Bridge Academy Charter High School, Las Vegas, N.M.
  • Marion Local Elementary School, Maria Stein, Ohio
  • Druid Hills High School, Atlanta, Ga.
  • Commack High School, Commack, N.Y.
  • Bayonet Point Middle School, New Port Richey, Fla.
  • The King's Daughters' School Center for Autism, Columbia, Tenn.
  • South Toe Elementary, Burnsville, N.C.
  • Northeast Metro 916 South Campus, White Bear Lake, Minn.
  • Woodburn High School, Woodburn, Ore.
  • Pleasant Hills Middle School, Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Parkway West Middle School, Chesterfield, Mo.
  • South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, Spartanburg, S.C.
  • Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville, Ark.
  • Kaiser Elementary School, Costa Mesa, Calif.
  • West Pender Middle School, Burgaw, N.C.

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NASSP Awarded $95,000 by Lumina Foundation

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has been awarded $95,000 by the Lumina Foundation for Education. The grant will be used to conduct a survey of eighth-grade students, polling them on their middle school experiences and expectations beyond middle school. The survey will include 2,000 randomly selected eighth graders from around the country and will be conducted by the Gallup Organization in collaboration with Phi Delta Kappa International. NASSP said it expects that the findings from the poll will assist in the development of tools and services that NASSP can provide to middle level school leaders.

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About the author: Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's educational technology online publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at [email protected].

Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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