T.H.E. News Update :: February 4, 2009 -- THE Journal

Spotlight

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners
Gail Lovely is adamant about the nature and potential of Web-based learning tools. "Web 2.0 is about trust," she said at a recent talk. "It's about sharing and collaborating." And, she insisted, it's about putting the power to learn and create in the hands of the students. More
Good News for Ed Tech in the Economic Stimulus Bills
The House has passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the economic stimulus plan, and a bill has been introduced into the Senate. Congress intends to pass the bill by the middle of February, and Speaker Pelosi has said the House members will not have their Presidents' Day recess until they pass a bill. More

Google Earth 5 Goes Underwater, Travels to Mars
Google has released the Google Earth 5 beta, a major update to its geographical exploration software. The new release adds features for exploring below the oceans and also incorporates features for exploring the surface of Mars. More
Texas District Deploys SIF Integration Tools
Frisco Independent School District in northeast Texas has chosen Mizuni SIF Integration Tools for its growing technology and data processing needs. The district, which enrolls about 31,000 K-12 students, has experienced annual growth of between 12 percent and 30 percent over the last decade, and its demands for more efficient and reliable data management have subsequently skyrocketed. More
Chicago Parochial School Deploys WLAN To Support Classroom Technologies
Frances Xavier Warde School in Chicago has deployed Aruba Networks' 802.11n Access Points WiFi network at its Holy Name Cathedral and Old St. Patrick campuses. More
Pennsylvania Ed Tech Initiative Shifts Students to Project-based Learning
Pennsylvania's three-year Classroom for the Future (CFF) initiative has borne fruit, according to a recent study conducted jointly by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and education IT provider CDW Government. More

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Report Recommends Separate Governance Model for 'Non-Human Identities'

A recent Cloud Security Alliance report urges organizations to inventory, govern, and continuously monitor machine and agent identities.
Report: Half of Gen AI Projects Could Exceed Budget by 2028

Organizations may be underestimating the cost of generative AI as they move from experimentation to production, according to Gartner's "10 Best Practices for Optimizing Generative and Agentic AI Costs" report.
New Microsoft Initiative Aims to Help Move AI Projects from Experimentation to Production

Microsoft has launched Frontier Company, making a $2.5 billion bet that the next competitive battleground in artificial intelligence will not be foundation models, but helping enterprises put those models to work.
Why Title III Is Lacking in Today's Multilingual, Technology-Enhanced Classrooms

When Congress strengthened Title III in the early 2000s, the focus was helping students acquire English and access academic content. That goal remains important, but the classrooms of 2026 look very different from those of 2001.