News Update
What You Need to Know Now 11/1/2018

News


  • YouTube Investing $20 Million in Educational Content

    YouTube, a Google company, has announced plans to invest $20 million in YouTube Learning, an initiative hinted at during the summer. The goal: "to support education-focused creators and expert organizations that create and curate high-quality learning content on the video site."

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  • ED Issues Guidance for Development of State Perkins Plans

    In July 2018, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act was approved. Now states can review draft guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education for how to develop and submit the plans that are a requirement under this rewrite of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education.

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  • Texas Charter Operator Gets Millions to Grow STEM Program into Elementary Schools

    Harmony Public Schools, a charter network in Texas, will be dedicating a new five-year, $7.9 million grant to expand a STEM project-based learning model from middle and high school into its elementary schools. "Launching Elementary Academic Foundations to STEM" or "LEAF to STEM," as the initiative is named, will reach 7,000 students in 16 elementary schools.

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  • ED Releases Ed Tech Toolkits for English Learners

    The U.S. Department of Education has developed two toolkits for educators and developers on how to use educational technology to instruct English language learning students.

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  • Minecraft, Code.org Releasing New Hour of Code Tutorial

    On Nov. 1, Microsoft will be releasing its newest Minecraft Hour of Code tutorial, which, according to a recent announcement, could be "possibly the most adventurous tutorial yet." The company has teamed up with Code.org for the release of "Voyage Aquatic," in which students "explore aquatic worlds and uncover hidden treasure" by writing code to instruct agents to execute commands.

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  • Khan Academy Launches Video Series on Civics and U.S. History

    The Khan Academy has launched a new series of videos focused on civics for students in K-12 and higher education — and anybody else interested in learning how government works in the United States.

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  • Digital Promise Develops 'Map' to Help Schools Face Common Challenges

    The Digital Promise Research team worked with school districts in its League of Innovative Schools to create an online tool that suggests resources for helping address common challenges found in education. The "Challenge Map" covers 36 different challenges, including supporting English language learners, assessing 21st century skills and addressing social-emotional learning.

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  • Guide Designed to Help Parents Navigate ESSA

    The U.S. Department of Education has released a parents' guide to understanding the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

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  • NEC Unveils Infinity Board for Collaboration

    NEC Display Solutions has introduced a new collaboration tool that is intended to include everything needed to set up collaboration among multiple locations. Infinity Board includes hardware and software to "elevate" the interactive meeting experience.

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  • Tennessee Aims to Improve Testing Experience with Changes to Assessment Program

    Following a statewide listening tour, the Tennessee Department of Education is updating its TNReady student assessment program for the current school year and the 2019-2020 school year.

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  • Windows Edition of Free Facial Recognition Launched

    RealNetworks, which recently announced plans to make its new SAFR facial recognition software free to K-12 schools, has launched its Windows version. The program already runs on Mac and iOS.

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  • Rhode Island Includes Teacher Absenteeism Indicator in ESSA Plan

    While 28 states have designated the reduction of "chronic absenteeism" among students as school quality indicators in their ESSA plans, Rhode Island is the only one that's included chronic absenteeism among K-12 teachers as well. The state has included it as a metric for schools in its Every Student Succeeds Act plan, alongside suspensions and high school and science proficiency.

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