Karen Cator, director of the Office of Education Technology in the US, announced Tuesday, March 2, that a National Ed-Tech Plan is due out as early as next week. The plan, in development since last April, will focus on five main goals: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, Infrastructure, and Productivity.
Read more here: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/03/03/national-ed-tech-plan-coming-next-week/
President Obama pledges to fight the drop out rate among high schools through new investments in "turnaround" programs. Read more of the story here... http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-na-obama-education2-2010mar02,0,6327243.story
At the 10th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, widely known as the "Oscars" of the toy industry, LEGO MINDSTORMS was presented with top honors!
The annual gala, hosted by the Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA) and held as the kick-off to the 107th annual American International Toy Fair, paid tribute to the best in toys and children’s entertainment; outstanding achievements by individuals, teams, and companies; and the creativity and playful spirit upon which the toy industry is based.
LEGO MINDSTORMS was recognized for helping children develop special skills and knowledge through play and awarded Educational Toy of the Year status.
Nearly a dozen other awards were presented including Activity Toy of the Year, Game of the Year, and Innovative Toy of the Year. To read more about the event, visit http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=TOTY_Awards
The U.S. Department of Education is behind a program that encourages schools to use students to assist with tech support and training!
The Science & Technology Academic Resource Team (START) program will combine several current tech-savvy programs and bring them under one umbrella. To learn more visit http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6717185.html
After 10 years of being developed, a federal trust fund will soon be offering monies to research learning technology. This mean, perhaps as early as th fall, schools across the nation could apply and receive grant monies for projects that involve technology.
To learn more, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/technology/25center.html
Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) talks about his vision of the future with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. Kamen discusses the important role technology does and should play in the education of youth and briefly discusses how FIRST competitions are assisting in this effort.
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/06/video-dean-kamen-makes-predictions-for-the-future/
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