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eBooks in School Libraries Part 2: Digital Ethics
At Dorman High School [in Spartanburg School District 6, Roebuck, SC], I try to find ways to work discussion of digital ethics into the collaborative lessons that happen in the library. For example, I have worked with current events classes on the topic of music piracy. I love to get into debates with the kids regarding how they access and consume music, videos, and other digital content.  It really goes hand in hand with teaching students who are working on multimedia projects about finding and using copyright-friendly content.

Bringing Acceptable-Use Policies Into the 21st Century
EducationWorld is pleased to present this article by Kari Rhame Murphy, chief technology officer for a suburban Texas school district. Murphy shares the experience of developing an acceptable-use policy (AUP) that reflects the changing realities of 21st century learning and incorporates the input of school-community stakeholders.

Apple Storms Textbook Market
At an invitation-only press event at The Guggenheim Museum in New York City, Apple unveiled a three-pronged assault on the textbook market that some suggest could leave competitors out in the cold.

Contest Looks for Top Young Scientist
America’s best and brightest young scientific minds are being sought through the annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

Ed Tech Trends for 2012: Part 1
Tech firms keep their secrets better than most governments, so predicting tech innovations for the coming year can be tricky. EducationWorld went straight to an industry insider to see exactly what educators should expect from the world of technology in 2012.

Science Discovers New Earth
Scientists made a first-of-its-kind discovery when they confirmed the existence of an Earth-like planet. Never before has a planet with Earth-like amounts of heat, water and atmosphere been found, despite decades of search.

STEM Video Game Contest Opens
Inspired by the Educate to Innovate Campaign, President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge is a multi-year competition whose goal is to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games. Students are encouraged to submit original video game concepts and designs from students and educators in four categories

Do Whiteboards' Benefits Justify Their Cost?
Although many teachers feel IWBs are a valuable asset in their classrooms, critics say they don't provide enough learning advantage to justify their high cost.

Tech in the Classroom: Digital Dead Sea Scrolls
For the first time in history, people around the world are able to view the actual Dead Sea Scrolls without having to travel to Jerusalem.

Tech in the Classroom: VisiTimer
This unique timer displays an image rather than a series of numbers.

Teachers Want More Tech in Their Classrooms
A recent survey reveals that teachers are more tech savvy than ever before, and their classroom wish list is proof.

4 Ways Schools Will Be Different in 10 Years
Over the course of the last several hundred years, very little has changed with respect to schools. Sure, there have been minor tweaks like the switch from blackboards to dry erase boards, and the addition of computers and projectors.

Mac vs PC: Is the Debate Still Relevant?
While everyone has seen the amusing Mac versus PC television commercials, school administrators actually have to make the decision about which platform to use. Though nearly every school district has already made that decision on some level, the rise in popularity of the iPad and iPhone have forced some formerly PC-only school districts to reconsider their loyalties.

The $99 Computer: Reality or Fantasy?
For many years, the $99 PC was the stuff of movies, fantasies and legend. If a PC could be purchased for that price, it would be an educational deal changer, a way for every child to have a computer.

Tech in the Classroom: RenWeb
RenWeb is a school management system that can be used to organize and store important school information including contact info, grading, progress reports and parent communications.

Tech in the Classroom: GradeKeeper
GradeKeeper is a school management system that allows users to keep track of grades, seating charts, progress reports and more

Apple Patent May Spell Doom for Smartboard Industry
A new set of patent applications from Apple could place the tech behemoth in a position to grab a sizeable share of the educational Smartboard market.

Setting Up School WiFi Part 1: Smaller, Limited-User Networks
While the prospect of setting up Wi-Fi for a school may seem daunting, EducationWorld offers the following guide to creating a network for limited users (some staff, school guests, etc.). If you intend to connect the broader school community, we recommend working with a professional installer (and see Part 2 of this article for a guide to setting up larger networks).

iPad App Review: Solar System
Per the Apple Web site, Solar System promises a “breakthrough electronic book about the Solar System, offering hours of interactive exploration and presenting a treasure trove of visual information.”

iPad App Review: Mathboard
This is designed specifically for classroom use. Students can use it to work on new math techniques, and teachers can use it to generate homework and quizzes. It’s a perfect match.

iPad App Review: Pages
Apple touts this app as, “The most beautiful word processor ever designed for a mobile device.” It claims to be a legit competitor to desktop software in terms of both ease of use and the ability to create and edit Word documents.

iPad App Review: Molecules
Offering a very cool look at a complicated concept, this app shows a visual representation of a number of different molecules that users can manipulate.

iPad App Review: myAlgebra
MyAlgebra apps explore quadratic equations through an interactive interface that implements worked examples, video demonstrations and practice problems with specific feedback—providing the dynamic exercises and instruction students need for algebraic success.

Tech in the Classroom: GoogleMaps
 Google Maps is an online mapping service that provides street maps; a route planner for traveling by foot, car, bike or public transport and an urban business locator for numerous countries around the world.

Apple Releases Sub-$1,000 iMac for Schools
In a move that is garnering far less attention than the upcoming iPhone 5 release, Apple is expected to unveil a new iMac with a price tag of under $1,000.

iPad App Review: Grammar Up
Grammar Up is a multiple-choice quiz system for English which provides over 1,800 questions across 20 grammar categories. It claims to help learners improve their grammar, word selection and vocabulary.

Back-To-School Apps Bring Bang for the Buck
In an effort to combat this phenomenon, software firm Appitalism has released a series of back-to-school apps that clear the clutter and help students and teachers get back into the swing of things. All of the apps listed below can be found in their respective app stores via mobile phone.

NASA Shares Stem Resources With Teachers
Some future teachers took a class this summer to learn how to use NASA's huge warehouse of educational resources to interest students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Smart Teaching With Interactive Whiteboards
No longer a fledging technology, interactive whiteboards are appearing in more and more classrooms. Learn about creative uses of this teaching tool.

Site Review: C-SPAN Classroom
C-SPAN Classroom is a website that features video clips for teachers to show classes in the course of teaching social studies, civics and U.S. history. It’s free and provided by the television network C-SPAN.

iPad App Review: Dolch Words
The free version of Dolch Words allows young students (K-3) to practice learning over 200 sight words.

Site Review: Apple.com/Education
Very promotional, yet very helpful, the site offers educators information on how to better use your Apple devices in classroom. ..

Site Review: CAMY
The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth Web site, CAMY.org, offers a treasure-trove of information for teachers and parents.

Site Review: Yahoo
Yahoo! produces some original content and has tons of content partnerships. This results in a very complete news report from a variety of credible sources.

Site Review: Middle School Debate
A very basic Web site, MiddleSchool Debate offers a list of possible topics for middle-school debates.

Site Review: ChooseMyPlate
This is the newly released and revamped Web site that communicates the USDA’s recommended food guidelines.

Site Review: FoxNews.com
It's hard to find anything not to like about this Web site, as long as you remember that many subtle choices are being made to support FOX's right-wing leanings. 

Tech in the Classroom: iPad App Store
This installment of Tech in the Classroom explores the possibility of using the iPad App Store in the classroom.

Do Texting and “Cyber Slang” Harm Students’ Writing Skills?
The explosion of social media has completely changed the way we communicate with each other. Whether via laptop computers, advanced mobile devices, Wi-Fi or enhanced 4G wireless networks, we are more connected than ever to everyone we know.

Site Review: Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com offers free, comprehensive definitions definitions of any word in the English language. The site also has a word of the day and various word-based games.

Site Review: The Huffington Post
A mix of professional reporting, aggregation, blogs and unpaid journalism, HuffingtonPost.com has a lot going on.

Vitrual Program Offers Classes Other Schools Can't
The Virtual High School (VHS) program allows schools to replace lost classes through an online connection with other schools.

Paper-Thin Computer May Change Classrooms Forever
Scientists at Queens University in Canada, however, have developed what they are calling e-paper, an ultra-thin,bendable display capable of performing all of the functions of current tablet computers, which can render those complaints obsolete 

Tech4Learning Brings Graphic Arts to the Classroom
Tech4Learning is a suite of software products aimed specifically at elementary-school aged children.

Display Calculator Offers Textbook-Quality Images
The Casio PRIZM is a next-generation calculator that brings everyday images into the lessons.

Online Books Page Puts Free Titles at Students' FIngertips
This Web site allows users to access over 1 million books free of charge. The classroom applications are nearly endless.

Amazon Kindle Leaves Paper Books in the Dust
The Amazon Kindle makes collecting and distributing reading materials to students fast and easy.

Social Media in the Classroom?
In this information age, we can now talk to each other in ways we never imagined. Teachers and administrators face a new challenge, however, as they try to find a way to safely incorporate this technology in the classroom.

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