District CIO

Neil Armstrong Middle School, in Forest Grove, Ore., has won a $25,000 grant from the Department of Education for its after-school technology program.

Dan Nelson, the New Hanover (Pa.) School's head custodian and a big NASCAR fan, wrote an attention-grabbing essay and won his school a $48,000 grant offered by the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

Florida schools are scrambling to be ready for new Common Core academic standards — and the new computer-based tests that go with them — by 2015.

Schools that serve low-income students -- including several area schools -- are eligible for a share of more than $87 million available to purchase new technology and software, the state Education Department said Tuesday.

Money from the sale of a 1960s-era house will help finance 21st-century technology in Howell Public Schools. "We're using it as seed money for the [technology] program," Superintendent Ron Wilson said.

During social studies class, eighth-grader Elliott Headden sketches timelines on his iPad 3. While in math class, he writes math problems using his finger on the iPad screen and shows his teacher the calculations and solutions. In science class Headden uses a search engine app to look up quick facts, such as the sugar content in bananas or the population of the world.

In today’s 21st-century classroom, it is crucial for educators to be proficient in using technology to be maximally effective. For this to happen, state education agencies and technology officers need to be proactive, according to “Born in Another Time,” a recent report by National Association of State Boards of Education.

In July, Leading Edge Certification, a national certification program in educational technology and curriculum innovation, will launch Digital Educator certification to help teachers enhance their use of classroom technology.

Chicago Tech Academy
Chicago, Ill.