Recent school ransomware attacks highlight need for ongoing vigilance

At least two such attacks have been reported so far in 2020, with the number of publicly disclosed incidents climbing to 745 since 2016 as schools become increasingly valuable targets by hackers.

By Naaz Modan • Jan. 3, 2020

Districts can deploy tech-savvy students to support IT staff

Allowing students to put skills to practical use and earn industry certification can also alleviate the burden on strained school and district IT staff. 

By Shawna De La Rosa • Jan. 2, 2020

Explore the Trendline➔

School Safety and Security

Safety and security has been a growing concern for school districts, with shootings continuing to rise amid concerns over how to best prevent and respond to them.

By K-12 Dive staff

How to emphasize, teach and use computational thinking

Once aligned to coding and computer science, the skill can be woven into other areas of curriculum and assessment.

By Lauren Barack • Dec. 18, 2019

Girls Take Flight program recruits San Diego high school girls to pilot drones

The program's biggest challenge has been finding female drone pilots to teach, as experts say having women role models is key to getting more girls in STEM.

By Lauren Barack • Dec. 18, 2019

Senators' K-12 Cybersecurity Act would mandate national study of school practices

If passed, the legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a review of K-12 cybersecurity programs and develop guidelines and resources to strengthen them.

By Roger Riddell • Dec. 18, 2019

Recapturing 'the human element' in the classroom

Charter school teacher Sarah Kiesewetter argues 1:1 device programs are robbing students of the opportunity to engage in discourse and learn patience.

By Sarah Kiesewetter • Dec. 18, 2019

Schools use tech to battle absenteeism with engaging lessons, data

Fully confronting the issue, however, requires addressing root causes often related to poverty and homelessness, experts say.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Dec. 16, 2019

Research: Students of color at greatest risk for facial recognition errors

An MIT Media Lab study finds the tech misidentifies darker-skinned females — a group disproportionately impacted in school discipline — 35% of the time.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Dec. 16, 2019

FCC E-rate updates don't include cybersecurity funds

The latest modernization of the program makes some improvements, but doesn't go as far as many stakeholders had hoped.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Dec. 12, 2019

Only one-third of rural California households have home internet access

Low-income families are most likely to lack internet access because the additional payment is a financial burden.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Dec. 10, 2019

Innovator of the Year: Sophia Mendoza, Los Angeles Unified School District

The LAUSD Instructional Technology Initiative director is credited with a top-to-bottom restructuring of PD in the nation's second-largest district following a troubled tech rollout.

By Naaz Modan • Dec. 9, 2019

4 pillars of a successful co-ed coding team

Leigh Frishman of the Killeen Independent School District in Texas shares how his school's competitive coding team engages girls and boys and builds troubleshooting and analytical skills.

By Leigh Frishman • Dec. 6, 2019

Survey: Most educators find research hard to access

The growth of research-practice partnerships is one effort to bridge the gap, experts say.

By Linda Jacobson • Nov. 21, 2019

3 reasons ed tech needs more educator input

Liz Boyles, director of information services for an Illinois district, says other districts also benefit when school leaders think of ways to improve tech tools.

By Liz Boyles • Nov. 18, 2019

Amazon enters teacher-created resource trade with Ignite

Teachers often sell their lesson plans and resources as a way to supplement income, but the market has been dogged with copyright concerns.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Nov. 15, 2019

Senate bill would require schools to monitor student social media

The ACLU says the bill goes too far and is an invasion of privacy, while the Brennan Center for Justice has found little evidence monitoring tools are effective.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Nov. 14, 2019

3 things middle school teachers should know about Generation Z and the role technology plays in their lives

What role do educators truly play in student technology use? We surveyed 3,000 students to find out.

Nov. 12, 2019

SETDA urges lawmakers to embrace policies increasing school broadband speeds, access

While most schools now have broadband at a minimum recommended speed of 100 kbps, the organization suggests fully supporting ed tech tools requires a minimum of 250 kbps.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Nov. 8, 2019

US students show low-to-medium tech skills

A 12-country international study shows just because students grow up with digital devices doesn’t mean they have "sophisticated" skills.

By Linda Jacobson • Nov. 5, 2019

Retired school bus serves as STEM lab on wheels

Experts say schools can reduce waste and improve student access by repurposing equipment at the end of its initial lifespan.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Nov. 4, 2019

Seeing need for better tracking of work-related credentials, superintendent launches solution

Transeo, a platform for managing high school students' internships, community service hours and other work experience credentials, demonstrates the value of building ed tech around educators' firsthand experiences.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Nov. 1, 2019

New database aims to help districts vet thousands of available ed tech products

Jefferson Education Exchange's project lets administrators comb through the multiplying number of apps, platforms and other tech solutions. 

By Shawna De La Rosa • Oct. 31, 2019

Gallup: Pairing creativity, tech boosts student outcomes

A new report also finds that while traditional tests and rote learning are outdated, a large number of students still report spending a lot of time learning how to do well on standardized tests.

By Naaz Modan • Oct. 30, 2019

Strong mobile device management a necessity for district IT efficiency

Experts say an automated device management system can save time and energy for district IT staff that are spread thin.

By Shawna De La Rosa • Oct. 29, 2019

How an instructional tech director helped rewrite LAUSD's narrative

Stepping into the role after a troubled iPad rollout, Sophia Mendoza has successfully restructured classroom tech initiatives in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

By Naaz Modan • Oct. 29, 2019