   | | | Head of the Class |  | | |  | - From Facebook to the cloud: Tech tools making waves in the classroom
Teachers increasingly are using technology, such as social media websites, to help students learn. Now, the writer of this blog post lists five technology tools making classrooms better. They include the cloud, which allows teachers and students to store resources and make learning more efficient, and Facebook, where students have formed study groups and parents can turn for information. Schools also are using microblogging sites, such as Twitter and Tumblr, and Pinterest, which teachers have found valuable for lesson planning. Mashable (8/20)       | eLearning | | | |  | - Teachers use SMART Boards to make lessons interactive
A Mississippi school district, which has installed 25 SMART Boards over the past three years, is planning to add more. The district's fifth- to eighth-grade classrooms currently have the technology, and officials say they are planning installations in third-grade classrooms and some high-school classes. However, Anthony Alred, technology coordinator, said the SMART Boards do not replace quality teaching. "If used to the fullest potential, it has audio, visual and kinesthetic components," he said. Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (Tupelo, Miss.) (8/20) - Educational apps are changing the way children learn
Parents, children and teachers are exploring the wide range of educational applications for the iPad and similar devices. The Apple App Store alone boasts more than 65,000 educational apps, ranging from programs to help preschoolers get a jump on reading and math to those aimed at improving the organizational skills of high school and college students. The Denver Post (8/20)  |  | Travel Abroad With Your Students
If you've ever considered leading a group of students overseas, download 5 Steps to Planning an Educational Tour. This free guide offers teachers the tools and knowledge to start organizing an unforgettable journey abroad as well as tips for selecting a tour style and obtaining school board approval. Get your free guide today. |
 | | | Systems Management | | | |  | - Texas district adds exterior cameras to bus fleet
After school-bus drivers in Houston complained about assaults and bullying, officials have installed exterior cameras on 400 of the district's 1,000 buses. All buses already have interior cameras installed. The addition of exterior cameras will cost about $2,400 per bus. Last year, the district also installed child-detection buttons on school buses that require drivers to walk to the back of the bus, preventing an alarm from sounding. Houston Chronicle (8/21) |  |
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 | | - App funnels donations to schools, charities
Infoscout's Shoparoo mobile application for fundraising allows users to snap a picture of the receipts of qualifying merchants and delegate pennies to their choice of school or charity. The donations are made by marketers who want to glean valuable information from the receipts. The app is inspired by General Mills' Box Tops for Education program, Natasha Baker writes. Reuters (8/20) - Rules changed for Race to the Top grant competition
The U.S. Department of Education has made significant changes to the rules in its latest round of the Race to the Top grant competition. The program, in which districts are eligible for a share of $400 million, no longer requires evaluations of school board members. The maximum amount that large school districts can qualify for also was raised to $40 million from $25 million, and the smallest awards possible were reduced to $5 million from $10 million. The deadline to apply is Oct. 30, and several districts already have expressed interest, including Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (8/22) | Schools and Social Media | | | |  | - Calif. may restrict access to students' social media sites
Lawmakers in California have passed legislation that would make it illegal for colleges and universities to request access to students' and employees' social media websites, including Twitter and Facebook. The bill went to Gov. Jerry Brown for a signature on Tuesday, and he has until Sept. 30 to sign the bill into law. KNSD-TV (San Diego) (8/21) |  | Publish from everywhere to anywhere!
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