A high-tech school model that could spread

February 14, 2013 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF          SIGN UP | FORWARD | ARCHIVE | ADVERTISE Head of the Class A high-tech school model that could spread In this interview, principal Rashid Davis describes the secret to the success of the IBM-backed Pathways in Technology Early College High School in New York City, which was praised by President Barack Obama in his State of the Union address Tuesday. Davis says every student at the six-year school is paired with a mentor from IBM, and the school's open-admission approach allows educators to prepare a broad base of students for the jobs of the future. GigaOm (2/13) Share:            eLearning One-to-one program boosts math achievement in Ariz. district Officials in the Sunnyside Unified School District in Tucson, Ariz., have adopted a digital curriculum in core subject areas. The new math curriculum is made up of Conceptua and Agile Mind, and an online program for tutoring called Ascend Math. The results have been positive so far, officials say. "The data show significant growth in a core curricular area where it has historically been very difficult for us to raise student performance," said Christie McDougall, district math coordinator. T.H.E. Journal (2/13) Share:          Other News Lessons to help students understand the effect of violent video games The New York Times (tiered subscription model)/The Learning Network (2/13) Share:          How teachers can help instill passion in students -- and themselves SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (2/13) Share:          Systems Management Lawmaker says technology could help small S.D. districts South Dakota state Sen. Mark Johnston, R-Sioux Falls, has proposed allowing small, rural districts to enter into "joint powers" agreements in an effort to avoid consolidation with other districts. Such agreements would allow districts to use Web-based classes to offer the same curriculum as other, larger districts. "Size and quality are no longer related," said Dan Guericke, director of the Mid-Central Education Cooperative in Platte. "Where the teachers are located is irrelevant with the use of technology." Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.D.) (tiered subscription model) (2/13) Share:          Managing Budgets Technology contract sparks legislation in Wis. The decision in Wisconsin to award a contract for a statewide student information system to an out-of-state contractor has led some lawmakers to back a bill that would require the state secure multiple vendors. At issue is the concern that Wisconsin-based Skyward, which currently provides the technology for about half of the schools in the state, no longer would be a provider -- and the local company would be shut out. Marshfield News-Herald (Wis.) (2/13) Share:          Other News Microsoft settlement to fund tech upgrades in low-income N.Y. schools GothamSchools.org (New York) (2/12) Share:          Schools and Social Media Facebook wants to be the go-to source for app discovery Facebook wants to be the application-discovery platform of the future. The social network is now integrated within 200,000 apps, according to Vice President of Partnerships Dan Rose, and accounts for 23% of all mobile-app engagement time, per comScore. "We are trying to find the right balance between delivering a great user experience and creating value for partners by sending traffic to them and honoring their content," Rose said. In addition to games, Facebook wants to highlight book, movie and fitness apps this year. CNET (2/12) Share:          Last Byte Prepare to unplug As the National Day of Unplugging -- scheduled for March 1 -- approaches, Dr. Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, a pediatrician and author, is offering some suggestions to get a head start. She suggests reading a traditional book or magazine, going for a walk and leaving the cellphone behind, or organizing a family game night. Other suggestions include spending time on a hobby, going to a lecture or show, and using a real camera to take photos. The Huffington Post/The Blog (2/14) Share:          Editor's Note Your SmartBrief has a new look Notice a change? SmartBrief on EdTech has the same valuable content but with a reworked design to make reading and sharing stories easier, especially on mobile devices. Have feedback on the change? Send it our way! Share:          SmartQuote Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. Pauline Kezer, American politician Share:          Subscriber Tools This SmartBrief was created for jmabs1@gmail.com Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.   Lead Editor:  Katharine Haber Contributing Editor:  Erin Cunningham Publisher, Education Group:  Joe Riddle   P: 202.407.7857 ext. 228     SIGN UP   SHARE   ADVERTISE   SEND FEEDBACK Update Profile | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe |  Archive | Web version (print friendly) Download the SmartBrief App  iTunes / Android   Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Privacy policy |  Legal Information