Digital Transformation

Enid Public Schools announced a program that offers discounted Internet service for families that qualify for the free and reduced-price lunch program through at least the rest of the school year.

K-12 schools gave students laptops and tablets to let them learn virtually. But many schools also closely track students’ activities on the devices — and advocacy groups are raising the call for less invasive monitoring.

The U.S. Department of Education will gather additional federal data to examine the full scope of problems faced by schools throughout the pandemic. The study hopes to guide policymakers tasked with reopening schools.

With more than a year of online learning under their belts, colleges in Minnesota and nationwide are reimagining the menu of options they offer to students.

Public outcry against standardized testing, along with adjustments required by COVID-19, have led to a new generation of academic tests.

The program was developed in response to the pandemic, when the extended campus closures exposed how many students were not able to participate in online classes and programs because they had no access to mobile devices.

The new agreement, led by Massachusetts, will allow eight neighboring states and Washington, D.C., to offer Internet access, devices and other technology to constituents through local agencies at a discounted rate.

At New Lisbon School District in Wisconsin, Technology Director Ross Hurley said many teacher computers from 2013, interactive white boards from 2008, and electrical wiring in school buildings need be replaced.

In addition to new COVID-related policies, Monroe County Community School Corp. in Indiana approved buying new Versatrans software for bus drivers to route, report, monitor attendance and communicate with parents.

The use of audiobooks has grown among kids, but the question persists: Does listening to an audiobook qualify as “reading?”

The nearly 205-year-old school in West Hartford, Conn. is offering online bilingual courses in English, mathematics, science and social studies to deaf children worldwide, ages 12 to 16, supplementary to other schooling.

Launched in June, the Public Education Department’s program has helped 110 school districts, tribal-affiliated and charter schools apply for more than $65 million in federal aid. A new application window starts Sept. 28.

Two global education technology companies have announced plans to combine their resources, boost innovation, better serve customers and develop new digital learning products to compete in the growing ed-tech market.

New classroom software uses artificial intelligence for speech recognition and running teacher-supervised chatbots to help students practice words and pronunciations before they embarrass themselves in real conversation.

Bob Metz recalls the former data-processing department with two employees growing into an IT office with eight full-time and two part-time employees, student workers and a campus full of new hardware and infrastructure.

From take-home tablets and virtual learning to educational apps, portable WiFi, security cameras, GPS for vehicles and STEM lab software, technology is transforming schools both academically and operationally.

The university’s Aggie Launch Pad initiative secured 2,200 iPads for incoming freshmen and will provide an optional digital literacy course to help them learn to use the devices and assorted apps.

While some students feel ill-served or short-changed by virtual learning, the state’s 15 public universities expect those options to expand in the coming years as other students demand flexibility.