Weekly News Roundup August 26

Check out these interesting articles on kids and technology!





E-readers: technology that works for developing countries (readwriteweb.com)



What do today's tech-savvy kids need to be taught about computers? (theatlantic.com)



Missouri teachers protest 'Facebook Law' meant to protect students from sexual predators (abcnews.go.com)



Comcast to offer $10 internet service to disadvantaged students (mashable.com)



Open University research says there's no such thing as a 'digital native' (agent4change.net)



5 ways to use Twitter in the classroom (hp.com)



"20th Century Students" video highlights the changing face of education (schooltube.com)

 

For the latest updates on kids and technology, check out the Spark blog!

The 4C’s Help Children Go Above and Beyond

We've all heard of the the 3R's-- Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. The 3R's are easy to name because they're traditionally thought of as the fundamental areas of elementary learning. Try to name the 4C's, and you might have more trouble. Yet incorporating these skills: Communication, Collaboration, Critical thinking and Creativity, into elementary education might just be the key to creating students who can flourish in the 21st Century.



 



Head over to the Spark blog, to watch the short animated film Above and Beyond. Produced through a partnership with P21 and FableVision, Above and Beyond tells the story of what can happen with the 3R's and 4C's are integrated into one holistic approach to education.



 

As the Budget Gets Smaller, Class Time Gets Shorter

It's no secret that state and local budget cuts have been putting pressure on education. A recently published New York Times article discusses one of the many outcomes of this pressure-- decreased class time. It seems many institutions are dealing with a smaller budget by creating a shorter school day. "Thousands of school districts across the nation are gutting summer-school programs, cramming classes into four-day weeks or lopping days off the school year."

Read more on the Spark blog...