Education IT News – May 6, 2014
By Amy Taylor, contributing writer
Technology continues to make waves in classrooms across the country, predicting future job markets, increasing security measures, and identifying new education frontier. However, privacy concerns halt the data-driven company InBloom and bring the parameters of educational technology to question.
Privacy Concerns Shut Down InBloom
Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting that InBloom, a data analytics company, shut down amid privacy concerns over student data tracking. Initially, the idea behind InBloom was to compile enough information so teachers or software could tailor assignments to each student’s needs. Parents and privacy advocates argued that the digital records on kids as young as 5 could easily be sold to marketers or stolen by hackers.
MOOCs Set Sights on China, Fighting Through Language And Censorship Barriers
CNBC said that cloud computing software is allowing colleges to stretch the capacity of the virtual lecture hall, including thousands of students around the world, and predicts China as the next frontier. A third of international students in the U.S. come from China and 11,000 students signed up for a Chinese language course out of the National University of Taiwan.
Data Collection Among Students To Predict Job Market Needs
The Courier-Journal highlighted the big fears that come with Big Data in schools. State officials are hoping the data tells them what happens to students who don’t finish high school, who switch majors in college, even forecasting the job market and using that information to adjust the education system to deliver workers to meet the needs.
Technology Plays Pivotal Role In STEM learning
The Huffington Post explored technologies that bolster STEM learning, claiming that children in today’s classroom have an inherent aptitude for technology. Virtual laboratories and in-class mobile devices are intrinsically linked with math, science, and engineering.
Education IT Talking Points
The New York Times reported on the inBloom shutdown in “A Student-Data Collector Drops Out” as a cautionary tale for the nearly $8 billion business of prekindergarten through 12th grade education technology software.
St. Louis Public Radio provides an “Educational Rundown: Tests, Technology and Tuscaloosa” that delves into standardized testing and technology trends in the classroom.