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Texas Instruments makes it harder to run programs on its calculators
Texas Instruments has pulled the support for assembly-based programs on its graphing calculators -- it's meant to fight cheating, but also hurts hobbyists.
School districts ban Zoom over security concerns
Concerns about Zoom's security are having a real impact on its use in remote education. Some US school districts, including large ones like New York City and Nevada's Clark County, have banned or disabled Zoom over security and privacy worries. Others, such as Washington state's Edmonds School District and Utah's Alpine School District, are rethinking their policies on Zoom use. And unsurprisingly, both are either switching apps or considering it, such as NYC teachers moving to Microsoft Teams.
Verizon will provide free internet to students in Los Angeles
Verizon will provide free internet access to all students who need it in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the company announced today. This could help as many as 100,000 students continue to learn while schools are closed.
Stanford moves classes online to deal with coronavirus outbreak
Online education is about to get a major (if short) field test. Stanford University is moving the last two weeks of winter quarter classes online "to the extent feasible" to reduce the chances of COVID-19 spreading on campus. There will be no classes in person starting March 9th, the school said. To help with the abrupt transition, the university will both provide "further guidance and tools" and encourage professors to cancel classes outright on March 9th if they need time to adapt their remaining classes.
HP's latest Chromebooks for schools include more durable keyboards
HP is once again giving its school Chromebooks an overhaul, and they'll be particularly good news for teachers who bristle at the thought of mangled keyboards. The Chromebook 11 G8 EE, 11A G8 EE, x360 11 G3 EE and 14 G6 all have full-skirted anchored keys that are more "pick-proof" -- a curious kid should have a harder time prying off the Shift key when the teacher isn't looking. You can also expect military-grade drop resistance, enough splash resistance to survive a glass of water, toughened power ports and bodies that can be cleaned with household wipes.
Apple's Phil Schiller says Chromebooks won't help kids succeed (updated)
Apple's focus might be on its high-end 16-inch MacBook Pro at the moment, but marketing chief Phil Schiller has also chipped in on the lower end of the market -- namely, how he thinks it might affect students. The executive told CNET in an interview that students using Chromebooks are "not going to succeed" in schools due to the systems' limited abilities. The laptops are "cheap testing tools for required testing" that don't properly inspire students, Schiller said. To no one's surprise, he believed the iPad was the "ultimate tool" for K-12 students due to its ability to keep children engaged as well as tools like Swift Playgrounds. "You need to have these cutting-edge tools to help kids really achieve their best results," the exec said.
Starship's delivery robots now serve Purdue University
Starship's delivery robots have reached their largest school campus yet. Purdue students at the university's West Lafayette campus now have the option of ordering robot-delivered food that should arrive in "minutes." As at other schools, deliveries carry a flat $2 fee and work in tandem with your student meal plan. If you're too busy studying to traipse across the university grounds and don't want to spend much more than you're already paying for food, your solution might be at hand.
Google's expanded college search helps you explore fields of study
It's a bit late to start looking for colleges for September, but Google is ready to give the spring semester a boost by expanding its college search features. To begin with, there's a new exploration tool on desktop and web (pictured at center) that helps you find US schools based on criteria like their fields of study and location. This includes combined searches -- if you want to find every school in Washington state with a nursing program, you can. It can help you compare aspects like cost and post-school success, and filters can whittle things down based on distance, acceptance rates and similar factors.
The best (and mostly free) apps to help you keep up in class
By design, school is supposed to challenge you -- to push at the boundaries of your understanding of the world and make you a more well-rounded person. It's not supposed to be easy as much as it is fulfilling, but thankfully, there are ways to make your educational journey a little less difficult. Luckily for you, a lot has changed since most of the Engadget team went to school. To help out, we've gathered a few apps here that should prove especially useful as you gear up for more long days of learning. (Trust us, you'll probably miss them someday.) Oh, and don't worry: Every one of these handy apps is available for iOS and Android, so everyone gets to benefit.
Recommended Reading: Algorithms and school surveillance
Aggression Detectors: The unproven, invasive surveillance technology schools are using to monitor students Jack Gillum and Jeff Kao, ProPublica Following the rise in mass shootings, schools, hospitals and other public places are installing tech to monitor people. Part of this effort includes using algorithm-equipped microphones to capture audio, with the goal of detecting stress or anger before bad things happen. The problem? They aren't reliable and their mere existence is a massive invasion of privacy.
Chromebook App Hub gives teachers ideas for class activities
Many schools use Chromebooks, but they might not always know how to make the most of those systems in the classroom -- and Google knows it. The firm is launching a Chromebook App Hub that will both help teachers find activity ideas and connect institutions with developers that might fit their needs. Educators can both create and look for "idea sparks" and apps based on the age range, subject, idea category and even specific learning goals.
Acer's latest Chromebooks for schools include models with AMD chips
Acer is hoping to shake up its school-ready Chromebooks in the same way it did with its everyday models. The company has introduced no less than six new Chromebooks for education, including two AMD-powered models. The 11.6-inch Chromebook Spin 311 R721T convertible (above) and the more conventional Chromebook 311 C721 both use AMD A4 processors with Radeon graphics that should deliver reasonably speedy visuals for students. Logically, they're also built to handle abuse with military-grade bodies, tamper-resistant keyboards and an antimicrobial touchscreen on the Spin.
HP's latest school Chromebooks are built for exploring
It's the start of a new year, and that means new HP Chromebooks for schools -- this time, including an update to a long-in-the-tooth model. The centerpiece is the Chromebook x360 11 G2 Education Edition, (above) a refresh of the two-year-old G1 convertible tablet. The 11.6-inch system is still ready for less-than-gentle students and has options for both a Wacom pen as well as a signature 5-megapixel rear-facing camera for exploring the outside world. This time, though, there's a much newer 1.1GHz Celeron chip, up to 8GB of RAM (not so common in budget Chromebooks) and as much as 64GB of expandable storage. It'll be relatively future-proof for schools watching their budgets.
Chinese schools keep tabs on kids with 'intelligent uniforms'
Even schoolkids can't escape China's increasing obsession with surveillance. Over 10 schools in the country's southwestern Guizhou province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have made students wear "intelligent uniforms" from Guanyu Technology in the name of improving attendance and safety. Each uniform has two chips that indicate when a student is entering or exiting school grounds, and automatically sends that data to both parents and teachers. Leave without permission and an automatic voice alarm will make it patently clear you're a truant.
US DOT tells self-driving shuttle company to stop transporting kids
Sorry kids, neither you nor robots can be trusted. The US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told Transdev North America to stop hauling children around in its EZ10 Generation II autonomous shuttles in Babcock Ranch -- a community in Southwest Florida.
Instagram uses Snapchat-like tags to make adding friends easier
Instagram has yet another answer to Snapchat, but this time it's covering one of the basics: namely, adding friends. Months after it started testing, the social network has introduced "nametags" that make friend additions as simple as pointing your camera at a code, much like Snapcodes. Once you've created a nametag (complete with colors, emojis and selfies), your soon-to-be pal just has to launch the camera and hold down on the screen when the tag is in view. From there, they'll receive options to either follow straight away or view the profile. You can share nametags with others through text messages or other social platforms if you're trying to build as wide an audience as possible.
School internet filter maker launches suicide risk detector
A company that makes internet filters and Chromebook management software for schools is launching a product today that detects when K12 students are at risk of suicide or self harm. GoGuardian serves about 4,000 school districts in the US, totaling about 5.3 million students, and is meant to act as "an early-warning system to help schools proactively identify at-risk students to quickly get them the assistance they need."
Saint Louis University will put 2,300 Echo Dots in student residences
If you're attending Saint Louis University this semester, you'll find more in your dorm room than the usual tiny furnishings. The school has unveiled plans to provide all 2,300 student residences on campus (both dorms and apartments) with Echo Dots by the time classes begin in late August. To no one's surprise, they're not just there for asking about the weather. They'll have access to an SLU Alexa skill that provides answers to "more than 100" common questions, whether it's the location of a building, event timing or library hours.
North Carolina elementary teachers will get iPads to bolster reading
Apple's renewed push for iPads in schools appears to be paying dividends. North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson has unfurled plans to give the state's K-3 teachers iPads to help improve and track student reading. Educators will use the tablets to "reduce burdens" and boost interaction as kids advance their reading levels. Johnson didn't outline the cost per tablet, but the state will pay $6 million out of a $15 million pool of unused money from previous budget years.
France bans smartphones in schools
Under new legislation, French students will be prohibited from using smartphones and tablets while at school. The law, which was originally noted in President Emmanuel Macron's election campaign, was elevated to a matter of public health amidst concerns French youth has become super-connected.
