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Warren Spector gets a new job: Director of UT Austin's Gaming Academy
Deus Ex creator Warren Spector has been named director of The University of Texas at Austin's Denius-Sams Gaming Academy, a development-focused post-baccalaureate program that will launch in the fall of next year. Spector was one of the first industry veterans who signed on as part of the Academy, joining Blizzard COO Paul Sams, Ultima creator Richard Garriott, EA CCO Richard Hilleman, and BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk. Only 20 candidates will be selected for the program's first semester, and the first batch of incoming students will receive a tuition waiver and a $10,000 housing stipend. Spector's career shift follows up on the recent shuttering of Disney Interactive Studios subsidiary Junction Point Studios, a team that Spector co-founded. Prior to its closure, Junction Point developed the 2010 Wii release Epic Mickey and last year's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.
Massive budget SNAFU further damages LA's student iPad program
There's likely nothing more embarrassing for educators than messing up their own arithmetic, but as the LA Times reports, that's just what happened with the Los Angeles school district's student iPad program. On top of the fact that a good number of students have already found a way around the school district's attempts to prevent non-educational use, it now seems that the US$30 million that was approved for purchasing the Apple tablets isn't nearly enough for what the district actually needs -- and it was a simple math error that caused the confusion. When coming up with the budget request for the iPad program, the district priced the iPads at $700 each, taking into account a discount program that the schools aren't actually eligible for. So when the order was placed, each iPad cost $100 more than what the schools originally planned, meaning a whole lot less hardware for the same amount of money. On top of that, the budget didn't take into account physical keyboards and other accessories that push the final price tag far past where it should have been. However, the number of iPads the district secures may not matter for much longer, as some school officials have already began collecting the iPads, effectively killing the program or at the very least putting it into an unfortunate hiatus.
Schools complain that upgrading student iPads to iOS 7 removes security filters
When Apple announced iOS 7, it made a big deal about how good the operating system would be for educators looking to manage iPads in their classroom. There's a whole page set up making that claim. But a new report from AllThingsD shows that while iOS 7 has some great tools for educators, its initial installation may be opening up some security flaws. Several school districts have discovered installing iOS 7 accidentally removed the supervision profiles administrators have placed on district-provided iPads. These profiles allowed the schools to put content blocks, web filters and app blocks on the iPads to ensure they were used for purely educational activities. In a memo from the Manituou Springs School District in Colorado obtained by AllThingsD, parents were warned of the district iPad's compromised security. Apple did not realize that installing iOS 7 would remove our (and thousands of organizations across the country) safety protection measure, which now makes the iPad devices unfiltered when accessing the internet away from school. The district announced it would be collecting iPad's at the end of each school day until they have time to reinstall the safety measures on the devices. It was a difficult task; schools had to collect hundreds of iPads, manually wipe them, then reinstall the OS, apps and school content they originally contained. When AllThingsD reached out to Apple for a comment, the company said they were aware of the issue and would have a fix up within the month. Of course there are problems for school administrators trying to control iPads beyond the unintended effects of new software updates. Sometimes, as we've seen recently in the LA school system where students found workarounds to installed content blocks, the kids are simply smarter than the security.
Apple confirms iOS 7 removes content filters from school-issued iPads, fix coming soon
It seems you can't release a major operating system update these days without a few things going wrong. The latest iOS 7 issue is affecting iPads issued by schools. After updating, the content filters put in place through the Apple Configurator tool are no longer effective, leaving students with unrestricted access to the internet when used at home (school WiFi networks often have separate filters in place that restrict access through all devices). According to an AllThingsD report, a school district in Colorado is collecting iPads at the end of each school day in the meantime -- it's hardly a sustainable long-term solution, but Apple, which acknowledged the issue, expects a fix this month. One crafty administrator set up a DNS block to prevent students from upgrading to iOS 7, but for many other schools, the damage is already done.
LA officials may delay school iPad rollout after students hack them in a week
Just a week after it began the first phase of putting iPads in the hands of all 640,000 students in the region, the Los Angeles school district already has a fight on its hands. In a matter of days, 300 children at Theodore Roosevelt High School managed to work around protective measures placed on the Apple tablets, giving them complete access to features -- including Facebook, Twitter and other apps -- that should otherwise have been blocked. Students bypassed the security lock on the device by deleting a personal profile preloaded in the settings -- a simple trick that has the school district police chief recommending the board limit the $1 billion rollout (including hardware and other related expenses) before it turns into a "runaway train scenario." For now, officials have banned home use of the iPads while they assess ways to better restrict access -- they would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for those meddling kids. [Original image credit: flickingerbrad, Flickr]
Iowa high school delivers 1,425 MacBook Airs to students
The students at Ames High School in Iowa received a pleasant surprise this school year in the form of 1,425 brand-new MacBook Air notebooks, thanks to a program the district calls 21st Century Learning. The purchase cost a total of US$1.4 million, which figures to roughly $980 per computer. The Ames school board voted on the program back in May, and students are now getting their first hands-on time with the new Apple gear. Each student in ninth through 12th grade has the privilege of checking out a fresh new MacBook for a rather reasonable deposit of just $25. In the event of damage or loss, the student (or more likely, their family) will be charged amounts ranging from $50 up to the full cost of the hardware. Before being given their own notebook, each student must agree to a list of terms. Among other stipulations, each student must agree to use the device for educational purposes only, recharge it every night and never install any programs unless approved by an administrator. [via AppleInsider]
Teachers on Pinterest initiative could make lesson planning halfway enjoyable
Oh, education. So necessary, but so grueling. Particularly for oodles of grade-school instructors who are forced to swallow their fresh-out-of-college ambitions and fall into the system if they ever hope to level up in academia. We've seen glimmers of hope here and there, with certain schools getting outside of their comfort zones long enough to try new methodologies, and Pinterest's latest project certainly holds a lot of promise. Teachers on Pinterest is a hub that showcases a variety of lesson plans and teaching tools, and through a partnership with Edutopia, it's hoping to build out a full-bodied community for instructors. Hit up the source link below for a closer look, and remember: teachers rule.
Intel targets schools with Atom-powered Android tablets, mad scientist apps
Intel's new education-focused tablets won't stir much envy among the iPad-toting kids of L.A., but they may suit more budget-conscious school districts. There are 10-inch and 7-inch versions, both simply branded "Education Tablets" and both running Atom Z2460 processors with low-end specs (laid out at the source link) and either Android 4.0 or 4.1. The hardware should just about cope with the bundled software, which includes titles like Kno Textbooks, Intellisense's camera app that works with a snap-on magnification lens and PASCO's SPARKvue science app that hooks up to thermal probes and other sensors that will likely require careful teacher supervision. We wish we had clear prices for these things, but there's a whole step-by-step consultation process to wade through before Intel talks money.
Microsoft offering Surface RT tablets for $199 to educational institutions
If you thought Microsoft's effort to push Surface RT tablets into classrooms would stop with a 10,000-unit giveaway, you'd be mistaken. Ryan Lowdermilk, a technology evangelist for the company, revealed that it's offering 32GB Surface RT slates to K-12 and higher education institutions in 25 countries for $199, more than 50 percent off the $499 retail sticker price. Dropping $249 for each unit will snag organizations keyboard-infused Touch Covers, while bumping the cost to $289 will add Type Covers to the package. Education outfits can take advantage of the deal until August 31st (or while supplies last), but individual students won't be able to snag a Surface at such a deep discount on their own. The post announcing the program has gone offline since its unveiling, but we've reached out to Lowdermilk to confirm that the offer is still valid. In the meantime, you can hit the second source link to snatch an order form for school administrators. Update: It appears the order form has been pulled, so we've replaced the second source link with a mirror of the document. [Thanks, Suraj-Sun]
ConnectED program could deliver 100Mbps broadband to 99 percent of US students
Many attempts to supply broadband to US students, on- and off-campus, have been imperfect at best: they either leave gaps in coverage or carry woefully inadequate bandwidth. The White House is aiming for much, much better service through its ConnectED initiative. The proposed five-year program would rework the FCC's E-Rate subsidies to offer at least 100Mbps broadband (and ideally 1Gbps) to 99 percent of American students. Schools could also use their funding to set up WiFi, although they would have to pay for any computing power themselves. ConnectED would add about 40 cents a month to phone bills, but it could put most schools on an equal plane -- and keep pace with increasingly faster connections at home. [Image credit: Johan Larsson, Flickr]
Malaysia's Yes 4G adds WiMAX to Samsung Chromebook, aims to transform local education
Samsung's Exynos 5-based Chromebook may have been available since last October, but how about one equipped with WiMAX radio? Graced with the presence of Google and Samsung reps in Kuala Lumpur (including a video message from Google SVP Sundar Pichai), today Malaysian carrier Yes 4G unveiled this rather special laptop for the local consumers. In fact, we should have seen this coming as Google's official blog did hint this last month, but we failed to catch that blurred "Yes 4G" logo on the laptop in the blog's photo. As Google mentioned, the ultimate goal here is to help transform Malaysia's education using the Chromebook. And now we know that this ambition will be backed by Yes 4G's rapidly growing WiMAX network -- from the initial 1,200 base stations in 2010 to today's 4,000, covering 85 percent of the peninsula; and the carrier will expand into the eastern side with 700 more sites by the end of this year. This is especially important for the rural areas, where many schools still lack access to water and electricity. As a partner of the Malaysian Ministry of Education's 1BestariNet project, Yes 4G's parent company YTL Communications has so far ensured that 7,000 local state schools are covered by its WiMAX network, with the remaining 3,000 to be connected over the next six months. %Gallery-189082%
Warren Spector, Blizzard COO to lead University of Texas game program
Developer Warren Spector and Blizzard Entertainment COO Paul Sams will help oversee a new gaming academy being put into place at the University of Texas at Austin. The Denius-Sams Gaming Academy, named after co-founders Wofford Denius, Sams and his wife, will begin in 2014 with only 20 spots for students, and will award a postbaccalaureate certificate rather than a graduate degree, which the school says will help it remain industry-focused. Spector, the creator of Deus Ex and the Disney Epic Mickey series, will put together the curriculum, which will include a 12-month intensive program where students will make a game themselves. Students selected for admission will also get a tuition waiver and a $10,000 stipend for fees and housing expenses. The program will begin next fall.
Lego Mindstorms EV3 kit gets an education, school-friendly platform to ship August 2013
Lego's new Mindstorms EV3 kit isn't all just gun-firing robots and killer scorpions. Unfortunately, there's also some learning to be done, with the new Mindstorm EV3 kit ready to land in schools this August. Lego reckons the kit touches on several curriculum areas like computer science, math, engineering mixed with (we hope) a little fun -- c'mon, it's class-time Lego! We got to have a brief play with it back at CES, and as far as Lego goes, it appears to have more than enough additions to keep young minds ticking over, including Linux firmware that connects to Android and iOS apps, infrared and its very own 3D construction guide from Autodesk. The core kit includes the EV3 brick nerve center, a rechargeable battery, sensors, motors, a pile of bricks, a new ball wheel and (thankfully) instructions. Added to that, the teaching set includes a "customizable curriculum", digital workbook and 48 step-by-step tutorials to get the lil' tykes started.
iPads at Idaho elementary's 'iSchool' pilot program
Idaho's Paul Elementary School has shared a video praising the iPads and networking that iSchool Campus set up for them. Students, faculty and staff all received iPads and after two-and-a-half months, the teachers and staff are seeing great results. Principal Colleen Johnson notes, among other things, the financial benefits of running iPads. "We've saved about $20,000 per month making copies and on paper," she says, noting also that the iPads are used to take notes and practice skills, reducing the use of consumables. Of course, the benefits are more than financial. Fifth grade teacher Ashlee notes that, "[The iPads] have given the kids ownership of their learning. They're excited to learn ... it allows the kids to really show me what they can do and what the know." Paul Elementary's IT director praised the iSchool system saying, "You cannot pick a better technology package," noting how quickly and efficiently the iSchool team got the school building prepped and ready. We've seen several other schools adopt iPads on a large scale, and even require them of incoming students. For many, it's nice to see Apple regain the education market it dominated for such a long time.
Robovie the talking robot gets schooled by elementary students
Higashihikari elementary school welcomed a robot through its doors this week. A new model Robovie will join the Japanese school's students for classes over 14 months, aiming to gain sentience strike up interactions with multiple people -- and learn from it. The Robovie's conversation level is apparently equal to a five-year-old child, although it's been augmented with all the know-how of a fifth-grade science textbook and preloaded with 119 facial photos and voiceprints of teachers and students. It's the first long-term project for the International Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute's 1.2-meter bot, with the scientists reckoning that the school environment should offer its robot major input.
Sony K-12 initiative puts the Xperia Tablet S into schools
The selection of tablets in education has been narrow, especially for teachers that want support after the hardware is on their doorstep. Sony figures that it can widen the field through its K-12 Education Initiative. The effort gives schools a discount on the Xperia Tablet S, but that's just the start: they have access to Education Ambassador, an online resource for incorporating Android tablets into the classroom, as well as 50GB of free Box storage and a year's worth of Kaspersky security services. Sony is already taking orders for schools waiting to hop onboard; if they're willing to try a company that's relatively untested in education, they may get a better deal than they expect.
Lenovo adopts Chrome OS, intros ThinkPad X131e Chromebook for schools
The Chromebook world has really amounted to a two-horse town: you've had to like either Acer's designs or Samsung's if you've wanted Chrome OS on the move. Lenovo is at last pushing out the borders, however slightly, with the ThinkPad X131e Chromebook. As suggested by the name, it's a subtle adaptation of the existing X131e to Google's platform, where the only real hardware difference is AMD's removal from the options list. The software really is the point, though -- Lenovo sees the combination of a rugged, 11.6-inch laptop with web-only software as being perfect for schools that don't want headaches with damage, security or storage. Accordingly, the only ones buying as of the February 26th launch will be institutional customers making volume bids. The Lenovo Chromebook won't affect most grown-ups as a result, but it could shake up an OS ecosystem that has remained tiny for more than two years.
The Art of Wushu: The right martial arts school for you
Normally at Massively, we start off a column by linking to relevant community sites and information resources for a game. Things are a bit different with Age of Wushu, however. Aside from the main community site and the wiki currently under construction, there isn't much information about the game available in English. Running biweekly, The Art of Wushu will help you navigate the sprawling Wushu sandbox. This week, we'll be looking at the various martial arts schools in the game and which schools to select in order to fit your preferred playstyle. While we can't go over each school's intricacies in depth, we'll do our best to give you a brief primer on what you can expect as a member of a particular school.
Apple launches back-to-school promo in Australia, New Zealand
Apple is back again with its annual "Back to School" promotion to kick off the school year in Australia and New Zealand. The promotion offers gift cards for a Mac or iPad purchase and is similar to the one offered last year in the US and Europe. The promotion is open to any student, faculty or staff member from any grade level. It'll give each educational customer a AU$100 or NZ$125 (US$100) gift card for a Mac purchase and a AU$50 or NZ$65 (US$50) gift card for an iPad with Retina display purchase. An app and accessory buying guide will help students get all that they need for the upcoming school year. [Via MacStories]
Swedish school has kids play Minecraft, turns out they like it
One school in Sweden added Minecraft to its curriculum for 13-year-old students in an effort to teach lessons of building in virtual worlds, city planning, environmental awareness, preparing for the future and completing goals. Also, hitting livestock with wooden swords.The Minecraft lesson plan spawned from a Swedish competition called Future City, which asked for ideas on how to improve education. This school, Viktor Rydberg, liked the idea so much it made Minecraft compulsory, and so far "it's been a great success and we'll definitely do it again," Monica Ekman, a teacher at the school, said.So far 180 students have used Minecraft as a learning tool, which Ekman compares to arts or woodcraft. "The boys knew a lot about it before we even started, but the girls were happy to create and build something too," Ekman said.
