Groundbreaking study examines effects of screen time on kids

If you have kids and wonder if all that time they spend on their smartphones endlessly scrolling, snapping and texting is affecting their brains, you might want to put down your own phone and pay attention. The federal government, through the National Institutes of Health, has launched the most ambitious study of adolescent brain development ever attempted. In part, scientists are trying to understand what no one currently does: how all that screen time impacts the physical structure of your kids' brains, as well as their emotional development and mental health.

At 21 sites across the country scientists have begun interviewing nine and ten-year-olds and scanning their brains. They'll follow more than 11,000 kids for a decade, and spend $300 million doing it. Dr. Gaya Dowling of the National Institutes of Health gave us a glimpse of what they've learned so far...

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/groundbreaking-study-examines-effects-of-screen-time-on-kids-60-minutes/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7d&linkId=60785051

Teacher Cuts Family Off From WiFi Over Health Concerns « CBS Los Angeles

Woman Cuts Family Off From WiFi Over Health Concerns « CBS Los Angeles

L.A. School District Terminates iPad Program and Seeks Refund From Apple

From Slate.com by reporter Lily Hay Newman, 4/16/15, 3:31pm

It's been an interesting ride, but the Los Angeles school iPad program is done. Between the rampant student hacking and the FBI probe, you can see how the focus kind of wandered away from education. But there are millions of dollars tied up in the project, so it's not just lunch money.

As the Los Angeles Times reports, the Unified School District Board of Education told its attorneys that they should consider litigation against Apple and Pearson. (Pearson developed the iPad curriculum as an Apple contractor.) District counsel David Holmquist said that Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines “made the decision that he wanted to put them on notice, Pearson in particular, that he’s dissatisfied with their product.” In a letter to Apple, the school district wrote that it won't continue to pay for the Pearson curriculum or services. And board members are calling for a refund.

For the entire story go here.

Breaking News: Deasy Out After Failed iPad Project

Former Prince George's County Public Schools superintendent John Deasy in the news:

Deasy, 53, has led the district for 3.5 years. During that time, he has faced much scrutiny and criticism, especially over two technology projects, one of which would have spent more than $1 billion to provide an iPad to every student, teacher and administrator at Los Angeles USD schools.

 http://ktla.com/2014/10/16/embattled-lausd-superintendent-john-deasy-expected-to-step-down-get-60k/

Snow Days and Tech Toys

Aha!

All the tech toys and teacher training we've seen over the past several years in Montgomery County Public Schools finally makes sense.

Our students and parents will no longer fear the snow.  Why?

Because we have technology and can teach via the internet.  

To read more about it, see this article:

Virtual schools are coming to an android near you.

Just tweet those lessons in.  Just be sure they pass the cybercivility test.

Students, say goodbye to snow days -- and say hello to school at home

(CNN) -- Earlier this month, Zak Terzini roused himself about five minutes before his English class began and didn't panic. Instead, the high school sophomore grabbed his iPod and checked on a class discussion of "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" without even getting out of bed.

A snowstorm -- another one -- had canceled classes in the Pascack Valley Regional High School District in northern New Jersey, but educators and students wouldn't be taking a day off. Before the snow fell, even before the official school cancellation call, teachers were prepped, parents were warned and students had received enough assignments to fill a snow day.

continue reading here.  http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/23/living/snow-days-virtual-schools/index.html

Former PG County Public Schools Superintendent Deasy Resigns After IPad-Pearson Disaster

L.A. schools Supt. John Deasy to resign

Deasy + iPADs + Pearson = FAIL

John Deasy = former Prince George's County Public School's superintendent with the resume issues.

Pearson = of the Jerry Weast + Pearson connection

The Washington Post: Student hackers lead L.A. schools to halt major iPad initiative

The $1 billion initiative by the Los Angeles public schools district to give an iPad to all 650,000 students and teachers for home use has hit a snag that, in hindsight, someone should have seen coming: student hackers.
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, officials in the country’s second-largest school district stopped allowing home use of the iPads this week because high school students had hacked into the devices and used them for non-educational purposes such as tweeting, checking their Facebook accounts and streaming music.
...Students were supposed to use the iPads, each loaded with software designed by Pearson Education...
...The iPad initiative has proved controversial. Some critics said the school district was spending too much money on technology that might have little impact on student achievement...