We describe our experiences teaching MapReduce in a large undergraduate lecture course using public cloud services and the standard Hadoop API. Using the standard API, students directly experienced the quality of industrial big-data tools. Using the cloud, every student could carry out scalability benchmarking assignments on realistic hardware,…

In addition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), California is implementing a new, online assessment system: the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Field tests were conducted last spring and the system is being rolled out this year, amid concerns about whether schools are technologically prepared. Using…

Under pressure to keep spending down but also keep pace with rapid technology changes, many districts are future-proofing their schools--trying to get the most out of tech spending by providing solutions they can use now and in the future without major, expensive infrastructure overhauls. In the Folsom Cordova (California) Unified School District,…

Under pressure to keep spending down but also keep pace with rapid technology changes, many districts are future-proofing their schools--trying to get the most out of their tech spending by providing solutions they will be able to use now and in the future without major, expensive infrastructure overhauls. The idea is growing in popularity across…

How many beginning teachers struggle to create new lessons despite the fact that experienced teachers have already designed effective lessons for the same content? Shulman (1987) used the term "collective amnesia" to describe the failure of school leaders to design professional development that included the collection of its best…

Reports on results of 2-year study of educational use of technology at 2 San Francisco Bay Area high schools. Finds little impact on students' school experience. Discusses several reasons for this finding: Traditional school structures, time constraints, and competing educational priorities. (Contains 10 references.) (PKP)

Teachers at Irvington High School in Fremont, California are looking for meaningful and relevant connections between what students are learning in the classroom and the job skills companies are looking for in the years to come. For Irvington, a Bay Area public high school serving about 2,000 students, that pursuit of a "logical link" led…

The California Planning Commission for Educational Technology was established by state legislation (AB 1470) in 1989 to develop a California Master Plan for Educational Technology for K-12 education, the California Community Colleges, the University of California, and the California State University. The Commission discussed multiple issues;…

The California Educational Technology Summit was convened to address both the existing and desired applications of technology in California education. The objectives of the summit were: to increase awareness of technology and its limits and potential; provide for a dialogue about important technology related issues across educational sectors; and…

Reports on an excellent Internet resource, the SCORE History-Social Science Web Page. This site provides links to hundreds of other sites containing relevant resources for most social science curricula. Discusses the origin, planning, and implementation of the project. (MJP)

Twelve state-of-the-art articles discuss current developments educational media and technology. Topics examined include research, information technology, networking, and telecommunications. Four articles are also published as ERIC Digests. All of the articles contain references. (SLW)

This collection of reports highlights the status of educational telecommunications in 13 western states during 1991. Topics addressed include distance education initiatives in Alaska; activities by members of the Arizona Education Telecommunications Cooperative, including colleges, public schools, and government agencies; groups active in the…

This guide establishes statewide networking standards and addresses key issues regarding network implementation. It is designed to be a framework for construction of access to the global electronic highway for all California public schools. An in-depth view of the major areas that must be considered when schools are developing their technology…

This report provides a brief summary of the major findings and recommendations derived from an extensive study of educational technology programs funded by the State of California since 1984 under two legislative acts, AB 803 and AB 1470. An independent evaluation of educational technology programs required by AB 1470 was conducted by The Far West…

Profiles a teacher workshop sponsored by the School of California On-line Resources in Education (SCORE). The teachers developed units of instruction using problem-based learning (a constructivist approach where students discover techniques and information to solve problems) and combining them with Web-based information and tools. Briefly…