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COVID-19 Reminds Me of 1994 Report, ‘Prisoners of Time’ As much as schools have adopted to COVID-19, their underlying one-schedule-fits-all educational model remains the same. A 1994 report, and several recent examples, hint at what could be changed for the better. Shutterstock We’ve all experienced COVID-related events and circumstances we never predicted. We’ve had to change everything, and the stresses and strains are not over yet. Parents and students have a very unders...

Ginkgo and Helix Partner on Pooled COVID Testing for Schools The biotechnology company Ginkgo, in partnership with the diagnostics company Helix and its automated lab, aims to provide pooled COVID-19 testing programs in 2,000 school districts on the West Coast. TNS As millions of K-12 students return to in-person learning, school districts across the country have looked to pooled testing as a cost-effective means of monitoring the deadly virus. The method  – which minimizes the...

Philadelphia Uses Innovation Fund to Inspire Agencies to Take Action To encourage city agencies to reimagine and transform their internal and public-facing services, Philadelphia, Penn., has established an accessible and flexible innovation grant process. Shutterstock For years, the city of Philadelphia, Penn., has worked to foster innovation among government agencies to facilitate delivery of improved services. A key factor in this effort has been the Innovation Management Team (...

Opinion: Tips for Starting a Drone Program for K-12 As use cases for drones continue to multiply, and more businesses incorporate them into regular operations, there’s a case to be made for teaching K-12 students how to use them. Here’s how schools can get started. by LaQuata Sumter, education technology consultant, Adorama Business Solutions / April 16, 2021 Shutterstock There has been a rise in K-12 schools introducing drones t...

Answer: Yes. Shutterstock/Krakenimages.com A research team at Stanford has been exploring how different people are affected by multiple video calls, specifically in terms of fatigue or burnout. After a year of conducting our lives remotely, everyone is feeling a little bit of “Zoom fatigue,” but the researchers found that certain demographics are likely to be feeling it more than others.     The team surveyed more than 10,000 people in February and March about their video ...

Opinion: Cybersecurity Is a Marathon Cybersecurity for schools and institutions has become increasingly critical with an onslaught of cyber attacks and growing dependence on technology. Securing networks and data is a process that requires careful planning. Not unlike a marathon, cybersecurity is an ongoing process that requires preparation, training, goal-setting and measurements of success. When we think of cybersecurity pre-COVID, during a pandemic and post-pandemic, ...

CivicPlus, SilverSky Partner on Cyber as Security Risks Rise Cybersecurity is only becoming a more urgent and important need as time goes on. Now CivicPlus, which has thousands of local government customers, is bringing on a partner dedicated just to that challenge. Shutterstock/LuckyStep With hacks and data leaks happening left and right, cybersecurity is only becoming more important as time goes on. That applies even moreso in government, where a breach could mean anything from c...

Electronics-Free Soft Robot Has Potential for MRI, Mineshafts Plus, an AI for diabetes platform raises millions, Ford plans to stop selling gas-powered vehicles in Europe, and Baltimore ends its controversial drone surveillance program. Cutting the Cord Soft robots aren’t new — more flexible than the word “robot” typically conjures, they can squeeze into tighter spaces than their traditional counterparts. But soft robots have always needed some kind of heavy electronics, like circuit b...

West Virginia Bill Sets Sights on Social Media Censorship Can the government regulate information shared by social media companies during an election? According to one West Virginia lawmaker, the answer is "yes." The ACLU, however, says not so fast. Shutterstock/klevo A new West Virginia bill proposes regulations against censorship of information by social media companies during an election, with some “criminal and civil penalties" depending on the nature of the violation.  K...

Answer: Take a listen and find out. by News Staff / April 16, 2021 Shutterstock A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found a way to put music to spiderwebs, and the result is something you have to hear for yourself. Just like spiders themselves, some people might find the tune interesting, while others may be creeped out by it.   Lead by Markus Buehler, professor of engineering, the team used artificial intell...