VARconnection

Investments in Career and Tech Education Announced

Last week (3/9/2016) The US Department of Education announced their plan to increase support for career and technical education (CTE) courses for students. Education Secretary John B. King Jr., has emphasized the importance for an increase in student access to CTE classes, especially for those who come from more diverse backgrounds. Additionally, he has called … Continue reading →

The Benefits of Adding Video to Teacher Evaluations

A big challenge facing K-12 education today is ensuring that teacher evaluations evolve with available technology in an effective and productive way. In 2012, Miriam Greenberg and the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard piloted the Best Foot Forward Project to study the impact video could have on teacher evaluation. The project included evaluating … Continue reading →

Top 10 IT Issues of 2016 (Infographic)

With help from a panel of experts comprised of IT and non-IT leaders, CIOs, and faculty members EDUCAUSE recently released a list of ten IT issues and strategic technologies that will have a major impact on higher education in 2016. The issues reflect three main themes: Divest — Higher education IT organizations are divesting locally … Continue reading →

2017 Education Budget Announced

Last week (2/9/2016), the Obama Administration released their 2017 fiscal year education budget, which places a focus around advancing educational equity and excellence, supporting teachers and school leaders, and promoting college access affordability and completion. The new budget helps support the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act and includes $69.4 billion in discretionary funding, … Continue reading →

Wireless Infrastructure and E-Rate

An essential element of providing an equitable education for America’s students is ensuring the existence of a reliable wireless infrastructure capable of supporting the technology necessary for personalized learning, collaboration, increased engagement, and creativity. However, many schools around the country still need to update their wireless infrastructure in order to provide the affordable access to … Continue reading →

Testing Opt-Outs Growing, Government Threatens Sanctions

Since the Common Core Standards were released in 2010 they have been a constant source of controversy… and don’t expect that to change anytime soon. While the standards have been officially adopted in 42 states, many people within those states remain resistant to them. In fact, in the last year an “opt-out” movement has begun … Continue reading →

Attending TCEA? Learn the latest from our vendor partners

The TCEA Annual Convention and Exposition brings together campus and district-level educators, vendors, and resellers to explore best practices for engaging students, increasing productivity, and innovating teaching and learning through the use of technology. Meet, learn, and engage with some of our key vendor partners at TCEA 2016 February 3 – 5! Learn more about … Continue reading →

Connect with key partners at FETC 2016

Meet, learn, and engage with some of our key vendor partners at FETC 2016 January 13 – 15! FETC provides an opportunity for vendors, resellers, and industry representatives, including teachers, administrators, and media specialists to connect, learn, and continue to drive technological innovation in the 21st century classroom. Learn more about FETC 2016 The Douglas … Continue reading →

A District’s Critical Infrastructure Needs

Preparing students to be successful for the future requires a robust and flexible learning infrastructure capable of supporting new types of engagement and providing access to the technology tools that allow students to create, design, and explore. There are many essential components of a district infrastructure, representing key cross-selling opportunities for resellers. The 2016 National … Continue reading →

Steps to Consider when Upgrading a District Network

Before launching a network upgrade across a school district, it’s important that resellers and district IT leaders consider all aspects of how the new hardware will impact the schools, and how well the pieces work with legacy hardware components. During a recent EdTech webinar, “Time for a Network Upgrade?” Jason Wiggins, technology director of Nacogdoches … Continue reading →