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What do you want your cell phone to be able to do? Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Hal Abelson put that question to about 20 computer-science students this semester when he gave them one assignment: Design a software program for cell phones that use Google Inc.'s upcoming Android mobile operating system.

American parents agreed by a wide margin that digital media skills are important to kids' success in the 21st century, but they also expressed skepticism about whether digital media could contribute to the development of skills such as communicating, working with others, and establishing civic responsibility, according to a new national poll from Common Sense Media and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center.

Microsoft will stop offering Windows XP in retail stores June 30, but at least two major computer manufacturers say school districts, colleges, and universities will be able to buy machines with the older operating system until January 2009, as Windows Vista--released last year--remains unpopular with many consumers.

Facebook, the world's second-largest social-networking web site, will add more than 40 new safeguards to protect students and other users from sexual predators and cyber bullies, attorneys general from several states said May 8.

State Board of Education Passes O'Connell Initiative Encouraging Local Innovation to Close Achievement Gap.

Simply providing online discussion forums is not enough to keep students engaged in virtual courses, according to educators who are well-versed in online instruction: For real learning to occur in an online setting, virtual-school educators must establish clear rubrics and enforce rules for participation.

Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Congratulates Senator Jack Scott on His Selection to Lead California Community Colleges.

Colleges and universities nationwide are launching the newest generation of Wi-Fi networks even before a final version of the standard has been ratified--a move technology experts say could allow schools to do away with wired networks in the coming years.

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Honors Nurses on National School Nurse Day.

Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Issues Notice of Proposed Settlement in Special Education Exit Exam Case.

In what is becoming a national trend, leading businesses and education groups are launching new initiatives aimed at increasing the number of minorities--and Hispanics in particular--in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Schools Chief Jack O'Connell, Senator Darrell Steinberg, Assembly Member Dave Jones Highlight Plan to Improve Preschool.

Two years after a report called "Rising Above the Gathering Storm" warned that the United States is falling behind in math and science education, endangering America's competitiveness in the global economy, education leaders, lawmakers, and cabinet members met for a national summit in Washington, D.C., to discuss what progress--if any--has been made in closing the gap. Their verdict: The U.S. needs to make a greater investment in critical math, science, and research programs for these efforts to succeed.

The University of Chicago Law School has banned internet access during class time, although laptops still will be permitted for note taking. The move comes as educators at schools and universities nationwide have struggled with how to keep students on task at a time when most have personal technology devices they bring to class. Although many professors have taken steps to block internet access during their instruction, the Chicago law school is believed to be among the first to implement a school-wide ban.

Educators and employers agree that creativity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces, according to a recent report. Yet, the report suggests a disconnect exists between what survey respondents say they believe and how they act: In fact, findings indicate most high schools and employers provide creativity-conducive education and training only on an elective or "as needed" basis.

A new discovery by researchers at Hewlett-Packard Co. has important implications for educators, students, and others who regularly use computers and electronic devices with memory chips.

Education needs $20 billion for infrastructure, according to a report released April 29. To narrow the digital divide, funding for up-to-date video and voice technology in schools should be a focus of federal and state decision makers from coast to coast.

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Encourages Schools to Honor Holocaust Remembrance Day.

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Discusses Impact of Budget Cuts on Classified School Employees.

State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Announces Selection of California’s Classified School Employees of the Year.