Information Technology

Information, news and features for the education sector IT professionals


LAUSD Ransomware Attack: A Wake-Up Call for Policymakers?

Though Los Angeles Unified School District leaders framed last weekend's ransomware attack and response as "unprecedented," cybersecurity research shows the only things "unprecedented" were the immediate federal assistance LAUSD received in mitigating the damage and the international press attention — most districts have to fend for themselves, and experts say it's long past time for federal lawmakers to institute real change.

FBI and CISA Release Ransomware Alert on Vice Society Targeting Education Orgs

A joint Cybersecurity Advisory released today by the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center — as those agencies help investigate the Labor Day weekend ransomware attack on Los Angeles Unified School District — warns that Vice Society threat actors are disproportionately targeting the education sector as recently as this month.

Los Angeles Unified, Feds Investigating As Ransomware Attack Cripples IT Systems

A ransomware attack over Labor Day weekend brought to a standstill the online systems of Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest K–12 district in the country with about 640,000 students, LAUSD officials confirmed this morning in a statement on its website.

Nationwide Initiative Offers Stipends for Math Teachers' Input to Build Evidence Database on Teaching Tools

A new project by two education nonprofits will pay thousands of teachers to document and share their experiences in selecting and using digital math tools — and that data will be available immediately to help math educators choose the best ed tech tools for their needs and more effectively implement and use those tools.

Discovery Education Acquires Science Experiment Platform Pivot Interactives

Discovery Education and its parent company Clearlake Capital Group today announced the acquisition of Minneapolis-based Pivot Interactives SBC, whose science experiment videos are used by about 1 million students, according to the companies.

Frontline Education Being Sold to Roper Technologies

Frontline Education’s parent company, software investment firm Thoma Bravo, today announced an agreement to sell Frontline Education to Roper Technologies in an all-cash transaction valued at $3.725 billion, according to a news release.

Apple Launches New Education Community with Expanded Teaching Resources, New Forum for Educators

Apple has launched a new professional learning hub for educators called the Apple Education Community, which expands on the resources previously hosted on the Apple Teacher Learning Center and adds a brand new educator Forum, now live in beta.

How to Save Teacher Content and Data Before Edmodo Shutters and Deletes Everything on Sept. 23

Edmodo will permanently shutter on Sept. 22, and educators who have used the platform will no longer have access to their accounts, their instructional content, nor their student data, the company announced this week on its website — here's how to export all the teacher and student files and data before the platform shuts down and deletes all accounts and associated files and data.

Way Beyond Virtual Field Trips: The Surprising & Incredible Ways Educators Are Using ClassVR Virtual Reality in Schools

Educators and instructional technology experts Michael Jaber and Charley Suter describe the “endless” ways that ClassVR virtual reality headsets can help educators get students excited about learning — and share some incredible and surprising ways they are using ClassVR in schools, particularly for special education students, students with autism, and those with limited mobility.

Varsity Tutors' New Teacher Assigned Tutoring Platform Puts Educators in Charge, Connects Classroom Challenges to Sessions

Online tutoring provider Varsity Tutors today unveiled a new service that puts teachers in charge, enabling them to “prescribe” sessions to their struggling students, communicate with each tutor, ensure the extra help is focused on the topics students are struggling with in class, and monitor each student’s progress post-session.

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