EdBizWatch

Can Computers Really Grade Essay Tests?

Natl Council of Teachers of English say “no,” even if there's new software that says “yes.”

Can Computers Really Grade Essay Tests? Valerie Strauss, Washington Post

Wikispaces Leans In (To The Classroom)

Wikispaces Classroom gives teachers a clean set of tools to help students set up blogs.

Wikispaces Leans In (To The Classroom), Betsy Corcoran, edSurge

Learning Catalytics Bought by Pearson

With Learning Catalytics, Pearson is essentially acquiring a student response system.

Pearson Acquires Flipped Classroom Managers, Learning Catalytics, Rip Empson, TechCrunch

Nearpod Gets $1.5M From NewSchools

Platform lets teachers create, share presentations with students’ mobile devices in realtime.

Nearpod Gets $1.5M From NewSchools, Rip Empson, TechCrunch

News Corp. Has a Tablet for Schools

Amplify will not just sell curriculum on their tablet, but also infrastructure for students’ data.

News Corp. Has a Tablet for Schools, Amy Chozick, New York Times

Is News Corp’s Ed Tablet the Bureaucratic Fit Schools Need?

Co. betting schools will fork over a pretty penny to get blended learning thru a custom tablet.

News Corp’s Ed Tablet the Bureaucratic Fit Schools Need, Ferenstein & Empson, TechCrunch

Kickboard Raises $2 Million from New Markets Ventures

An analytics platform helps teachers gather & assess data on student performance. 

Kickboard Raises $2 Million from New Markets Ventures, Molly Gerth, Technaplex

LiveSchool raises $1.65M From Nashville Capital

Software designed to improve student behavior thru clear expectations, tracking, rewards.

LiveSchool raises $1.65M From Nashville Capital, Jamie McGee, Nashville Business Journal

Lenovo Ruggedizes ThinkPad Chromebook For Schools

It's designed to make life easier for academic IT administrators.

Lenovo Ruggedizes ThinkPad Chromebook For Schools, Thomas Claburn, Information Week

SmartBoard, Make Way for Educreations

Evolving from interactive whiteboards to mobile, multi-purpose apps, 6+ products compete.

SmartBoard, Make Way for Educreations, Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift

OLPC Cancels X0-3 Tablet

"XO-3...may emerge in constituent parts rather than as a whole," Negroponte said.

OLPC Cancels Xo-3 Tablet, Agam Sheh, Network World

Always Prepped Raises $650K from True Ventures

Former Blackboard EVP to launch a Mint.com for Education.

Always Prepped Grabs $650K from True Ventures, Rip Empson, TechCrunch

Interview with Tony Wagner

Tony Wagner will Keynote the upcoming EdTechTeacher iPad Summit.

The Global Search for Education: Education Technology, C.M. Rubin, Huff Post

Goalbook Raises $915K from NSVF, Others

Goalbook is a mobile platform for special ed teachers to manage individual learning plans.

NSVF Invests in Goalbook, NSVF News

Is iPad Mini Too Small for the Classroom?

Common Core assessments require tablets with screen size of at least 9.5 inches. Mini is 7.9"

Is the iPad Mini Too Small for the Classroom, Kirstin Winkler, Big Think

The Rise of Educator Entrepreneurs

Stories on Jack West, Adam Bellow, James Sanders, Sam Chaudhary, Shelly Blake-Plock...

Bringing Classroom Experience to Ed Tech, Katrina Schwartz, Mind/Shift

Desmos Gets $1 Million+ in Funding from Google Ventures

Desmos is known for its web-based graphing calculator for today’s wireless classrooms. 

Google Ventures Backs Math Eduation Startup Desmos, Getting Smart

ClassDojo's New App Lets Teachers Give Real-Time Feedback

Gamified classroom mgt platform ClassDojo releases iOS app, android app to follow.

ClassDojo's New App Lets Teachers Give Real-Time Feedback, Ki Mae Heussner, GigaOM

Grades Mixed on Tech-Driven Classroom

Historically edtech added to teaching burdens. That’s about to change, say etech proponents.

The Tech-Driven Classroom is Here, But Grades are Mixed, James Marshall Crotty, Forbes

Education Startups Making In-Roads Into Classroom

Top Hat Monocle, Echo360, MentorMob--edtech startups are moving into classrooms.

Teachers Get Techy, Sarah Max, Time