Education IT News For VARs 2-26-15: Net Neutrality And Education

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

In news, the FCC’s Net Neutrality Plan considers the needs of schools, and most schools’ Internet service does not meet demand. Also, a panel discusses issues with mobility and education.

FCC Net Neutrality Plan Addresses School Needs

The recent plan to protect net neutrality released by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler considers the needs of schools, according to Education Week. The proposed plan would protect an open and free Internet, regulating broadband firms that provide high-speed Internet service as if they were public utilities. This would help guarantee access for cash-strapped school districts that cannot afford to pay more for Internet access. The proposal is scheduled for vote today.

Internet Connections Aren’t Keeping Up With Schools’ Demands

This article from the Huffington Post, fewer than 20 percent of teachers report that their school’s Internet service supports their needs, and half of schools and libraries that apply for federal subsidies rely on Internet connectivity speeds that are lower than the average American home. Also, instead of investing in new and better technology, more than two thirds of districts are scaling back on maintenance and replacement of existing equipment due to budgetary constraints.

Panel Discusses Issues With Mobile And Education

This article from Ed Surge examines the latest mobile trends presented during a panel discussion February SF Edtech Meetup. Julie Farago (engineering manager for Android and Play for Education at Google), Shauntel Poulson (principal at NewSchools Venture Fund), Jacob Saperstein (director of innovation policy and social investment for AT&T) and Stacey Wang (director of personalized learning at Oakland Unified School District) discussed transforming teaching practices, proof and privacy issues, and the relationship between mobile and social mobility.

Education IT Talking Points

Education Dive interviewed Instructure’s Wade Billings about the need to secure data in education. This article examines Instructure’s approach to security, the bug bounty, and why others in the space need to pay particular attention to protecting data. Billings states, “So my advice to other providers of either LMS (learning management systems) or cloud-based services is that you need to go on the offense. You can no longer be sitting and having confidence in your defensive measures.”

For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Education IT Resource Center.