NCTI -

National Center for Technology Innovation
Advancing Technology Innovations for All Students

News

Find what's new at NCTI. Track information on news stories related to accessibility, education, technology, and emerging trends.

  • CAST, Google Introduce New Online Literacy Tools

    Posted on May 8th, 2008

    In partnership with Google, CAST celebrated World Book Day on April 23, 2008 by introducing two new online literacy tools that provide robust, embedded learning supports for readers at all levels. UDL Editions by CAST are world literature classics presented in a flexible online interface that supports and engages novice and expert readers alike. Cast Strategy Tutor offers adolescent readers customizable mentoring and support as they conduct Internet research and read websites.

     Read More Posted in: News

  • Pew Report: Mobile Access to Data and Information

    Posted on April 23rd, 2008

    62% of all Americans are part of a wireless, mobile population that participates in digital activities away from home or work. The Pew Internet & American Life Project explores mobile access to data and information in their new report.

     Read More Posted in: News

  • Call for Nominations – 2008 da Vinci Awards®

    Posted on April 22nd, 2008

    The 2008 da Vinci Awards search committee is now accepting nominations worldwide for pioneering inventions or research, developed by corporations or individuals, that enables people with disabilities to participate and contribute to all aspects of society. Nominees come from a number of countries and represent a broad spectrum of sciences, technologies and industries. Submissions are due by May 19, 2008.

     Read More Posted in: News

  • ConnSENSE Bulletin - New Technologies at ATIA 2008 Conference

    Posted on March 2nd, 2008

    A recent posting of the ConnSENSE Bulletin, a website sponsored by the New England Assistive Technology Marketplace and the University of Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Developmental Disabilities, lists new technologies featured at the ATIA 2008 conference. The ConnSENSE bulletin includes descriptions as well as weblinks for a variety of different technologies.

     Read More Posted in: Assistive Technology, News

  • Internships for STEM Students with Disabilities

    Posted on February 21st, 2008

    Through a program called Entrypoint!, The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) offers paid summertime internship opportunities for students with disabilities pursuing degrees in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business. Applications are currently being accepted!

     Read More Posted in: Disability, Education, News

  • The 2008 Tech Museum Awards - Call for Nominations

    Posted on February 21st, 2008

    The Tech Museum of Innovation, one of the country’s premier science and technology museums, announced that nominations are open for the 2008 Tech Museum Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity. The deadline for nominations is March 24, 2008. Individuals, non-profit, for-profit and government organizations are all eligible to apply for one of five $50k prizes that honor innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity.

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • NIDRR Releases Funding Opportunities for 2008

    Posted on February 14th, 2008

    The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has released its funding opportunities for 2008.  
     
    NIDRR, located in Washington, DC, is a national leader in sponsoring research and is one of three components of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education.
     
    The mission of NIDRR is to generate new knowledge […]

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA)

    Posted on February 13th, 2008

    Initiated by the accessibility industry, the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA) is a group of leading Information Technology (IT) and Assistive Technology (AT) companies, content providers, and other key engineering organizations, working to create and harmonize standards for accessible technology.
    Because the need for accessible technologies is growing — an estimated one in four computer users today […]

     Read More Posted in: Accessibility, News

  • New Study on Moodle

    Posted on February 7th, 2008

    A new report issued by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) provides an overview of the free, open-source online learning program called Moodle, which has been quickly rising in popularity in the educational field. The report looks at what the program can do and provides profiles of how it is being used in several different […]

     Read More Posted in: Education, News, Tools

  • First Cell Phone that Reads to the Blind and Dyslexic Released

    Posted on January 29th, 2008

    Baltimore, Maryland (January 28, 2008): K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc., a company combining the research and development efforts of the National Federation of the Blind and Kurzweil Technologies, Inc., today unveils an exciting product line that will revolutionize access to print for anyone who has difficulty seeing or reading print, including the blind and learning disabled. […]

     Read More Posted in: Accessibility, Assistive Technology, News

  • Brightest Ideas in Assistive and Learning Technology - Winners for 2007

    Posted on January 9th, 2008

    The 2007 Conference’s Technology Expo showcased over 2 dozen vendors, product prototypes, services and other great assistive and learning technology innovations.  This year, NCTI sponsored a Peer Award for the Brightest Idea in 2007.Â
    But how do you select a winner among the variety of powerful reading products,  science and math programs, evaluation tools, and other really cool innovations?   With […]

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • IES Releases Two Ed-Tech RFPs Through the SBIR Program

    Posted on December 14th, 2007

    The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has released two RFPs for developing and evaluating education technology through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. One is for Phase I proposals and another for Fast-Track (Phase I and II) proposals. The submission deadline for all proposals is January 22, 2008.

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • 2008 Steppingstones Competition Announced

    Posted on December 13th, 2007

    The Steppingstones of Technology Innovation for Children with Disabilities is a funding stream provided by the Office of Special Education Programs within the U.S. Department of Education. Applications are due January 9, 2008.

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • Conference 2007 - Slideshow

    Posted on December 8th, 2007

    To help you re-live the fun and great presentations at the NCTI’s 2007 Conference, we have created this slideshow. If you missed the conference, here is your chance to catch a glimpse.

    Do you have a favorite photo? Let us all know by describing it in the comment box below!

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • New NACOL Report: Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning

    Posted on November 21st, 2007

    The North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) has released its fourth annual Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning: A Review of State-level Policy and Practice report. The report discusses national, State, and program-level information regarding K-12 online learning.

     Read More Posted in: Education, News

  • The Fourth Sector

    Posted on November 16th, 2007

    During the final session, NCTI conference speaker Al Miller presented a vision of cross-sector collaboration (profit, non-profit and government) to create solutions that are both more effective and less costly.
    Fourth Sector enterprises, as he calls them, take the best of each sector to maximize social good (what NCTI Keynote speaker, Jim Fruchterman calls […]

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • Innovation’s Greatest Challenges

    Posted on November 15th, 2007

    We asked NCTI ‘07 conference participants about the greatest challenges in each stage of the innovation process. Here are the specific questions and answers:

    Are the results surprising, or expected? Share your thoughts below.
    (click here to login, or register)

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • Second Life for Students With Special Needs

    Posted on November 15th, 2007

    NOAA, CDC, and US Department of Homeland Security have started using Second Life as a tool for their agencies or interacting with the public. As more federal agencies delve into Second Life and other emerging technologies, issues of accessibility become more important — with more participants. If the second life (or other) platforms are […]

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • Innovation’s Missing Link

    Posted on November 15th, 2007

    One emerging theme during the NCTI conference is the question not of innovation, but of our ability put it to work.
    Jim Fruchterman, in his keynote, described an initiative in Bangladesh to launch Wi-Max (fast wireless Internet) countrywide over the next couple of years. Bangeledesh will have better Internet Access than Silicon Valley. Jim says that […]

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • Using the Power of Social Media: A Collaborative Draft

    Posted on November 15th, 2007

    Add your voice to the NCTI Issue Brief, Using the Power of Social Media to Promote Assistive and Learning Technologies. The purpose of this Brief is to 1) provide a primer on social media and how it works; 2) highlight the benefits of the new social media to enhance the educational experience of all students, and 3) explore the barriers and ways developers and educators might overcome them. Additionally, we hope to spark further discussion with the field by opening the draft for comments and additions before finalizing the Brief. Read the full Issue Brief.

    Add your comments before December 15, 2007.

     Read More Posted in: News

  • Five (Easy) Steps to Innovation?

    Posted on November 14th, 2007

    Conference day approaches, and with it office talk about the nuts and bolts of innovation. Putting together some materials for the big day, the NCTI team worked through the process of creating new technologies and tools for students with special needs. With five main steps, five disciplines, five sets of skills to […]

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • Conference Prelude

    Posted on November 9th, 2007

    Conference Prelude (11/09/2007) - This morning’s eSchool news features a piece on its “Best of the Education Blog” awards which celebrate the uses of blogging technology in and around schools. But how might blogs also help researchers, entrepreneurs and policy-makers bring to fruition better tools and techniques to help students with special needs? […]

     Read More Posted in: NCTI Conference '07, News

  • Major Grant Transforms Bookshare.org Service

    Posted on October 4th, 2007

    With a major $32 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Bookshare.org, the online collection of digital books, will be able to vastly increase its collection as well as provide its services without subscription. Jim Fruchterman, head of Bookshare.org, says they hope to reach every school and every student with a print disability to make digital text a reality for all who need it. Hear Fruchterman give the keynote address at the NCTI Annual Innovators Conference.

     Read More Posted in: Accessibility, Assistive Technology, Education, News

  • Five University Teams Awarded During Student Design Competition

    Posted on September 25th, 2007

    An impressive group of 42 students in 15 teams representing 10 universities comprised this year’s RESNA’s Student Design Competition sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Among the top winners were the University of Texas, University of North Carolina, NJ Institute of Technology, University of Arkansas, and Northwestern University. Each winner was awarded an engraved caliper.

     Read More Posted in: Design, News

  • People with Disabilities Do Everything: da Vinci Awardee Promotes the Possible

    Posted on September 25th, 2007

    People with disabilities do everything! That’s the message Roger McCarville, 2007 daVinci Awardee, is talking about on his national show, Disabilities Today. The show is a weekly television program airing the issues faced by the disabled. Check your local PBS channel for air times. The 2007 Da Vinci Awards will be presented at a gala event Friday, September 28.

     Read More Posted in: Innovators, News

  • Early Intervention Works for Preschoolers with ADHD

    Posted on August 24th, 2007

    Project Achieve, a study funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health to researchers at LeHigh University, studied non-pharmeceutical interventions with young children. When appropriate, positive behavioral and environmental supports were implemented for children at-risk for the diagnosis, researchers documented long-term positive impacts on behavior and literacy. Click on the stories below to learn more […]

     Read More Posted in: Disability, Education, News, Research

  • da Vinci Awards

    Posted on August 17th, 2007

    [ September 28, 2007; ] The National Multiple Sclerosis Society have recognized individuals and organizations for their outstanding design innovations aimed at helping the disabled overcome barriers and further empower all people. The 2007 winners will be honored Friday, September 28th at the da Vinci Awards gala at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan. Past winners include a Who’s Who of accessible design.

     Read More Posted in: Events, Innovators, News

  • MacArthur Announces $2 Million Digital Media and Learning Competition

    Posted on August 14th, 2007

    The MacArthur Foundation announced today a public competition that will award $2 million in funding to emerging leaders, communicators, and innovators shaping the field of digital media and learning. The competition is part of MacArthur’s $50 million digital media and learning initiative that aims to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life.

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • Technology and 21st Century Skills: The Future of Education

    Posted on July 26th, 2007

    A new report on a survey by CISCO Systems and Zogby International provides details of more than 7,000 Americans polled on their views of the importance of 21st Century Skills in today’s schools. The report emphasizes a strong trend in the power of technology and networking to improve education, connect to communities, and help teachers.

     Read More Posted in: News, Research

  • $2 Million to Install Technology in Classrooms

    Posted on July 11th, 2007

    Through a partnership with Microsoft Corporation, Samsung’s Hope for Education (an educational and philanthropic program) will provide more than $2 million in technology and software to K-12 schools in the U.S. that enter an essay competition describing how technology can help improve students’ education.

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • $120,000 in Reading Software Programs and Training

    Posted on July 11th, 2007

    The Schools in Need Competition will run from July 1st  to December 15, 2007, and is open to schools that need to raise reading scores by at least 30 percent within a population of students in grades K-8, need supplemental reading materials to address specific reading deficiencies in students, and need to make use of […]

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • Apple Releases iPhone

    Posted on July 9th, 2007

    Apple released its highly-anticipated, first cell phone, the iPhone, to the market on June 29th, 2007. The iPhone is internet and multi-media enabled and allows users to use touch-screen technology to perform such activities as taking pictures, playing videos and music, checking email and visual voicemail, and browsing the web.
    What are the implications of this […]

     Read More Posted in: Design, News

  • U.S. Census Bureau Disability Statistics

    Posted on June 27th, 2007

    Check out these fascintating statistics on disabilities in the US. The brief notes additional numbers on the disability population, including those using or needing assistance, specific disabilities, on the job, perceived health status, income and poverty, living arrangements, and education.

     Read More Posted in: Disability, News

  • New ISTE Report: A National Consideration of Digital Equity

    Posted on June 27th, 2007

    ISTE released a major report at the Digital Equity Summit: Engaging and Empowering the 21st Century Learner. The summit was held in conjunction with the National Education Computing Conference in Atlanta, running June 24-27, 2007. The report examines solutions and strategies to address persistent gaps in access and creative use of educational computing.

     Read More Posted in: News, Research

  • Community Tech Centers Take On Accessibility

    Posted on June 25th, 2007

    The Community Technology Centers’ Network (CTCNet) is a national membership network of community technology centers and other non-profits committed to provide technology access and education to underserved communities. Recently, the Network offered grants to members to address accessibility in their Center. The grants consist of $20k for activities such as staff training and the purchase of AT and 30 hours of technical assistance.

     Read More Posted in: Accessibility, News

  • NCTI 2007 Conference Agenda Available

    Posted on June 14th, 2007

    Join us for the 8th Annual Technology Innovators Conference: Turning Bright Ideas into Real Solutions. This forum brings together thought leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs engaged in enhancing educational technology. See the exciting line-up of speakers and topics.

     Read More Posted in: News

  • Virtual Roundtable on the Use of Technology

    Posted on May 29th, 2007

    The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a virtual roundtable with educators and administrators on the role of technology in education. Add your comments at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/ roundtable-form.html.

     Read More Posted in: Education, News

  • National Research and Development Center on Instructional Technology

    Posted on May 18th, 2007

    The National Center for Education Research (NCER) has announced a competition for a National Research & Development Center on Instructional Technology. The submission deadline is November 1, 2007. To read more information about this funding opportunity, go to http://ies.ed.gov/funding/ and find the RFP at http://ies.ed.gov/funding/pdf/2008305_randd.pdf.

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • Codie Awards Announced

    Posted on May 16th, 2007

    The Software Information & Industry Association’s annual Codie Awards represent peer reviewed recognitions for the best content in education technology, software, and digital media. Visit the SIIA site to see this year’s winners in the Education category and to find out more about the competition. Congratulations to the winners!

     Read More Posted in: News

  • NCTI Technology in the Works 2007

    Posted on May 4th, 2007

    NCTI is pleased to award funding to the Access Technologies Group and to CyberLearning Technology, LLC. These awards represent innovative technologies applied in innovative ways with strong collaborative research designs to determine the impact of the technology for students with special needs. We look forward to sharing more about these research projects and the collaborations they represent as the projects get underway.

    Thank you to all proposal teams that took part in the competition.

     Read More Posted in: Funding, News

  • New IES Report: Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products

    Posted on April 5th, 2007

    According to a study by the U.S. Department of Education, educational software has no significant impact on student performance. Thirty-three districts, 132 schools, and 439 teachers participated in the study. Sixteen products were selected for the study based on public submissions and ratings by a study team and expert review panels.

     Read More Posted in: News, Research

  • Technology Counts 2007: A Digital Decade

    Posted on March 29th, 2007

    Education Week’s 10th annual report is now online! Check out materials like your state’s Technology Leadership Report Card, how schools are using their digital tools, a timeline of key educational technology trends over the past decade, and discover where educational technology has been and where it’s going.

     Read More Posted in: Implementation, News

  • Welcome to NCTI’s New Site

    Posted on March 19th, 2007

    Look to the new NCTI site for breaking news, trends, resources, and analysis on assistive and learning technologies. Register to add your comments and to receive our bimonthly QuickClicks E-newsletter. Share your favorite posts with other sites such as digg.com, del.icio.us, and technorati. Explore our areas of focus: Innovators, Events, Policy, Marketing, Tools, and Funding. Navigate through the site by the cross-cutting categories of tagged resources on the left column. Let us hear from you!

     Read More Posted in: News

  • Jim Schroeder, Ph.D., CHFP - President, Applied Human Factors (AHF) Inc.

    Posted on March 16th, 2007

    Jim Schroeder chuckles a bit at the incongruity that his one-time work for the Army Research Institute preparing weapons simulation systems led directly to his AT products. It all began with a long-distance light pen he developed and patented in that early work. AHF now produces products targeted for persons with computer access and augmentative communication needs. Anecdotal reports suggest that persons with learning disabilities are using the programs to meet their unique needs, too. Various switches, pointing, and stylus devices can be used for input.

     Read More Posted in: Innovators, News, Profiles

Articles and Papers

  • CNET News: VMWare Surge Puts Virtualization in the spotlight

    Virtual machines, the technology that VMWare helped pioneer, allow one computer to act as many, whether it’s a Mac running Windows and the Mac operating system at the same time or a massive server running multiple instances of Windows and Linux simultaneously. Once a niche technology, virtualization is expanding rapidly as businesses try to get more bang for their server buck. . . . CNET.com reports.

  • CNN: Microsoft presses FCC on vacant TV airwaves

    On August 20th, Microsoft Corp. will try to convince U.S. regulators that vacant television airwaves can be used for wireless services without interfering with broadcast signals, The Washington Post reported. The unused TV airwaves would be available for other services by early 2009, when broadcasters are due to switch from analog to digital signals. . . . CNN reports.

  • Da Vinci Award Winners

    The National Multiple Sclerosis Society have recognized individuals and organizations for their outstanding design innovations aimed at helping the disabled overcome barriers and further empower all people. The winners will be honored Friday, September 28th at the 2007 da Vinci Awards gala at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan.

  • eSchool News Special Report: Converged Wireless

    Two technology trends that have been taking place separately in K-12 and higher-education institutions across the country are now beginning to come together: (1) the proliferation of wireless networks, and (2) the convergence of voice, video, and data on a single network infrastructure. . . . eSchool News reports.

  • eSchool News: Court Ruling Dispels Cloud Over Linux

    A federal judge has ruled that The SCO Group doesn’t own the lines of Unix software code it claims were misappropriated by developers of the open-source Linux OS. The judge’s decision removes a legal cloud… freeing schools and other users of Linux from the threat of copyright infringement. . . . eSchool News reports.

  • Industry Collaboration to Promote Safe Use of Audio Products

    The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders asserts that more than 30 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Califone International, Inc. and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announced a collaborative effort to promote awareness of the safe use of audio products. Also read about Califone International’s new mp3 player designed specifically for use in the classroom. The player includes a feature that allows teachers to set the maximum device volume to the ASHA-recommended level.

  • Microsoft 2007 Imagine Cup

    The Microsoft 2007 Imagine Cup is an international competition with $25,000 as the grand prize with $170,000 given overall. Now in its fourth year, competition organizers are seeing student contestants take on the challenge of creating designs for users with disabilities. Final awards will be announced in August.

  • New York Times: Prototype - A Patent Is Worth Having, Right? Well, Maybe Not

    Patents are supposed to give inventors an incentive to create things that spur economic growth. For some companies, especially in the pharmaceutical business, patents do just that by allowing them to pull in billions in profits from brand-name, blockbuster drugs. But for most public companies, patents don’t pay off, say a couple of researchers who have crunched the numbers. . . . The New York Times reports.

  • Newsweek: Facebook Grows Up

    At 19, Mark Zuckerberg came up with a new way for college kids to connect—and started an online revolution. Now 23, he’s trying to build out his business without losing its cool. . . . Newsweek reports.

  • Slow Internet Speed in the U.S. and Implications for Innovation

    A study by the Communications Workers of America finds that the U.S. has slower internet speed than 16 other industrialized nations. Slower internet speed could negatively affect innovation in the country, says the union, and it recommends a national policy to address the problem.

  • Software Allows Children to Create Their Own Technology

    Marina Bers, an assistant professor at Tufts University and the author of the new book, “Blocks to Robots,” has created a software program that aids in learning by letting children create their own virtual communities.