J ohn McIntire, Chairman at Yogome, discusses educational gaming, new methods to personalize the experience for students and his history in the business of education. Yogome is played by students in over 150 countries.McIntire, along with nearly 900 participants, including some 250 global education companies was in New York for the BMO Capital Markets 15th Annual Back to School Education Conference. Dr. Berger, in collaboration with MindRocket Media Group and edCircuit captured views from business leaders to investors taking a look behind the scenes of investment in education and technology.

M ark Claypool, President and CEO of ChanceLight Behavioral Health and Education, took time to discuss his efforts to improve public-private partnerships (PPP) in the education sector. Claypool recently co-authored We’re In This Together: Public-Private Partnerships in Special and At-Risk-Education. A social worker and education administrator, Claypool grew frustrated by decreasing resources for children with learning differences, so in 1999 he founded ChanceLight™ Behavioral Health & Education, formerly known as Educational Services of America (ESA). Under his leadership, the company has grown from a start-up to nearly $130 million in annual revenue, and today, ChanceLight is the nation’s leading provider of behavior therapy and alternative and special education programs for children and young adults. Claypool, along with nearly 900 participants, including some 250 global education companies was in New York for the BMO Capital Markets 15th Annual Back to School Education Conference. Dr. Berger, in collaboration with MindRocket Media Group and edCircuit captured views from business leaders to …

K aren Mahon, Ed.D joined Dr. Berger to discuss educational apps and lessons for the industry. Mahon is the founder of Balefire Labs that has reviewed nearly 5,000 apps in education. Balefire Labs utilizes a research-based set of criteria to review apps in the areas of instructional and usability design. Karen L. Mahon Ed.D is an Educational Psychologist and Instructional Designer with more than 15 years’ experience in education technology. Mahon was Principal Investigator and Research Scientist at Praxis, Inc., a Waltham (MA) ed tech startup that produced instructional software for children with severe and profound disabilities. While at Praxis, Mahon successfully generated National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research grants totaling close to $4M.Other previous appointments have included Global Senior Manager of Learning Sciences at Mimio Interactive Teaching Technologies and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas. Karen received her Ed.D. and M.A. in Educational Psychology from West Virginia University, …

Photo credit: BuzzfarmersBy Chris BerdikFacing some of America’s biggest education challenges, Benjamin Castleman thinks small. In his new book, The 160-Character Solution: How Text Messaging and Other Behavioral Strategies can Improve Education, the University of Virginia education professor argues that the humble text message can boost student achievement, improve study habits and help students stay on track in the transition from high school to college.Read the rest of the story at The Hechinger Report.

by Ashley Fantz and AnneClaire Stapleton(CNN) When Ahmed Mohamed went to his high school in Irving, Texas, Monday, he was so excited. A teenager with dreams of becoming an engineer, he wanted to show his teacher the digital clock he’d made from a pencil case.Read the rest of the story at CNN.com

Earlier this year, thousands of students from nearly every U.S. state and territory submitted inspiring entries for the inaugural America’s Field Trip contest.

Photo credit: Bill de Blasioby Kate Taylor and Claire Cain MillerTo ensure that every child can learn the skills required to work in New York City’s fast-growing technology sector, Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce on Wednesday that within 10 years all of the city’s public schools will be required to offer computer science to all students.Read the rest of the story at The New York Times.

By Sean Coughlan, Education CorrespondentInvesting heavily in school computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils’ performance, says a global study from the OECD.Read the rest of the story at BBC News. 

Photo credit: The Crunchiesby Harriet TaylorThis week, children across the country went back to school, and many are going into pilot programs started, sponsored or aided by Silicon Valley.The goal is to better equip the next generation with the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills needed for the high tech jobs of the future.Read the rest of the story at NBC News.

Photo credit: Christopher Webbby The Takeaway’s T.J. RaphaelA dozen parents and community activists in Chicago are on hunger strike over by a proposal from Chicago’s public schools to turn their community high school into an arts magnet. Read and listen to the story at WBEZ.org.

by Debbie Cafazzo and Melissa SantosA week after the state Supreme Court declared Washington’s charter schools unconstitutional, the outlook for salvaging the voter-approved system of privately run, publicly funded schools is unclear.Read the rest of the story at The News Tribune.

Photo credit: futurescienceleaders.orgby Karen KaplanAmericans get a D in science.So says the Pew Research Center, which issued a report Thursday on the state of the nation’s knowledge regarding some basic scientific facts.Read the rest of the story in the L.A. Times.

Photo credit: WoodleywonderworksSchool children have to carry a heavy load of notebooks, supplies and textbooks, resulting in a bulky backpack that can affect their posture and cause chronic pain. The American Chiropractic Association recommends that a child’s backpack should weigh less than 10 percent of the child’s body weight, so here are some things you can do to lighten the load.Read the rest of the story on The Literacy Site Blog.

by Andy Sullivan, ReutersWASHINGTON (Reuters) – On the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidates vow to roll back new U.S. education standards known as the Common Core.In the classroom, the multi-state guidelines increasingly look like they’re here to stay.Read the rest of the story at Yahoo! News.

Photo credit: Yakinodiby Susannah SniderThe new rankings offer data on nearly 1,800 schools, with information on borrowing and graduation rates.Read the rest of the story at U.S. News.