Photo credit: Jon Limby Barbara KurshanThe topic of women in technology has been much discussed over the last few years; more precisely, the problem of not enough women in technology has been much debated. Some cite the pipeline as the issue; others argue culture (particularly “brogrammer” culture) is the major barrier to more women entering and sticking with tech as a profession. Unfriendly maternity policies — both those put in place by “brogrammers” as well as those sanctioned by the US’s generally family-unfriendly culture — also make a huge contribution (many agree) to women leaving technology careers. Be that as it may, this debate is pretty stale at this point — probably the safest conclusion is that it’s a little bit of everything hampering the rise of female rank-and-file technologists as well as female CIOs.Read the rest of the story at Forbes.

by Nicole Gorman, Education World ContributorA recent report looking at research into Head Start programs—or federally funded early education programs for low-income families—has revealed that research is not conclusive enough to determine the effectiveness despite 50 years of operation and 30 million children served, said The Hechinger Report. Read the rest of the story at Education World.

Photo Credit: NASA-JHUAPL-SwRIby Jacob BellWith recent pictures from NASA’s New Horizons space probe thrusting Pluto to center stage, some educators may be wondering how to better incorporate the icy, 1,473-miles-in-diameter sphere into their classroom teaching.Read the rest of the story at Education Week.

By Mitsuro ObeTOKYO—Japan is retooling its public universities, sacrificing liberal-arts programs in collaboration with a business community eager for better-skilled graduates.Read the rest of the story at The Wall Street Journal.

Photo Credit: The Gold Guys Blogby Kyle VanhemertIF YOU WANT to teach your kid about ecology, sustainability, or the future of interactive education, take them to the New York Hall of Science and head for the giant virtual waterfall. Read the rest of the story at Wired.

ASCD Faculty member Eric Carbaugh talks about Flipped Learning and provides an updated definition of what it is and is not. Carbaugh started his work in higher education as a teaching assistant for Carol Tomlinson at the University of Virginia. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor of middle, secondary, and math education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Photo Credit: Artemas LiuHundreds of students in Taiwan have stormed the education ministry, protesting against proposed changes to the curriculum.At least 200 students scaled the building’s fences overnight and camped in the compound in the capital, Taipei.Read the rest of the story at BBC News.

Photo Credit: Godot13Private schools are booming in poor countries. Governments should either help them or get out of their way.Read the rest of the story at The Economist.

Photo Credit: Walter Limby Mark ThomaAn issue that’s likely to arise in the debates leading up to the next presidential election is preschool education. Among the questions involved: Should preschool programs be available to all children no matter their socioeconomic status? Should America invest in programs such as Head Start or Perry Preschool so that all children can attend? Does any evidence show these programs work?Read the rest of the story at CBS MoneyWatch.

Allison Rodman took time to discuss the personalization of PD for teachers with Dr. Berger.

Investments in educational training, media and services, also known as edtech, grew to $367.4 million across 24 deals in the second quarter of 2015, a record for venture dollars flowing to the sector in a single quarter, according to Dow Jones VentureSource data, Lora Kolodny reports for VentureWire. Tory Patterson, an investor and board member of edtech companies, including LearnZillion,Newsela and MasteryConnect, says that startups in this field have a chance to unseat incumbents in a massive, for-profit business because of the introduction of broadband Internet, mobile and social technology in schools.Read the rest of the story at The Wall Street Journal Venture Capital Dispatch.

Photo credit: David Hawgoodby Dr. Francis CollinsWhen children enter the first grade, their brains are primed for learning experiences, significantly more so, in fact, than adult brains. For instance, scientists have documented that musical training during grade school produces a signature set of benefits for the brain and for behavior—benefits that can last a lifetime, whether or not people continue to play music.Now, researchers at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, have some good news for teenagers who missed out on learning to play musical instruments as young kids. Even when musical training isn’t started until high school, it produces meaningful changes in how the brain processes sound. And those changes have positive benefits not only for a teen’s musical abilities, but also for skills related to reading and writing.Read the rest of the story on the National Institutes of Health Director’s Blog.

by Kate TaylorFormer Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has been out of office for a year and a half, but his influence over New York schools is practically as strong as ever.Read the rest of the story at The New York Times. 

Photo Credit: S B F Ryanby Tara E. BuckSouthern New Hampshire University president argues true disruption comes in the form of online, competency-based providers who deftly meet modern students’ — and industry’s — needs.Read the rest of the story on EdTech.

Photo Credit: Medill DCby Nick AndersonEducation Secretary Arne Duncan delivered this week a dual message on accountability in higher education. He said the Obama administration aims to crack down on schools that fail to deliver what they promise to students, but he lamented that politics and bureaucracy in the system of oversight often stymies efforts to get tough on dismal school performance.Read the rest of the story at The Washington Post.