135275
submission
Cheeziologist writes:
In an interview on Fox News today, Jack Thompson, notorious critic of the supposed effects of video games on children and young adults, claimed that "he [the gunman] immersed himself in counter-strike [and] half-life" and that it was the influence of these video games that caused the gunman to open fire on the Virginia Tech campus, killing approximately 30 people.
135097
submission
StarvingSE writes:
Virginia Tech police state that at least 20 are dead in a campus shooting school officials are describing as a "monumental tragedy." From the article:
"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said university President Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."
The attacks mark the worst school shooting incident since 1999 when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado
This story is a little off-topic on a technology-related site, but I'm sure quite a few readers attend or are alumni of Virginia Tech.
125025
submission
CETS writes:
The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance produced this major study of the effectiveness of education technology. Mandated by Congress, the report uses scientifically based research methods and control groups to focus on the impact of technology on student academic achievement. The main findings of the study are:
- Test scores were not significantly higher in classrooms using the reading and mathematics software products than those in control classrooms.
- There was substantial variation between schools regarding the effects on student achievement. Although the study collected data on many school and classroom characteristics, only two characteristics were related to the variation in reading achievement. For first grade, effects were larger in schools that had smaller student-teacher ratios (a measure of class size). For fourth grade, effects were larger when treatment teachers reported higher levels of use of the study product.
