Seguin High School senior Zachary Mica has always liked working with his hands and staying active, which he believes will help him after high school. He received an additional leg up on his future Wednesday through assistance from a new group set up to support the school. The new Seguin High School Construction Trades Booster Club donated new sets of tools to students in the construction trades class including Mica. “When I graduate, I want to go into a trade school,” he said. “I want to go into construction. These tools will help me.” That’s the goal of the new booster club, said Carlos Moreno, president of the fledgling club and owner of Lonestar Home Solutions. view article

The cybersecurity system break-ins this month of casino giants MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment shatter a public perception that casino security requires an “Oceans 11”-level effort to defeat it  A persistent error message greeted Dulce Martinez on Monday as she tried to access her casino rewards account to book accommodations for an upcoming business trip.  That's odd, she thought, then toggled over to Facebook to search for clues about the issue on a group for MGM Resorts International loyalty members. There, she learned that the largest casino owner in Las Vegas had fallen victim to a cybersecurity breach.  Martinez, 45, immediately checked her bank statements for the credit card linked to her loyalty account. Now she was being greeted by four new transactions she did not recognize — charges that she said increased with each transaction, from $9.99 to $46. She canceled the credit card.  Unsettled by the thought of what other information the hackers may have stolen, Martinez, a publicist from Los Angeles, said she signed up for a credit report monitoring program, which will cost her $20 monthly. view article

As construction plans are being worked out on the King Ranch for the world's largest direct air capture facility, Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is also building new curriculum for its students to go along with it.  With the world's largest direct air capture facility heading to Kleberg County, nearly 3,000 jobs will be brought to the city along with it. TAMUK President Dr. Robert Vela said he hopes their students are the first in line for these new job opportunities.  As construction plans are being worked out on the King Ranch for the world's largest direct air capture facility, Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is also building new curriculum for its students to go along with it.  With the worlds largest direct air capture facility heading to Kleberg County, nearly 3,000 jobs will be brought to the city along with it. TAMUK President Dr. Robert Vela said he hopes their students are the first in line for these new job opportunities. view article

Allen High School's Hannah Bartlett recently joined three other members of her school's robotics team to celebrate receiving a $659,100 grant from BEST of Texas Robotics. Bartlett spoke at a recent press conference, talking about how BEST Robotics helped with her developing a career path. The BEST of Texas Robotics and UIL 2023 Robotics Championship will be held Nov. 30-Dec. 2, in Dallas at the Fair Park Coliseum. Tell our readers about yourself. Hi, my name is Hannah Bartlett and I’m a senior at Allen High School. I’ve lived in Allen with my family for 10-ish years and I’ve been a part of Allen ISD since 2nd grade. view article

As Grapevine-Colleyville ISD's chief technology officer, Kyle Berger must keep the district’s information network operating 24/7 while facing ever-increasing needs, such as increased storage capacity and cost efficiency. Those responsibilities must be carried out while dealing with constant threats, such as security breaches and malicious attacks. Berger’s career spans more than 22 years in K-12 technology leadership. He has earned several awards, including: Technology Director of the Year for Texas 2020 National Edtech Leadership winner 2022 Top 100 Influencers in Edtech by Edtech Digest view article

aylor University, in partnership with McLennan Community College, introduced a $3.5 million state-of-the-art cybersecurity research center Thursday aimed at filling a national security void. Named the Central Texas Cyber Range, the 3,000-square-foot center in the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative is designed to meet current and future cybersecurity needs and address a nationwide lack of cybersecurity experts. Just over half the space is dedicated to a network security laboratory, which Baylor officials said has many uses including hosting cybersecurity competitions, summer camps and advanced research unable to be completed elsewhere. view article

Back in 2020, when schools were still virtual and city dwellers were living their lives in masks, Jamie Dimon emerged as one of the earliest critics of remote work. "There's a huge value to working together in terms of collaboration and creativity and training the younger people," the CEO of JPMorgan Chase told MSNBC in August that year. Three years later, Dimon's message is unchanged. The difference now is that the sentiment has gone mainstream. Today, even Zoom's leadership is extolling the benefits of in-person work. view article

The federal government for the first time on Tuesday opened two areas in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast to build wind farms. Groups representing supply chain businesses hailed the chance for the new offshore leases to create more work. Clean power advocates cheered the opportunity for more renewable energy to be generated. But not a single firm bid on the leases. Companies reached by The Texas Tribune that expressed early interest didn’t explain exactly why they declined to pursue them. Shell and Equinor said they looked forward to considering future opportunities in the Gulf. Mainstream Renewable Power said it was scaling back its U.S. offshore work in favor of projects in Europe and Asia. A ripple of surprise among offshore wind advocates gave way to finger-pointing at Texas’ antagonistic political climate. view article

Waco, TX (FOX 44) — A social media app used to better help students in school is raising concern for parents and school districts. It’s called the Saturn app and some school districts in Central Texas have already rejected the app at the start of the school year. Saturn is an app where students are able to share their class schedules online and chat with their classmates. Created with good intent, school districts see the app creating problems for student security and privacy. “There’s very personal information that’s shared sometimes on some of those schedules and things that I imagine. I imagine that there are families that might not want their detailed students schedule out there and about for everybody else to see,” said Belton ISD Superintendent Dr. Matt Smith. view article

DONNA, Texas (ValleyCentral) —The Donna Independent School District is introducing new sensory equipment in all of their Life Skills classrooms in the district. Five schools in the district have sensory rooms. The sensory rooms have sensory equipment for Life Skills students to use. Other campuses implement the equipment and furniture in the classrooms for the student’s use. The sensory equipment is used to help the children develop skills to cope with real-world environments where staying calm is key. A.P. Solis Middle School is one of the schools with a sensory room. Principal Mary Lou Rodriguez of the school says the sensory rooms are used by their students to release energy and communicate their feelings more effectively with educators. view article

Conroe ISD announced on social media Aug. 23 the district will convene a School Cell Phone Committee to evaluate its cell phone guidelines.  Discussion surrounding the idea of limiting student cell phone use in district schools started with a presentation by the School Health Advisory Council to the board of trustees Aug. 1 on the harmful effects of using cell phones in class on students' mental health. view article

As I saw how badly our world is doing, watching Maui go up in flames (how to help those affected from The Weather Channel), I couldn't help but think back to the opening chapters of Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future. And then the sun cracked the eastern horizon. It blazed like an atomic bomb, which of course it was...The heat coming from it was palpable, a slap to the face. Solar radiation heating the skin of his face, making him blink...He looked at his phone: 38 degrees. In Fahrenheit that was--he tapped--103 degrees. Humidity about 35 percent. The combination was the thing. A few years ago it would have been among th ehottest wet-bulb temperatures ever recorded. Now just a Wednesday morning. view article

Beginning this school year, Katy ISD is implementing the Smart Tag Program for bus riders in order to improve safety for students. Smart Tags are used through student ID cars. The district uses something called a ‘PVC card’ with a ‘passive RFID’ chip with a unique identification number. The ID number is then read by the card reader and the student’s information can then be pulled up. view article

It's one of Dallas ISD's biggest success stories, P-TECH, a program that starts high schoolers down the path of computer science and engineering as soon as they enter high school. "Just to see the growth from year to year to one grade level, the impact is amazing," said Sasha-Ann Sookram, assistant principal of Seagoville High. While she's helping guide the students to be successful in STEM it's not an area she has a ton of experience in. "I was not too great at math," said Sookram. view article

COPPERAS COVE, Texas (Making The Grade) - As students head back in the classroom, Central Texas public schools are divided over how to respond to new artificial intelligence tools that have developed and grown in popularity over the summer. Our Making the Grade team asked every public school in our viewing area how they are handling the new artificial intelligence technology. view article

Round Rock ISD sports and performing arts fans will purchase event and performance tickets through the District’s online box offices.Fans purchasing tickets through the online box offices will receive tickets by email. Alternatively, ticket buyers can streamline their ticketing purchasing and storing experience by downloading the Hometown Fan app from either the Apple or Google Play store. There are no cash sales at middle and high school sporting events or fine arts performances. Fans who still need to purchase tickets can gain admission at the event by scanning a posted QR code to buy tickets. view article

Conroe ISD trustees recognize that students need to talk to parents and are considering adjusting their cell phone policy to allow that. But they also are aware of the negative effect social media has on children. Bryce Speer, chairman of the district’s Student Health Advisory Council spoke to trustees during an Aug. 1 board meeting about concerns from the council regarding social media and the mental health of students. view article

A shopping mall in Ohio is integrating cutting-edge AI technology into its safety team in the form of a 400-pound robot security guard. "He’s our secret agent man," Stacie Schmidt, vice president of marketing at Crocker Park, told local media. "He’s a new team member to our security team here at Crocker Park." Crocker Park is an open-air shopping mall in Westlake - a suburban town located about 15 miles outside of Cleveland - which sees nearly 10 million visitors a year and is home to 1,000 residents in luxury apartments. This month, leaders of Crocker Park introduced SAM, a 420-pound, 5-foot-1 autonomous robot that will patrol sidewalks and act as a "watchdog," according to a press release provided to Fox News Digital. view article

Computer hackers accessed the personal information of at least 26,212 Texans in a ransomware attack on the city of Dallas, according to an official disclosure made public Monday, three months after the breach. The city’s notice to the Texas Attorney General’s Office says the data breach included names, addresses, social security numbers, medical information and health insurance information. The information was published Monday. The city said the details were reported to the attorney general’s office on Thursday. The disclosure, which is required by law, marks the most detailed information yet about the scope of the cyberattack, which has hampered city services in various ways for months. Dallas officials first told the public about the attack on May 3. They have cited a criminal investigation as a reason to provide few details in the months since. It’s the largest data breach disclosed by a Texas city to the attorney general’s office this year, and the tally indicates that the impact reaches far beyond Dallas’ around 13,400 employees. view article

The White House on Tuesday held its first-ever cybersecurity “summit” on the ransomware attacks plaguing U.S. schools, in which criminal hackers have dumped online sensitive student data, including medical records, psychiatric evaluations and even sexual assault reports. “If we want to safeguard our children’s futures we must protect their personal data,” first lady Jill Biden, who is a teacher, told the gathering. “Every student deserves the opportunity to see a school counselor when they’re struggling and not worry that these conversations will be shared with the world.” At least 48 districts have been hit by ransomware attacks this year — already three more than in all of 2022, according to the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. All but 10 had data stolen, the firm reported. Typically, Russian-speaking foreign-based gangs steal the data — sometimes including the Social Security numbers and financial data of district staff — before activating network-encrypting malware then threaten to dump it online unless paid in cryptocurrency. view article

The school district shared more about a recent cyberattack. view article

The district said the information stolen was students and staff names, district email addresses, and usernames. view article

The Pegues-Hurts Motor Company in Longview has partnered with Hallsville ISD in support of the automotive training program at Hallsville High School to donate a vehicle to be used by students in the program. view article

Shoddy cybersecurity practices and a willingness to pay ransom demands have made school districts ripe for online exploitation, new data suggest. In fact, they’ve become the single leading target for hackers. Last year, a startling 80% of schools suffered ransomware attacks, according to a global survey of school IT professionals conducted by the British cybersecurity company Sophos and released last week. That’s a surge from 2021, when 56% claimed they were victims. The rate has doubled over two years, making ransomware “arguably the biggest cyber risk facing education providers today,” researchers found. The victimization rate against schools was higher than all other surveyed industries, including health care, technology, financial services and manufacturing. view article

SAN ANTONIO – Northeast ISD is taking the next step to help students interested in cybersecurity get some real work experience. The district opened 10 summer internship positions to students in the Institute of CyberSecurity & Innovation Magnet Program. Eleventh grader Corrine Kinlaw is exploring a future in cybersecurity. She said the summer internship job has given her a reality check about the work she’s been learning. “I’ve learned how to port map. I’ve kind of learned some firewall configurations,” Kinlaw said. She said the internship has also provided a deeper understanding of the everyday technology she uses. Kinlaw already has several basic IT certifications as part of her school program, but she said this gives her a better understanding of the job. view article

ONGVIEW, Texas (KETK) — The increasing need for internet access stretches across East Texas. The Texas Broadband Developmental Office made a stop in Longview today to hear from East Texans to help develop the area’s next Digital Opportunity Plan. I The internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity in every East Texan’s home. “The internet is really critical for folks to be able to get online for education, healthcare, work, all of those things,” said Molly Weiner, Director of Local Regional Planning Connected Nation. The plan is preparing for federal funding that is coming to the state. “We are collecting information for the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan which will be a road map for the state on ways to make sure everyone can access and afford and use the internet,” said Weiner. In a public meeting on Tuesday night in Longview, residents were able to express their concerns to help find a permanent solution. A council member from the City of Van came with open ears. view article

When Natalia Alvarado heard about the Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program from her mother, Minas Alvarado, she had no interest in attending. Creative by nature, she participated in fine arts and drama in middle school, but with her mother’s persistent encouragement, she reluctantly agreed to take part in the four-week camp. Houston Christian University (HCU) joined forces with Verizon as one of 45 HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and community colleges offering the innovative camp to create a more diverse pipeline of students for future careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. view article

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - A study by Junior Achievement USA predicts student use of artificial intelligence will continue in the upcoming school year. 44% of students surveyed say they are likely to use AI to complete schoolwork, while 48% of students know someone who has used AI to complete work for them. “I use it all the time,” said Devon Davidson, an upcoming senior at Frankston High School. The study, conducted by the research firm Big Village, found that most teens think using AI is cheating. 60% felt this way, with 62% saying that it’s another tool for assignments. view article

Shoddy cybersecurity practices and a willingness to pay ransom demands have made school districts ripe for online exploitation, new data suggest. In fact, they’ve become the single leading target for hackers. Last year, a startling 80% of schools suffered ransomware attacks, according to a global survey of school IT professionals conducted by the British cybersecurity company Sophos and released last week. That’s a surge from 2021, when 56% claimed they were victims. The rate has doubled over two years, making ransomware “arguably the biggest cyber risk facing education providers today,” researchers found. view article

While there is evidence that classroom phone usage can be a distraction, it can also promote engagement and learning. While research about the potential positive and negative consequences of classroom phones can be used to inform school phone policies, the views of those who are most directly impacted by the policies should also be taken into account. The views of parents matter because their views may influence the extent to which their children follow the policy. The views of children matter because they are the ones being expected to follow the policy and to benefit from it. The views of teachers matter because they are often the ones that have to enforce the policies. Research shows that enforcing cellphone policies is not always a straightforward issue. In my research, I have found that children – aged 10 and 11 years old – in collaboration with their parents, were able to come up with ideas for ideal policies and solutions to help enforce them. For example, one parent-child pair suggested mobile phone use in school could be banned but that a role of “telephone monitor” could be given to an older pupil. This “telephone monitor” would have a class mobile phone that children and parents could use to contact each other during the school day when necessary. view article

Grant applicants are required to have a line of credit from a major bank and put up 25% of the project cost ahead of time. That will likely disqualify many small internet service providers in rural areas.  When Texas was awarded $3.3 billion in federal money last month toward expanding broadband infrastructure across the state, government leaders and telecommunication companies celebrated the news.  With more than 7 million residents disconnected from the rest of the World Wide Web, Texas’ broadband needs were no secret.  view article

Mansfield ISD is installing special scanners at entrances to all its high schools. view article

The Texas secretary of state submitted its exit notice Thursday to a national coalition that is one of the best tools to combat voter fraud, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Votebeat. view article

Nearly three-quarters of the most popular apps and online platforms directed at children are likely profiting from user data—even if they claim otherwise, according to Common Sense Media, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that studies the impact of technology on youth. Common Sense spent the past year scrutinizing the user agreements for some 200 platforms, including many of the most popular ed tech tools used in K-12 schools and platforms owned by Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Many of those popular products say that they don’t sell user data. view article

DALLAS — The sun is creating punishing temperatures across Texas, but it’s also helping to fuel the state’s power grid -- and even cars. A group of North Texas high school students is two days into a cross-country solar car race and is already making history. The Greenville High School Iron Lions are piloting a solar car named Invictus that left the Texas Motor Speedway and is headed 1,400 miles to Palmdale, California. The car itself will log about 930 miles. view article