For her college interview, Avery Cullinan put on her best outfit but didn't bother with shoes. She sat in her living room, smiled into her computer's webcam, and told an admissions officer more than 800 miles away that Wake Forest University was right for her.

A new web site peddles campus gossip, raising the ire of college administrators ... A groundbreaking cyber-bullying trial ends with a mixed verdict ... U.S. students benefit from a program designed to bring low-cost laptops to kids in developing nations: These are among the many noteworthy developments affecting educational technology in the past year. Key concepts: educational technology, top ten, cyber bullying, laptops for students

Marking a shift in its efforts to clamp down on illegal file sharing, the group representing the U.S. music industry says it will only bring lawsuits against college students who are the most egregious violators of music copyrights--but higher-education officials still will be expected to block students' internet access if they use campus networks illegally.

A North Carolina school system has won a prestigious national award for excellence, and its superintendent credits the district's use of technology for such initiatives as distance education, teacher professional development, and data-driven decision making as reasons for the award. Key concepts: Iredell-Statesville Schools, Baldrige Award, distance education, teacher professional development, data-driven decision making

The Feb. 17 transition from analog to digital television broadcasting looms and as many as 8 million households are still unprepared, but the government program that subsidizes crucial TV converter boxes is about to run out of money, reports the Associated Press.

"I have proof from an expert that the iPhone interface really is better," writes CNET blogger Stephen Shankland. "Who's the expert? My 3-year-old son."

As a Jan. 1 deadline loomed for thousands of college applicants, the computer system that handles online applications for some 350 colleges and universities was overwhelmed by the flood of last-minute activity, sending high school seniors into a panic, reports the New York Times. On

As concern about student debt rises, promotional relationships between schools and banks have sounded alarm bells, reports the New York Times. The relationships are reminiscent of those uncovered two years ago between student loan companies and universities.

The growing problem of cyber bullying has led to a push among states to pass laws aimed at clamping down on the student-spun harassment, intimidation, and threats coursing through the web, reports the Washington Post.