Afternoon announcements: Opening windows for learners and educators worldwide

Alliance president Bob Wise responded to a prize-winning TEDtalks speech on building a high school in the 'cloud' today on Huffington Post. Speaker Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" experiment showed that poor students are as capable of deeper learning competencies like creative thinking and problem-solving as their affluent peers. Huffington Post

In Utah, blended learning might be the new name of the educational game. The state Senate Education Committeehas approved SB79, which would provide $275,000 for grants for blended learning programs - ones that would combine year-round teaching with online learning. The Salt Lake Tribune 

Senators want to know how sequestration will practically impact federal education spending, and they're asking education secretary Arne Duncan for the answers. Senaors Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) sent a letter to Sec. Duncan questioning the expected impact of the cuts. Politics K-12 

In this great feature article, a reproter explores education in rural Alaskan villages, where students are expected to help out with the family and survival, and often don't have the luxury of thinking about college. The Atlantic