October 2009 Archives

A new report examines the responses of parents from the 2008 Speak Up survey, conducted by Project Tomorrow, and finds that less than one-third believe that schools are adequately preparing students for jobs in the 21st century. The report analyzes responses from more than 21,000 parents of K-12 students.

Parents are also disappointed by the amount of technology in schools and how well it is integrated into lesson plans, says the report. They want higher quality technology available to students and more professional development to help teachers competently integrate technology into the classroom.

One place where parents and students who participated in the survey differed in their opinions was the importance of media and information literacy. Parents ranked those skills as slightly more important than students did, but a significant number of parents--68 percent--believed that those skills should be taught in schools while 40 percent of 6th-12th grade students believed they would pick up those skills while exploring technology on their own.

It's pretty fascinating to hear what parents have to say about technology in education, especially in how it differs and parallels what students, teachers, and principals have to say. See for yourself by downloading the report here.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:35 AM | Permalink | 2 Comments | TrackBacks (0)

According to this article in the Boston Globe, Houghton Mifflin, one of the largest textbook companies in the U.S., has signed a $40 million contract with Detroit public schools to provide not only textbooks, but also the software to create an interactive classroom network called Learning Village.

Learning Village can help teachers in the district create and assign homework and also provides tools to evaluate students' progress. Providing online and digital materials to go along with textbooks is becoming commonplace, experts say, in order for textbook publishers to stay competitive. The software, more so than the textbooks, was the big draw for the Detroit school district.

One issue the article does bring up about moving to such software platforms is professional development. The digital elements that accompany textbooks can't be used to their full potential unless teachers are given instruction in how they can best be incorporated into lessons, says the article. Consequently, having enough professional development to familiarize teachers with the tools available can go a long way in providing effective instruction.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:47 AM | Permalink | No Comments | TrackBacks (0)

The director of the Academy Award-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth" wants his new upcoming documentary to fuel the same sense of urgency for improving education that his earlier one did for raising awareness of global warming. A preview was shown here at the Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age forum at Google headquarters.

In the preview of the documentary, director Davis Guggenheim takes a dramatic and emotional look at how low-income students and families in the District of Columbia are desperately trying to navigate the public school options that will give them the best chance of achieving academic success and breaking the cycle of poverty.

The film, titled "Waiting for Superman," is due out some time next year, and will likely paint a bleak picture of the U.S. education system, particularly its failure to serve the most at-risk students and communities.

Those kinds of communities are familiar to the main forum speaker last night, Geoff Canada, the president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone. Canada thinks the film will put the power of the media to work to make people care about the failures, and the potential, of education for addressing societal problems.

"I cried each of the three times I've seen this film. I spoke to the director and he is trying to get America to care," Canada said. His model at the Harlem Children's Zone, which has been offering social, educational, and support services in New York City's poorest neighborhoods since 1970, has been held up by President Barack Obama as the kind of effective program that could be scaled up to bring about change in the nation's urban centers.

Canada gave an impassioned speech about the need to turn the nation's attention toward improving public education, and invest in a radical shift in direction that provides quality educational opportunities for all students.

"There are places in America where if you really saw what was going on, as Americans, we would be totally embarassed," he said. "It's Katrina happening without the floods....It's so ugly we have decided not to look at it."

Canada suggested that technology can play a significant role in bringing about such change, and in putting knowledge resources in the hands of students and their parents. But Canada warned that at the current state of investment in ed tech, technology may also be the cause of increased gaps in opportunity and achievement between disadvantaged students and their well-off peers in middle- and upper-class communities.

"Some kids have this at their fingertips, all the information, all the data, all the answers they will need, they have to know where to look, he said. "The kids who have no access, they are totally left out of this whole thing."

While equal access would be a first step, he added, "that doesn't solve the problem if the kid is in a lousy school with a lousy teacher," he said. "Is he going to get caught up to kids in a good school with a good teacher? I don't think so."

For Canada, having access to technology "is as basic enough as if some kids have books."

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 2:35 PM | Permalink | 8 Comments | TrackBacks (0)

The Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age forum kicked off yesterday here at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., with A-list speakers and some 200+ educators, policymakers, and corporate representatives on hand to brainstorm ways technology and innovation can drive real school reform.

The first panel, featuring Stanford Researcher Linda Darling Hammond and New York City Chancellor Joel Klein, among other education experts, discussed the need for systemic change in the nation's schools. Putting technology in classrooms ruled by outdated curriculum mandates and inflexible accountability requirements, or in the hands of teachers ill-equipped to tap their potential for improving instruction, will do little to improve student learning, the panelists said.

"There are teachers out there who are clearly ahead of the curve [in terms of using technology]. But part of the problem is that when teachers go out from [teacher education] programs like ours into the urban school, they don't have the technology in the classroom," Hammond said, adding that systemic change in curriculum and policy are needed in order for schools to effectively use technology in instruction. "Our kids are bubbling in multiple choice tests, when in other countries students are doing projects and collaborating. Their system is an innovative system."

To help fuel the needed change, Gary Knell, president and CEO of the Sesame Workshop, announced a new competition to begin early next year that will reward innovation in children's media.

"Today, 40 years later, Sesame Street still thrills children in this country and in 140 countries around the world," Knell said, noting that Sesame Street was created to tap the power of emerging media—television back then—to promote learning. "We have in this room an ability I think to push the envelope for something bigger, and to bridge the divide with formal school and so-called informal learning, which as you know... engages children, in case you haven't noticed."

In a video-taped message to the forum participants, Joan Ganz Cooney, a co-founder of Sesame Street and the Sesame Workshop (previously known as the Children's Television Workshop), said she hoped the forum would yield new, dynamic ideas for learning that take advantage of advances in technology.

"Today, it's not just television. It's the Internet, cellphones, gaming platforms, and virtual worlds," she said. "The question is the same (as it was 40 years ago), 'How can emerging media help children learn?'"

Cooney continued: "Let's once again push the boundaries of innovation that made this country a world leader."

The forum continues today, and can be seen by Webcast through the Cooney Center at the Sesame Workshop, which organized the forum. The center also has more information about the children's media prizes on its homepage.

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 12:08 PM | Permalink | No Comments | TrackBacks (0)

Following is a guest entry by Digital Directions Contributing Writer Tim Ebner:

Most students today face some pretty strict rules if a cellphone rings and disrupts class, but a few pilot programs across the country are causing quite a buzz themselves for the disruptions they are causing to traditional learning.

An article in the November issue of Fast Company magazine profiles how some wireless phone companies are teaming up with schools to demonstrate how smartphones and mobile technologies can be used to increase students' academic performance.

So far, there have been a select number of programs supported by large wireless phone companies, including the Project K-Nect program, which was funded by Qualcomm. This North Carolina-based program gave Microsoft smartphones to a select number of at-risk high school students, who used the devices as part of algebra and geometry courses.

Rather than using pencil and paper, these students used their phones to graph linear equations, text questions to teachers, and record and upload video content, all to explain how an answer was reached. According to Marie Bjerede, Qualcomm's vice president of wireless-education technologies, the smartphones expanded classroom collaboration. "Because the kids were able to communicate with the learning community whenever they needed to, they weren't isolated to their work, even at home."

While Project K-Nect was small in its size and scope, the program was mainly an experimental test, a number of school principals reported that the high schoolers who used the smartphones scored higher on math proficiency tests than their peers in traditional math classes.

Cellphones as teaching tools hold a large amount of potential to disrupt the learning process in a good way. Still, developers must find ways to keep students focused on a phone's educational content rather than on a friend's text message. This can be partially achieved through Internet filtering and monitoring. In the case of Project K-Nect, developers used a classroom management software, called MobiControl, which monitored the smartphones in class. But there's still reliance on the students to use the phones responsibly, not to mention that they won't lose them.

Qualcomm says it's looking into expanding the smartphone program for next year, possibly to younger grade levels. For wireless phone companies, the classroom is new territory that they say is worth experimenting with and exploring.

Posted by Kevin Bushweller at 12:11 PM | Permalink | 2 Comments | TrackBacks (0)

I'm traveling next week to a forum on technology and innovation in education with an impressive lineup of speakers and a great setting--Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. The meeting, called Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age, is hosted by Google Inc., and organized by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, Common Sense Media, and the MacArthur Foundation.

It will cover issues related to the digital generation and today's tech-driven culture, the need for innovative teaching strategies, and ideas for raising student achievement.

The eclectic list of speakers includes: Anthony S. Bryk, the president of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; Geoff Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone; Susan Gendron, Maine's education commissioner; Martha J. Kanter, undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education; and Gary E. Knell, president and CEO of the Sesame Workshop, among others.

You'll be able to watch much of the forum by webcast, or check back for blog posts about the presentations and news from the forum website. You can also follow my coverage on the Digital Education blog and Twitter.

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 2:28 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

The folks at Stanford University's Hoover Institution recently interviewed Terry Moe, a professor of political science for Stanford and an advocate for online learning, about his new book Liberating Learning. In the interview, Moe talks about how online learning can reform education and some of the obstacles that stand in its way. Click below to watch the interview, or read a transcript here.

Posted by Katie Ash at 4:37 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

Most of this report, published by the National Center for Children in Poverty, has to do with adolescents' risk-taking behavior, but one finding in particular that might interest readers of this blog is that almost 50 percent of adolescents admit to text messaging while driving, which studies have found increases the risk of a crash by 23 times. That's at least as risky, if not more, than driving drunk.

This study, by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, released in July found that text messaging was far more distracting than dialing a number, talking on a cellphone, or reaching for an object while driving. In fact, the study suggested that texting be banned in moving vehicles for all drivers.

Another interesting finding in that study was that cellphone calls received through a headset are not significantly safer than cellphone calls without a headset. This is the case even though in many places where talking on cellphones while driving is banned, talking on cellphones through headsets while driving is allowed. The primary risk in using a cellphone while driving is dialing and answering calls, which the headset does not make any easier, says the study.

I think it's safe to say that any activity that takes your eyes off the road while driving for any period of time increases the risk of a crash, and if text messaging impairs driving as much as drinking, it would be wise for all of us to start educating teens, as well as adult drivers, about those risks.

And if those statistics don't scare you, this public service announcement sure will. I should warn you before you play it, though, that it's fairly graphic. View at your own risk.

Are your driver's ed programs tackling this problem?

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:17 PM | Permalink | 3 Comments | TrackBacks (0)

I've been using Twitter myself since the spring and have found it to be a valuable resource for finding information, research, and sources related to the technology and learning beat. It seems to me that many of the educators and ed-tech specialists I follow on Twitter use it with great skill for professional development and touching base with like-minded educators near and far.

Many have found Twitter so valuable, in fact, that they are starting to see relevant applications for their students, as I point out in this EdWeek piece.

While there is some anecdotal evidence from enthusiastic teachers and other advocates of social networking, however, there is scant research on whether it effectively promotes learning. The effect of Twitter-like communications—which generally call for short, rapid responses—on students' ability to consume, analyze, and comprehend material, is essentially unknown.

There are some interesting perspectives on a related topic on this blog discussion on The New York Times Web site today. The story asks the questions:

Is there a difference in the way the brain takes in or absorbs information when it is presented electronically versus on paper? Does the reading experience change, from retention to comprehension, depending on the medium?

Experts weighing in include an English professor, an author, a professor of child development, a computer scientist, and a professor of informatics.

What's your view?

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 3:44 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

There are two stories on the wire about school shooting threats posted on Facebook, causing educators to continue to examine policies about student behavior on social-networking sites.

The first story concerns a 17-year-old who posted on Facebook that he was going to bring a gun to his high school. Although the threat was made in May, the teen was arrested on Tuesday after school administrators found out about the post, says the article.

This particular threat was made five months ago, and although it is a serious threat, I wonder how seriously students take what they post on the Internet and if they are able to see what the consequences of their posts will be several months down the road. The teen was subsequently released after agreeing to appear in court next month.

In the second incident, parents at a school on Prince Edward Island in Canada are upset for not being informed of a school shooting threat made on Facebook. School administrators learned about the post and decided to keep the school open, but posted police officers at each door for extra safety, says the article. As news of the threat began circulating, some parents became angry that they had not been notified about the situation. The school district contends that there was no way to let students and families know on such short notice, says the article.

In addition to navigating the issue of how seriously threats made on Facebook should be taken, there's another issue at play here: the fact that the school has no way to communicate emergency situations to parents in a timely manner. Increasingly, in an age of text messaging, e-mail, and nearly ubiquitous use of cellphones, parents are coming to expect schools to have the means to communicate with them quickly in case of an emergency. (Read more about crisis alert systems here.)

What do you think? How seriously should threats made on social-networking sites be taken? Does your school have policies in place about this kind of situation?

Posted by Katie Ash at 12:05 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

This Associated Press story yesterday once again broached the topic of cellphones in the classroom. The article describes a school in Tampa Bay that encourages students to use cellphones for educational purposes.

For instance, in the article, an English teacher asked students to look up information about author D.H. Lawrence, and within seconds, students began sharing their finds with the rest of the class. Using cellphones saves time, says the article, because classes no longer have to wait to go to computer labs to do quick Internet searches. And those students who do not have cellphones either partner up with those who do or are given alternate devices to use.

However, this part of the article made me wonder whether cellphones can be just as much of a distraction as an educational tool:

Senior Eric LaGattuta, who attended Freedom High in Hillsborough before moving to Wiregrass Ranch, called his new school "ahead of the game."

"They're just following the rest of the world. It's going digital," he said, checking his phone for messages repeatedly during a short interview. "Once you're 16 or 17, there's things you need to know throughout the day. It was so inconvenient when I had to hide it all the time."

There's no question that cellphones are used by students during school for non-educational purposes, but perhaps the bigger question is whether the educational benefits of that technology outweigh the distraction factors.

What do you think? What's your school's policy on cellphones?

Posted by Katie Ash at 12:01 PM | Permalink | 5 Comments | TrackBacks (0)

I came across this piece in The Bismarck Tribune about how Century High School in North Dakota's capital is easing up on its Internet restrictions.

The Bismarck school district is apparently reviewing its Internet filtering policies to allow appropriate uses of Web 2.0 tools, starting in high school.

When I wrote about Internet filtering recently, I found that many educators are pushing for less-restrictive policies in favor of more comprehensive lessons to educate students about the potential dangers on the Web.

Have you heard of other districts going this route?

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 9:47 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

Over at the Leader Talk blog Pete Reilly breaks down the energy costs associated with school computing, and suggests that switching from desktops to laptops, netbooks, or other options could yield significant savings.

Reilly, the president of the New York State Association of Computers and Technology in Education, and founder of Ed Tech Journeys Inc., writes:

Even if we take the 'best case' desktop scenario: a 65w computer and 35w display, the energy savings for shifting to laptop, netbook, or thin client devices is 54% resulting in a savings of $227,230.

In One to One implementations, if students use battery power during the day and are required to charge their devices at home, the energy savings can be more than 95% and a cost savings of $378,717.

The potential cost savings of this approach are obviously worth investigating. I wonder, though, what are the downsides?

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 8:55 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

So often when we talk about technology, we are looking into the future and anticipating what might be possible. But today I wanted to bring up a story that takes a look at the past and asks what we might be losing because of technological trends and advancements. This Associated Press story discusses how penmanship is slowly becoming a lost art, getting squeezed out of the curriculum in favor of 21st-century skills.

While many educators don't see the harm in this shift, some fear that students may be losing an important skill, says the article. For instance, historic documents written in cursive could be harder to read for students who aren't familiar with script, says one educator in the article. And students won't always be around a keyboard and should know how to write legibly without one, say others.

I have to say that while I agree that students should know how to write legibly without a keyboard, I wonder how important it really is for students to know cursive specifically. Perhaps it is my own bias, since I learned cursive in third grade and, beyond the instances I was required to use it, have rarely tapped into that knowledge. It seems that if a student needs to turn in a formal writing assignment, whether it be for school or a job application, it is expected that it will be typed, rather than hand-written. And I know cursive is supposed to be faster in timed writing assignments, but for those who never practice cursive (like myself), printing is much faster.

What do you think? Does penmanship still have a place in our schools, and if so, what is it? Or is it silly to spend so much time on a skill that gets little emphasis outside of school? Can you think of any other skills that are being made obsolete by technology?

Photo by Bob Bird/AP

Posted by Katie Ash at 5:01 PM | Permalink | 3 Comments | TrackBacks (0)

The Innosight Institute, Disrupting Class authors Clayton Christensen's and Michael B. Horn's nonprofit think tank, recently released a case study about the Florida Virtual School. The document is a review of the ground-breaking online school from its conception to its role as a vendor to the unique funding model it established in 2002 and beyond. It also talks about the way FLVS established its curriculum and the philosophy behind its teaching staff.

There's lots of information drawn from interviews with Julie Young, the school's president and chief executive officer of FLVS, and the case study also examines how the path that FLVS has taken meshes with the concept of disruptive innovation.

The study itself is a largely positive look back at the evolution of FLVS, without much critical analysis of some of the struggles that the school has faced, but nonetheless, FLVS has become a leader in the online education world, and it's surely helpful to learn more about how it came to be what it is.

Posted by Katie Ash at 11:08 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

The Federal Communications Commission has been holding hearings around the country to gather information and recommendations from experts on creating a National Broadband Plan. The plan is due to Congress by Feb. 17, 2010, and will provide guidelines for building the infrastructure needed to expand Internet access to all Americans.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is scheduled to testify at a hearing Friday in San Francisco. His testimony is posted on the FCC site and includes quite a bit of discussion about the promise of mobile technology and the push for a 4G cellular wireless network. The site also has other documents related to the project.

Access is a top priority when it comes to technology, particularly for education as schools try to tap into modern tools for a range of solutions, whether it be boosting student achievement or keeping parents and communities informed. We've written about the broadband issue here and here.

A few days ago, the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy released its report on the topic of access, "Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age."

The commission has a range of conclusions and recommendations, including digital and media literacy in schools and libraries, ambitious standards for nationwide broadband availability, and "engaging young people" in creating digital information and capacity in their communities.

Here's John Merrow's take on the report, from his blog, Taking Note.

Many of us suffer from information overload, but some communities--geography again-have a very different problem: not enough information and insufficient skills to separate the wheat from the chaff....Who has access to technology is crucial--and access often comes down to geography

What do you think should be included in a national plan?

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 5:33 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)

There's a new report out from CDW-G that highlights what IT professionals are doing to create more energy efficient work environments. It includes a lot of useful information, much of which is applicable to the K-12 environment as well.

In a survey of about 750 IT professionals, for instance, 59 percent of respondents said they are training their employees to shut down their computers before going home for the day, up from 43 percent in 2008. Also, 46 percent of IT professionals surveyed said they had implemented or are in the process of implementing server virtualization, up from 35 percent in 2008. Virtualization is when one piece of technology is split or cloned to be used for a range of purposes. Read more about it, and how it can affect schools, in Michelle Davis' story here.

Over half of those professionals who are actively working to reduce energy consumption say that they've been able to reduce their energy costs by 1 percent or more. Energy efficiency, however, still isn't the top priority when purchasing new equipment. The survey found that cost, reliability, and compatibility with existing equipment outweigh energy efficiency in terms of importance when deciding which equipment to buy.

While the survey outlines some of the untapped opportunities schools and work places could explore for more energy savings, it's clear that more and more IT professionals are thinking about how to reduce energy use. Check out the full report, which is available free for download with registration, here.

Posted by Katie Ash at 3:32 PM | Permalink | No Comments | TrackBacks (0)

If you missed my Retweet Tuesday posts the past couple of weeks, my apologies. But I'm glad you were paying attention. There's been lots of activity among all the ed-techies on the microblogging site, even during the busy first weeks of the new school year. Kudos to everyone who's been keeping up with their networking duties, and providing good info and resources to all of your colleagues in Twitterland. Here are some notable posts. Enjoy!

@tonnet—Education &Tech How Teachers Are Isolated to Find Solutions to Adolescent Literacy Problems

@web20classroom—The Fear of Change - it's Nothing New

@teachermagazine—Another Teacher PD Sourcebook story... The World's Largest English Department

@coolcatteacher—K12 Online Conference 2009 | Announcing K12 Online 2009 Presenters. Congrats y'all!

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 11:10 AM | Permalink | No Comments | TrackBacks (0)

The State Educational Technology Directors Association teamed up recently with state Title I administrators to create two quick guides for schools to make better use of technology and stretch their money more effectively.

SETDA and the National Association for State Title I Directors worked on the guides, which quickly outline ways that technology can help schools meet their student-achievement goals.

The first, Leveraging Title I & Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education, outlines some effective ways schools can use technology to improve learning, and provides specific examples from schools and districts that have displayed best practices.

A Resource Guide Identifying Technology Tools for Schools is a great primer for educators who want to become fluent in ed-tech-speak. The 18-page guide gives an alphabetical listing of common technology terms and definitions or explanations that put acronyms and confusing terms into plain English.

"In terms of helping districts and states, we see some new understanding and questions asked about how technology can really make a difference in teaching and learning and in meeting the school improvement goals," said SETDA Executive Director Mary Ann Wolf. "When I look at the four assurances required in the [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] funding, I can't imagine accomplishing them, particularly the reporting and accountability measures that use data, without technology."

Wolf was referring to the principles outlined in the EETT guidance for the $650 million in ed-tech funding in the economic-stimulus package.

According to Katie Ash's story in EdWeek this summer:

The four guiding principles for distributing the funds, says the document, are to "spend funds quickly to save and create jobs; improve student achievement through school improvement and reform; ensure transparency, reporting, and accountability; and invest one-time funds from the economic-stimulus program thoughtfully to minimize the 'funding cliff.' "

Posted by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo at 3:33 PM | Permalink | No Comments | TrackBacks (0)

In just a few short weeks flu season will be in full swing. In light of last year's swine flu scares many schools around the country are beefing up their pandemic procedures, and evaluating what role technology can play in ensuring continuity of learning in the event of long-term school closures. In anticipation of the season, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, or iNACOL, recently launched a Web site to help schools get prepared.

The Web site includes a list of resources available for schools, a readiness assessment to help educators evaluate their level of preparedness, some examples of what other countries have done to ensure continuity of learning in the face of natural disasters and pandemics, and a list of online events centered around technology's role in extended school closures.

Speaking of which, we here at Education Week are holding a Webinar this Thursday, October 8th, on what schools should do when the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, hits. Sign up here to participate! Guests include Susan Patrick, the president and chief executive officer of iNACOL; Debra S. Munk, the principal of Rockville High School in Maryland; and Alice E. Owen, the executive director of technology for the Irving Independent School District in Texas.

Check out the story that Michelle Davis and I wrote recently for more resources and tips on how to make sure your school is prepared this flu season.

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:40 PM | Permalink | No Comments | TrackBacks (0)

Here's an interesting article about a decision made by officials at Iowa State University to remove landline phones from student residencies. Most students use cellphones instead of landlines anyway, says the article, and removing the landline phones will save the school $140,000 per year.

Of course, the decision was not made quickly or easily. School officials worked closely with student leaders to make the student body comfortable with the decision. One of the biggest concerns, says the article, was the ability to dial 911 in case of an emergency, which the school remedied by providing one landline phone per floor.

Although this article focuses on a higher education institution, K-12 schools may be facing similar decisions in the near future. I just finished up a story about school districts deciding whether to switch to a wireless network, and many of the folks I spoke with seemed to have the same mentality as those at Iowa State. As usage of wired networks declines, it makes sense from a financial standpoint to decrease the service and invest that money into a wireless network instead, said a number of tech directors I talked to.

What do you think? Is your school considering getting rid of an older technology in favor of a new one? What are the drawbacks to pulling such services as landline phones or wired networks? What are the advantages?

Posted by Katie Ash at 2:28 PM | Permalink | No Comments | TrackBacks (0)

There's an article in the Telegraph today about the way that the $100 laptop program, better known as the One Laptop Per Child initiative, is transforming learning in Rwanda.

According to the article, Rwanda is now the largest African client for the OLPC initiative. About 120,000 machines have been purchased, and the English-language newspaper in the country devotes a weekly guide for how the XO machines can be used.

It seems that the focus here is not necessarily making students tech-savvy, although teaching computer literacy is an aim of the program, but also increasing the level of student engagement in education. There are still a couple of challenges to be worked out before the laptops can be used to their greatest potential, says the article. For instance, parts of Rwanda experience power outages that hinder usage of the laptops, and students and teachers are still working to close the language gap, as Rwanda's official language only recently shifted from French to English.

Earlier this month Kathleen wrote about Rwanda's efforts "to digitize and disseminate" the national curriculum as part of the country's push toward the "Education for All" goals set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

Combined with this latest piece this is an interesting story about the way that technology is transforming learning in a much different way than we're used to hearing about here in the United States. Check it out here.

Posted by Katie Ash at 1:09 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | TrackBacks (0)