Ed. Experts Critique 'Digital Learning Day'

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, second from right, and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, right, prepare for a town hall meeting at the Newseum in Washington that was live-streamed online as part of Digital Learning Day.

—Mark Wilson/Getty

By Ian Quillen

At the very least, last week's inaugural Digital Learning Day presented participants a chance to learn about some of the most creative ways educators have merged technology into their teaching methods. The hope by organizers is that it will also serve as a catalyst for others to follow suit.

And while it's far too early to tell whether the day, observed Feb. 1, will have any long-term impact on the adoption of digital practices in education, the release of a new federal resource advising educators about digital-textbook adoption, and the participation of 39 states and the District of Columbia in marking the day, are two favorable signs, said former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise.

"To be frank with you, this thing has taken off much more than I assumed," said Mr. Wise, a Democrat and now the president of the Washington-based Alliance for Excellent Education, the nonprofit group that organized the day. In late 2010, Mr. Wise's group also teamed up with the Foundation for Excellence in Education, led by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a Republican, to launch the Digital Learning Now campaign aimed at pushing states to...