“The most exciting aspect of ed tech I learned about during my reporting for this issue was the way that technology is being used to help bridge divides. It’s opening the door to science, engineering, math, and technology careers for girls, as I learned in my story about girls and computer games, and providing students with autism the tools they need to have valuable learning experiences. I was also able to dig down to find practical advice for school districts to consider when undergoing major IT projects, such as implementing a wireless network or upgrading their copier and printer fleets. Undoubtedly, there is a lot happening in the ed-tech world right now, so let us know if our coverage is hitting the mark or missing something important.”
Michelle R. Davis | mdavis@epe.org
“I’ve written quite a bit lately about online schools and courses and the Web-based curricula and virtual teachers that go hand in hand with those schools and courses. For this issue, I wrote about the sometimes complex administrative issues that come with online learning. I must concede that until writing this story, I hadn’t considered all the administrative twists and turns that go into managing an online course or school, such as scheduling courses and training teachers. There is a big push to offer more online-only courses to K-12 students, but districts should be aware that there are many administrative tasks associated with e-education, just as there are with traditional face-to-face learning.”
Kathleen Kennedy| kmanzo@epe.org
“So many decisions in tough economic times come down to cost. This has long been true in education, particularly when it comes to purchasing the latest technology tools. Now with the popularity of netbooks on the rise, schools are taking a serious look at the small, low-cost mini-laptops to support 1-to-1 computing efforts. In my reporting for the cover story, I found that this kind of decision cannot be reduced to simply a matter of dollars and cents. There are real differences in the range of computing tasks possible with full-functioning laptops and low-end netbooks. While both can be useful tools for enabling innovative instruction, administrators and ed-tech leaders need to balance the pros and cons—the costs and capabilities—of the devices to find the ones that will best suit the needs of students and teachers and their districts’ visions for learning.”
See Also
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