Federal

Federal ‘Mega-Event’ Showcases School Technology

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo — May 20, 2009 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Several hundred teachers, administrators, and educational technology specialists from around the country recently joined researchers and national experts in Washington to highlight effective ways to use tech-based resources, including television programs and computer games, to support literacy instruction.

The showcase by the U.S. Department of Education came on the same day this month that President Barack Obama proposed significant cuts to the federal education technology programs that helped launch some of the innovations that were being praised at the event.

The department’s office of innovation and improvement convened more than 300 educators and advocates for what it called a “mega-event” to disseminate research on technology-based programs that have had an impact on student achievement in controlled studies. Those programs include children’s television programs, multimedia lessons, and interactive simulations designed to enhance reading skills.

“The emphasis was on innovation and how to use the stimulus dollars effectively for reading improvement,” Susan B. Neuman, a reading researcher who participated in a literacy panel at the event, wrote in an e-mail. Ms. Neuman was an assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education during President George W. Bush’s first term. She was referring to the economic-stimulus funds, including up to $100 billion for education, $650 million of it targeted for educational technology initiatives.

Products Showcased

The “Technologies and Children: Megabytes for Learning” event included a “street fair” featuring hands-on demonstrations of products that were developed through federal grant programs such as Ready to Learn and Star Schools. Attendees at the May 7 gathering were given an overview of the programs, the research on them, and the online tools that accompany their print and broadcast features.

The department’s celebration of educational technology programs came just as the president was rolling out his fiscal 2010 budget, which would cut the key federal program for educational technology by some 65 percent.

Educational technology advocates said the proposed budget cuts will make it difficult for the department to fulfill its vision for schools to expand their use of technology, despite the funding boost from the stimulus law. Under the president’s fiscal 2010 budget, the Enhancing Education Through Technology program would be slashed from $269 million to just $100 million.

“With the historic level of funding provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, it appeared that the administration was prepared to invest significantly in educational technology, viewing it as an engine of change to modernize our education system,” a statement by four educational technology organizations in the Washington area said. The organizations are the Consortium for School Networking, the International Society for Technology in Education, the Software and Information Industry Association, and the State Educational Technology Directors Association.

“Instead, this cut stalls momentum, ignores demonstrated results, and undermines the progress being made in our nation’s classrooms through effective uses of technology to engage students, improve teacher quality, and individualize instruction for all kids.”

A version of this article appeared in the June 10, 2009 edition of Education Week as Federal ‘Mega-Even’ Showcases School Technology

Events

Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Tech Is Everywhere. But Is It Making Schools Better?
Join us for a lively discussion about the ways that technology is being used to improve schools and how it is falling short.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Ron DeSantis Is Running for President. What Will That Mean for K-12 Schools?
DeSantis has solidified himself as a force on school policy. His campaign will likely influence the role education plays in the election.
6 min read
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during convocation at Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Va., on April 14, 2023.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during convocation at Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Va., on April 14, 2023.
Paige Dingler/The News & Advance via AP
Federal Cardona Defends Biden's Education Budget and Proposals on Student Debt and Trans Athletes
House Republicans accused Education Secretary Miguel Cardona of indoctrinating students and causing drops in test scores.
4 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a ceremony honoring the Council of Chief State School Officers' 2023 Teachers of the Year in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 24, 2023, in Washington.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a ceremony honoring the 2023 Teachers of the Year at the White House on April 24, 2023. He appeared before a U.S. House committee May 16, 2023, to defend the Biden administration's proposed education budget and other policies.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Federal Book Bans and Divisive Concepts Laws Will Hold U.S. Students Back, Secretary Cardona Says
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona participated in a summit this week that drew international education leaders to the nation's capital.
6 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona answers questions during an interview in his office in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona answers questions during an interview in his office in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
Alyssa Schukar for Education Week
Federal Opinion The Lies America Tells Itself About Black Education
'A Nation at Risk' created a faux crisis to usher in the right's education agenda, argues Bettina L. Love.
4 min read
President Ronald Reagan is flanked by Education Secretary Terrel Bell, left, White House Policy director, during a meeting in the Cabinet Room in Washington, Feb. 23, 1984 where they discussed school discipline.
President Ronald Reagan and U.S. Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell, left, during a meeting in the Cabinet Room, Feb. 23, 1984, where they discussed school discipline.
AP