Educational Technology Ray Schroeder, editor, OTEL - University of Illinois at Springfield |
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News, Techniques and Theories of Effective Use of Technology in Education 
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Saturday, February 21, 2004
Education reformers halt evaluation - George Archibald, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The pro-Bush Education Leaders Council has canceled a contract for an independent evaluation of its $23.5 million federally funded computerized school instructional project, called Following the Leaders, just as the study was to get under way in 11 states. (0) comments
Computer course taught long distance - Mary Madewell, The Paris News
Toby Wilkerson turns his teacher off when class is finished. The Chisum High School junior sits before a television camera and monitor in a classroom at school while Northeast Texas Community College instructor Mary Lou Goodson does the same at Region 8 Education Service Center in Mount Pleasant. Wilkerson attends a computer science class first period each day to learn Java, a popular computer language program used to develop software. (0) comments Friday, February 20, 2004
GIS Brings "Real Life" to Learning - Education World
A Geographic Information System (GIS) combines maps and information databases to produce graphic displays that allow users to see and manipulate data in new ways. Learn how a GIS works and how to create your own GIS classroom activities. Included: Online resources for GIS lessons, activities, and projects. (0) comments
Drafting a Customized Tech Plan: An Up-to-the-Minute Design - Gwen Solomon, techLearning
It's all about measurable results. Today, states and districts are zeroing in on standards-based learning and high stakes test scores-even benchmarking results in advance of the school year. Technology planning is-or should be-a key part of any such learning design. With careful planning for integration we can help districts more successfully address standards and, in general, arm our students with core skills they need to compete in the new economy. (0) comments Thursday, February 19, 2004
Teachers leery of online education certification program - eSchool News staff and wire service reports
Educators are questioning how an online certification program approved by the Idaho Board of Education can adequately prepare teachers to handle the demands of a classroom. The State Board of Education, with only State Superintendent Marilyn Howard dissenting, approved the federal Passport to Teaching certification process in November, which bypasses requirements of state education colleges. (0) comments
Drafting a Customized Tech Plan: An Up-to-the-Minute Design - Gwen Solomon, techLearning
It's all about measurable results. Today, states and districts are zeroing in on standards-based learning and high stakes test scores-even benchmarking results in advance of the school year. Technology planning is-or should be-a key part of any such learning design. With careful planning for integration we can help districts more successfully address standards and, in general, arm our students with core skills they need to compete in the new economy. (0) comments Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Learning (and Teaching) in the Technological Age - Coleen L. Geraghty, SDSU
Nine years ago this month, SDSU professor Bernie Dodge posted to the World Wide Web his musings on the optimal use of Internet-related research in the classroom. Always eager for dialogue, he closed the three-page document with an invitation to respond. “Any thoughts to add to these will be warmly welcomed,” wrote the educational technology professor. Dodge had designed an easily adaptable model for acquiring, evaluating and transforming information derived from the World Wide Web. He called it WebQuest. Today, the WebQuest site at http://webquest.sdsu.edu/ is extraordinarily popular with educators, Web designers, educational publishers and others in the field. More than 5.3 million people have visited since Feb. 28, 1998. (0) comments
New program to help teachers improve hi-tech proficiency
Ball State University has created a new program to help teachers improve their technological proficiency. The Educational Technology program, which includes Indiana’s first computer education teaching license, is offered through the Department of Educational Studies in Teachers College. The program has been designed to complement existing teaching licenses, emphasizing teaching first and technology second, said Matthew Stuve, assistant professor of educational technology. (0) comments Tuesday, February 17, 2004
How to Perform a Security Audit - Melissa Dark and Amy Poftak, techLearning
Picture this scenario: a student logs in to your school's network using the password of a former teacher and "improves" his first-quarter grades and attendance along with those of his nine friends. This is just one real-life example of the many kinds of network security breaches occurring at schools across the country. How big is the problem? Purdue University's Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security decided to investigate the issue by performing penetration tests on the networks of five Indiana school districts-in other words, hacking into their systems with permission. The results were alarming. The testing team was able to hack into all five networks via the Internet. In four of the five schools, they accessed payroll and grade information without difficulty; and in three cases, they were able to easily obtain a complete list of students and staff. Perhaps most troubling of all, these attacks and security compromises went undetected by school IT staff. (0) comments
Wanted: Scientific proof for learning arts - Corey Murray, eSchool News
The scientifically based research (SBR) requirement of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is slowly changing the way schools approach new learning solutions. It's also changing the way companies market their products to educators. But while everyone agrees the provision's intentions are good, the law has created a host of new problems its authors never anticipated. (0) comments Monday, February 16, 2004
Mesa school libraries get high-tech update - Justin Juozapavicius, The Arizona Republic
Point. Click. Read. Mesa school officials hope it's going to be that simple after a high-tech library management system is up and running in the state's largest school district. The new Web-based program from Follett Destiny Software has the capability to help students and librarians locate any of the district's 1.3 million-plus books with the touch of a computer key. (0) comments
Poor computer setup hurts kids: Check out monitor, keyboard, desk - ANGELA PACIENZA, Toronto Star
In many families, a communal computer is set up at a desk that can be accessed by mom, dad and the kids. At school, the device sits on a table ready to be used by dozens of students daily. Both scenarios are likely to leave young legs dangling, necks craned and arms reaching. It's time we think about teaching proper ergonomics to youngsters, including finding furniture that fits little bodies, experts say. "Anything repetitive, or with awkward posture is going to start to create some problems. It's something we need to be looking at," says Anne-Kristina Arnold, an ergonomist who teaches at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. (0) comments Sunday, February 15, 2004
Using Study Groups to Disseminate Technology Best Practices - Adam Garry and Parry Graham, techLearning
"The success or failure of technology is more dependent on human and contextual factors than on hardware or software." (Valdez et al., 2000) In other words, when it comes to technology, the teacher is the most important piece of equipment. Not that this is any great revelation, but it is important to acknowledge that effective technology use begins and ends with the classroom teacher. While in some ways this is a comforting thought — good teaching is still good teaching and computers are no longer seen as the teacher-proof answer to education — it is also a sobering thought. No matter how much money a district puts into its technology budget, no matter how high-tech the new WAN, no matter how sleek the new hand held computers, the success of technology use still comes down to the classroom teacher. So, if we're not doing what we can to support the classroom teacher's knowledge of effective technology use, how can we ever expect students to benefit from the promise of enhanced learning that technology offers? (0) comments
ICOE stages first online education conference - HEATHER BREMNER, Imperial Vally Press
Some have registered to watch the pre-recorded lectures by keynote speakers. Others want to take part in what may be the wave of the future. Many are just happy to have immediate and free access to all components of a conference that would otherwise require travel and a time commitment. Whatever the reason, more than 740 people from around the world found one to justify registering and participating in the Imperial County Office of Education's first online conference. The online seminar is a creative way to cut costs and allow more people access to speeches, technology and educational tools. (0) comments Educational Technology News Blog Archives OTEL - Ray's Home Page - Notebook - UIS Online - U of I Online - UIS Home Fair Use |
