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, May 01, 2004
Redefining the Role of Computers in Education, The Vendors' Curricula - Neil Mercurius, techLearning
With 30 years of computing technology in public education, finally education technology vendors are aligning their curriculum to state standards. Vendors who sell education curriculum are confident the curricula products they sell can help schools bolster student achievement. In the late 1990s, pressure from within the academic community to change the curricula and instructional delivery to meet specific outcomes provided an incentive for vendors to move closely to aligning their curriculum with teachers' needs and state standards. They invested money and time by hiring active and retired educators to make sure the curricula products aligned with curriculum standards, modeled best practices, and extended instructional modules. (0) comments
Texas school swaps textbooks for laptops - eSchool News
As the superintendent of a fast-growing school district in suburban Dallas, Mike Smith faces a textbook shortage every fall. But this year will be a little different at the Forney Independent School District. Every fifth- and sixth-grader at Johnson Elementary, 100 to 150 students, will receive a $1,350 IBM ThinkPad computer loaded with digital versions of state-approved textbooks and 2,000 works of literature. If the experiment works, the program will be expanded to other grades as well. (0) comments Friday, April 30, 2004
'Megaconference Jr.' brings students together via Internet2 - Cara Branigan, eSchool News
On May 6, students from nearly 100 schools worldwide will collaborate and share ideas in the first-ever Megaconference Jr., a web-based conference hosted via Interent2 technologies. The conference, which is organized by and for K-12 students, emulates a widely successful Internet2 event called Megaconference. (0) comments
Secure Your Wireless Network - Jane Bloomquist and Atif Musa, techLearning
Imagine a completely wireless school, an open network in which all students and staff can roam around using laptops or handheld computers to browse the Internet, access files and applications on the school server, and communicate with each other and the world via e-mail. It's a great picture — and at some schools the future is already here. But while wireless provides flexible, portable connectivity, with prices dropping rapidly as the technology becomes a commodity, it also brings attendant security challenges for which there are currently no easy answers. (0) comments Thursday, April 29, 2004
Moviemaking for the Language Acquisition Classroom - Gigi Carlson and Judith Crowther, techLearning
Television melodrama, like grand opera, is constructed to formula. Character interactions are highly charged and plot dominates, initiating excitement, suspense, and raising questions around timeless and universal themes. Despite-or because of-their extreme nature, the soaps remain one of the longest-standing television genres, with the loyal masses impatiently awaiting each new episode. Traditionally, language acquisition has focused primarily on two intelligences: verbal linguistic and logical mathematical. Verbal linguistics naturally is conducive to the acquisition process through reading, writing, poetry, literature, storytelling, humor, grammar, syntax, and metaphors. (0) comments
Meaningful Digital Video for Every Classroom - Hall Davidson, techLearning
Technology has made a difference. As a teacher, trainer, and media festival director for more than 20 years, I have long been aware of the educational potential for videos and videomaking for any school project. But in practice, videomaking in the classroom takes dedication, inspiration, and plenty of extra time, not to mention the additional management and equipment responsibilities it tacks on to your day-to-day duties. It is flat-out hard work. Despite those difficulties, teachers have always made great videos. Perhaps this is due to a combination of the tremendous appeal of video, the deep satisfaction of seeing stellar projects on the television set, and the knowledge that work can be archived in media collections. Plus, of course, the great educational benefits to students. (0) comments Wednesday, April 28, 2004
New and Networthy Presentation Apps - Jeffrey Branzburg, techLearning
Love it or hate it, presentation software has found a hallowed place on many an educator's desktop. Indeed, Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, and Sunburst HyperStudio slide shows have become common sights in classrooms and conference rooms everywhere. But while programs like PowerPoint were created for the local desktop, a relatively new category of presentation products is aimed at users who want to deliver their content exclusively over the Web. The simplest of these tools let users post prerecorded, narrated PowerPoint slides over the Internet, while the more complex allow for live interactive meetings that incorporate video, audio, and other media. Unlike online courseware platforms such as Blackboard and WebCT, however, they're not intended to be full-fledged learning management systems. (0) comments
ED launches teacher development program - Cara Branigan, eSchool News
Educators nationwide will have an opportunity to learn techniques from some of the nation's best teachers, thanks to a new professional development program launched April 21 by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The Teacher-to-Teacher initiative consists of four main activities focused on teachers: roundtable discussions to be held this spring and summer to discuss effective teaching strategies; summer professional development workshops; eMail updates of the latest policies and research from ED; and a research summit to be held in Washington, D.C., this July. (0) comments Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Ashcroft mum as FBI raids school district computer center - eSchool News
U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and his deputies won't say what caused the April 21 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid on the computer command center at the Deer Valley School District in Glendale, Ariz. The attorney general also refused to say whether other school districts have been targeted for additional FBI raids. The timing and certain comments by Ashcroft, however, have led to speculation that the raid is part of a much larger FBI crackdown on pirated music, CDs, and movies. (0) comments
Skills for a Song - Robin Garner, techLearning
With renewed focus on core subject areas and preparation for standardized tests, time-pressed schools may be tempted to give their music programs short shrift. Yet research indicates that music listening and performance enhance brain development and general academic achievement. The three programs reviewed here help schools keep music on the program by promoting music education and appreciation through humorous, interactive songs and games, with emphasis on the development of aural discrimination skills. In addition, they challenge students to improve critical thinking skills, recognition of patterns, and aural and visual memory. (0) comments Monday, April 26, 2004
Harnessing the power of technology for learning - Converge
Today's schools have an opportunity to make a fundamental shift in their use of technology and to leverage it as a powerful tool for student learning. That conclusion is one of the findings in the final report of the BellSouth edu.pwr(3) initiative, released last week in Washington, D.C. Edu.pwr(3) was a five-year, $10 million program designed to increase the capacity of educators and students to fully harness the power of technology for learning. (0) comments
Parents Also Responsible for Teaching Cyber Ethics, Says Survey
'Given how many children use computers and have Internet access at school, it is even more important that both parents and teachers take an active role in teaching computer ethics and safe computer use.' It's the parents' primary responsibility to teach kids respect for copyrighted works, according to a new survey on Internet downloading ethics commissioned by the Business Software Alliance (BSA). The survey reveals that only 14 percent of U.S. adults say teaching the nation's youth to respect copyrighted material such as software, music and movies is a shared responsibility between parents and teachers. A whopping four out of five (78 percent) say parents bear the most responsibility, while a mere 7 percent think teachers are most responsible. Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the study last month in an omnibus survey of 1,000 respondents. (0) comments Sunday, April 25, 2004
Community Technology Centers' Network
Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet) is committed to the goal of creating "a society in which all people are equitably empowered by technology skills and usage." CTCNet brings together agencies and programs that provide computer exploration and learning opportunities for "people of all ages who typically lack access to computers and related technologies." The organization was founded in 1990 (originally the Playing to Win Network), by Antonia Stone, a former public school teacher. Now with funding from numerous sources, CTCNet networks more than 1000 community technology centers where people in low-income communities gain access to computers and computer-related technology. The website provides information on current projects and sponsors, as well as how to become a member and the benefits of membership, such as a start-up kit, an annual conference, and other resources. Information for volunteer opportunities is also listed. From The NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments
U.S. Department of Education: Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers To Use Technology
The U.S. Department of Education's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers To Use Technology (PT3) grant program started in 1999. PT3 provides grants to "transform teacher education so that technology is integrated throughout teaching and learning" and so "new teachers enter the classroom prepared to effectively use the computers that await them." The website offers stories about innovative strategies used by grantees to "transform teacher education." Approaches highlighted include: Course Redesign, Digital Equity, E-Portfolios, Faculty Development, State-Wide Change, Technology Tools, and Video Learning Tools. The website provides information on grant application procedures and a database on PT3 projects which includes information on the Grant Type, Grant Year, State, Grant Focus, Subject Focus, Grade, Scope, Impact, Products, and Consortium Members. States that have PT3 project websites are listed alphabetically by state. Various resources on education and technology are also available from this website, such as Digital Equity Resources from the PT3 Digital Equity Task Force, and a bibliography and resource list on Technology and Change. From The NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments Educational Technology News Blog Archives OTEL - Ray's Home Page - Notebook - UIS Online - U of I Online - UIS Home Fair Use |
