Digital Education

States Seen Lagging on Innovation, Technology

2009-11-10T15:19:50Z

A report released yesterday gave most states Cs and Ds when it comes to educational innovation and technology, according to this story by my colleague Michele McNeil.

States are not reinventing education in ways that are necessary to tackle challenges of raising achievement and preparing students for the rigors of the workplace, the report concludes.

"The key to improving results will be to help schools not only to avoid mistakes, but to position themselves better to adopt imaginative solutions," states the overview of the report, "Leaders and Laggards". "In brief, for reform to take hold our states and schools must practice purposeful innovation."

For the most part, however, they are not doing so, according to the report, commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Center for American Progress.

The findings are based on state data, as well as existing and original research, according to the piece. Some of the research was conducted by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, which is affiliated with Education Week.

The report gives letter grades to states based on "seven indicators of innovation: school management, finance, hiring and evaluation of teachers, removal of ineffective teachers, data, "pipeline to postsecondary" (or high school quality), and technology."

The report states:

Our school system...is archaic and broken, a relic of a time when high school graduates could expect to live prosperous lives, when steel and auto factories formed the backbone of the American economy, and when laptop computers and the Internet were the preserve of science fiction writers. And while the challenges are many--inflexible regulations, excessive bureaucracy, a dearth of fresh thinking--the bottom line is that most education institutions simply lack the tools, incentives, and opportunities to reinvent themselves in profoundly more effective ways.

When it comes to technology, the report laments that state data systems provide only limited information on what's working in the nation's classrooms. More professional development is needed as well, according to the report, to help teachers take full advantage of the tech tools that are available. Indeed, the report set out to gauge states' return-on-investment in technology by looking at how it is used to "reduce costs, improve outcomes, or rethink education delivery," but found little data to do so.

Educators often give little thought to how technology might modernize education delivery and thus improve teaching and learning. Schools, for example, frequently purchase computers without clear learning goals--and eventually let them languish at the back of classrooms. Education leaders also have not taken advantage of technology to improve the management of education and make schooling cheaper and more efficient.

Here's an interactive map showing the technology results by state. There are similar maps for the other indicators as well.

In the end, states' ratings in the technology category were based on data that was available, such as access to technology, use of computer-based assessments, online learning programs, and teachers' proficiency with technology.

Webinars Highlight Distance Learning Week

2009-11-09T18:34:03Z

If any of you are curious about or interested in beefing up your knowledge about distance learning, this week might be a good time to start. In honor of National Distance Learning Week, Nov. 9th-13th, the United States Distance Learning Association is offering free webinars on a variety of subjects. Tomorrow, for instance, there will be webinars on blended learning, game-based learning, and using videoconferencing in the classroom. There will also be webinars about mobile learning and public policy later in the week.

Click here for a full list of topics and instructions on how to register!

Also, for a fee, you can check out the Webinar we put on here at Education Week last Friday about driving student achievement with education technology.

Our guests covered how districts can more effectively analyze data to help improve academic achievement, including specific advice on how teachers should be using data-based decisionmaking to guide instruction; how one-to-one computing is giving students access to higher-quality curriculum, topical experts, and multimedia tools; and how online courses can be an affordable solution for rescuing students who are in danger of dropping out, giving them a second chance in real time that would otherwise not be available in their brick-and-mortar schools.

FCC Reviewing School Internet-Safety Rules

2009-11-06T17:06:02Z

If you're among those who wonder how the powers that be come up with policies that don't seem to reflect the needs and challenges of educators and students, here's another chance to put in your two cents on critical ed-tech guidelines. The Federal Communications Commission is accepting comments on its proposed revisions to the E-rate program, which are intended to align current regulations with the Internet-safety provisions of the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act.

The proposal calls for new certification requirements for elementary and secondary schools that have Internet access and receive E-rate discounts. Currently, schools and libraries participating in the E-rate program have to certify that they have Internet-safety policies in place and block pornography and other content that could be harmful to children. Local officials would be able to decide which materials need to be blocked.

The revised plan would also require that "a school's Internet-safety policy must include educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social-networking Web sites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response," according to the FCC's notice of proposed rule-making. Schools would also be required to enforce the provisions, and to allow materials to be unblocked for adult use for research and other lawful purposes.

The proposal also includes some clarification of the Children's Internet Protection Act, or CIPA, including definitions of terms like "Internet safety."

Comments can be filed electronically here or here over the next month.

21st-Century Learning Resource Released

2009-11-06T15:55:02Z

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has released yet another resource for educators to help evaluate and improve the integration of 21st-century skills into the classroom. On the heels of releasing its Implementation Guides, which are designed to offer guidance to state-level policymakers and leaders on best practices for building standards, assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development and learning environments, the organization recently released the Milestones for Improving Learning and Education Guide for use at the district and school level.

The guide includes a self-assessment to help districts or schools determine whether they are in the early, transitional, or 21st-century stage in a handful of categories, and tips to help implement policies that will support further inclusion of 21st-century skills with specific examples of what has worked for states and districts. The guide aims to be a practical, hands-on tool for educators. You can send away for a hard copy of the guide for $10, or download it for free here.

Input Sought for National Ed-Tech Plan

2009-11-05T02:22:34Z

The U.S. Department of Education is preparing to do an update of the National Educational Technology Plan and is looking for comments on what direction it should take. Karen Cator, who took over as director of the department's office of educational technology on Monday, said that the plan is one of the most important near-term projects for her office to tackle.

The department has set up a Web site where anyone can submit statements, research and resources, suggestions for tech tools, and descriptions of programs, curricula, and best practices. Visitors to the site can also review what others have submitted. An overview of the project and details on the four categories of the plan—teaching, assessment, learning, and productivity—are described.

A working group has been convened to help develop the plan. The members include well known researchers in the field, as well as several educators, and federal officials.

A draft plan is expected in early 2010, according to the Web site.

Examining Teachers' Social-Networking Habits

2009-11-04T17:34:36Z

A new survey conducted by edWeb.net found that 61 percent of educators have joined a social network, and those who have are more likely to participate in other online activities, such as uploading photos, downloading podcasts, and reading blogs. Out of those educators who have joined a social-networking site, 85 percent use Facebook. However, the survey also found that of those who use Facebook, 76 percent report using it "seldom/never."

Another interesting aspect of the survey found that the educators surveyed expressed an explicit desire to keep personal and professional lives separate on social-networking sites. And although many educators recognized a need to integrate technology, such as social-networking sites, into their teaching, most pointed to time as a constraint to reaching that goal.

Survey results were based on 1,284 responses by teachers, principals, and librarians. It looks like my co-blogger Kathleen Kennedy Manzo wrote about this report in September, when the preliminary results were released. Much of the information is the same, but the recently released report is a little more extensive.

Initiative Shows Learning Benefits of Fiber Optic Network

2009-11-02T17:01:56Z

This Associated Press article provides a great example of what is possible with high-speed broadband access in schools. The story outlines the transition of a rural Louisiana high school to a fiber optic network, which has allowed the students in the school to engage in new learning opportunities, such as access to streaming high-definition video, lessons taught by experts, as well as virtual field trips.

The high school is one of the first in the state to be hooked up to the network with the goal of eventually including all K-12 schools in the state, according to officials at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, which is helping spearhead the initiative. Students at the school are also taking part in a program called FiberKids, which encourages them to explore new ways of learning through fiber optic technologies.

This story is a really great example of the way that schools can tap into high-speed broadband technologies by partnering with organizations to build out already-existing networks. As I've heard many times before from ed-tech broadband advocates, when looking into how to secure a high-speed Internet connection for schools, it's a good idea to explore the broadband initiatives in your area, including higher ed. institutions, nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, as well as coalitions that are working on expanding broadband access.

Apple Official Named ED's Technology Director

2009-11-02T16:09:18Z

Karen Cator, Apple Inc.'s director of education leadership and advocacy, will head the Education Department's office of educational technology starting today. The long-awaited appointment comes several months after Timothy Magner, who held the post since 2006, left the department.

At Apple, Cator was responsible for the company's Distinguished Educator Program, professional development initiatives, and teaching and learning content on the Apple Learning Interchange. She was in charge of technology planning and implementation in the Juneau, Alaska, school district prior to joining Apple in 1997. Cator is also past chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and was on the board of the Software & Information Industry Association's education division.

Cator was part of a panel at the Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age forum at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., last week, discussing ways to prepare students to be 21st-century learners. During the discussion, she said that "technology offers an opportunity to totally personalize learning."

Students should be given access to personal tech devices and Web 2.0 tools, Cator said. They should also be challenged, she said, to "find their own experts, do their own research, take very complex problems and find out what do we know, what do we need to know to meet this challenge?"

Teachers, Cator said, are critical to helping students learn how to use technology to learn more deeply.

"The role of teachers [in the digital age] becomes much more about creating compelling assignments that leverage personalized learning and that leverage technology" to challenge students to do their best work.

Ed-Tech Association Names New Executive Director

2009-11-02T14:20:59Z

Longtime ed-tech policy expert Doug Levin will take over as executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association later this month, replacing Mary Ann Wolf. Wolf, a former elementary school teacher and consultant on federal grants, is stepping down to spend more time with her young children.

Levin, who helped write the nation's first ed-tech plan more than a decade ago, and its two updates since then, was previously the deputy executive director of the National Association of State Boards of Education. At NASBE, he is credited with promoting greater development and use of digital instructional materials and open educational resources on the Web.

"SETDA is well-positioned to expand its leadership in the greater educational community at this pivotal moment in education," Levin said in a statement. "I look forward to working with our members, my colleagues, and existing and new partners to ensure that our students, teachers, and schools have the capacity and tools they need to deliver on the American promise of a complete and competitive education from cradle to career."

SETDA represents state educational technology directors on national policy efforts, provides professional development, and negotiates partnerships with public and private organizations to promote ed-tech efforts to improve instruction.

The Glen Burnie, Md.-based organization has made significant progress in advocating more effective use of technology in schools, at a time when policymakers and educators are gaining greater appreciation and insight into how digital tools can aid reform, Wolf said recently.

"In terms of our work helping districts and states, we are seeing some new understanding and questions [among school leaders] in asking how technology can really make a difference in teaching and learning, and meeting the school improvement goals," she said in an interview. "When I look at the four assurances required in the [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] funding, I can't imagine accomplishing them, particularly the reporting and accountability measures that use data, without technology."

Parents: Schools Not Preparing Students for Digital Age

2009-10-30T15:35:16Z

A new report examines the responses of parents from the 2008 Speak Up survey, conducted by Project Tomorrow, and finds that less than one-third believe that schools are adequately preparing students for jobs in the 21st century. The report analyzes responses from more than 21,000 parents of K-12 students.

Parents are also disappointed by the amount of technology in schools and how well it is integrated into lesson plans, says the report. They want higher quality technology available to students and more professional development to help teachers competently integrate technology into the classroom.

One place where parents and students who participated in the survey differed in their opinions was the importance of media and information literacy. Parents ranked those skills as slightly more important than students did, but a significant number of parents--68 percent--believed that those skills should be taught in schools while 40 percent of 6th-12th grade students believed they would pick up those skills while exploring technology on their own.

It's pretty fascinating to hear what parents have to say about technology in education, especially in how it differs and parallels what students, teachers, and principals have to say. See for yourself by downloading the report here.

From Textbooks to Virtual Learning Villages

2009-10-29T15:47:19Z

According to this article in the Boston Globe, Houghton Mifflin, one of the largest textbook companies in the U.S., has signed a $40 million contract with Detroit public schools to provide not only textbooks, but also the software to create an interactive classroom network called Learning Village.

Learning Village can help teachers in the district create and assign homework and also provides tools to evaluate students' progress. Providing online and digital materials to go along with textbooks is becoming commonplace, experts say, in order for textbook publishers to stay competitive. The software, more so than the textbooks, was the big draw for the Detroit school district.

One issue the article does bring up about moving to such software platforms is professional development. The digital elements that accompany textbooks can't be used to their full potential unless teachers are given instruction in how they can best be incorporated into lessons, says the article. Consequently, having enough professional development to familiarize teachers with the tools available can go a long way in providing effective instruction.

The 'Inconvenient Truth' of Educational Inequity

2009-10-28T18:35:01Z

The director of the Academy Award-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth" wants his new upcoming documentary to fuel the same sense of urgency for improving education that his earlier one did for raising awareness of global warming. A preview was shown here at the Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age forum at Google headquarters.

In the preview of the documentary, director Davis Guggenheim takes a dramatic and emotional look at how low-income students and families in the District of Columbia are desperately trying to navigate the public school options that will give them the best chance of achieving academic success and breaking the cycle of poverty.

The film, titled "Waiting for Superman," is due out some time next year, and will likely paint a bleak picture of the U.S. education system, particularly its failure to serve the most at-risk students and communities.

Those kinds of communities are familiar to the main forum speaker last night, Geoff Canada, the president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone. Canada thinks the film will put the power of the media to work to make people care about the failures, and the potential, of education for addressing societal problems.

"I cried each of the three times I've seen this film. I spoke to the director and he is trying to get America to care," Canada said. His model at the Harlem Children's Zone, which has been offering social, educational, and support services in New York City's poorest neighborhoods since 1970, has been held up by President Barack Obama as the kind of effective program that could be scaled up to bring about change in the nation's urban centers.

Canada gave an impassioned speech about the need to turn the nation's attention toward improving public education, and invest in a radical shift in direction that provides quality educational opportunities for all students.

"There are places in America where if you really saw what was going on, as Americans, we would be totally embarassed," he said. "It's Katrina happening without the floods....It's so ugly we have decided not to look at it."

Canada suggested that technology can play a significant role in bringing about such change, and in putting knowledge resources in the hands of students and their parents. But Canada warned that at the current state of investment in ed tech, technology may also be the cause of increased gaps in opportunity and achievement between disadvantaged students and their well-off peers in middle- and upper-class communities.

"Some kids have this at their fingertips, all the information, all the data, all the answers they will need, they have to know where to look, he said. "The kids who have no access, they are totally left out of this whole thing."

While equal access would be a first step, he added, "that doesn't solve the problem if the kid is in a lousy school with a lousy teacher," he said. "Is he going to get caught up to kids in a good school with a good teacher? I don't think so."

For Canada, having access to technology "is as basic enough as if some kids have books."

At Google HQ, Forum Focuses On Learning Innovations

2009-10-28T16:08:28Z

The Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age forum kicked off yesterday here at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., with A-list speakers and some 200+ educators, policymakers, and corporate representatives on hand to brainstorm ways technology and innovation can drive real school reform.

The first panel, featuring Stanford Researcher Linda Darling Hammond and New York City Chancellor Joel Klein, among other education experts, discussed the need for systemic change in the nation's schools. Putting technology in classrooms ruled by outdated curriculum mandates and inflexible accountability requirements, or in the hands of teachers ill-equipped to tap their potential for improving instruction, will do little to improve student learning, the panelists said.

"There are teachers out there who are clearly ahead of the curve [in terms of using technology]. But part of the problem is that when teachers go out from [teacher education] programs like ours into the urban school, they don't have the technology in the classroom," Hammond said, adding that systemic change in curriculum and policy are needed in order for schools to effectively use technology in instruction. "Our kids are bubbling in multiple choice tests, when in other countries students are doing projects and collaborating. Their system is an innovative system."

To help fuel the needed change, Gary Knell, president and CEO of the Sesame Workshop, announced a new competition to begin early next year that will reward innovation in children's media.

"Today, 40 years later, Sesame Street still thrills children in this country and in 140 countries around the world," Knell said, noting that Sesame Street was created to tap the power of emerging media—television back then—to promote learning. "We have in this room an ability I think to push the envelope for something bigger, and to bridge the divide with formal school and so-called informal learning, which as you know... engages children, in case you haven't noticed."

In a video-taped message to the forum participants, Joan Ganz Cooney, a co-founder of Sesame Street and the Sesame Workshop (previously known as the Children's Television Workshop), said she hoped the forum would yield new, dynamic ideas for learning that take advantage of advances in technology.

"Today, it's not just television. It's the Internet, cellphones, gaming platforms, and virtual worlds," she said. "The question is the same (as it was 40 years ago), 'How can emerging media help children learn?'"

Cooney continued: "Let's once again push the boundaries of innovation that made this country a world leader."

The forum continues today, and can be seen by Webcast through the Cooney Center at the Sesame Workshop, which organized the forum. The center also has more information about the children's media prizes on its homepage.

Wireless Companies, Schools Connect on Cellphone Learning

2009-10-27T16:11:41Z

Following is a guest entry by Digital Directions Contributing Writer Tim Ebner:

Most students today face some pretty strict rules if a cellphone rings and disrupts class, but a few pilot programs across the country are causing quite a buzz themselves for the disruptions they are causing to traditional learning.

An article in the November issue of Fast Company magazine profiles how some wireless phone companies are teaming up with schools to demonstrate how smartphones and mobile technologies can be used to increase students' academic performance.

So far, there have been a select number of programs supported by large wireless phone companies, including the Project K-Nect program, which was funded by Qualcomm. This North Carolina-based program gave Microsoft smartphones to a select number of at-risk high school students, who used the devices as part of algebra and geometry courses.

Rather than using pencil and paper, these students used their phones to graph linear equations, text questions to teachers, and record and upload video content, all to explain how an answer was reached. According to Marie Bjerede, Qualcomm's vice president of wireless-education technologies, the smartphones expanded classroom collaboration. "Because the kids were able to communicate with the learning community whenever they needed to, they weren't isolated to their work, even at home."

While Project K-Nect was small in its size and scope, the program was mainly an experimental test, a number of school principals reported that the high schoolers who used the smartphones scored higher on math proficiency tests than their peers in traditional math classes.

Cellphones as teaching tools hold a large amount of potential to disrupt the learning process in a good way. Still, developers must find ways to keep students focused on a phone's educational content rather than on a friend's text message. This can be partially achieved through Internet filtering and monitoring. In the case of Project K-Nect, developers used a classroom management software, called MobiControl, which monitored the smartphones in class. But there's still reliance on the students to use the phones responsibly, not to mention that they won't lose them.

Qualcomm says it's looking into expanding the smartphone program for next year, possibly to younger grade levels. For wireless phone companies, the classroom is new territory that they say is worth experimenting with and exploring.

Google Hosts Digital Ed Forum

2009-10-23T18:28:30Z

I'm traveling next week to a forum on technology and innovation in education with an impressive lineup of speakers and a great setting--Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. The meeting, called Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age, is hosted by Google Inc., and organized by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, Common Sense Media, and the MacArthur Foundation.

It will cover issues related to the digital generation and today's tech-driven culture, the need for innovative teaching strategies, and ideas for raising student achievement.

The eclectic list of speakers includes: Anthony S. Bryk, the president of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; Geoff Canada, president and CEO of the Harlem Children's Zone; Susan Gendron, Maine's education commissioner; Martha J. Kanter, undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education; and Gary E. Knell, president and CEO of the Sesame Workshop, among others.

You'll be able to watch much of the forum by webcast, or check back for blog posts about the presentations and news from the forum website. You can also follow my coverage on the Digital Education blog and Twitter.