Many educators are interested in using technology to enhance their teaching, but feel they are behind the curve or are overwhelmed by the number of choices and do not know where to begin. This article presents tips for getting personal technology professional development in shape.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last month announced that $44 billion for states and schools is now available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The Feds hope these monies will, "lay the foundation for a generation of education reform and help save hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs at risk of state and…

The complexity of an academic dean's job means that time is at a premium. Yet most campus leaders also realize that they need to lead their institutions into the technology-suffused 21st century. In this article, the author offers some technology-related activities that deans can integrate into their busy schedules quickly and fairly easily.

More than ever, teachers are using digital video to enhance their lessons. In fact, the number of schools using video streaming increased from 30 percent to 45 percent between 2004 and 2006, according to Market Data Retrieval. Why the popularity? For starters, video-streaming products are easy to use. They allow teachers to punctuate lessons with…

This article features Ohio teacher Carol Fleck's use of videoconferencing in teaching Contemporary BioScience and Genetics. Fleck, who says her initial vision for the class was "science without classroom walls," covers such topics as emerging diseases, bioterrorism, and forensic science. Collaboration between schools is a key part of the…

Despite the last few years' growth in awareness of open-source software in schools and the potential savings it represents, its widespread adoption is still hampered. Randy Orwin, technology director of the Bainbridge Island School District in Washington State and a strong open-source advocate, cautions that installing an open-source…

Digital technologies have opened up unimagined environments for students and teachers. The speedy evolution of technology over the past 30 years has often outpaced man's ability to use it to transform teaching and learning in real and meaningful ways. Much of that time people just tried to keep up, with new technologies often simply bolted onto…

For technology to really work in the classroom, professional development is key. One has to craft a technology professional development plan. This sort of plan requires special aspects--assessing the technology literacy, usage, and attitudes of the faculty; designing individual educational technology plans for each faculty member; developing and…

Tech-using educators know the many benefits of ePortfolios. They help get a handle on kids' interests, difficulties, and strengths. Techno-loving student thrive on the real-time interaction. Administrators like that ePortfolios record student progress digitally, making a convenient shared resource between students, parents, and other teachers.…

The goal of installing laptop programs is to increase student learning in the classroom. In this article, the author offers eleven tips to get the most learning out of one's investment: (1) make students responsible and accountable; (2) make the activities authentic; (3) embrace one's surroundings; (4) make sure the technology extends the…

These days, "data-driven decision making" is on every school district's buzzword bingo game board. Accountability pressures and lean budgets make translating data into information a major focus of school systems that are trying to improve district outcomes in all areas. As such, data warehousing has become an essential district tool. Historically…

While virtual schools, which currently serve only a tiny fraction of the nation's 48 million K-12 students, get all the buzz, a much bigger, largely untold story of online learning is unfolding in America's brick-and-mortar classrooms: a simple yet profound merger of virtual-school technology and the traditional classroom is taking place. This…

Over the past few decades, school teachers have been embracing a number of electronic technologies for use in the classroom. Computers are now prevalent; overhead projectors are being replaced with dynamic teaching tools such as data projection, electronic whiteboards, and video media. One key technology is just beginning to catch up to the…

As districts look at the millennials in their classrooms and plan for the most effective educational strategies to reach them, it is clear that technology can enable learning in ways that never before have been possible. It is also clear that this generation grew up with tools and techniques that are well integrated with their lifestyles. To these…

Funding from grants is often at the core of a successful technology plan, but writing proposals requires a bit of magic and a lot of time. Grants can be a good way for educators to collaborate on building strong programs, but some creative thinking is also required. In this article, the author provides tips on how to win a grant: (1) Find a…