This article presents this year's winners of Tech & Learning's student photography contest. Selected from an overwhelming six thousand entries, these images are proof that "the kids today" are not only extremely talented, but also powerfully enabled by digital tools that can help them express and communicate those talents. The theme of the…

There have been many tools that people can use to get connected with each other worldwide. Cell phones, blogs, wikis, podcasts, e-mail--the world hinges upon people's ability to connect, share, collaborate, and communicate. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is another tool schools can use to help their students get connected with the world. One…

This article is an extended description of a hypothetical school in which student, teacher, media, and administrative activities are all linked together through the use of Web 2.0 technologies, from classroom wikis to text messaging. Through this description, the author conveys an image of how the multimedia tools of Web 2.0 may eventually change…

Technology can support the study of math in a variety of ways. Through class Web sites, blogs or wikis, teachers can communicate the math standards, the goals needed to achieve the standards, homework assignments, projects, tests, and helpful Web sites for parents and students. The online site becomes an extension of the class. There are plenty of…

Web-based productivity tools help people collaborate, communicate, and save time--and the good news is most are free. This article presents five good strategies for using web-based productivity tools: (1) Clean out your inbox and focus your professional development with RSS; (2) Share your documents online with wikis or online productivity…

Schools play a unique role in communities when disaster strikes. They serve as shelter for evacuees and first responders; they are a trusted source of information; and once danger has passed, the district, as employer and community center, often serves as a foundation for recovery. Technology plays a key role in a school district's ability to…

Contributors discuss the top ten technologies that allow for thinking in new and innovative ways about the concept of "school": virtual learning; wireless networking; collaboration tools; digital video; Application Service Providers; handheld devices; optical networking; videoconferencing; XML; and simulations. (AEF)

It is not always easy to find the balance between protecting students from Internet dangers and distractions and reaping its benefits--but it is certainly on every district's tech priority list. Sharnell Jackson, chief e-learning officer for the 415,000-student Chicago Public Schools, and Miguel Guhlin, director of instructional technology…

A report recently released by the Center on Education Policy reveals that the four-year-old No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has indeed served to shine a light on the importance of professional development for K-12 educators. Beyond that basic fact, though, any real broad-based impact on the training of educators remains inconclusive. While the…

This article takes a look at tech guru Will Richardson's new book, "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms." Whether it's blogs or wikis or RSS, all roads now point to a Web where little is done in isolation. The biggest, most sweeping change in the people's relationship with the Internet may not be as much the ability…

Personal response systems, better known as "clickers," are all the rage on college and university campuses and are beginning to expand into the K-12 market. Clickers allow students and instructors to interact in a variety of interesting and innovative ways, both in classroom situations and professional development sessions. In this…