This article challenges educational computing researchers and teacher educators to consider a merger between universal design for learning and technological pedagogical content knowledge to create a practitioners' model to prepare teachers to graduate with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to teach the full spectrum of learners.…

Given the increasing influence of technology and the explosion in data collection demands, the acceptance and assimilation of new paradigms and technologies require today's educators, researchers, and evaluators to consider alternative tools, and apply them effectively. One of these alternatives, handheld computers, also known as personal digital…

In this article, the author introduces a series of practical strategies to support the development of an innovative and technology-rich curriculum. The author begins with the importance of understanding what possibilities for innovation exist given the relationship between curriculum, equity issues, and education reform. The author then discusses…

The use of instructional technology has evolved over the last two decades, initially, instructional technology had two uses: learning about computers and using computers to increase basic skills. Learning about computers morphed into computer literacy, which is typically defined as the history, terminology and background of computing, using…

The effectiveness of Tennessee EdTech Launch (TnETL), a statewide technology program designed to meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate, was investigated in this matched treatment-control quasi-experimental study. The goal of the program was to provide full-time, on-site technology coaches to prepare teachers to create lessons that engage…

In this Education Policy Brief, the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy at Indiana University examines the necessity for future funding of educational technology in the state of Indiana and the relationship between technology and student academic achievement, the hallmark concern of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). In…

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 districts can be helped to more successfully address standards and, in…

The purpose of this Technology Plan is to address the issues associated with maintaining a strong and effective education program within Indian Country. Given the variety of education approaches coupled with divergent tools and the new demands placed on the infrastructure necessary to positively impact the children of Indian Country, the Bureau of…

In this short article, the author discusses how Henderson Middle School in Jackson, Georgia used shared decision making to improve student achievement through the use of laptop computers. With effective use of technology and shared decision making, administrators at Henderson believe that they can continue to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress under…

The No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law with an aggressive goal of improving the academic performance of all students and eliminating the achievement gap between different races and classes. NCLB also required the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to make recommendations for a National Education Technology Plan, which was released in…

The purpose of this paper is to review professional literature to identify barriers for school success for students with disabilities in rural communities and to provide ways to breakthrough these barriers. The author suggests a new, powerful and practical way to make rural education a leader in the nation: Get ahead, Get technology! Table 1…

Educators base many of their most significant decisions on what they think will happen in the future. This article on education technology begins by outlining six notable advances in education information technology that have already occurred. Ten predictions are made concerning general advances in education information technology for the next…

Sometimes, state requirements really are helpful, resulting in projects that positively affect teachers and students. The requirement for school districts and area education agencies (AEAs) to submit annual progress reports (APRs) to the state, based on student data, resulted in a technology project with wide-reaching implications. Using the…

The 2004 National Education Technology Plan paints a hopeful picture of technology in American schools, highlighting examples of effective use and applauding the innovation that is occurring. The plan touts the benefits of the Internet and the opportunities it offers for improving education, such as enhanced access to interactive learning…