Interactive whiteboards are all the rage in classrooms across the world these days, and for good reason. Like most technology, they hold students' attention much better than a traditional lecture-and-blackboard lesson ever could. They also solve the problem of having only one classroom computer for 30 students by projecting the screen at the front…

Now more than ever, education leaders must focus strategically on educational technology professional development (ETPD) for teachers. Research evidence indicates that 30 hours of focused professional development is required to change teachers' professional practice. So despite positive opinions about the importance and efficacy of educational…

Working to transform his classroom, fifth grade teacher John Blain of Buffalo (New York) public schools infused technology into his literature lessons by adding an online literature discussion to his more traditional classroom discussion. Students were assigned to read Kate DiCamillo's books "Because of Winn-Dixie" and "The Tiger…

This paper, the first of a two-part article, addresses ways that project-based learning is being used in countries around the world. It introduces Microsoft's worldwide K-12 education initiative, Partners in Learning, and provides some background as to why Microsoft is interested in developing project-based learning curricula for teachers to help…

All teachers know them--the students who sit in the back of the room and never make a peep. If prodded, they may reluctantly offer a comment or opinion, but they are so obviously uncomfortable about participating that a teacher may wonder if it is even worth trying to engage them. Are they unprepared or just shy? Do they lack ideas or merely need…

Teachers who differentiate their instruction begin by developing a broad and thorough understanding of their students, all of whom enter classrooms with varying interests, readiness levels, talents, and knowledge. Gathering this data about students and using it to purposefully implement differentiated practices can be time consuming and…

This article details how the author, the director of educational technology for the schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, New York, adapted the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS.S) and created assessment tools for her teachers. It describes the system that was devised to hold teachers accountable for…

Most teachers face the challenge of bringing technology into classrooms with only one computer. This article describes how one computer can serve the needs of many students: connecting it to a TV or projection device to display agendas, Web sites, microscope slides and other scientific instruments, and spreadsheets; tabulate data; deliver…