This response by Thomas A. Regelski was solicited to complement the lead article in this issue, "Toward Convergence: Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture" by Evan S. Tobias. The author notes that many interesting and vital questions and alternatives that are often studiously ignored, overlooked, or taken for…

This paper describes the need for developing, implementing and sustaining professional development (PD) designed to provide a network of coaching support for teachers, an element of independent online study and a collaborative network of peers. Leaders recognize the importance of school structure but need to further address the impact of…

There are people whose names are identified with their fields. When an outsider wants to learn about the field of educational technology and enters some keywords, David H. Jonassen is perhaps one the few people whose names will appear instantly. Of course, this is not without reasons. David H. Jonassen has produced enormous amount of work…

EdCamp is a grassroots movement of do-it-yourself professional development "un-conferences" that originated in Philadelphia in November 2010. In just a little over a year and a half the phenomenon has gained serious momentum across the country and now around the globe. This teacher-driven, bottom-up approach to professional development…

This paper focuses on the lack of technological skills that educators do not have to intertwine pedagogy with technology. Teachers are finding themselves lacking the skills necessary to keep up with their tech savvy students, therefore the electronic rift is growing bigger. Educators must be able to master software that allows them to become more…

In the old days, professional development didn't extend any further than the workshops teachers would attend to learn new applications. After the workshop, the teachers were on their own once they returned to school and had to figure out how to use their new tools. Today, things are different as technologies are too complex and the need to…

Features comments on the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT) conference held in 2000 and addresses the five thematic areas around which the conference was organized, namely assessment, professional development, visualization and modeling, ubiquitous computing, and equity. (Author/YDS)

Argues for improving the quality of education assessment by focusing on the needs of the educational consumers. These needs require more carefully designed assessment systems, better professional development, improvements in students' testing experiences, expanded use of technology, and an open public dialogue about assessment means and ends. (PKP)

Discusses the parallel between the rapid increase in the acquisition of computer technology and electronic networks by schools and systemic reform movements. Provides some insight on building a school and the community planning process to support technology implementation, connecting content to technology, professional development, and training…

Discusses a shift in career paths from instructional technology to performance technology and describes steps to take to become more aware of the performance technology process. Differences in the design phase of the processes are described, and models that identify areas which can be affected by human performance problems are presented. (LRW)

Staff development should be a process in which members of an organization examine and improve their professional performance constantly. Specialists in staff development, with interest in the newer educational technologies, should resist the temptation to push technologies on colleagues and should foster critically reflective teamwork rooted in…

Laptop computing programs have been in K-12 schools since the 1990s, but in recent months one-to-one learning seems to have reemerged as a top topic in education technology circles. According to Tim Wiley, senior analyst at research firm Eduventures, about 1,000 of the 15,000 school districts in the United States currently have one-to-one…

Interactive digital media, or video games, are a powerful new medium. They offer immersive experiences in which players solve problems. Players learn more than just facts--ways of seeing and understanding problems so that they "become" different kinds of people. "Serious games" coming from business strategy, advergaming, and entertainment gaming…

Introduces the concept of synergy and synergy research conducted in the context of a water quality project and CILT2000, a meeting of the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT). Shares ways in which synergy research addresses methodological questions, promotes collaborative partnerships, and contributes to equity. (Contains 16…

Describes critical factors in empowering and developing vocational education teachers, technological changes that will affect inservice training, and resources for professional development--mentors, self-directed learning, internships, externships, databases, and leadership groups. (SK)