When school leaders engage with their communities, they develop trusting relationships that support student, staff, and family learning. Digital and social media tools open doors and create opportunities to connect with families and communities in ways that have never been seen before. This article provides three simple ideas that can easily be…

Many educators know that web 2.0 tools can transform learning and teaching, but teachers need support to make this happen. This article discusses how principals can encourage teachers to learn how to use these powerful tools. Over the past decade, Intel has provided the Center for Children & Technology with funding to conduct numerous studies…

Principals are charged with the responsibility of conducting teacher evaluations that lead to improved instructional practices, as well as using information gathered during the process to make informed data-driven decisions about teacher performance. This study analyzes the impact digital teacher evaluations have played on this process. Four…

For the past nine years, the Speak Up National Research Project has endeavored to stimulate new discussions around how technology tools and services can transform education and to provide a context to help educators, parents, and policy and business leaders think beyond today and envision tomorrow. In last year's report, "The New 3E's of…

The use of computers and computer-based applications is prevalent in schools, from the classroom to the principal's office. This study of middle school principals in Virginia and West Virginia addressed the following eight questions: (a) What computer technology applications are available to middle school principals? (b) What are the perceived…

The purpose of this study was (a) to research the impact of electronic communication on the role of the principal and school leaders and (b) to investigate patterns of unanticipated consequences or phenomena that have developed within the organization along with the widespread use of electronic media. Twelve themes were identified and grouped into…

This mixed method case study provides insights about how the professional development of middle school teachers is facilitated through their participation in content-focused online communities of practice. A key finding from this research reveals that the online community provided teachers with enhanced opportunities to share ideas, to discuss…

This paper is a report on the development of a digital portfolio system for a teacher education program. The development of the system was based upon a three-year comparative case study of four principals representing rural and urban schools and included pre-kindergarten through 12th grade levels in a Midwestern state. The research generated…