If one buys a new PC, laptop, or netbook computer today, it probably comes preloaded with Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition. This is a significantly limited, advertising-laden version of Microsoft's suite of productivity programs, Microsoft Office. This continues the trend of PC makers providing ever more crippled versions of Microsoft's…

More districts realize that communicating in a clear and engaging way with stakeholders about everything from the district's overall education vision to scholastic and extracurricular success stories can go a long way toward enlisting broad community support. And although face-to-face communications are still important, technology provides a…

Last year, kindergarten through high school students in the rural Hector, Arkansas, School District barely had the technology resources that keep kids interested in math and science. This year, they potentially have the most advanced resources in the country--before they even step into the classroom. One school bus in Arkansas' Pope County has…

Rarely does a day go by when one doesn't hear or read something relating to digital communication and school. Whether it's referencing cell phones, email, Facebook, texting, blogs, or Twitter, this constant barrage of messages in the media makes it clear that electronic communications are in the forefront of students' lives. They are also an…

No matter how many car washes or bake sales schools host to raise money, adding funds to their coffers is a recurring problem. This perpetual financial difficulty makes expansive technology purchases or changes seem like a pipe dream for school CIOs and has education technologists searching for ways to stretch money. In 2005, state K-12 school…

The Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California surveys 2,000 households each year to find out how online technology affects Internet users. Findings in the latest report show social networks are increasing and a majority of users report feeling as strongly about their communities online as their real-world communities.…

True global enlightenment. That's how YouTubeEDU is being promoted by company officials who have announced the launch of a YouTube section devoted to academic content. Calling the new site "a free, self-organizing, democratic website containing all the world's knowledge," YouTubeEDU promises an environment in which "any qualified teacher can…

Until this year, the Oregon Department of Education ran a central portal of thousands of learning resources that required all teachers and students to have an email address as authentication for security purposes. Because many districts didn't offer student email, the learning materials were not available to everyone. In April, Oregon became the…

The teaching profession has long been thought of as recession proof. Indeed, that may have been one of the reasons why teachers took far lower starting salaries right out of college. Perhaps the greatest common feature of teachers, besides their desire to serve society in a humanitarian way, may be the lack of risk-taking the occupation previously…

Students now routinely use computers to search the Internet, write reports, design presentations, crunch numbers, and make spreadsheets. The thing is, much of what they know and understand about computers and technology is most likely stuff they didn't learn in school. In this article, the author discusses how a San Diego school district is…

Many teenagers are more skilled in using tools of technology for learning than the adults who guide their education. The Center for a Digital Future at the University of Southern California administers annual surveys to track the impact of online technology. Jeffrey Cole, center director, reports that adolescents consider the Internet to be their…

A 2008 report, "Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning," commissioned by North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) and others, defines online learning as "teacher-led education that takes place over the Internet, with the teacher and student separated geographically." The term "distance learning" includes online education, but is…

As most educators know, there is a lot more to addressing the so-called "digital divide" than having enough working machines in classrooms. Effective information technology (IT) in schools requires useful software, reliable and speedy Internet access, effective teacher training, and well-considered goals with transformative outcomes. Educators who…

In an era when technology seems to be changing almost daily, school boards, administrators, and teachers need to revisit their technology policies almost as rapidly, education experts advise. Internet chat rooms, online video games, and other electronic features that once seemed inappropriate for the classroom are proving useful for meeting many…

Despite its image as an all-American city, downtown Peoria, Illinois, home of Bradley University, is also a place of strip clubs and violent crime. For undergraduates, it's a risky environment in which to conduct field research. Edward Lamoureux, an associate professor in Bradley's multimedia program, saw a better place in the virtual world Second…