This guide provides practical, actionable information intended to help both technical personnel and educational leaders navigate the many decisions required to deliver broadband connectivity to students. It presents a variety of options for school and district leaders to consider when making technology infrastructure decisions, recognizing that…

To provide students with the education they need to thrive in a globally connected world, schools and school districts need to find ways to design, fund, acquire, and maintain the infrastructure that will make connectivity a reality for every teacher and student in every classroom. The U.S. Department of Education's National Educational Technology…

Setting up a wireless network is easy enough. Place a few access points in strategic areas, then watch the network traffic fly! That approach may hold up reasonably well for a few dozen users, but there's no way it would support a schoolwide 1-to-1 program. Once students take to it with their wireless devices, "they're going to kill it,"…

Under pressure to keep spending down but also keep pace with rapid technology changes, many districts are future-proofing their schools--trying to get the most out of tech spending by providing solutions they can use now and in the future without major, expensive infrastructure overhauls. In the Folsom Cordova (California) Unified School District,…

A parent walking into a classroom in a Minnesota public school today will be presented with a different learning environment compared to that of 20 years ago. Gone are filmstrips and movie projectors and in their place are computer screens. Today's classroom is a heavy user of digital media, and much of that is accessed via the Internet. It is…

Under pressure to keep spending down but also keep pace with rapid technology changes, many districts are future-proofing their schools--trying to get the most out of their tech spending by providing solutions they will be able to use now and in the future without major, expensive infrastructure overhauls. The idea is growing in popularity across…

This article profiles Cashton (Wisconsin) Public Schools Superintendent Brad Saron. Saron has always had a passion for technology. He has brought his personal passion for technology to bear in his job as superintendent of the 584-student Cashton Public Schools. As a principal and then as superintendent, he introduced iPod Touches, iPads, wireless…

Our paper reports findings from a two-phase deployment of iPod Touch and iPad devices in a large, urban Canadian school board. The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the infrastructure required to support handheld devices in classrooms; the opportunities and challenges teachers face as they begin to use handheld devices for…

This report shows how Universal Service Fund support for schools and libraries is used by school districts and libraries around the country. Highlighted are approximately 190 success stories of program participants that have come to rely on the USF to expand educational opportunities for students through better use of telecommunications technology…

The wireless bandwagon is rolling across Mississippi, picking up a fresh load of converts and turning calamity into opportunity. Traditional wired school networks, many of which unraveled during Hurricane Katrina, are giving way to advanced wireless mesh networks that frequently include voice-over-IP (VoIP) capabilities. Vendor funding is helping…

Consultants can help a school district's technology dreams become realities. Or they can turn those dreams into nightmares. Technology consultants are providing services in several areas including technical assistance and staff training. A sidebar offers tips for finding a consultant and steps districts should follow to make the most of what they…

Discussion of the National Research and Education Network (NREN) highlights distance education programs that have been developed at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Topics discussed include nontraditional students; an evolving view of knowledge and learning; new communications technologies; computer communications at RIT; hearing-impaired…

This paper considers the possible creation of communications networks for school superintendents, and discusses EdLink, a pilot joint venture among Apple and GEISCO (General Electric Information Services Corporation), the joint developers of AppleLink, and the office of the New Hampshire Governor's Excellence Initiative. Arguing that EdLink…

This paper describes METN (Maryland Education Technology Network), a network which is designed to assist Maryland schools in developing instructional computing, while also working to provide equitable access to computers to all Maryland students. The process of creating the system is described, and a number of lessons learned from its development…

The Ohio state-funded SchoolNet initiatives include two major components: "SchoolNet" and "SchoolNet Plus." SchoolNet provides telecommunications wiring among classrooms in individual school buildings; it also provides computers for low-wealth districts and supports technology-related professional development. SchoolNet Plus…