7/28- Ed Tech in the News
Indiana Raises Questions Around Virtual Charter Schools
"A new state law has opened the door for digital charter schools, and at least two, including a Fort Wayne-based program, have asked Ball State University for sponsorship. But Martin Dezelan, director of the university’s charter schools office, told The Journal Gazette’s Kenya Woodard that the schools won’t be considered in the August review period. “We are wanting to have the right expertise at the table, people who understand the technology and Web-based education,” Dezelan said. “We’re moving as quickly as we can so we can consider what’s before us, but we’re not going to rush the process.”
"Indiana’s new law includes a provision that instruction cannot be “solely home based,” which would appear to address valid concerns that cyber-charter schools would become the method for funneling tax dollars to home-schoolers."
"Sen. Teresa Lubbers, the Indianapolis Republican who sponsored the bill, told the Indianapolis Star this week that she believes “this little dance” is going on to determine how the law will be interpreted. Lubbers said the discussions were welcome as Indiana finds its way along with other states." (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
Palm Beach County Begins Online Testing
"Instead of passing out tests and answer sheets, then collecting them and having a machine grade them, students at nine Palm Beach County schools will take district exams online starting in August."
"When students answer all the questions on short district tests called common assessments, the teacher will know immediately how they did. No paper to collect, no machine to maintain, no time between giving the tests and getting the results. And the kids' performance will be downloaded into district computers."
"We are trying to develop a way to give instant return in the classroom," said Joe Moore, the district's chief financial officer.
"The district's common assessments are 10- or 20-question exams that test whether a student understood a particular math or reading lesson. Now teachers will know right away whether they need to spend more time teaching a specific skill." (Shah, Palm Beach Post)
Online Training Increasingly Popular With Teachers
"The possibilities of online learning for educators have been dazzling, and over the past decade a slew of providers have rushed to create Web-based opportunities for more and better professional development—and institutional gain. Those with the online goods include businesses, cyber and brick-and-mortar universities, professional organizations, teachers’ unions, nonprofit agencies, and partnerships between such groups. States, districts and individual educators are left to figure out to what extent online development might meet their needs."
"The proliferation of such opportunities, however, leads experts to offer more than a dose of caution. "
“I do have serious concerns about the online professional-development arena taking the field backwards,” said Joellen Killion, who has written extensively about the subject for the National Staff Development Council, an Oxford, Ohio-based membership organization for those involved in professional learning for educators. In dark moments, said Ms. Killion, who is special projects director for the NSDC, she pictures a weary teacher at her home computer jumping up to toss a load of laundry into the dryer while waiting for her slow dial-up connection to download a Web page to the screen."
"While the snares of inadequate technology and isolation are real, almost everyone, including Ms. Killion, agrees online learning doesn’t have to be that way. “There are some marvelous programs, with lots of interaction with other teachers, lots of support online for implementation of what is learned,” she said." (Keller, Education Week)
Patrick To Leave Department of Education
"In a surprise move, Susan Patrick, head of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, announced July 26 that she will leave the Bush administration in August to assume control of the Virginia-based North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL). "
"Patrick made the decision to step down as the nation's top ed-tech administrator after less than two years on the job. "I didn't plan to leave the department," she said of her new role as president and chief executive of the nonprofit NACOL. "But this was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up."
"I really felt like I accomplished a lot during the three and half years I was with the administration," she said, pointing to the release of the NETP and the creation of summer leadership conferences designed to help educators understand the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law as proof that she had accomplished the bulk of what she set out to do when taking over in March of last year (see "ED's new tech chief sets her agenda").
"As director of the Office of Educational Technology, Susan Patrick has played an integral role in the implementation of No Child Left Behind," said ED's chief of staff, David Dunn. "She successfully led the department's efforts on the 2004 National Education Technology Plan and has spent several years developing and coordinating the department's educational technology policies. Susan shares our goal that every child can learn and has worked tirelessly to help provide leadership to the nation in the use of technology to promote achievement."
"At NACOL, Patrick plans to use her knowledge of the ed-tech landscape to promote the continued adoption of online learning in schools. Though schools are beginning to realize the value of online learning as a tool for reform, Patrick says, the majority of institutions still are not using these technological resources to their full potential." (eSchool News)
"A new state law has opened the door for digital charter schools, and at least two, including a Fort Wayne-based program, have asked Ball State University for sponsorship. But Martin Dezelan, director of the university’s charter schools office, told The Journal Gazette’s Kenya Woodard that the schools won’t be considered in the August review period. “We are wanting to have the right expertise at the table, people who understand the technology and Web-based education,” Dezelan said. “We’re moving as quickly as we can so we can consider what’s before us, but we’re not going to rush the process.”
"Indiana’s new law includes a provision that instruction cannot be “solely home based,” which would appear to address valid concerns that cyber-charter schools would become the method for funneling tax dollars to home-schoolers."
"Sen. Teresa Lubbers, the Indianapolis Republican who sponsored the bill, told the Indianapolis Star this week that she believes “this little dance” is going on to determine how the law will be interpreted. Lubbers said the discussions were welcome as Indiana finds its way along with other states." (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
Palm Beach County Begins Online Testing
"Instead of passing out tests and answer sheets, then collecting them and having a machine grade them, students at nine Palm Beach County schools will take district exams online starting in August."
"When students answer all the questions on short district tests called common assessments, the teacher will know immediately how they did. No paper to collect, no machine to maintain, no time between giving the tests and getting the results. And the kids' performance will be downloaded into district computers."
"We are trying to develop a way to give instant return in the classroom," said Joe Moore, the district's chief financial officer.
"The district's common assessments are 10- or 20-question exams that test whether a student understood a particular math or reading lesson. Now teachers will know right away whether they need to spend more time teaching a specific skill." (Shah, Palm Beach Post)
Online Training Increasingly Popular With Teachers
"The possibilities of online learning for educators have been dazzling, and over the past decade a slew of providers have rushed to create Web-based opportunities for more and better professional development—and institutional gain. Those with the online goods include businesses, cyber and brick-and-mortar universities, professional organizations, teachers’ unions, nonprofit agencies, and partnerships between such groups. States, districts and individual educators are left to figure out to what extent online development might meet their needs."
"The proliferation of such opportunities, however, leads experts to offer more than a dose of caution. "
“I do have serious concerns about the online professional-development arena taking the field backwards,” said Joellen Killion, who has written extensively about the subject for the National Staff Development Council, an Oxford, Ohio-based membership organization for those involved in professional learning for educators. In dark moments, said Ms. Killion, who is special projects director for the NSDC, she pictures a weary teacher at her home computer jumping up to toss a load of laundry into the dryer while waiting for her slow dial-up connection to download a Web page to the screen."
"While the snares of inadequate technology and isolation are real, almost everyone, including Ms. Killion, agrees online learning doesn’t have to be that way. “There are some marvelous programs, with lots of interaction with other teachers, lots of support online for implementation of what is learned,” she said." (Keller, Education Week)
Patrick To Leave Department of Education
"In a surprise move, Susan Patrick, head of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, announced July 26 that she will leave the Bush administration in August to assume control of the Virginia-based North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL). "
"Patrick made the decision to step down as the nation's top ed-tech administrator after less than two years on the job. "I didn't plan to leave the department," she said of her new role as president and chief executive of the nonprofit NACOL. "But this was an opportunity I just couldn't pass up."
"I really felt like I accomplished a lot during the three and half years I was with the administration," she said, pointing to the release of the NETP and the creation of summer leadership conferences designed to help educators understand the demands of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law as proof that she had accomplished the bulk of what she set out to do when taking over in March of last year (see "ED's new tech chief sets her agenda").
"As director of the Office of Educational Technology, Susan Patrick has played an integral role in the implementation of No Child Left Behind," said ED's chief of staff, David Dunn. "She successfully led the department's efforts on the 2004 National Education Technology Plan and has spent several years developing and coordinating the department's educational technology policies. Susan shares our goal that every child can learn and has worked tirelessly to help provide leadership to the nation in the use of technology to promote achievement."
"At NACOL, Patrick plans to use her knowledge of the ed-tech landscape to promote the continued adoption of online learning in schools. Though schools are beginning to realize the value of online learning as a tool for reform, Patrick says, the majority of institutions still are not using these technological resources to their full potential." (eSchool News)
posted by edtekker at 10:16 AM
10 comments
