| Of Hubs, Bridges, And Networks |  |
| This article suggest that leaders seeking change should abandon the idea that human organizations function as hierarchies -- and work at understanding the way social networks shape learning in schools. It provides a number of suggestions of ideas that can be used to provide for continuous professional development around the introduction of new technology. |  |
| Ohio State IT Communication Plan (PDF) | |
| This example of a communication plan outlines the communication needed, stakeholders, communication method, and the responsible party. | |
| On-line Tutoring For Math Achievement Testing: A Controlled Evaluation (PDF) | |
| We report the results of a controlled evaluation of an interactive on-line tutoring system for high school math achievement test problem solving. High school students (N = 202) completed a math pre-test and were then assigned by teachers to receive interactive on-line multimedia tutoring or their regular classroom instruction. The on-line tutored students improved on the post-test, but the effect was limited to problems involving skills tutored in the on-line system (within-group control). Control group students showed no improvement. Students' use of interactive multimedia hints predicted pre- to post-test improvement, and benefits of tutoring were greatest for students with weakest initial math skills. | |
| Online Communities Transform Teacher Development | |
| web-based professional development | |
| Online Learning: School Goes High Tech | |
| The Florida Virtual School started in 2000 and is the first internet-based public school in the country. In Florida, some students are faced with a lack of qualified teachers or access to courses, and FLVS fills these gaps. The school serves grades 7-12 but does not offer a diploma. Teachers like FLVS because they feel that they can relate to their students more while online and get to know them better. Students enjoy the flexibility, increased support, and one-on-one attention that FLVS provides; however, they caution that procrastination is not acceptable in this environment. | |
| Online Learning: West Virginia Virtual School | |
| In West Virginia, 7th and 8th grade students are required to take a language. In rural school where there is a shortage of language teachers, the students can take online langugage courses through the West Virginia Virtual School. Teachers instruct large groups via speakerphone, and each student uses a Wimba to exchange individual voice messages and recordings with their teachers. A classroom facilitator monitors the students as they engage in online activities during the day. | |
| Online Professional Development: Get The Facts | |
| This article gives information about online professional development options, benefits, and technical requirements. The article also provides information on how online PD fits into federal and state standards. | |
| Open Technologies In K-12 Schools (PDF) | |
| What do Grant High School in Australia, the New York Public Library, Amazon.com, and the Nokia 770 Internet tablet have in common? They all rely on open technologies to deliver high quality products and services to their customers. It's time for U.S. education technology leaders to investigate the opportunities and challenges offered by entering into the worldwide use of open technologies. | |
| Out Of The Office And Into the Classroom | |
| For many principals weighed down by the time demands of bus schedules and budgets, improving instruction too often takes a back seat. This brief journalistic account describes how schools in nine states are testing a new position, called School Administration Manager (SAM), whose job is to help free principals of many of these administrative distractions and allow them to spend more time on instructional matters. The goal of this promising new approach, pioneered by the Jefferson County (KY) Public Schools with Wallace's support, is to hire a SAM to assume operational functions, track the principal's time to see how much she is spending on instruction, and provide coaching to ensure that the principal actually becomes more focused on instruction. | |
| Outdoor Education Touted At Kihei Charter School | |
| This article discussed a school that has developed its outdoor lessons with the help of partnerships with several community organizations, cultural groups and government offices, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and the Maui Coastal Land Trust. | |