| UNESCO's ICT Competency Standards For Teachers |  |
| Educators worldwide need more technological skills to be able to effectively integrate technology into classroom lessons, according to a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization report. The group recommends countries devise professional development programs to help educators acquire such skills. |  |
| Technology Enhanced Learning In Science | |
| TELS develops instructional programs that use educational technology to help middle school and high school students master complex scientific concepts. | |
| Critical Issue: Promoting Technology Use In Schools | |
| This Critical Issue provides practical information for promoting technology use in schools. | |
| Technology To Support Learning | |
| This chapter explores how technology can be used appropriately to facilitate and enhance learning and student work. The ideas and basic principles are still relevant, and the framework for thinking about learning as learner-, teacher-, assessment- and community-centered is helpful for thinking about learning. The companion book, Preparing Teachers for a changing world: what teachers should learn and be able to do is also very useful for designing professional development. | |
| Center For Applied Research In Educational Technology Topics: Student Learning | |
| Information on how technology can develop higher order thinking and problem solving | |
| Federal Resources For Educational Excellence | |
| This resource is a database of technology-driven resources for teaching and learning produced by various Federal Agencies for instructional use. They have been categorized by subject area. Pointing educators to resources that build their curriculum is an effective way to support their professional growth and encouarage continous learning. | |
| Welcome To The ENT (Education New Technologies) Gallery | |
| Education with new technologies has a gallery where they show "pictures of practice." These are the best examples of how teachers are using technology to change the way they teach in significant ways. they include the teacher's organization of the lessons with technology from big ideas through to assessment, including a teacher's reflection. Examples of student work illustrate the type of learning outcomes that are connected with these strategies and practices. The projects illustrates the use of a suite of tools to help teachers teach for understanding by developing lessons that build on standards and focus on assessment. One of the interesting tools is a collaborative Curriculum Design tool. | |
| Data-Driven Decision Making: Vision To Know And Do (PDF) | |
| As part of CoSN's Essential Leadership Skills Series, this 2-page resource encourages small district technology leaders to ensure that data is used effectively to inform instruction, which includes providing professional development to teachers to maximize effective data use. This resource highlights two examples of small districts that have been successful with data-driven decision making. | |
| Technology Immersion Turns Around Texas Middle School | |
| The school, Marvin Baker Middle School, part of the Corpus Christi Independent School District in Texas, faces challenges familiar to many urban schools. The student population is diverse; the mobility rate is rising; and 80 percent of students receive a free lunch. However, Baker also houses the district's Athena Program for gifted and talented students; about a third of the school's students are part of that program. | |
| The Total Cost Of Ownership (A CoSN-Gartner Resource) | |
| The website includes a toolset for determining technology costs and a year set of case studies (2004-2007) to illustrate how the tools can help in technology employment. The 2007 case study results from CoSN's Value of Investment Initiative developed to help district level technology decision makers assess the costs and evaluate the benefits of proposed technology investments before making costly, time intensive decisions and commitments. The case studies are intended to provide school technology administrators and other educators with insight on best practices for making sound choices about education technology projects, and to better articulate the costs and benefits of these proposed projects. The site includes a document (pdf): A Report and Estimating Tool for K-12 School Districts called Why Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Matters, April 2003 | |
| EduTools Course Management System Comparisons-Reborn | |
| EduTools is a place to find and share information about Course Management Systems and emerging products that support instruction and learning. The offer feature-by-feature product comparisons and decision-making supports. | |
| Planning And Conducting Professional Development That Makes A Difference (PDF) | |
| This document outlines a step-by-step approach to planning and conducting effective professional development. The guidelines cover planning, coordination, implementation, and follow-up of professional development. | |
| CoSN Case Study: Lovejoy (TX) Independent School District - Suburban, 2195 students (PDF) | |
| In this district, committees are utilized throughout the strategic planning process for professional development, from the identification of needs, goals and targets to teacher and student surveys to development of and scheduling of activities. Using teacher-based committees and groups has been the key to composing successful professional development plans. Necessary technology leader skills that have helped make the district's technology vision a reality include grant writing, professional networking, building partnerships, having strong interpersonal skills, and having the ability to budget and price shop. | |
| Successful Online Professional Development | |
| An article that shares the key lessons learned from developing EdTech Leaders Online - an online PD program that helps schools incorporate technology into their educational programs. The article also gives examples of school districts that have built successful local online PD models. | |
| CoSN Case Study: Troy Area (PA) School District - Rural, 1740 students (PDF) | |
| Teachers and Educational Technicians facilitate technology use in each of six schools where diverse projects occur. The district Technology Coordinator focuses on professional development, budgeting, consultations and providing technical advice. Technology Thursdays allow for staff training in use of or implementation of a specific instructional technology tool, and an intensive two-week professional development "conference" has been developed for summer. Online resources and information support education and training needs. | |
| Contemporary Literacy: Redefining The Basics (PDF) | |
| Technology is the Big Bang that has propelled literacy into an expanding universe. The challenge of keeping up with the information explosion that is having such a profound impact on all our lives can only be met through the development of a new set of literacy skills. | |
| Data Systems: They're Not Just About Students Anymore | |
| A growing body of research highlights the classroom teacher as one of the most important predictors of student success. While research and policy conversations increasingly focus on the vital relationship between teacher and student, most of our current data systems are unable to inform these discussions. Only 18 states report the ability to connect their teacher data with student data in any grade, and even fewer actually use the resulting information to inform policy and practice. | |
| CITEd EdTech Locator: Using Technology For Differentiating Insructions (PDF) | |
| The EdTech Locator and its related materials are designed to help you evaluate where you stand in the technology-integration continuum. The materials can help you Identify key points along the way towards reaching a target level of technology integration, and map a course for further integration. Unique versions of the Locator were created specifically for Teachers, Administrators, Technology Coordinators, and Professional Development Coordinators. Each version is tailored to the specific responsibilities of that role. | |
| eLead Professional Development Resource | |
| This is a free online resource offering states and districts information about how to provide better professional development for principals | |
| Welcome To Tapped In | |
| Tapped in provides a space for educators to provide and receive professional development around the subjects of technology and effective online learning. | |
| Teacher Tube | |
| This is YouTube for education--a user provided collection of videos that have been created by educators for educators. And like YouTube, the more famous site, the teachertube community votes on the best videos. The current collection contains a wide collection of videos, some are directed at teachers for professional development, others are designed for instructional use in the classroom, some are public service announcement and other appear to be the result of student projects. Teachers make their own lessons available for other teachers and students | |
| Does Your District Need A Technology Audit? | |
| An article advocating for technology audits as an important tool in technology evaluation and planning. | |
| Interactivate | |
| This site includes both examples of technologies that support current instructional methods that develop higher-level thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills and materials to support teachers learning how to use them. | |
| Inside K12 Online Episode02: 2008 Conference Theme And Keynote Selection Criteria | |
| This is a conference by educators for educators around the world interested in integrating emerging technologies into classroom practice. A goal of the conference is to help educators make sense of and meet the needs of a continually changing learning landscape. There are two years worth of conference presentations that can be downloaded to audio or video ipods. | |
| Professional And Leadership Development | |
| This section on Professional and Leadership Development will provide you guidance on identifying developing your leadership styles and responsibilities. In addition, it outlines the characteristics of successful professional development programs and provides the tools and resources to reinforce your education change and technology implementation with the professional development programs required for its ongoing success. | |
| The Principal Technology Leadership Institute | |
| The goal of PTLI is to seamlessly integrate technology into school improvement and to increase Chicago Public Schools (CPS) leaders' understanding of how ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards and campus wide technology integration relate to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) initiative for systemic improvement. | |
| Assessment Tools | |
| This website provides links to numerous assessment and technology articles, tools, and materials. | |
| ISTE Educational Technology Standards And Performance Indicators For All Teachers | |
| Building on the NETS for Students, the ISTE NETS for Teachers (NETS S), which focus on preservice teacher education, define the fundamental concepts, knowledge, skills, and attitudes for applying technology in educational settings. All candidates seeking certification or endorsements in teacher preparation should meet these educational technology standards. | |
| ProfilerPRO | |
| ProfilerPRO allows for the evaluation of knowledge, attitude, and skill based on simple surveys implemented via the World Wide Web. Group members share knowledge and promote collaboration based on responses to skills-based survey items. ProfilerPRO can strengthen a school's, district's, or other educational group's ability to share expertise and grow as an organization. | |
| Technology Professional Development: Successful Strategies For Teacher Change (PDF) | |
| This article discusses how to facilitate and provide effective professional development around the use of technology. It identifies different stages of technology use that teachers may be in, and then links the stages with the appropriate professional development that will give the best result. The article also discusses strategies that work, indicators of success, and it provides some links to useful PD resources. | |
| A School Decision-Maker's Guide To Student Technology Support Programs (PDF) | |
| The Decision Maker's Guide is not a how-to guide for launching a program. Rather, these pages provide background for decision makers to make a case for such a program and also determine what type of program is most appropriate to pursue. The resources section links to documents and Web sites with specific program development resources. The YTSC white paper: "Youth Technology Support Programs: Meeting the Challenge of Technology Support in Schools," Douglas Levin, American Institutes for Research, February 2004, provides a summary and review of programs and literature. | |
| Making Connections In Math: Part 2 | |
| Jason Kamras was the 2005 National Teacher of the Year. Mr. Kamras' goal is to raise awareness about the achievement gaps that result from inequalities. He shares his ideas regarding policy changes, teacher preparation, classroom management, and the benefits of uniforms. He also discusses his goals for the future and shares his advicoe for new teachers. | |
| A Good Teaching Technique: WebQuests | |
| In this article, the author first introduces and describes a new teaching tool called WebQuests to practicing teachers. He then provides detailed information about the structure of a good WebQuest. Third, the author shows the strengths and weaknesses of using WebQuests in teaching and learning. Last, he points out the challenges for practicing teachers and administrators. Keywords: Internet, mathematics, teachers, WebQuests | |
| Cover the Material--Or Teach Students To Think? | |
| To move beyond rote memorization and use a full range of thinking skills, students need to tackle issues straight out of the complex world in which they live. | |
| Teacher's Guide To International Collaboration On The Internet | |
| The Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration was developed to help teachers use the Internet to "reach out" globally. These materials were prepared as part of the Department of Education's International Education Initiative. It provides helpful information for how to create quailty projects in cross-cultural settings. | |
| Helping Students Thrive In The Digital Age | |
| A resource that helps stakeholders understand the changes in the learning needs of students, and what 21st century skills look like. | |
| Elementary School: Part Three (PDF) | |
| Technology can personalize learning opportunities even in group settings. Providing each child access to a computing device linked wirelessly to a projector can help make students' thinking visible, enable teachers to assess student progress in real time, and foster collaboration. | |
| A Change in Attitude: Incorporating Technology In the Classroom Gives Curriculum A Boost | |
| This video shows how technology was integrated into a classroom in Mississippi | |
| Technology Puts More Pupils In The Mainstream | |
| This article profiles disabled students in Boston schools who use special technologies. Their schools are part of a movement in education to integrate technology into mainstream curriculum and general classrooms so students with disabilities such as mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, blindness, and dyslexia can join their peers. | |
| Effectiveness Of Reading And Mathematics Software Products: Findings From The First Student Cohort (PDF) | |
| The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance produced this major study of the effectiveness of education technology. Mandated by Congress, the report uses scientifically based research methods and control groups to focus on the impact of technology on student academic achievement. Thirty-three districts, 132 schools, and 439 teachers participated in the study. Sixteen products were selected for the study based on public submissions and ratings by a study team and expert review panels. This report is the first of two from the study. The second report will present effects for individual products. The current report presents effects for groups of products. The main findings of the study are: (1) Test scores were not significantly higher in classrooms using the reading and mathematics software products than those in control classrooms. In each of the four groups of products-reading in first grade and in fourth grade, mathematics in sixth grade, and high school algebra-the evaluation found no significant differences in student achievement between the classrooms that used the technology products and classrooms that did not; and (2) There was substantial variation between schools regarding the effects on student achievement. Although the study collected data on many school and classroom characteristics, only two characteristics were related to the variation in reading achievement. For first grade, effects were larger in schools that had smaller student-teacher ratios (a measure of class size). For fourth grade, effects were larger when treatment teachers reported higher levels of use of the study product. | |
| 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. | |
| The Effects Of Distance Education On K-12 Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis (PDF) | |
| The community of K-12 education has seen explosive growth over the last decade in distance learning programs, defined as learning experiences in which students and instructors are separated by space and/or time. While elementary and secondary students have learned through the use of electronic distance learning systems since the 1930s, the development of online distance learning schools is a relatively new phenomenon. Online virtual schools may be ideally suited to meet the needs of stakeholders calling for school choice, high school reform, and workforce preparation in 21st century skills. The growth in the numbers of students learning online and the importance of online learning as a solution to educational challenges has increased the need to study more closely the factors that affect student learning in virtual schooling environments. This meta-analysis is a statistical review of 116 effect sizes from 14 web delivered K-12 distance education programs studied between 1999 and 2004. The analysis shows that distance education can have the same effect on measures of student academic achievement when compared to traditional instruction. The study-weighted mean effect size across all outcomes was -0.028 with a 95 percent confidence interval from 0.060 to -0.116, indicating no significant difference in performance between students who participated in online programs and those who were taught in face-to-face classrooms. No factors were found to be related to significant positive or negative effects. The factors that were tested included academic content area, grade level of the students, role of the distance learning program, role of the instructor, length of the program, type of school, frequency of the distance learning experience, pacing of instruction, timing of instruction, instructor preparation and experience in distance education, and the setting of the students. | |
| The Impact Of Cognitive Organizers And Technology-Based Practices On Student Success In Secondary Social Studies Classrooms | |
| This is a study which investigated the impact of cognitive organizers and integrated software on student performance. Researchers examined a sample of students in an inclusive high school social studies class to determine if the user of a cognitive organizer had any impact on content-area learning. They found that students in the cognivite organizer sub-group significantly outperformed those students receiveing traditional textbook instruction. | |
| Analysis: How Multimedia Can Improve Learning | |
| The author of this article explores research on the theory that multimodal learning (using many modes and strategies that cater to individual learners' needs and capacities) is more effective than traditional, unimodal learning. | |