September 2004 — Editorial
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The Future of E-Learning
By examining his assumptions about educational improvement, Chris demonstrates the difference between distance learning and distributed learning, which is “a term used to describe educational experiences that are distributed across a variety of geographic settings, across time and across various interactive media.” This is clearly not your parent’s e-learning. Growing from distributed learning are learning communities. Chris g'es on to describe how three complementary interfaces will shape how people learn, and provides a vignette set in the future to show how these interfaces can enable distributed learning communities for students.A look at the current situation with e-learning is provided by our Applications stories and other feature article. Sue Cooper of Anna McDonald Elementary writes of something more prevalent in these days of accountability: using the Web to determine what students know and are able to do. The use of technology takes this student activity far beyond practicing test-taking skills to providing teachers with pinpoint information about how students are doing in specific skill areas. Another Applications story, from Maria Cornelli of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization, brings a new twist on a classic distance learning effort of bringing an unfamiliar aspect of the world to students via video by adding interactivity through videoconferencing. When collaborative technology tools are added to e-learning, virtual communities begin to be established. Punahou School in Hawaii has developed a customized portal for students, teachers and community members. While many other schools have similar portals and tools, what Punahou demonstrates is more than e-mail and Web site utilization - it is a change in how a school operates. Finally, Dr. Paula Boxie of Miami University describes significant change in K-12 student use of technology, university faculty use of technology, and how student teachers interact with the K-12 students.
Becoming an Advocate for Technology and Education
On a final note, as a kid, I used to read the newspaper from back to front because that’s where the comics were located. I suggest you read the last page first in this issue; not because it is comical, but because it is urgent. Mark Schneiderman discusses something that we must do in technology and education: advocate a bolder education vision for the future. If we do not advocate through the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training ( www.nctet.org), or other similar efforts headed up by CoSN and ISTE, we will be in danger of losing much of the momentum in technology and education that has been built up over the last 30 years. The House Appropriations Committee has proposed cutting $91.8 million from the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program - Title II, Part D of No Child Left Behind - and has proposed cuts in other programs in technology. Overall, in the House bill, education stands to gain about $2.1 billion with most of it going to Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Without an outcry from educators using technology, members of Congress may think that these cuts in technology are OK. They are not OK, and we need to let politicians know.
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