THE Journal — Policy/Research
Women Lose Ground in IT, Computer Science
Women are falling further behind in information technology and computer science, according to a new report released by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). The study, the NCWIT Scorecard, compiled data on girls and women in computer science and IT as students at the K-12 and post-secondary levels, as well as women working as professionals in IT and as faculty in computer science in higher education. It painted a fairly bleak picture of the situation in the United States, where women make up the drastic minority of participants in science- and technology-related studies and where that minority shrinks further the higher one looks up the academic and corporate ladder.
(11/6/2007)
21st Century Learning: 'We're Not Even Close'
Without incorporating technology into every aspect of its activities, no organization can expect to achieve results in this increasingly digital world. Yet education is dead last in technology use compared with all major industrial sectors, and that has to change in order for schools to meet the challenges of 21st century learning--this according to a paper released Monday by the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills at the SETDA Leadership Summit and Education Forum in Washington, DC.
(11/5/2007)
Getting Started with Videogame Development
In the first segment in this series, we covered the pedagogy behind student videogame development. We addressed how learning as doing, collaborative & peer learning, tutoring, ownership, and publication are critical components to game development. We also addressed benefits of videogame making, including content area knowledge acquisition, students as producers of information, and the potential of game-making for encouraging STEM-related careers for women and minorities.
(11/1/2007)
Districts Revamp Curricula for 21st Century Learning
School districts around the United States are taking an active approach to 21st century learning by retooling their curricula and changing the way they measure student achievement in STEM subjects. What's more, according to a survey released this month by the National School Boards Association, technology is playing a major role in facilitating change, from online learning to project-based learning to Web 2.0 applications like wikis and blogs.
(10/31/2007)
STEM Equity Gets Boost from NSF
In an effort to explore methods for encouraging females to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the National Science Foundation has awarded the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) Education Foundation an extension services grant. The grant comes through the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering Program and was awarded to implement NAPE's five-year STEM Equity Pipeline project.
(10/29/2007)
Can Game Development Impact Academic Achievement?
Electronic gaming has recently been hailed as the great new potential for transforming education. A growing body of research and practice suggests videogames can motivate as well as teach and help users learn. Fewer scientific studies, but just as much potential, exist within the area of student game development. In part 1 of this two-part article series, we look at the foundational reasons for why game development matters in the K-12 curriculum, both inside and outside of school.
(10/25/2007)
Study: Students Want To Learn Online
Online learning appears to be playing a more and more vital role in the lives of students. In a study released last week by Project Tomorrow and Blackboard, a large percentage of middle and high school students expressed an interest in taking courses online that aren't offered at their schools.
(10/25/2007)
Senate NCLB Discussion Draft Revealed
The United States Senate has released a discussion draft for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. As with the House version introduced last month, the Senate's draft includes language from the ATTAIN Act, emphasizing funding for education technology, professional development, and various systemic reform initiatives.
(10/18/2007)
Speak Up 2007: Call for Participation Extends to Administrators
Project Tomorrow's annual Speak Up survey opened Oct. 15 with an expanded call for participation, inviting school and district administrators to share their views on technology and science education and how they can be leveraged to "provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the digital economy." The 2007 survey is also open, as usual, to K-12 students, parents, and teachers.
(10/16/2007)
Calif. Law Brings Remediation to Exit Exams (Updated)
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Oct. 12 Assembly Bill 347, amending existing portions of the state's Education Code covering high school exit examinations. The new law addresses, among other things, the issue of remediation for students who are unable to pass the English and/or math portions of the exams. There are presently some 65,000 students in California from the classes of 2006 and 2007 who have met all other requirements for graduation but have not yet passed the exit exam, according to law firm Morrison & Foerster, which challenged the exit exam requirement in court last year.
(10/15/2007)
Test Prep and Math Realities
As another school year is getting well under way, educators are faced with starting the process all over again for preparing students for standardized testing. It's not something that can be put off until the last moment. Failure to pass "the test" sometimes prevents high school students from receiving their graduation diplomas. Elementary students might be retained in a grade. There is the usual dilemma of teaching to the test versus incorporating activities that help students develop 21st century skills valued in the real world.
(10/1/2007)
TRLD Conference Tackles 21st Century Skills
A new forum has been added to the upcoming Technology Reading & Learning Diversity (TRLD) Conference. Focusing on 21st century skills, the special Administrator Forum will also cover the use of technology to support instruction.
(8/29/2007)
Research: Students Actually Use the Internet for Education
New research released by the National School Boards Association reveals data showing we all might need to reevaluate our assumptions: It turns out kids are actually using the Internet for educational purposes. In fact, according to the study, "Creating & Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social--and Educational--Networking," the percentage of children specifically discussing schoolwork online outpaces the percentage that spend time downloading music.
(8/14/2007)
Senate Considers ATTAIN Bill
The United States Senate late last week introduced S. 1996, its version of ATTAIN (Achievement Through Technology and Innovation), a bill to reauthorize the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Act of 2001. ATTAIN was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives back in May.
(8/10/2007)
Coalition Updates 21st Century Learning Framework
A coalition of business and education groups called the Partnership for 21st Century Skills has updated its Framework for 21st Century Learning, a roadmap for education centered around technology and skills-focused learning.
(8/6/2007)
Survey: Public Narrowly Supports NCLB Reauthorization
According to a new survey released this week, a not-so-overwhelming majority of Americans favor reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act with little or no modification. The study, "What Americans Think about Their Schools: The 2007 Education Next-PEPG Survey," conducted by the Hoover Institution’s Education Next organization and Harvard's Program on Education Policy and Governance, found that 57 percent favored the reauthorization.
(7/31/2007)
e-Learning Market to hit $52.6B by 2010
With an already strong foothold in the enterprise sector, e-learning is advancing in K-12 and higher education teaching environments, according to San Jose, CA-based market researchers Global Industry Analysts, which project the global e-learning market to surpass $52.6 billion by 2010.
(7/30/2007)
SRI Tackles Special Ed for WWC
Research firm SRI International said it's working on a project to "synthesize research and provide practice guidelines to inform and improve special education reform efforts for the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC)...." WWC is a project overseen by the United States Department of Education. RI is a subcontractor on the project, working with Mathematica Policy Research, which is presently operating under a $50.3 million contract with DOE to expand WWC.
(7/23/2007)
Can IT Turn Around Teacher Turnover?
Teacher turnover (also known to some as "teachers quitting their jobs") is becoming a critical concern for school and district administrators. Not only can it have a negative impact on student learning, especially in troubled districts, but it's emerging as a fairly major financial drain on districts in all regions, according to findings released last month by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (NCTAF). So is there anything school and district technology leaders can do about it? According to the NCTAF report, there is.
(7/5/2007)
SETDA Elects Board, Launches 2007 Toolkit
The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has announced the results of its board elections. The Arlington, VA-based organization has also released its 2007 Toolkit focusing on media literacy.
(7/3/2007)
House Subcommittee Flat Funds EETT
Things are looking up for education technology funding in the United Sates House of Representatives. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) has approved an appropriations bill that would provide $272.25 million for Enhancing Education Through Technology (E2T2 or EETT), which had previously been recommended for zero-funding in the Bush administration's proposed 2008 budget.
(6/8/2007)
New Mexico Partners with MS for K-12 Education
The state of New Mexico is entering into a partnership with Microsoft Corp. through the company's "U.S. Partners in Learning" program. The idea is to bolster STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education programs by providing funding for classroom technologies and integrating curricula with opportunities to enhance the economic situation in the rural communities that will participate in the programs.
(6/7/2007)
ATTAIN: The Means for a Mandate
Have you ever wondered what the "THE" in THE Journal means? Occasionally? Even fleetingly? No? Well, I'll tell you anyway. It stands for "Technological Horizons in Education." Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it? Hence the acronym. But that aside, what it indicates is that we take as our premise that technology is inherently beneficial to education--that it can make the lives of educators easier, that it can facilitate learning, and that it can, when approached the right way, stimulate new ideas about learning and the teaching process. (And, as a side benefit, it happens to keep all of you IT folk off the streets.)
(6/5/2007)
Ed Tech Groups Support ATTAIN Bill
The introduction this week of the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) bill in the United States House of Representatives was met with enthusiasm by groups that support education technology. The bill seeks to revamp Part D of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to enhance professional development for teachers, improve technical proficiency in students, and otherwise support technology in various ways to advance student achievement.
(5/24/2007)
Does Technology Matter in Schools? ED Wants Your Opinion
As part of an ongoing effort to assess the role of technology in education, the United States Department of Education (ED) has started seeking comments from those who work closely with it. Last week ED sent out a request for opinions from the public, looking to "hear your ideas on the integration of technology in education." We at THE Journal see this as a fantastic opportunity for educators and administrators to bolster federal support for ed tech and encourage all of our readers to participate.
(5/14/2007)
