Learning the Digital Way
Evaluating Progress, Tackling Challenges
June 10, 2015
- Classroom Technology Interactive: District Takes Modular Approach to Lesson CreationAn district in Orange County, Fla. curates content from various commercial partners to use in its lessons.Classroom Technology Districts Turn 'BYOD' Disorder to Their AdvantageWhile some school officials still fear "bring-your-own-device" efforts will disrupt learning, others say the eclectic mix of technologies is proving to be effective.
Teaching Student Tech Use at Home Is Tricky Balancing ActSocial and educational priorities are often at odds when students use digital tools outside of school, prompting many parents to keep a close eye on such use.Classroom Technology Audio: Teens, Tech, and Homework HabitsLarenz Davis, 15, and his mother, LaToya Staten, talk about the benefits and challenges of teenagers using multiple digital devices to complete homework assignments. Larenz and his brother, Cameron, use a diverse roster of tech tools at home.Teaching Lack of Home Internet a Challenge for StudentsStudents with poor online access at home find themselves at a disadvantage in today鈥檚 digital education world.
Curriculum Districts Put Open Educational Resources to WorkA pair of K-12 systems in Washington state have devoted a lot of time and money to adopting the digital materials, efforts they believe will pay off.Curriculum Teachers, District Devote Time to Open-Resource TransitionThe Bethel, Wash., district expects to save between $500,000 to $800,000 over 10 years by switching from commercial to open resources, which teachers are trying to master.Curriculum District Makes Far-Reaching Change to Open ResourcesThe Grandview, Wash., school system has made an unusually ambitious move to replace its entire Pre-K-10 math and English/language arts curricula with open resources.Classroom Technology Digital Needs Fuel Common-Core Curricular ChoicesSchool districts are putting technology experts at the head of the table in the labor-intensive process of choosing curricula for common-core instruction.
Classroom Technology Companies Face Rising Demand for Bite-Size Chunks of CurriculaThe advent of this "modular" delivery option for digital content has major implications for the education publishing industry and for school districts themselves.IT Infrastructure & Management How to Avoid Costly 1-to-1 Computing MistakesDistricts moving to integrate more digital tools into learning should invest heavily in teacher training, visit other model districts, and make content a high priority, experts say.
Classroom Technology Districts Learn Lessons on 1-to-1 From Others' MisstepsErrors by districts rolling out device initiatives are serving as warnings for education leaders implementing new programs.IT Infrastructure & Management Choosing the Right Digital Learning DeviceSchools wrestle with whether to use a variety of devices or to rely heavily on one type of technology to build their 1-to-1 computing programs.
Classroom Technology Q&A: A Hard Look at L.A.'s Troubled Digital Learning InitiativeJessica B. Heppen, a managing researcher for the American Institutes for Research, conducted a study of the LAUSD's massive, and deeply troubled, ed-tech effort.
Classroom Technology Why Ed Tech Is Not Transforming How Teachers TeachA mountain of evidence indicates that educators have been painfully slow to use technology to change and improve the ways they teach.IT Infrastructure & Management Reality Check Reveals Ed-Tech ChallengesSchools are learning hard lessons about the difficulties of putting in place 1-to-1 computing programs and digital curricula initiatives meant to encourage innovation and fuel academic growth.
