Obama Launches "Digital Promise"

There has been a rise in the use of technology in the classroom. Schools have made room in their budgets for computer labs, smart boards, educational software and even personal iPads for students. The White House has recently announced the launch of “Digital Promise,” a nonprofit initiative meant to promote the use of technology in the classroom. This program will help make education technology available for more schools and educators. The program will bring together educators and technology innovators to develop new educational technologies. Educators will be asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the software.

Digital Promise’s board consists of leaders in technology and education that have been appointed by Congress recommendation. The TechAmerica Foundation will assemble a commission to outline policy priorities for Digital Promise. The Information Technology Industry Council and the Software and Information Industry Association will manage and advise the technical aspects of the project.

Digital Promise’s first project will be to support the funding and development of “digital tutors,” a software program to help students who need extra help in math and other subjects. This is only the beginning of a strong relationship between education and technology that will help prepare America’s youth for success in the 21^st century. Maybe with the success of the first year of the initiative the program will be expanded to include the development of educational computer and phone applications.

“Digital Promise is a unique partnership that will bring everyone together — educators, entrepreneurs and researchers — to use technology to help students learn and teachers teach," President Obama said in a statement. "There’s no silver bullet when it comes to education, but technology can be a powerful tool, and Digital Promise will help us make the most of it.”

Click here for a link to the article on TheHill.com

Why do Students need Technology to Learn?

How many of us have heard some derivation of the following statement:  "When I was a kid I had to walk uphill, both ways, in 10 inches of snow.......just to get to school"?

I am guessing, most of us have heard something like this at some point in our lives.  This statement is typically followed by another: "that's what is wrong with kids these days!"

And unfortunately this mindset tends to creep into the minds of adults in all walks of life, and it is especially prevalent when adults discuss education.  Most people can't imagine why technology is a necessity in today's classroom.  Well....they must have a point...right??

Think about it, only 15-20 short years ago, most students graduated from high school and went on to college without ever typing on a computer, like the one I am using to write this blog!  Even more, many adults can remember the educational stone ages when the only tools that the average teacher had access to were: a pointer, a yardstick, some chalk, a chalk board, and a few erasers.  These students excelled in this setting and many have become the successful CEO's, Doctors, and lawyers in the world today.

So the question often then becomes: "If we could learn back then, then why do today's students need all of these fancy bells and whistles?"

A recent article posted on Education News discussed this issue, and provided evidence on both sides of the debate.  For the most part, the necessary data is not currently available to show whether or not technology is even beneficial to today's student.

But what I think many individuals tend to forget, is that not only has education changed with the advent of technology, but so have the lives of the students outside of the classroom.  Today's students are inundated on a almost minute by minute basis with technology ranging from: Twitter and Facebook updates to text messages and application downloads.

Their minds are constantly being primed by and engaged in technology based applications.  So why do policy makers, and other adults tend to fight this trend?  For the good of our kids, doesn't it make sense to continually provide them with the newest innovations and access to the latest advancements in educational technologies, regardless of the lag in data?

Or perhaps we should go back to the days, when we walked both ways.... uphill.... in 2 feet of snow..... with our shoes untied.......and no cell phone in hand.

Does Technology Move too Fast for Education to keep up?

Well, it is officially labor day weekend in the United States, which for many young teenagers out there, marks the official end of their summer.  Tomorrow, students across the nation will be back in schools, some for the first time this year. They will be leaving behind days of relaxation, carefree living, and times of fun in the sun.  Very soon school bells will be ringing, teachers will be teaching, and students will be taking it all in.

Some students in districts across the nation may even find themselves lucky enough to find new technologies in their schools or classrooms.  Undoubtedly, there are going to be many districts out there who have armed their teachers with the latest in technological tools, and have aspirations of using these tools to increase student test scores.  Some of these new learning tools may include: Tablet Computers such as the iPad and Samsung Galaxy, new personal laptops from computer makers such as HP, Mac, and Dell, Interactive Projectors and Smart Boards from companies such as Epson and Promethean, app Development companies such as Study by App, and even personal organization and social networking tools from companies such as Blackboard and Moodle.

With all of the different types of technology out there, just simply figuring out what may work best for one's students can be more than a handful.  A recent article posted on Education Week alludes to the simple fact that while some districts have done a great job of keeping pace with changing technology, all too many simply do not have the financial means or the resources available to keep pace with this ever growing educational tide.

In addition to the constant influx of new tools, which changes almost daily, districts are also faced with the fact that although their technology purchases may be with the best of intentions, many of them are often navigating uncharted waters.  This is because, these technologies have not been around long enough for them to be properly vetted and there is not a great deal of research to prove or disprove the effectiveness of new technologies on student test scores.  In addition, as Education Week noted: much of the research that is available shows that even the schools that have kept pace, haven't been able to fully implement these new technologies due to: lacking infrastructure, resources, staff development, and other complications.

So as students leave the dog days of summer behind and begin focusing their daily efforts on mastering their ABC's or the pyhtagorean theorem, the question that many schools will be faced with is, how can we best implement our new technology to foster the needs of our students?

Many may also need to begin asking: how can we catch up?




For an eye opening look at how fast technology moves....take a look at this you tube video posted a little over a year ago: Educational Technology Video.