Schools and Reform In the Information Age
November 10, 1997
- Education A Matter of PolicySchool technology has become the educational initiative du jour for lawmakers across the nation and of every political stripe.Education Partnering With the PublicMuch has been made of technology’s ability to open schools up to the world via the Internet and satellites. But technology is playing an equally powerful role in opening schools up to their local communities.Education A Test of LeadershipAs technology flows ever faster into the nation’s schools, many administrators say they’re feeling swamped by the challenges of putting it into place.Education An Underused ResourceLibrary media specialists can be a big help to teachers who want to learn more about technology, three experts who have experience in the position say.Education Teaching the TeachersThere is little nationwide data on what percentage of teachers have received technology training, and even less on what form that training has taken. But a 1994 survey by the U.S. Department of Education shows that only 15 percent of the nation’s teachers had had at least nine hours of instruction in educational technology.Education Putting It All TogetherClassrooms that use technology wisely and integrate it into the curricula are hard to come by.Education Special AssistanceTechnology has literally helped open schoolhouse doors for disabled students and given impetus to the “full inclusion” movement, which calls for teaching disabled students in regular classrooms whenever possible.Education A Tool for LearningWere it not for the age of the students, this 8th grade language arts classroom could easily be mistaken for a modern office in some sleek, glass-and-steel building downtown.Education What Data Should Be Collected?What gets measured, gets money, some policy analysts say. The flip side—what gets money, gets measured—may be equally true. Perhaps for both reasons, state policymakers are showing greater interest in getting accurate, up-to-date data on technology in public schools.Education Taking Technology's MeasureIn poll after poll, parents say technology is essential to a child’s education. Many educators believe it’s the missing linchpin of school reform. Business leaders consider it a mandatory part of a student’s preparation for the workplace. And policymakers at every level of government are spending more money on it each year.
