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With budgets slashed, NCLB-inspired demands for quick spikes in student achievement, and the public clamoring for proof that technology is really working in education, all eyes are on the bottom line. We polled our advisors, writers and other ed tech experts for their take on investments yielding the best returns for schools. We report our findings in the following pages.
-Susan McLester
1 TIMELY and SUSTAINED TEACHER SUPPORT
All the technology and curriculum resources in the world will have no impact on student achievement without the guidance and tech support educators need to make it useful on a daily basis.
2 HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS
The digital divide is no longer just about access, but about quality of experience on the Internet.
3 RISK ASSESSMENT
Can your district afford a lawsuit?
4 MICROPHONES for TEACHERS
Research shows that students in amplified classrooms are making significant gains in achievement.
5 VIDEO-on-DEMAND
Fingertip access to movies offers a powerful and immediate way to reach today's media-immersed generation.
6 WIRELESS ENVIRONMENTS
A new wireless networking standard is making it easierand safer-than ever before for districts and schools to provide their users with anytime, anywhere access.
7 DIGITAL PROJECTORS
Paired with compelling content digital projectors have the potential to transform classroom environments into 21st century learning hubs.
8 DATA MANAGEMENT TOOLS
In addition to helping districts deal with NCLB, data management systems can provide schools with the ultimate return on investment: improved student achievement.
9 PORTABLE STORAGE
Gone are the days when applications used to support teaching and learning can fit on a 1.44MB floppy disk. Putting a flash memory drive in every student's hand solves schools' data storage and mobility issues in a pint-sized package.
10 ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
Cost-effective, timely, space-efficient, and quick-online references and databases have become a staple of the digital classroom.
1 SHORING UP YOUR STAFF: TIMELY and SUSTAINED TEACHER SUPPORT
By Judy Salpeter
For years experts have been warning that investments in educational technology will only pay off if an adequate portion of the budget is devoted to professional development and technical support. Simply installing new hardware and applications and offering a few training sessions is not sufficient. If left on their own to troubleshoot the technology and to independently explore its potential...