he Education Tech Series is supported by Dell The Power To Do More, where you'll find perspectives, trends and stories that inspire Dell to create technology solutions that work harder for its customers so they can do and achieve more. Don Knezek, the CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, compares education without technology to the medical profession without technology. "If in 1970 you had knee surgery, you got a huge scar," he says. "Now, if you have knee surgery you have two little dots."

Improving education is a huge issue (and always has been). Test scores, our perceived performance against other countries, and other factors have pushed education to the forefront of national politics, right behind healthcare reform. Technology can be used to improve teaching and learning and help our students be successful. While smaller schools and class sizes are always desired, technology can not do that physically. However, technology can be a "force multiplier" for the teacher. Instead of the teacher being the only source of help in a classroom, students can access web sites, online tutorials, and more to assist them. Education doesn't stop at the end of the school day because students have access to teachers, resources, and assignments via the web and access these resources at any time. Students can also get help and tutoring at any time, whether from the teacher via email or online collaboration, or from a help web site. Parental involvement is another factor that can increase student achievement. Most parents these days have extremely busy schedules, work different hours, and can't always help their child with homework or come to school for conferences. Technology can help. Parents can go to a class website and see what their child is working on, they can contact teachers