The report, "Leveraging Title I and Title IID: Maximizing the Impact of Technology in Education," and the guide, "A Resource Guide Identifying Technology Tools for Schools," were released Sept. 24 by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the National Association for State Title I Directors (NASTID)
For instance, acccording to the report, Kansas's Technology Rich Classrooms program saw a 10.4 percent increase in third grade state reading scores. In Arkansas, the Technology Integration in the Elementary Classroom project saw third graders' literacy proficiency increase from 67 percent to 84 percent, and among fourth graders from 47 percent to 69 percent.
Sixty-seven percent of Title I students have access to a cell phone outside of the classroom, 79 percent have a music or video device, and 46 percent have access to a computer, according to Project Tomorrow's 2008 Speak Up survey data.
Geospatial" technologies--which include geographic information system (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), and remote sensing (RS) tools--are becoming increasingly important in our everyday lives. These technologies use "smart" maps that can display, query, and analyze geographic databases; receivers that provide location and navigation; and global-to-local imagery and tools that provide context and analysis.
As these tools become vital to helping community leaders ask and answer questions with both local and global implications, the ability to think spatially is an increasingly important skill for students. Hundreds of jobs--in such areas as planning, law enforcement, environmental management, business, public safety, health, and agriculture--now require key geographic inquiry skills.
Study: Ed tech leads to significant gains Experienced, skilled teachers make a particular difference, says a study examining the use of Promethean's ActivClassroom suite