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In US alone, 4 million K-12 students are enrolled online. Annual conference on online (and blended) learning in Indianapolis on November 9-11, by the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). Online learning is seen as the solution to allowing greater access to diverse resources curriculum, especially when many schools face serious financial crisis. Expect to hear from experts and educators, such as, such as Gene Wilhoit, Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers; Paul Peterson of Harvard University; Michael Horn, author of Disrupting Class; Steve Midgley of the U.S. Department of Education; and iNACOL president Susan Patrick. Full program details are available at www.virtualschoolsymposium.org.

Ed.D. and TED Senior Fellow Juliette LaMontagne discusses her best ideas to fix K-12 schools. Her vision includes increased informal learning, greater access to emerging software and online content such as Khan Academy and project-based work that allows students to apply what they learn to real world situations.

Pros and cons of the Kindle in K-12 education. Necessity or "Whack-a-Mole"?

Schools throughout the country are experiencing the same teacher-driven adoption of technology tools. Internet-savvy teachers are increasingly finding tools to use in the classroom on their own, and lower business-startup costs mean the tools are more readily available. In response, many education companies are changing how they market and sell their products. Nationwide sales teams and central-office visits are giving way to word-of-mouth and sophisticated business-intelligence software as preferred methods for pushing adoption. Companies offer free products to teachers with the goal of influencing districtwide purchases of more-robust versions-known as the "freemium" pricing model. But in most sectors of the existing K-12 system-with its various stakeholders, budgetary restrictions, and procurement regulations- the so-called "consumerization" of education faces many barriers, experts say, making it difficult to find the right balance between selling directly to teachers and addressing the needs of central-office administrators.

Description of NASA-funded programs aimed at enhancing STEM education

This is an "K-12 education technology market map with the entrepreneurial, philanthropic, and education communities". Worth to take a look.

oh wow thanks for sharing....nice visual of what areas are more saturated....and where needs are.

This is an awesome resource. This would be great for curriculum specialists and technology coordinators in schools to draw from, and even teachers to be introduced to in PD...

"All schools can now use the YouTube educational video site, youtube.com/education, without having to jump over Internet filtering hurdles."

Paper from the Brookings Institute addressing the status-quo, challenges, opportunities and concerns of embracing tech in K-12 education in the United States

Really interesting article about the perceived importance of Internet to the K-12 student and suggesting how other entities and organizations are supporting equal access in this way.

A set of workshops in DC about transformations in education. Papers about the topics will be released next week (Sept 27), for those of us who can't be in DC. One paper will be about "Harnessing Technology to Improve K-12 Education," so it will be interesting to see what the authors say. Though both authors are business school professors, so I'm not sure how they got chosen to write on this topic? Must be a good business to be in Ed Tech right now...

Truly great discussion with some great minds all focused on not simply how to reform education, but how to look at a real transformation of what it means to educate in the 21st Century.

Free e-learning report o on-line education in the k-12 space.

Ed Murphy, vice president of business development at Learn360. "The recent adoption of both sets of new Standards affords Learn360 boundless opportunities to provide even more resources and tools to help students think critically, make informed decisions and ultimately make larger social contributions in a heavily wired world." Additionally, the 21st Century Learning Skills focus on helping students master the multi-dimensional abilities required of them in the future by blending specific skills, content-knowledge, expertise and literacy with innovative support systems"

Interesting article in EdWeek about an expected rise of mergers in the K-12 technology sector. 

As blended learning continues to expand across the K-12 sector, definitions are important to help people talk about the new phenomena. This white paper refines our previous work in helping to create a shared language for the emerging field so that innovators can build upon each other's ideas, rather than talk past each other.

Technology literacy is projected to arrive in k-12 schools in 2012.

using video games to teach cellular biology and molecular science to high school students

Notes the lighter weight, cheaper price and mathematical typesetting for Apple iBooks will provide an edge in K-12 Ed market

In the US, 250000 students are enrolled in full-time public virtual schools in 30 states, according to Susan Patrick of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a trade association. Although that's just a fraction of the country's 50 million students, it has grown 30% each year. Some schools in Michigan already shown the advantage of digital learning.

This is an interesting article. I am just concerned that it is not unbiased or driven by an agenda other than improving education. I found this information about the Mackinac Center online: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/mackinac-center-public-policy I am starting to realize that a lot of the technology in schools rhetoric is driven by corporate and political interests, and as the industry becomes ever more profitable, I'm worried that companies are going to jump in and try to influence policy, rushing through the movement toward the wrong kind of technology in schools- i.e. sacking half of the teaching staff and replacing them with cheap computers. I think one of our most important jobs as Harvard TIE students is to education the public about the right ways to adapt technology in the classroom, and the important role that teachers will continue to play in this movement.