FEATURES
The “Blended” Classroom Revolution:Virtual Technology Goes to School
While virtual schools, which currently serve only a tiny fraction of the nation’s 48 million K12 students, get all the buzz, a much bigger, largely untold story of online learning is unfolding in America’s brick-and-mortar classrooms. Contributing editor Marty Weil gets the details.
SPECIAL SECTION: SCHOOL CIO
By Matt Bolch
Assess and prosper
Since the onset of NLCB, everyone has talked a good game when it comes to the value of automated assessment. Read about how some schools can back up their talk with actual data to prove it.
An Ounce of Prevention
Network-access controls better protect both system resources and students.
Whether for an entire district, a single campus, or one classroom, allowing authorized access to a computer network can be fraught with challenges. School CIO talked with three IT administrators to learn how each is dealing with the issue of network-access control (NAC).
PRODUCTS
Put to the Test: T&L Editors take some new products for a test drive.
JayCut.com
Faronics Insight
TurnItIn WriteCycle
QuizStar
Mini Powerhouses: The latest laptops
Today, 38 percent of public schools use laptops for instruction, according to education-research firm Market Data Retrieval. T&L surveyed districts that have already answered the tough questions and made their decisions—and learned some lessons. By T&L Editors
What’s New: News from FETC, TCEA, and more
Activsoftware Inspire Edition • Discovery Education streaming • PBS Teachers Activity Packs • Review360 • DimensionM • Read&Write 9 GOLD for Windows • AVerVision VP-1 Portable Visual Presenter • The HP Mini 2140 Notebook PC • Turning Technologies • Lumens PS660 • AbleNet Impulse Bluetooth EMG switch
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS
Editor’s Desk
Listen to your end users
News & Trends
• Next Big thing: Pearson Tapestry
• Refresh your Web site
• New report reveals US lacking in teacher training
• What do kids really think about STEM?
• Sites we like
How it’s Done: Getting them to use IT
To combat technology resistance, Nebraska’s Lincoln Public School District technology integration specialist, Lou Anne Miller, says: Don’t fight ’em, join ’em.
They said it
When was the last time you asked your students what they wanted out of the classroom experience? Blogger Ryan Bretag did and got some pleasantly surprising answers.
