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K-12 Computing Blueprint News - April 2008 Welcome to the April issue of the K-12 Computing Blueprint newsletter. This newsletter and the K-12 Computing Blueprint site are brought to you by Intel and Technology & Learning. If, for any reason, you do not want to receive this weekly eNewsletter, please visit your custom subscription management page (the link is at the bottom of this email), and feel free to unsubscribe to this mailing. (Your TechLEARNING News subscription will not be affected.) Editor's NoteOver the past few months, members of the K-12 Computing Blueprint community have had plenty of interesting things to say about politics and education and it's been a treat to read your comments. Check out the quick poll results below to see how various respondents feel about the ability of political candidates to set policy regarding public education if they or their children are the product of private school education. Or weigh in on this month's Quick Poll topic: whether textbooks need to give way to technology when a funding crunch forces a choice. In the coming months we'll be bringing several new features to the K-12 Blueprint site, including a blog and a "Tips from the Field" feature, both of which will allow you to hear more from colleagues who have valuable ideas to share based on their own experiences. If you have stories of your own, please don't hesitate to write and tell us about them. Better yet, complete the blueprint questionnaire that addresses a number of issues of great interest to members of the K-12 Computing Blueprint community. Your input is greatly appreciated. Judy Salpeter, Editor Check Out the Expanded Resource DirectoryLooking for information on pioneering state-wide, district-wide and school-based one-to-one implementations? Thought-provoking podcasts, videos, webinars and eBooks on a variety of practical topics? Other great resources for education leaders interested in moving towards technology-enriched 21st century schools? Visit K-12 Computing Blueprint's new and expanded directory for help locating such resources! Great To Hear Your PerspectiveIn March, we asked you to weigh in about how important it is (or is not) "for elected officials involved in setting education policy to send their own children to public school and/or have attended public schools themselves." Of those who responded, approximately 80 percent are currently affiliated with public education, with the remaining 20 percent involved in private/independent schools. But your answers didn't necessarily break down along those lines. The results:
Some interesting comments: "Our leaders are constantly described as 'being out of touch'. If their own children are not enrolled in public schools, the out-of-touch gap widens further." [Susanne Besecker] "Believe it or not, we teach students how to be a good citizens in private schools. We teach everything students are learning public schools. It should not matter whether a candidate attended public or private schools." [Sue Kane] "Sometimes it is better for an outsider to see things from a different perspective. Those mired in the public sector only see it from their side of the fence." [Keith Davidson] "What is important is that candidates recognize the difference between excellent education and anything else." [Don] "I do not feel that politicians who only know a private school setting understand the problems that public schools face every day." "Did it ever occur to those who are in and are a product of public education that maybe, just maybe, private education has for many years been getting it right? The fact that our presidential candidates are NOT a product of public education should be a wake up call rather than a gripe." [Jayne] This Month: Textbooks vs. TechnologyWith tight budgets comes the tough job of setting priorities. Where can cuts be made without sacrificing an excellent education and a healthy school environment? Where does technology funding rank on your scale of priorities? For example, would you be willing to postpone (or even consider canceling) the adoption of new textbooks for your school or district in order to preserve instructional technology funding? Take this month's quick poll and let us know what you think. Don't MissHear Intel's Eileen Lento on Sky Radio "Netbooks" Piloted in Oregon Classrooms Laptops to Replace Textbooks in a Michigan High School Palm Springs Welcomes One-to-One Laptops Succeed in Juneau Alternative School Intel Chairman to Co-Chair Education Non-Profit's Board of Directors Become Part of the K-12 Computing Blueprint CommunityComplete the Blueprint Questionnaire to tell us about your experiences with one-to-one computing. We will be selecting responses to share online at the K-12 Computing Blueprint site in the coming months as part of a new "Tips from the Field" feature. Email us today if you have suggestions, feedback, ideas or an interest in blogging for us. |
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About K-12 Computing Blueprint
K-12 Computing Blueprint, brought to you by Intel and Technology & Learning, is your resource for one-to-one computing. Whether you're already involved with one-to-one computing, considering moving in that direction, or simply interested in the impact of widespread technology use on students and classrooms, Intel's K-12 Computing Blueprint site offers a variety of valuable resources. Visit us to read case studies, learn about research reports, and keep up on recent news about laptop learning, other forms of ubiquitous computing, and K-12 ed tech issues including funding, curriculum, leadership and professional development.
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