Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow is back as ACOT². The collaborative effort between Apple and the education community follows in the tradition of Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT), a research and development collaboration among public schools, universities, and research agencies that Apple ran from 1985 through 1995. Its goal was to study how the routine use of technology by teachers and students might change teaching and learning. ACOT identified effective models for teaching and learning with technology, developing the professional lives of teachers, and diffusing innovation.
According to an April 2008 ACOT² report, “America is caught in the grip of a crisis in education that threatens the ability of an entire generation of young Americans to achieve success in life and work. The crisis also threatens America’s ability to remain competitive on the global stage.” The report adds that high school students are especially vulnerable, and ACOT2 is targeted at keeping them engaged and in school.
ACOT² has developed the essential design principles of the 21st century high school, and articulated them so any high school can act on them. They also brought offer online resources, including “clickable” data, research, expert commentaries, tools, and rich media capturing students’ and educators’ voices. Next, ACOT² will apply these design principles to a project: 200 Days for a Lifetime of Success, a freshman year high school curriculum specifically designed to prepare students for success in life and work in the 21st century.
Ubiquitous computing is central to the learning environment endorsed by ACOT² Laptops, Web 2.0 tools, and other technology resources, however, are intended to be a nearly invisible framework supporting five other goals:

• Understanding of 21st Century Skills and Outcomes
• Relevant and Applied Curriculum
• Informative Assessment
• A Culture of Innovation and Creativity
• Social and Emotional Connections with Students

To learn more, visit the ACOT² Web site.