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Are we there yet? Online learning Students take charge Unevenly prepared Bridging the digital divide Technology decisions Flashback to Safe & Smart Guidelines for leaders Full text Acknowledgements |
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Research and guidelines on schools' use of the Internet | |
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Are we there yet? Schools still face challenges in using technology to improve student achievement School leaders today are under increasing public pressure to improve student achievement. Standards, assessments and accountability measures are in place in school districts across the nation — and the recent sweeping reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act promises to "leave no child behind." Yet schools are still unable to take full advantage of technology, a powerful tool for teaching and learning, according to a new survey from the National School Boards Foundation. The survey of technology decisionmakers in school districts nationwide reveals startling gaps between the promise and reality of technology use in schools. Many school districts have made great progress in joining the digital age, the survey finds, investing heavily in computers and software and in connecting schools and classrooms to the Internet. They have taken tangible steps to narrow the digital divide between affluent and poor students. Moreover, school leaders believe online learning is a significant trend. Almost 30 percent believe that at least one in five students soon will receive a substantial portion* of their instruction over the Internet. School leaders also report strong interest in online resources that will help them satisfy the public priorities of standards, assessments and accountability. Despite this progress, anticipation and interest, however, schools still need to overcome substantial barriers before they fully realize their return on technology investments. It's not enough to install computers and wire schools and classrooms for Internet access — although there is still plenty of work to do in this regard. Today, the focus needs to expand to how schools are using technology. Many teachers still are unprepared to integrate technology into their instruction, the survey indicates. District leaders report that the Internet remains primarily a research tool, not a forum for interactive teaching, learning, communicating or collaborating. The findings in this survey are based on telephone interviews with technology decisionmakers in 811 school districts, including 90 of the largest 100 districts (more than 25,000 students), 398 medium-sized districts (2,500 to 24,999 students) and 323 small districts (up to 2,499 students). Technology decision-makers perform a majority of these duties:
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