Digital Directions - Spring/Summer 2012 - (Page 43)

Or Not A new readiness tool will provide a national snapshot of school technology in preparation for common-core online assessments in 2014-15 READY A national inventory of educational technology is evolving as school districts try to determine what digital tools they have—and what they’ll need—to deploy online testing for all standards just a few years from now. A new tool released by the two coalitions helping to develop those online assessments is intended to aid states and districts in taking a snapshot of their current rosters of laptops, netbooks, and other mobile devices, as well as their overall technological bandwidth. It then will highlight where districts are lacking in their capability to assess students under the Common Core State Standards by 2014-15, when such testing is set to be introduced. The free, Web-based Technology Readiness Tool is kicking up myriad concerns among educators, who worry that there’s little new money to bring their technology capabilities up to the level needed, that such testing could overwhelm district infrastructure, and that assessments could end up evaluating students’ technology skills more than their mastery of common-core material. addressing those concerns, and some ed-tech leaders hope it can provide the leverage needed to encourage state lawmakers to add funding to bring lagging districts up to speed, says Douglas Levin, the executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association. The Glen Burnie, Md.-based group is helping state education agencies deploy the tool. The publishing and educational technology company Pearson, based in London, which developed the readiness By_Michelle R. Davis Spring/Summer 2012_ Digital Directions >> 43

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Directions - Spring/Summer 2012

Digital Directions - Spring/Summer 2012
Contents
Editor's Note
DD Site Visit
Bits & Bytes
Game On
Applicable Knowledge
Digital Badges
Lessons From Higher Education
Competitive Edge
Recognizing Online PD
Ready or Not
Q&A
Opinion
Data Delivery

Digital Directions - Spring/Summer 2012

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