Technology & Learning - March 2009 - (Page 3) contents 28 22 MARCH 2009 | VOL. 29 NO. 8 38 44 FEATURES PRODUCTS 28 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. 22 Put to the Test: T&L Editors take some new products for a test drive. 22 22 24 24 JayCut.com Faronics Insight TurnItIn WriteCycle QuizStar SPECIAL SECTION: SCHOOL CIO By Matt Bolch 42 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 34 38 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). 44 TCEA, and more What’s New: News from FETC, 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 8 Editor’s Desk Listen to your end users 20 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. 50 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. 10 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 Tech & Learning (ISSN-1053-6728) (USPS 695-590) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 810 Seventh Ave., 27th Floor, New York, NY 10019 POSTMASTER: send address changes to Tech & Learning, PO Box 8746, Lowell, MA 01853 Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Copyright ©2009 NewBay Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. , TECH & LEARNING | 3
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