Welcome to the Renaissance. Classroom technology is transforming education, offering instructors previously unimaginable advantages over the books and blackboards that we used in school. It can enhance how we communicate with students, provide students with feedback based on ability, and can present endless seas of information. Digital educational media can also provide us with effective differentiated curriculum, and can give students the opportunity to selfselect materials based on individual needs. And, although there is a limited but growing body of evidence on the efficacy of education technology, students have expressed vocal support for these tools, which causes us to at least examine the possibilities they present. Found in both sophisticated and simple forms, there is no ignoring that digital and online content has become a critical component of the modern classroom. The latest educational technology includes innovative solutions from large and small companies, collaborations between leading academic and scientific institutions, and revolutionary ways to convey information. Virtual worlds, three-dimensional animations with variable perspectives, and instantaneous data mining are now only keystrokes away, giving educators a profusion of new options for instruction. While technology can be intimidating, it can also be as accessible as surfing for a video on YouTube. Conducting a simple search for “parts of the brain,” I found the usual fare: kids singing and news reports, but also researchers discussing their latest findings and interactive high school video “lectures.” In one instance, a biology teacher created an animation that required students to answer illustrated questions as homework. Another search uncovered videos that offered math students a recap to aid in their review in preparation for an exam. Both are simple, inspired ideas elegantly executed with basic technology: a video camera and laptop software. Search almost any topic with the right key words, and you will find a broad, and sometimes deep well of information and ideas. Add student generated content to those resources, and, as illustrated with a very simple tool like YouTube, our ability to engage and to teach is limited only by our imagination. Scanning that boundless horizon, we come across curriculum tools that sound like science fiction. Virtual worlds, virtual people, and even virtual space and time travel are current applications available for the classroom.

At RezEd (www.rezed.org), a site that offers resources and research in virtual worlds for learning, one can find a vast array of educational virtual reality applications, from
earning games, to psychology lectures, to
language tools. Each provides students with a highly interactive, personalized, and memorable exposure to subjec matter, facilitating the opportunity for them to role play, and to have their own experiences in the context of the chosen academic topic. In another example of individualization, both the Smithsonian Institution’s Education site (http://www.smithsonianeducation.org) and the American Museum of Natural History’s Ology site (http://www.amnh.org/ology/) offer students as much or as little information as they like on an almost infinite range of subjects. Researching Petra? Take a virtual tour of the site and find out what esteemed archeologists have to say about its history. Or, conduct an ‘advanced search’, locate exactly what you’re looking for, and then move on. There are sites and content suitable for every student, with a growing array of resources that can bring a curriculum to life.

It is notable that all of these sites incorporate user interface (UI) features and media that are familiar to students. Click, drag and drop functionality, virtual environments, music, and animation are all fixtures in the world that students live in. Consequently, these applications reduce adoption resistance before students encounter them. For example, DM Online (online.defmind.com), recipient of the AOL@School Technology Leadership Award, utilizes an integrated MP3 player with songs that correspond to an English language test prep curriculum, and among other features, it provides students with instant grading and feedback via a user-activated button. As illustrated by this application, education is increasingly catering to students’ learning styles, personalizing their learning experiences, and increasing the likelihood that they will understand, retain, and draw upon those experiences. The range of digital and online classroom applications is seemingly infinite.

A survey of tools recently recognized for excellence by the Association of Educational Publishers (www.aepweb.org) or the Software and Information Industry Association (www. siia.net/education) include the ST Math supplemental algebra curriculum available from the MIND Research Institute (www.mindinst.org), a neuroscience and education non-profit corporation dedicated to education; AbleNet’s special education programs (www.ablenetinc.com) for students with different abilities; and ThinkQuest, an online event sponsored by Oracle in which student teams build scholarly topical Web sites (www.thinkquest.org). Each leverages technology for students’ benefit by offering them a highly-involving and individualized curriculum, facilitated by ingenious software and inspired use of digital content. There are a growing number of respected online publications dedicated to education technology, keeping educator abreast of the evolving pool of resources. The SIIA’s Ed Tech Daily (available by subscription at (www.siia.net/education), eSchool News (www.eschoolnews.com), and the T.H.E Journal (www.thejournal.com) all provide up-to-the-minute information on new solutions and critical digital classroom content issues. Even a brief review of these and similar sites can present instructors with new opportunities and innovative classroom solutions.

Recent topics covered range from hurdles students face online, the ethics of the digital classroom, and news of new technology initiatives adopted by schools around the world. Respected topical blogs are another excellent source of information. For example, The Education Business Blog, published by Headway Strategies, offers reader a wealth of opinions and ed. tech. resources, which translate directly to the classroom (www.educationbusinessblog. com/education_technology). Students are firmly of the opinion that more ed. tech. in the classroom is better. The Speak Up 2007 survey conducted by Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org) revealed that more than 50% of students polled would like more gaming technology in the classroom. While that conclusion might seem obvious, the rationale is that they are more productive with the inclusion of a digital curriculum. For example, a recent articl published by Reuters describes a young student diligently engaged in her laptop math program, specifically because it resembles a game. While games in the classroom might seem frivolous, the reality is that programs often feature role-playing environments that not only encourage students to learn the subject matter, but also teach them about the contexts in which those new skills will be utilized. Given the great breadth and depth of the rapidly changing field of digital and online classroom technologies, this article is offered as an introduction to the opportunities offered by ed. tech., it is in no way intended to be exhaustive. That said, academic software/ hardware solutions are becoming more prevalent because they enhance our ability to reach and teach our students. The efficacy of programs will inevitably vary from one to another, but one can’t ignore the possibility that one day, the right digital classroom media will likely improve your students’ chances for success.

By Keith London

Keith London has been a mentor and student advocate for nearly 20 years. Dedicated to literacy development, he received the 2007 AOL@School Technology Leadership Award. A highly regarded professional development instructor, Mr. London has worked with the New York City Board of Education, The School District of Palm Beach County, the Florida Council of Language Arts Supervisors, and other academic institutions. Mr. London serves on the Education Technology Business Forum Steering Committee of the Software & Information Industry Association, and is a Judge for the Association of Educational Publishers’ Golden Lamp and Distinguished Achievement Awards. He has supported The Partnership for After School Education as an English Language Arts teaching facilitator, the Rhinelander Children’s Center as a board member, and most recently, the Children’s Aid Society as a program sponsor and academics advisor. Mr. London received his M.B.A. at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business and his B.A. in Psychology at The State University of New York at Stony Brook.

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