May 2005 — Editorial
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The Need for Technology-Based Tools (and Funding) in All Schools
On the more practical side, Bowerman describes how she sets up the technology and conducts her classroom of diverse learners in an Arizona school. Our applications stories also share three uses of technology to accomplish specific goals. St. Barbara School in Santa Ana, Calif., chose technology to help it communicate with its large population of ESL students, while the Texas School for the Deaf uses whiteboards to assist the teaching and learning processes among its deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Finally, Charles County Public Schools in Maryland describes its rigorous process for selecting a program to take over much of the tracking and administration of special-education programs so teachers can spend more time working with their students. So, as you can see, this is a great issue to put in the hands of people asking questions about technology for all students.
Standing on Your Own
As you’ve probably heard, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has directed the Education Department to create new rules on the testing of special-education students. These rules, expected out this summer, will provide additional flexibility and options for states and districts. We can only hope that this new-found — and sensible — approach will carry over into a more logical funding strategy for NCLB’s Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) program. On a similar note, be sure to read all of this month’s The Final Word column by Jon Bower, CEO of Lexia Learning Systems, titled “Why We’re Better Off Without EETT.” Get past the title and I think you will find he makes a number of good points. One major quarrel I do have with his argument, however, is pitting “traditional materials” (whatever they are) against technology. This over-simplified dichotomy may be to make a point, but I would argue that we need both “traditional materials” and technology. If there is a “fixed pie” budget, then each state and district must have the flexibility to purchase what it needs from year to year.
The underlying question Bower raises — when, if ever, do you wean yourself from dedicated funding and “stand on your own” — is a good one. President Bush’s budget raises that question with technology. As always, if you have a different answer than the president, let your representatives and senators know.
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