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CoSN Releases Horizon Report: 2013 K12 Edition Toolkit

• By Kanoe Namahoe
• 06/24/13

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has released the fourth edition of The CoSN Horizon Report: 2013 K-12 Edition Toolkit at this week's ISTE 2013 conference taking place in San Antonio, TX. The toolkit, which is sponsored by HP and goes with the New Media Consortium's (NMC) NMC Horizon Report > 2013 K-12 Edition, aims to help K-12 leaders and stakeholders have effective conversations about using new technologies to improve learning and instruction.

"What began as a resource to start a conversation within school systems about emerging technologies has evolved into a forward-thinking, proven asset that brings all necessary parties into the conversation about transforming K-12 learning," said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN, in a prepared statement to the media. "This year's Toolkit is a valuable component to the widely read NMC 2013 Horizon Report, equipping educators with the knowledge to cultivate learning environments that enrich the educational experience for all students. We thank our partners NMC and HP for assisting the Toolkit's development."

The Toolkit gives districts insight on how to secure buy-in for technology investments as well as how to support the advancement of learning through technology. The toolkit includes four parts:

• Presentation Template, an editable PowerPoint presentation with a summary of the report, including important trends, potential challenges, and emerging technologies;
• Discussion Facilitator's Guide, which includes "guiding questions to pose to school district or school system stakeholders to stimulate thinking about the technologies identified in the Report and other technologies of interest"; Discussion Activities, designed to help stakeholders "identify local instructional challenges, consider emerging technologies as solutions and develop action plans"; and,
• Feedback Form, which collects "key discoveries, questions and suggestions" from stakeholders.

The toolkit is available for download, at no charge, at CoSN's Web site. .