Well, after several months of intense activity, we've been awful quiet on our end for some time (especially with regard to the blog). Given that a number of updates to the
vSKOOL site have been made, I wanted to take the opportunity to update folks on some recent developments.
First, we've updated the
vSKOOL fact sheet, including information on the status of our deployment of mobile computer learning labs. To date, we've secured donations of and deployed 19 computer labs to districts across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Kudos to the
Cable Hope Fund and
Cox Communications for a recent generous donation that enabled the deployment of another four labs.
Second, we continue to secure additional donations of free or reduced-price offers of support to those affected by this past year's hurricanes. Recent additions include offers from
Apple,
Ignite Learning, and
Jazzles.
Third, we are coordinating with an Intel-organized coalition, calling itself HELP, focused not so much on hurricane relief as rebuilding and recovery. Once they have launched a web presence, we'll be sure to announce it. In the mean time, feel free to
contact them directly about their plans. Much is still emerging on this front.
Fourth, we continue to update our resource listings. See, for instance, the growing list of
online learning resources. Recent updates include:
Changing Course: New Thinking About High School Reform. (Cable in the Classroom, 2006). The Spring 2006 issue of Threshold: Exploring the Future of Education features articles on high school reform, produced in partnership with the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Visionary authors Milt Goldberg, Burck Smith, and Julie Young explore how high schools could use time differently, improve productivity, and adapt learning spaces. Going for Distance. (Scholastic Administrator, 2006). In just a few years, the idea of virtual education has grown from fringe experimentation to a service that provides instruction for approximately 300,000 students a year. According to Eduventures, virtual programs will grow at an annual rate of 30 to 40 percent for at least the next three years. Just how virtual education fits or doesn’t into a district’s overall structure varies from district to district. This article details three widely varying approaches to deploying virtual education in K-12 schools.
Our Voices, Our Future: Student and Teacher Views on Science, Technology & Education. (Project Tomorrow-NetDay, 2006). In the fall of 2005, 185,000 K-12 students and 15,000 teachers shared their views and ideas about technology, science, and innovation. This was the first ever combined survey of both students and teachers and the results illustrate a nation of innovative students, the trend-setters in technology use and how they see their education. With regard to online learning, the study found that a clear majority of students report positive experiences with online courses, including that they are "a good opportunity to take classes not offered at your school," "a good option for taking classes outside of school and school hours," and "a good option for students who want a different experience than regular high school."
Fifth, we continue to participate in ongoing conversations with leadership at the state and national levels about how to best utilize and share lessons learned from last year's tragedy.
Cable in the Classroom has announced a collaboration with the
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to prepare a special back-to-school edition of the publication
Threshold on the topic of disaster preparedness. The Southern Regional Education Board organized a
webinar series on the hurricane response, and CDC has started talking about what relief efforts might look like should another large scale disaster strike (focused, though, on
avian flu).
School lets out for many schools along the Gulf Coast within the coming few weeks. It'll be a busy summer, for sure, and their needs are very much ongoing. If you are able, please consider ways in which you might be of assistance.
Until the next posting...
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