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August 15, 2001
A Look at Realistic Classrooms of the Future
By Susan McLester, Editor in Chief
In this column of last year's back-to-school issue, we raised the question of whether schools would be going more "techie" to prepare students for the dot-com world or start shifting away from the technology infrastructure in favor of content. Well, much has certainly transpired since then. And while the dot-com world certainly isn't going away, it is clearly nowhere near the economic force it was even 12 months ago. This example of the technology pendulum swinging back to slightly saner ground can also be applied to education. The portraits of "classrooms of the future" we've all seen and read about at technology conferences, in advertisements, and even in the rhetoric of anti-technology groups, have so often shown the Internet, video, handheld devices, computers, and software as the total and final solution to the problems of education. But, as in the world of business, it is much more likely that schools will shake out to be some combination of the old and the new-an issue we address in this month's cover feature on what we're calling "convergent learning". As part of a fall series, we will be looking at a variety of topics that fit under this umbrella term, beginning in this issue with an introduction to e-learning and one educator's case study on how to design an effective online course ("How to Launch an Online School").
We are also happy to introduce to you in this month's Editor's Desk the newest members of our advisory board, who will be bringing their considerable expertise to ensure that T&L-as well as SchoolTech Expo and techLEARNING.com, the other two components of the Technology & Learning Network-continues to offer you the best guidance and practical information you need.
Other news: we now offer a featured online Site of the Day and the chance to see your own article in cyber-print in the Educators' Outlook section of TechLearning.com. Check it out for details.
Welcome back to school. We wish you a great year.
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