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August 15, 2001
Trend Watch
By Susan McLester, Amy Poftak, and Kristen Kennedy
What We Learned over Summer Vacation at events by the Association of Educational Publishers, the American Library Association, the National Educational Computing Conference, and out and about town.
The Upwardly Mobile
After seeing the flurry of wireless handheld devices on the exhibit floor of the National Educational Computing Conference this summer, we began to wonder how many schools are actually using them in significant numbers. Not surprisingly, Palm wants to help us answer that question. In a move reminiscent of Apple's deal to supply 23,000 iBooks to the Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia, Palm announced that it has partnered with a private school in North Carolina that will be the first to require its high school students to own and use handheld computers. School leaders at the Forsyth Country Day School envision integrating the devices across the curriculum using applications that include word processing, data collection, and wireless messaging. www.palm.com
CIPA Update
The FCC has finally laid down the law. Schools and libraries must certify by October 28 that they are in compliance with CIPA mandates for the current funding year, which began on July 1. Because the mandate is retroactive, schools and libraries that cannot prove they've at least started the process of installing filters may have to forgo their E-rate funds. www.fcc.gov; www.sl.universalservice.org
N2U: Internet2
While 63 percent of schools can boast high-speed Internet connections, only five states-Missouri, Michigan, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington-can say they've got access to Internet2. One hundred times faster than a T-1 line, this advanced network will soon offer a wide range of digital experiences to students in participating schools. Among them: tele-immersion, a type of videoconferencing, but with the visual experience of being in the same room; and virtual reality programs that use body sensors to let students explore the human vascular system. www.internet2.edu
Amen to That Vision
In these days of testing, standardization, assessment, and accountability, it was heartening to hear the words of Dr. Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators. Speaking before an audience of television, textbook, software, Web, and journal publishers at last June's Association of Educational Publishers conference, Houston earned a roaring round of applause when he said, "[Education's] fundamental purpose is to give wings to children's dreams." www.edpress.org/news/2001conf.htm
E-Learning Goes Public
Despite its ups and downs, it doesn't look like e-learning is about to go away anytime soon. The state of Pennsylvania has just announced a partnership with content provider Elrn Inc. and infrastructure company Vobix Corporation to form the nation's first online public charter school. The Einstein Academy will open this September with an enrollment of 2,000 students. Keep your eye on this one; financial giant Merrill Lynch projects the K-12 e-learning market will reach $7 billion by the year 2003.
www.teachcharterschool.org
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