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November 15, 2001
Top 10 Technology Breakthroughs for Schools (cont'd)
The Contenders
By Amy Poftak
These technologies didnıt make the top 10, but they have increasingly important applications for schools. What are they, and whatıs their Kı12 future?
Digital Publishing
Digital publishing is a term often used to encompass e-books, electronic textbooks, custom-printed course packs, as well as the online space for housing this content: e-libraries. Many experts believe that digital textbooks and e-libraries have the best chance to succeed in schools. Traditional publishers such as Houghton Mifflin and McGraw-Hill have already converted some print titles into interactive e-texts, a move thatıs been accompanied by the growth of companies offering online library collections.
However, donıt expect to see a major transformation in Kı12 schools yet. Publishers and e-book developers are still working out digital copyright issues, and schools donıt yet have the ubiquitous computing environments to support widespread adoption. Whatıs more, most of the available educational content today is geared for the college audience. Despite these obstacles, there is little doubt that the potential for digital publishing in the Kı12 environment is enormous: current editions of a text; a new reading experience that incorporates multimedia elements such as Web links, video clips, and interactive tests; and of course, a lighter book bag.
Linux
While a handful of districts have adopted Linux as an open-source alternative to Microsoft (in part to save money, curb hackers and viruses, and sidestep thorny licensing issues) Linux is still perceived by many as a rogue operating system that requires too much specialized technical support to maintain. Still, developers of Linux-based software like Red Hat are stepping up efforts to openly challenge the dominance of proprietary technology in schools and encourage more open-source applications for education. What this will mean in practice for schools remains to be seen, but we think itıs a technologyıand a movementıto watch in the coming year.
Filtering
Filtering software may not be everyoneıs idea of a ıbreakthroughı technology, but the fact remains that 75 percent of public schools already filter student Internet use without the mandate of the Childrenıs Internet Protection Act. The latest crop of filtering programs offer improved features for defining and customizing sites to be blocked, as well as the ability to regulate downloads of streaming media and MP3 files. Advocates point out that these features not only help keep kids on task, they improve network performanceıan important issue for bandwidth-strapped schools.
Amy Poftak is executive editor of T&L.
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