Top Tech Trends

from Technology & Learning

In reviewing the past year for this month's cover feature, "Top Ten Tech Trends" we noticed that the trends, at first, seemed a fairly eclectic mix but on closer inspection share a strong thread.

Each trend has to do with communication on some level, whether it be enabling, facilitating, enhancing learning, driving instructional reform, or just making it easier to find and customize information. Even cyberbullying, clearly a serious concern of the day, has communication—and its misuse—at its root. So perhaps a reflective look at the past 12 months, and even the years leading up to them, bear comment: it is still, reassuringly, our humanity and the issues and concerns related to it, that continue to rise to the fore in this new century we call the Digital Age.

Also this issue, Melissa Houston and Patrick Goggins bring you an updated look and case study on Enterprise Resource Planning and why, increasingly, it is an issue on the radar of district leaders. For Jeffrey Branzburg's best bets on printers and for tips on what to look for when shopping, see "The Fine Print". We bring you additional product information in Reviews, where Carol Holzberg gives you the rundown on the new Leopard OS by Apple, and Chad Criswell takes a critical peek at Groovy City, a new offering in Sibelius's Groovy Music software series.

It's a new year and some new things to look forward to in T&L include David Jakes's Web 2.0 column, where he'll share some type of practical resource you can put to the test on the spot. Also, we're kicking off our Leader of the Year Profile Series, where you'll read about educators who—through their dedication and innovative practices—are inspiring students, colleagues, and communities beyond. You can look forward to enjoying some unique and exciting replicable ideas from them. We're also very happy to announce that we now have ongoing forums on techlearning.com. We invite you to come and participate in the discussions or begin one of your own. Among your choices is a Letters to the Editor section, where we'd be very interested in hearing your feedback or suggestions on editorial content in T&L.

Happy New Year from our team. We hope it'll be your best year ever.

Susan McLester
Editor in Chief