K - 12

Overview

K - 12 is one of three primary domains of education (corporate and higher education are the other two). At first glance, K - 12 might not appear to be a great market for elearning. Corporate and higher education cater to adult learners - learners with a moderate income level, access to computers, busy lifestyle, and a need for flexible access to learning. K - 12, however, seems like a segment that is best served in traditional schools due to the age of learners and potential limited access to technology. The forces that drive elearning in corporations and colleges and universities are not as predominant in K - 12.

Many schools have implemented technology at various stages - from enhancing regular classroom instruction to completely online courses. The response from parents and students has generally been very positive. Students are able to access courses not normally offered at their school, "pick up" failed courses, or reduce their class workload by taking a course online during summer months. Some school districts (and even some states) provide all students and teachers with computers.

Resources

electronic-school
"Electronic School chronicles technological change in the classroom, interprets education issues in a digital world, and offers readers -- some 80,000 school board members, school administrators, school technology specialists, and other educators -- practical advice on a broad range of topics pertinent to the implementation of technology in elementary and secondary schools throughout North America."

Florida Virtual School
"The Florida Virtual School (FLVS) officially began in 1997, for the purpose of creating high school curriculum online. To ensure high quality instruction, all courses are developed using the Florida Sunshine Standards as a basis. FLVS's motto, "Any time, any place, any path, any pace," and mission statement, "to take full advantage of current instructional technology and rapidly expanding resources of the Informational Age to provide comprehensive educational programs which will enable students to be productive, lifelong learners." reveal its intensive desire to offer students alternatives to traditional methods of learning."
One of the pioneering schools in online learning at the secondary level.

eSchool News online
"First published in March of 1998, eSchool News is a monthly newspaper developed to provide the news and information necessary to help K-12 decision-makers successfully use technology and the Internet to transform our nation's schools and achieve educational goals."

Notschool
"an online research project looking at ways of re-engaging young people of school age into an environment in which they are able to develop new ways of learning"

Armadillo's K - 12 Resources
"This directory of K-12 WWW Educational Resources has been developed for teachers and students of the K-12 community. It is to intended to be a list where teachers can quickly access resource materials for direct use in their lesson plans or as additional resources for students to explore."

Classroom Connect
Good resource web site. Community page list lesson plans, interactions, ask the expert, etc. Connected Teacher also offers good resources for staying on top of educational issues (subscription is available to Connected Teacher email list).

Digital Bridges
"Digital Bridges is developing a set of resources to assist K-12 teachers and administrators in designing, implementing, and supporting instructional and other projects using the Internet and videoconferencing technologies."

Office of Educational Technology
"In response to the educational opportunities made available by dramatic technological innovations in the early and mid-1990s, U.S. Secretary of Education released the nation's first educational technology plan in 1996, Getting America's Students Ready for the 21st Century: Meeting the Technology Literacy Challenge. This plan presented a far-reaching vision for the effective use of technology in elementary and secondary education to help the next generation of school children to be better educated and better prepared for the evolving demands of the new American economy."

Disney Educational Productions
It's from Disney...call it "edutainment"...worth the visit.

Pearson Education Technologies
"Pearson Education Technologies offers comprehensive instruction and assessment, student information, and business office management systems for preK-12 students, parents, teachers, and school administrators, geared to improving student achievement and increasing accountability across the education enterprise."

Plato
"For 40 years, PLATO Learning has worked with educators to help maximize student potential by providing a comprehensive, research-based, curriculum solution that delivers measurable results."

Riverdeep
"Riverdeep is a premier provider of comprehensive K-12 eLearning solutions offering comprehensive courseware and supplemental curricula over the Internet and CD-ROM, assessment and management tools, and professional development."

School Technology Buyer's Guide
Neat site...excellent resource listing of different technologies.

George Lucas Educational Foundation
"The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) is a nonprofit operating foundation that documents and disseminates models of the most innovative practices in our nation's K-12 schools. We serve this mission through the creation of media -- from films, books, and newsletters, to CD-ROMS. Our Web site contains all of our multimedia content published since 1997."

tappedin
"TAPPED IN™ is the online workplace of an international community of education professionals. K-12 teachers and librarians, professional development staff, teacher education faculty and students, and researchers engage in professional development programs and informal collaborative activities with colleagues."

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