Personalized Learning News

SIIA Seeks Education Technology Innovators

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 13:00

Innovation Incubator logo SIIA’s Education Division is now accepting applicants for its Innovation Incubator program. Selected developers of�promising technologies in the K-12 and postsecondary markets will be invited to participate in the program during this year’s SIIA Education Business Forum, December 10-11, at McGraw-Hill Conference Center in New York. The deadline to apply is � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � October 4.

The SIIA Innovation Incubator program identifies and supports entrepreneurs in the development and launch of innovative learning technologies. The program began in 2006, and has helped dozens of companies enrich education through the use of software, digital content, and related technologies. The Innovation Incubator program employs a peer-review process to identify the most promising digital education products. Successful industry leaders and peers also provide one-on-one mentorship to support the growth and success of identified innovators.

All education technology companies are encouraged to apply � from start-ups to established innovators. A panel of SIIA member judges, consisting of prominent education technology industry professionals, will review and score each innovation, and collective scores will determine finalists and an alternate. Finalists will be asked to give webinar presentations to educators and administrators nationwide for the Educators� Choice Award. Finalists will also present their products live for Education Business Forum attendees. One winner will be honored with the Educators� Choice Award based on educator scores. An additional winner and one runner-up will be chosen for the �Most Innovative� and �Most Likely to Succeed� categories based on the scores submitted by Forum attendees.

For more information about the Innovation Incubator program, or to apply, go to siia.net/ebf/2013/incubator.asp or contact me at Lportorreal@siia.net.

Liderby Portorreal is Program Manager for the SIIA Education Division. Follow the SIIA Education Team on Twitter at @SIIAEducation and LinkedIn.

Momentum Growing for Federal Investment in Digital Learning

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:53

Educators and public officials are no longer asking “if” technology, but instead “how” can they best support and leverage the modernization of schools and teaching through technology and digital learning. That effort has received several boosts this month, including today when President Obama will announce�the ConnectED initiative.

Most significantly, “The President is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to modernize and leverage the existing E-Rate program [to] . . . within five years, connect 99 percent of America�s students, through next-generation broadband (at speeds no less than 100Mbps and with a target of 1Gbps) to, and high-speed wireless within, their schools and libraries.” E-Rate funding has been relatively flat at $2.25 billion since its creation in 1996, while the need for, and the demand for, connectivity has grown dramatically.

The President’s proposal also directs the U.S. Department of Education “to make better use of existing funds to get this technology into classrooms, and into the hands of teachers trained on its advantages,” including especially around teacher professional development through Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Notably, the President’s propsoal identifies the need to “Build on Private-Sector Innovation” to “allow our teachers and students to take full advantage of feature-rich educational devices . . . and high-quality educational software (including applications) . . .”

Federal support is also growing in Congress. Representative George Miller, Ranking Democrat on the House Education & the Workforce Committee, has introduced the Transforming Education Through Technology Act (HR521) to support school technology readiness and teacher professional development to ensure all students can access and benefit from technology. And Senate H.E.L.P. Committee Chairman Tom Harkin includes a number of related programs and provisions in his recently introduced Strengthening America�s Schools Act of 2013. The Harkin proposal builds on legislation (S1087)�recently introduced by Senators Hagan, Murray and Baldwin.� At SIIA’s April policy forum (in conjunction with CoSN, ISTE and SETDA), FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel announced a related package of proposed changes to the E-Rate to increase its funding and improve its administration.

SIIA supports and has championed�these federal proposals to increase investments in education targeted to both increase access to, and enhance the use of, educational technologies. Learning technologies are needed to improve learning�opportunities, engagement and personalization. Yet SIIA’s Vision K20 educator survey and other data shows that access to and use of these technologies is limited.

SIIA calls on the FCC and Congress to advance these and related initiatives needed to ensure all students and educators can realize the educational benefits made possible by�technology.

As the President’s proposal articulates: “From digital textbooks that help students visualize and interact with complex concepts, to apps and platforms that adapt to the level of individual student knowledge and help teachers know precisely which lessons or activities are working, this technology is real, it is available, and its capacity to improve education is profound.”

Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.

SIIA Supports COPPA�s Extension of Schools as Consent Providers

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:44

The Federal Trade Commission yesterday released its updated FAQs clarifying the amended rule implementing the Children�s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) released in December, 2012. Included are several clarifications long championed by SIIA regarding the intersection of COPPA and children�s online activities in the school setting.

For those not familiar, in short, COPPA requires parental consent under certain conditions for the online collection of personal information from children under age 13. SIIA has long supported this important law for helping protect children�s privacy and safety, and has also worked with the FTC and other stakeholders to ensure COPPA implementation does not bring inappropriate or unintended consequences that limit technology innovation and the user experience.

According to the new COPPA FAQ:

�COPPA does not preclude schools from acting as intermediaries between operators and parents in the notice and consent process, or from serving as the parent�s agent in the process of collecting personal information online from students in the school context.�
�COPPA does not apply where a school has contracted with an operator to collect personal information from students for the use and benefit of the school, and for no other commercial purpose.�

These provisions are important to minimize the barriers to student access to instructional technologies and digital learning within the school context. Both extend on the role of schools as trusted agents of student learning, privacy and safety, including that governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as well as by Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) signed between parents and schools. They help provide for student�s seamless access to online teaching and learning opportunities in the timely manner needed to address their educational needs under the guidance of their teacher and school, and governing local school board policies. The alternative of requiring parental consent in each case would present a significant administrative barrier, potentially put certain students at an educational disadvantage when consent cannot be secured in a timely manner, and would often leave students and teachers unable to take advantage of a �teachable moment.�

While the continuation of these school provisions is welcome, the updated FAQs do include some new guidance that will require further analysis and consideration. For example, the FTC guidance now requires that: �. . . the operator must provide the school with full notice of its collection, use, and disclosure practices, so that the school may make an informed decision.� And the FTC separately describes what information a school �should� seek from an operator, including �What are the operator�s data retention and deletion policies for children�s personal information?�

SIIA members can review�a more detailed summary and analysis�on new�COPPA regulations and guidance. [Updated May 9, 2013]

SIIA looks forward to working further with public officials, families, educators and digital learning providers to ensure that children have access to critical online learning opportunities and applications in an appropriately safe and secure manner. This includes SIIA�s ongoing work around FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), which governs educational institutions and agencies through the U.S. Department of Education and is referenced in the COPPA FAQ.

Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.

SIIA Policy Forum Supports Dialogue between Education Leaders and Technology Developers

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:28

SIIA’s�long tradition�as liaison between education leaders and technology developers was continued recently at SIIA’s annual Ed Tech Government Forum in Washington, DC.�The annual forum brings SIIA member developers of educational applications and digital content together with policymakers, administrators and non-profit leaders.

The discussions�help both inform publishers about the impact of publich policies on education so they can better meet the needs of students and educators, as well as drive conversations regarding the public-private partnerships needed to address educational (technology) challenges and opportunities. This year’s�forum was enhanced by the participation of some�75 local and state education administrators attending the second half of the event�through SIIA’s�partnership with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA).

Among the highlights this year:

Keynote speakers U.S. Rep. George Miller, �Mary Esselman (MI Achievement Authority), and Michael Yudin (USED Acting Assistant Secrtary) all spoke about the critical role of technology and digital learning to meeting the goals of educational access and personalized learning.
Leaders from the PARCC and SBAC CCSS state assessment consortia solicited support to better prepare students for the new standards and assessments, talked through the challenges of ensuring technology readiness, and indicated that some states and districts may delay their shift to online testing.
Leading policy analysts and advocates outlined the growing digital learning momentum in state capitals across the country, discussed the politics of education reform,�and identified key policy initiatives in NC, AZ, HI, ME, LA and other states.
Higher education leaders Amy Sherman (CAEL) and Hal Plotkin (USED) shared how federal policy changes are poised to drive a shift from seat-time credit hours to competency-based learning, including the expanding use of prior learning assessments to better target instruction and improve learning efficiencies in time and resources.
FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel announced a package of proposed changes to the E-Rate, which would increase its funding, improve its�administration, and�enhance digital learning access to students and teachers.
Capitol Hill advocacy day with education and industry leaders helping inform Members of Congress and their staffs about the important federal role in supporting educational improvement through technology and digital learning.
Education leaders also addressed the issues of funding, NCLB waivers, ESEA reauthorization, and the balance between data-driven improvement and student privacy.

Speaker presentations, audio recordings and session summaries will be made�available to�SIIA members.

Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.

New Federal Legislation Supports Technology Readiness for Digital Learning and Online Assessment

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:25

U.S. Representative George Miller (CA) today introduced �The Transforming Education Through Technology Act��(H.R. 521) to help ensure the nation�s elementary and secondary schools have access to the technology infrastructure, applications and professional support needed for digital learning and online assessment. Congressman Miller is Ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee, coauthor of the No Child Left Behind Act, and was recently recognized for his leadership in education technology.

�The Transforming Education Through Technology Act is an important step forward in providing our students and educators with the technology supports they need for success in school and in the workplace,� said SIIA President Ken Wasch. �We look forward to working further with Congressman Miller to provide the leadership and investment needed to modernize our educational practices and instructional resources through technology and digital learning.�

SIIA is pleased to be part of a coalition of organizations endorsing the bill,�representing K-12 teachers, technology officers, administrators and high-tech companies.

The Transforming Education Through Technology Act would:

Support and prepare teachers and principals to use technology to redesign curriculum, effectively use real-time data to drive classroom practice, individualize instruction, and increase student engagement;
Help school districts ensure equitable access to, and effective use of, the technology infrastructure and applications all students need for expanded learning opportunities, online assessment and computer-based curriculum;
Seed new models of digital learning that help personalize learning, including�through curriculum redesign, online communities of practice, and interactive learning simulations; and
Help states to support their school districts to improve student learning, upgrade assessments, and improve educator preparation and support around technology.

The legislation comes at an important time for the role of technology in education. Common core state standards and online assessments are among the factors driving the need for technology, and educators are asking �how� not �if.� However, the continued budget crunch has left too many schools and students without adequate access. This new bill would go a long way toward addressing those gaps, and SIIA will continue its advocacy for this and related public investments.

Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA. Follow the SIIA Policy team on Twitter at @SIIAPolicy

Highlights from SIIA Education Division Webinar Turning SIS/LMS Data into Action � Vendor Implications

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:01

This SIIA� webinar �presented data from the Closing the Gap: Turning Data Into Action project and provide valuable insights for SIIA members and others interested in SIS, LMS and related technologies, use of data for K12 instruction, and K12 technology purchasing and implementation issues.

The project was funded by the Gates Foundation, and the research was conducted by Gartner, Inc. in collaboration with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). The project has 5 major deliverables coming in the future months; see the Closing the Gap: Turning Data Into Action website for more information.

The project solicited input from many school districts and teachers around the country to get an on the ground view of the how LMS (Learning Management Systems) and SIS (Student Information Systems) are being implemented and used. It also provided information on how vendors can best work with districts to improve their usage.

Five takeaways from the webinar:

Teachers, as the end user of most of the systems, need to have a role in the selection and implementation of both SIS and LMS platforms (as well as other technologies designed for their use). �But the survey found that most often is not the case. When asked about the district LMS or SIS, teachers often do not know the difference or even their purpose. Those that do know often are underutilizing the systems and using only basic functionalities such as grade reporting.
Students & Parents want to have access to individual student data tracking progress and grades. �Several studies have shown that giving students access to their individual grades and allowing them to track progress produces better results.
Integration and multi-device platforms are essential. �Schools, districts, and teachers want to be able to access the data from any location and device. There is also critical need for �interoperability �so that different applications work together to share data.
Educators agree that the traditional model is not working anymore. �The industrialized classroom is poised for change.
Predictive and/or prescriptive analysis in systems is key. Presenting and summarizing data is insufficient, and SIS, LMS and related technologies must provide actionable information. The importance of improving student activities and system use is high, and the systems need to produce outputs that can either predict positive changes or prescribe them when needed.

The project leaders conclude that the overall the impact of SIS and LMS systems in school districts has great possibility, but is under-delivering due to challenges with product features, selection and implementation.� The webinar and project resources provide much more information on the role of data collection and include helpful links, templates, and charts detailing the features of market-leading products. SIIA members who want to learn more can view the webinar or download the slides on SIIA�s webinar archive site.

Lindsay Harman is Market and Policy Analyst for the SIIA Education Division.

SIIA Testimony to NY Education Reform Commission Calls for School System Redesign to Personalize Learning through Technology

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 14:45

I�had the opportunity yesterday to provide invited testimony�to the “New NY Education Reform Commission” appointed by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo to study and make recommendations for the reform and improvement of the state’s education system.�My submitted written testimony�describes a comprehensive vision for redesigning education to pesonalize learning through technology, and then�makes dozens of reccommendations around each of the Commission’s�seven objectives.

My October 16 oral testimony is provided below and video archived (at 02:02:40):

On behalf of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) and our 500 high-tech companies, thank you for inviting me today. I am Mark Schneiderman, SIIA�s senior director of education policy.

SIIA agrees with the Commission that, �Future generations of students cannot compete unless we dramatically reform our education system.�

Our industrial-age education practices are largely unchanged over a century or more:
- Too many students are disengaged, not due to lack of technology, but from undifferentiated resources, rote one-to-many instruction, and lack of attention to 21st century skills.
- Time and place are constants, but learning is variable.

Instead, our education system must be fundamentally reengineered�from a mass production, teaching model�to a student-centered, personalized learning model to address the dramatic change in student daily lives, diversity and expectations.

The mandate is not for marginal change, but for:�redesign to free learning from the physical limitations of time, place and paper; and�instead customize instructional resources, strategies, and schedules to dynamically address each student�s unique abilities, interests and needs.

The redesign of education can take place without technology and digital learning, but not at scale.� Technology is a teaching force multiplier and a learning accelerator.

This doesn�t mean computers replace teachers, or that all learning takes place online.

It does mean that we use the technology:
1. to collect and analyze extensive student learning data to a degree not otherwise possible;
2. to provide a differentiation of interactive, multimedia teaching and learning resources and student creativity and collaboration tools not possible from one teacher, book or classroom; and
3. to free teacher time from rote and administrative activities to redirect to more value-added instruction.

The result is a more effective teacher, a more highly engaged and better performing learner, and a more productive system.

SIIA�s 2012 Vision K-20 Survey of 1,600 educators found that�interest in digital learning is high at about 75%,�but only about 25% rate actual technology access and use as high by their peers and institutions.

Here are 10 SIIA recommendations to the Commission and state:

1. Eliminate the Carnegie unit (credit for seat time) as the measure of learning and replace it with a competency-based model that provides credit, progression and graduation based upon demonstrated mastery and performance.

2. Eliminate fixed, agrarian-age definitions of the hours of the school day and the days of the school year and instead provide flexibility for 24/7/365 learning as needed for student mastery.

3. Ensure all teachers have access to a minimum slate of digital tools and supports provided to other professionals, including instructional technology coaches and virtual peer learning networks.

4. Ensure all educators have the skills needed to personalize learning and leverage technology, including by updating the curriculum of teachers colleges as well as teacher licensure and certification requirements.

5. Encourage and support a shift from print-only curriculum to instead provide students with anytime, everywhere access to interactive digital content and online learning.

6. Create a statewide online learning authority for approval and oversight of virtual learning providers to New York students and schools, and loosen arbitrary limits.

7. Invest to ensure equity of technology and digital learning access to change the education cost-curve and provide opportunity to learn, while providing increased local flexibility in the use of state grant funds to meet unique local needs.

8. Set minimum expectations for school/teacher electronic communication with parents and families and support home access to student performance data, assignments and curriculum.

9. Support more flexible higher education policies that end seat-time requirements, allow students to demonstrate prior learning and complete course modules that fit their learning gaps, and receive student aid for study toward skills certifications valued in the job market.

10. Finally, recognize the role of the private sector, which invests hundreds of millions of dollars each year to develop and deliver educational technologies and digital learning. Support public-private research partnerships, and reform the RFP process to enable the private sector to share their expertise, vision and innovative business models.

Our nation�s continued success will require that our educational system adopt modern methods and means to remain not effective and relevant in the 21st century.

On behalf of SIIA and our member high-tech companies, I look forward to working with the Commission to further identify and advance a reform plan for New York education.

Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.

Leaders or Laggards: The State Role in the Shift to Digital Content

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:55

The focus at the recent annual meeting of the State Instructional Materials Review Association (SIMRA) was the shift from print to digital. While paper weight and book binding standards remain on their agenda, the shift is symbolized in part by this group’s recent name change that replaced “textbooks” with “instructional materials.” I had the opportunity to present at the meeting, and had some timely discussions about the evolving state role in the digital world. Texas (see SIIA webinar), Florida (see SIIA summary) and West Virginia are among the states most proactive in helping lead their schools into the digital content future, while many states (with leadership from their SIMRA-member adoption director) are trying to catch up with their districts and understand their evolving roles and rules. A parallel but accelerated shift to digital is underway in state assessments with the leadership of PARCC and SBAC.

As background, SIMRA members administer the process used in 20+ states for instructional materials adoption, including identifying curriculum and technical requirements, soliciting publisher submissions, managing the peer review criteria and process, and coordinating the school procurement of approved materials (including with state funds to buy materials in states such as Texas, California and Florida). SIIA has advocated for years the need to update legacy rules that often create barriers to adoption of digital and online resources, and therefore limit local choice. While often this is simply about correcting for unintended consequences of legacy print rules, the issues are often far more complicated and reflect the still evolving views of instructional materials in the digital age. A leading example is dynamic content: State policies have traditionally required that content remain unchanged over the course of the six year adoption cycle, while digital resources can be seamlessly updated to remain current, accurate and meet evolving curriculum and pedagogical needs. Not surprisingly, SIIA has long advocated the flexibility for content to be updated and improved during the period of adoption.

Here are a few other trends identified at the SIMRA meeting:

State budget shortages continue, causing many states to delay adoption cycles or reduce funding and leaving many teachers and students with increasingly outdated materials.
Common Core State Standards are central to the process, but many state cycles are not aligned and adjustments are often not possible given the overall budget shortages.
Fewer states are funding instructional materials. In the traditional model, states paid for instructional materials, providing them the leverage to determine which materials are to be used. That is often no longer the case.
States are increasingly providing local control such that school districts can buy state approved materials, but can also buy any other instructional resources as well.
Some states are asking whether they should continue to target only single, primary tools of instruction (i.e., textbooks or their digital equivalents), or whether they should also adopt, for example, digital learning objects and modules to support teachers in dynamically assembling resources to differentiate instruction and personalize learning.
Some states are allowing the use of instructional materials funds for the purchase of the technology hardware needed to access those materials, though priority in general still for content.

States are working with SIIA, publishers and other stakeholders to address new challenges in reviewing adaptive instructional software and other robust digital content. For example, how do they review the full resource in cases where each student may be provided a unique, dynamic pathway through the content (compared to the relative ease of reviewing a more linear (e)textbook).

Also, as digital content shifts from supplemental to primary, format and platform are also increasingly of concern. State agencies, on behalf of local educators, seek to ensure the content they purchase is accessible from multiple platforms, as well as increasingly from their students� personal/home devices. Some have floated the requirement that digital content must be accessible from every platform through a common format. While interoperability is�a key goal, SIIA recommends for industry evolution of common standards and against regulatory mandates that could block use of�many widely used technologies.�SIIA instead encourages that states focus on ensuring publishers disclose�system requirements to empower local decision makers with the information they need to determine what platforms and resources best meet their needs. This will enable technology innovation and competition, enhance education choice, and ultimately ensure the needs of teachers and students are best addressed.

SIIA encourages states to further lead the print to digital transition. In doing so, they must recognize that there is not yet any single best technology, curriculum or instructional practice solution for the use of digital content. Therefore, most importantly, SIIA encourages states to provide the investment, regulatory flexibility and technical assistance districts need to innovate as educators collectively and individually determine the best path forward.

Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.

Nominations Now Open for the 28th Annual SIIA CODiE Awards

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:38

Nominations are now open for the 2013 SIIA CODiE Awards. This year’s CODiE Awards feature 27 new and updated categories, reflecting the dramatic changes in technology and business models impacting the software and information industries.

The CODiE Awards have been the premier award for the software and information industries for 28 years. The awards program has three tracks organized by industry focus: Content, Software and Education.

Highlights of this year’s program:

Content: The Content CODiE Awards showcase the information industry’s finest products, technology and services created by, or for, media, publishers and information services providers.

* Fourteen new and updated categories reflect new technology and business models in the content industry including: Best Crowd Sourced Solution, Best Editorial Outsourcing Solution, Best Semantic Technology Solution and Best Social Media Platform
* The Content CODiE Awards will be presented Jan. 31, 2013 during the Content Division’s annual conference for information industry leaders, the Information Industry Summit

Education: The Education CODiE Awards showcase applications, products and services from developers of educational software, digital content, online learning services, and related technologies across the K-20 sector.

* The new Best Personalized Learning Solution category highlights the major educational shift toward individual, tailored learning plans for students. Three new top-level categories will reward the best of the best of PK-12, postsecondary, and overall education nominees.
* Education winners will be announced in San Francisco on May 6, 2013 during the Ed Tech Industry Summit.

Business: The Software CODiE Awards showcase applications, products and services that are developed by independent software vendors (ISVs) for use in business, government, academic, or other organizational settings.

* Twelve new and updated categories reflect the continued growth and evolution of cloud computing, mobile, big data, and video. Highlights include: Best Cloud Platform as a Service Solution, Best Big Data Solution, Best Mobile Device Application for Consumers, Best Mobile Device Application for Enterprise, and Best Video Tool.
* Software winners will be announced in San Francisco on May 9, 2013 during the software industry’s premier ISV conference, All About the Cloud.

Learn more about the nomination process.

Wendy Tanner is CODiE Awards Coordinator. Follow the CODiE Awards on Twitter @CODiEAwards

A Digital Learning Framework for Systems Change

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:50

I had the great opportunity last week to speak to the CIOs of the Council of Great City Schools, representing the nation�s largest school districts. While their agenda and roles are traditionally focused on enterprise technologies, their summit focused last week on �Transforming Education through Digital Learning.�

Most CIOs recognized that their school systems were not adequately meeting the needs of students, and that technology and digital learning must be a core part of the solution. Many talked of a shift from print to digital content. Some highlighted the blending of formal and informal learning. Others were focused on online learning. All seemed to agree with the need to redesign the system through technology.

I presented on the opportunity to shift from a mass-production to a mass-customization model of personalized learning, whereby technology enables teachers and schools to vary the curriculum and instruction � as well as the time, place and pace of learning � to better meet the unique needs of each student.

As the educational challenges and digital opportunities were discussed in Minneapolis last week, a few lessons emerged for managing the systems change to digital learning.

PD, PD and more PD: The shift to digital is increasingly embraced, but most teachers and administrators struggle to internalize what it looks like and how to get there. They are hungry for examples, and for professional development to grow their skills and change their classroom practice. It is not possible to over-invest in good professional support.

Vision: Technology and Curriculum/Instruction must create a common vision and operate as a team. Silos must be replaced by communication. IT investment should not drive educational decisions, but can empower them. IT investment must be tailored to specific teaching, learning and administrative processes and be linked to key performance goals and benchmarks.

Focus: Along with a clear, coordinated vision should come a clear focus. It is critical to identify core learning goals, then the related changes in practice, and then the technologies and related support network necessary for effective implementation. Districts can do anything, but not everything. Technology is evolving quickly, but that should not mean a district shifts its plans simply to have the newest, shiniest technology.

Leadership: Identifying a vision and maintaining focus requires a sustained leadership effort. Any significant initiative to transform practice and integrate technology will require a five-year business plan that includes the key learning goals, changes in practice, core technologies, teacher supports and benchmarks. This plan must be able to survive any turnover in administration, and perhaps only when it does extend beyond one superintendent will it have the staying power to create meaningful and lasting change. Community support and leadership is therefore critical to sustain initiatives over time.

Balance Scale with Flexibility: As technology shifts from supplemental to core in teaching and learning, one-off programs will no longer be feasible if the result is isolated data or a requirement for point-to-point systems integration. The solution is an enterprise architecture that empowers teacher and school building decisions to adopt disparate digital resources to meet each of their student�s unique needs, while providing the district-wide platform and standards for their seamless integration into district data and other systems.

Staged Deployment: Large technology enhancements, as well as changes to policy and practice, must be achieved in sequential phases. Large initiatives cannot and should not be executed in short order. A staged implementation allows piloting to test and refine plans, time for educator training and adoption, and the building out of technical capabilities over time in lieu of resource limitations. Innovation of practice, people, processes, and technologies must all operate simultaneously through a plan that allows for continuous evaluation, modification and improvement.

Automate & Redesign: Gains can be had from shifting from paper to pixels, from physical to virtual, but most important is to accompany those with a redesign of practice that leverages the new technologies to make more efficient use of people, time and space. Students will be engaged and motivated in their learning not simply by digitizing and virtualizing, but instead by meeting them where they are, helping them understand where they need to go, and empowering them through technology and other tools to get there.

I do not expect these lessons are necessarily new for many. I do hope their reinforcement here will provide educators with a framework of principles to guide the exciting, challenging and necessary digital evolution of our education system. As you continue on the journey to make every day a Digital Learning Day for your students, be sure to pause along the way to ask: How well is my teaching and learning community applying these principles? And please share back any of your own guiding principles.

Note: This blog was first published on June 20, 2012 as a guest blog for the Alliance for Excellent Education’s Digital Learning Day, for which SIIA is a core partner.

Mark Schneiderman is Senior Director of Education Policy at SIIA.