Four Key Trends Emerging In Education Technology

Technology & Learning, September 1998, p. 42

Senior editor Susan McLester of Technology & Learning tells education technology leaders to keep an eye on four specific areas that are receiving increased attention from education technology companies:

1. Staff development. More money for and awareness of teacher training means that hardware and software vendors are allocating new resources for programs that help teachers integrate technology into curricula.
2. “Enterprise” software. Teachers, administrators, and principals alike will see “enterprise” software packages take advantage of schools’ large computer networks. Schools and districts can then share information and generate data for assessment and accountability purposes.

3. Beginners’ training. Schools and vendors are addressing the needs of a growing population of educators who are completely new to technology and the Internet, and who don’t have the time or savvy to grapple with new and ever-changing technologies.

4. Filtering. More sophisticated filtering and blocking technologies are emerging that can better protect students from inappropriate materials while not barring access to helpful and legitimate information resources.