U.S. policy makers spend a lot of time talking about technology in education, whereas Scotland and the Netherlands seem to have accepted technology as a part of education and life, said Ann Flynn, director of education technology for the National School Boards Association. The focus is less on the “if” of technology and more on the “how” to make it happen, she added.
For instance, Flynn said, the CoSN team spoke with educators from one school in Amsterdam who said technology does not have to be used every minute of every school day. But the tools are present for students to use whenever they want or need to.
Flynn was speaking as part of a session in which U.S. delegates on the most recent CoSN trip abroad shared the lessons they learned. (See “CoSN seeks more ICT lessons from abroad.”)
Steve Nordmark, vice president of solutions management and development for netTrekker, said he was most struck by the difference in ed-tech research funding.
Schools in Scotland and the Netherlands are spending about 10 times the amount that the U.S. spends on ed-tech research.
“We give lip service to using data to improve instruction, but it’s not at the point where it should be. … We have to get beyond data for accountability purposes,” said Irene Spero, CoSN’s chief operating officer.
“The overall focus [we saw] on innovation is something that needs to infuse lots of U.S. conversation,” Flynn said.
All those who attended the trip agreed that the countries’ rationale behind implementing technology in schools—which goes beyond simply using technology for its own sake—is something the U.S. should try to emulate.
Delegates explored programs operating under Scotland’s Glow Network, the Netherlands’ Kennisnet —a public ICT support organization—and Becta (the British Educational Communications and Technology Authority). The Glow Network, described as the world’s first national intranet for education, is a safe online environment for students, teachers, and parents. Users can create personalized work spaces and share other resources online.
The CoSN delegation’s trip can be tracked in more detail on its video blog. A final written report about the trip will be released soon.
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