On a daily basis, the functionality of equipment and a network is critical to successful technology integration. One measure of quality is the response rate to problems. Can teachers expect support services on a next-day, same-day, or same class-period basis? To help assess your current technology use and chart a course toward increased technology implementation, consult the EdTech Locator.

 

Related Resources

A School Administrator’s Guide to Planning for the Total Cost of New Technology (PDF)

This document describes a process to define the costs associated with various technology purchases to help ensure that school administrators provide adequate funding for the "total cost of ownership" of a given technology.

The Snorkel

A Shift from Paper to Pixels: Database Technology Helps Union City

This article presents a brief case study about Union City, New Jersey's implementation of a district-wide database that allowed them to decentralize several budget tasks and improve overall financial management.

techLearning.com

Asset Management Systems

Asset management systems enable districts to efficiently keep track of their computer equipment. Read this article to learn about asset management systems and how they can help districts save money.

techLEARNING.com

Board-Superintendent Relations: Going Paperless at the Board Table

Phil Ertl, superintendent of the Kiel Area School District in Wisconsin, writes about how issuing laptops and moving toward paperless meetings has led to better informed board members and a more effective school district.

The School Administrator

CoSN Ed Tech Resources

Search The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) site for products and services to support and nurture leadership development, advocacy, coalition building, and awareness of emerging technologies.

The Consortium for School Networking

CoSN VoI - Value of Investment

The Value of Investment (VoI) website, presented by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) provides access to free tools K-12 school leaders can use to help identify the costs and benefits of proposed technology projects. This resource provides access to the Technology Project Cost Estimator and the Project Benefits Worksheet.

CoSN VoI

Cost Guidelines for State Virtual Schools (PDF)

Virtual schools can save states and districts money over time and under the right circumstances. But administrators must be vigilant in planning and implementing their virtual schools in order to ensure those savings.

SREB

Creating a Tech-Infused Culture

This article provides 22 tips on how to effectively integrate technology into schools and school culture.

techLEARNING

D.C. Schools Chancellor Rhee Wants School to Serve as 'Differentiated Learning' Lab

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee plans to establish an experimental program that would offer customized lessons for disabled, regular and gifted students in the same classroom, a key component of her strategy to reduce exorbitant special education costs.

Does Technology Pay? Investing Wisely Takes Discipline

This article investigates why districts should consider how—and if—purchasing the latest technology will translate to better classroom instruction.

techLearning.com

Donors Choose

If you need money to purchase technology for your school or district, then try Donors Choose. Basically it works like this: you submit your ideas that need funding, and if a donor likes your ideas then they will provide some funding.

Donors Choose

Down to Business

Down to Business describes how some school districts are enlisting the help and leadership of private sector professionals in the management of their IT systems.  The article features the stories of three school districts.

TechLearning.com

EdTech Locator - Administrators

Use the EdTech Locator to identify where you, your school, or district is located on a continuum of technology integration. Map a course to deepen your technology integration to improve the achievement of all students. In addition, use CITEd's Teacher Self Assessment to help identify your placement on the Ed Tech Locator.

CITEd

Ed-Tech Online

This website that compiles all of the funding sources for educational technology provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Rather than search the multiple websites of various organizations, a visit to Ed-Tech Online will lead you to grant program summaries, strategic objectives, appropriations, contact names and telephone numbers, as well as direct links to the government agencies offering specific grants.

Bridge Multimedia

EdTech Online: Grants

Explore this easy-to-use grant directory to learn more about U.S. Department of Education technology grants for states, districts and local schools.

EdTech Online

1 Comment

Effect of Assistive Technology on Educational Costs: Two Case Studies (PDF)

This paper looks in detail at the costs associated with the education of two children who have used assistive technologies developed at Boston College and compare them with the educational costs had they not used the assistive technologies. The authors contend that, for these two children, the costs of the technologies and special teachers hired are offset by savings from the tuition and transportation of sending them to special schools.

Boston College

Enough to go 'Round?

Understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO), which goes beyond the cost of purchasing technology, is essential to managing technology budgets. This article provides five practical tools for understanding TCO.

techLEARNING.com

Finding Funding

TechLEARNING offers twelve ideas for generating extra money for schools and districts. The ideas include installing cost-cutting infrastructure and changing some services from face-to-face to online.

techLEARNING.com

Finding Funds for Student Laptops

Understanding funding options is key to implementing a laptop initiative. This article explains the different options and the value of laptop initiatives in general.

District Administration

1 Comment

Florida's Broward County School District Partners with Dell

Florida's Broward County School District has partnered with Dell in a program aimed at bridging the gap between those with and without computer access and skills. The program, called TechKnow, gives middle-school students from low-income families not only computers, but a year's worth of Internet access and forty hours of instruction in how to maintain, upgrade, and repair hardware and software.

1 2 3