Image courtesy: nilexukPresident-elect Barack Obama is only eight days away of becoming the new President of the United States and it's interesting to see how everyone wants to be in Washington, ones for need of going with the flow, some others lobbying and those who want to break the unions to target education. While news are pending of what it'll be the first decrees by appointed President, administrators as much as educators should also begin to push hard for education an education agenda, one that includes a significant key as internet is. Let's re-read the article published at BusinessWeek. The authors of the Why Obama Can't Ignore Education Tech are plain clear of why even with the downturn of our economy, education plays a key role for our economic recovery. "School technology investments enable 21st-century learning and provide our current and future workforce with the tools they need to compete and succeed in our globally integrated world. To accomplish this goal, Obama's reported $850 billion Economic Recovery Plan should include two critical components: 1. Investments in school technology and broadband; and 2. Investments in home-to-school technology targeted at low-income families. Specifically, the federal stimulus package should cover expenses for schools to install or upgrade Internet connections to broadband; hire technical and instructional technology support; and purchase or upgrade hardware, software, and services. And, the home-school investment should enable low-income families with one or more students to purchase eligible learning technology devices (computers, laptops, and other new devices) and educational software, as well as broadband Internet connections. Short-term economic benefits of this strategy include: 1. Creation of jobs in the technology and telecommunications sectors; 2. School districts hiring technical and technology curricular staff (a vastly understaffed function today); and 3. Upgrading and retooling of school facilities and equipment (which is...
Lisa Neal Gualtieri eLearn Magazine's editor summarized what lies ahead for the e-learning community, provided by experts in this field like Stephen Downes, Jane Hart, Jay Cross, Harold Jarche and many others From Education and Technology in Perspective: I can do many things easier, faster, and more seamlessly than ever before—a trend that will undoubtedly continue, with significant implications for formal and especially for informal learning. But the current economic crisis and its impact on e-learning is clearly the more pervasive issue for many of my esteemed colleagues and rightly so since it affects every aspect of our lives. One change already evident is the further growth of e-learning programs in the corporate and academic sectors due to lowered costs, more convenient access, and increased demand. Enhancing one's skills is always beneficial, especially in times when opportunities abound. The limiting factor is less often technology and bandwidth and more often time. Every year at this time we turn to the experts in our field to share their predictions on what lies ahead for the e-learning community. While our colleagues here unanimously agree the global economic downturn is the overwhelming factor coloring their forecasts, they do see a great array of opportunities and challenges in the coming 12 months. Their insights never fail to inspire further discussion and hope. Is there any other expert left out? Please let us know If you want to receive my future posts regularly for FREE, please subscribe in a reader or by e-mail. If you have concerns, Contact Me at anytime.