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Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
Ritter Annex 9th Floor
Temple University - CRHDE
Philadelphia, PA 19122
800-892-5550
215-204-5130 (fax)
General Inquires:
Laurence Peters
Judith Stull
Technical Assistance:
Barry Mansfield
Professional Development:
Joan Pasternak
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Temple University Center for Research
in Human Development and Education |
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Web Portals: More Bang for Your Buck (Part One)
An educational portal includes the ability to customize content, interact with disparate database systems, and contribute content. Corporations, driven by the "bottom line," build portals to be competitive and to maximize their IT investments (e.g., data warehousing, enterprise systems, and infrastructure). Educational agencies can build their portal "in house" or buy a customized solution from vendors.
Web Portals: More Bang for Your Buck (Part Two)
Portals help the educational community perform its job more efficiently and effectively by providing a gateway to information, resources, services, and applications on the Web tailored to the user (student, teacher, parent, or community member). Five issues guide the cost/benefit analysis for building a portal: number of users, labor savings, cost savings, initial investment, and portal maintenance. Evaluating a portal’s effectiveness is done in a three-step process: identifying baseline data, aligning measurement metrics to portal goals, and improving communication among users with evaluation protocols.
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T raditional methods of awarding professional development credit only account for what is commonly referred to as “seat” or “contact” hours. In contrast to traditional professional development in which seat time is at best an indirect indicator of what was actually learned, e-learning allows for a much more direct form of accountability as every product, assignment, and interaction is recorded and archived. This procedure enables teachers to demonstrate what they have learned and allows program coordinators to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the course. Yet, because the online course methodology makes it difficult to reliably count contact hours, the current “seat time” metric does not adequately capture the full extent of a participant’s time and output in an online course. Unless states and districts rethink the way e-learning is counted toward professional development credit, educators will be discouraged from taking advantage of online courses as part of their professional development.
Building Networks to Support Educational Goals
Wireless Solutions: Are They Cost Effective?
Wireless networks are flexible and allow educators to move computing devices freely around a building. This adaptability allows devices to be multipurpose and increase teaching and learning opportunities. Wireless networks also offer educators increased opportunities to use innovative tools. Finally, wireless networks may be cheaper to install and support. Return on investment can be calculated by detailing number of users, labor savings, cost savings, initial investment, and network maintenance.
Wireless Solutions: Security
Wireless Local Area N etworks (WLAN) built on 802.11a and 802.11b standards may have security vulnerabilities. Users can follow seven steps to protect these WLANs: 1) change the service set identifier (SSID) from default setting, 2) disable SSID broadcast requests, 3) remove the SSID from beacon frames, 4) implement wired equivalent privacy (WEP) at128-bit key strength, 5) use strong passwords, 6) change the WEP key, and 7) adjust radio frequency so that it is not broadcast to an unwanted area.
Thin Client Computing
A thin client is a networked computer without a hard disk drive, RAM, or modem. Thin client environments allow administrators to customize and deliver only the computing environment that each category of user needs. The North Carolina Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District employs the thin client model to achieve standardization, realize cost savings, and provide at-home access to needy students.
Educational Software
Purchasing and Implementing Effective Instructional Applications
A technology coordinator’s influence can be expanded to secure effective purchasing and implementation of technology-based instructional products. Effective purchasing starts with an adequate review process that includes team members with disparate skills and experience, norming sessions, and detailed measurement tools. Effective deployment includes installation and deployment timelines, collaboration and buy-in from the community, and a year-end evaluation and review.
Accessible Software (What makes educational software accessible for students with disabilities?)
Educators should request that vendors provide VPATs. If a VPAT is not available, consider these six accessibility issues: 1) navigation without a mouse, 2) personal operating system settings, 3) flashing or blinking images, 4) use of color, 5) alternative formats for conveying information, and 6) screen reader compatibility. MAR*TEC has an accessibility toolkit to consider all software standards as listed in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
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