Week+8

=**Week 8 - Technology Funding**=

This week we will be discussing a crucial issue that involves the funding of technology. So many times, teachers are eager to integrate technology into their classrooms, only to be discouraged by the lack of financial commitment from their school, district, state, and even federal government to equip them with adequate technology. I am sure that this week, we could fill the space of this website with stories of frustration in regards to not having enough technology due to a lack of funding. Although I feel this frustration, sharing stories of frustration would not get us very far in solving the problem. Instead, we will focus our discussion on arguments for why we need to fund technology.

Assignment
This week's assignment consists of two discussion topics. The first is titled "Funding Strategies". You should read the following website from the federal government on technology investments..it is old, but still has a great deal of validity today: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/techinvest/chap3.html#fedcon The second reading is a very short article on strategies for acquiring funding:

Once you have read the two articles, please share your thoughts on funding of technology. Share any strategies you have seen that have lead to successfully acquiring technology for students, teachers, or schools. Your discussion posting should meet the criteria of the following rubric:

Arguments that are data-driven are a must when trying to acquire funding for technology, but a bit of story goes a long way as well. I would like to share three videos with you that may spark your creative minds when thinking of how to make the argument for more technology.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY - Sir Ken Robinson on Creativity in Education http://youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw - Pay Attention - learning in the 21st Century http://youtube.com/watch?v=65wE6yFYgP8&feature=related - Did You Know? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA - not technology related, but just viewed at a conference on creativity...boy, we should never jump to conclusions or judge a book by its cover!