Katrina Stevens

The U.S. Department of Education believes it is important that all programs responsible for pre-service teacher training prepare all graduates to effectively select, evaluate, and use appropriate technologies and resources to create experiences that advance student engagement and learning. We call upon leaders of teacher preparation programs to engage in concerted, programmatic shifts in their approach to pre-service teacher preparation. This policy brief identifies key challenges and solutions… Show more

The U.S. Department of Education believes it is important that all programs responsible for pre-service teacher training prepare all graduates to effectively select, evaluate, and use appropriate technologies and resources to create experiences that advance student engagement and learning. We call upon leaders of teacher preparation programs to engage in concerted, programmatic shifts in their approach to pre-service teacher preparation. This policy brief identifies key challenges and solutions to the effective integration of technology in teacher preparation, provides guiding principles on how to move the field toward effective integration of technology in teacher preparation programs, and identifies areas of opportunity and collaboration for stakeholders across the field. Show less

Recognizing the growth of technology use in early learning settings, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services collaborated in the development of the Early Learning and Educational Technology Policy Brief to promote developmentally appropriate use of technology in homes and early learning settings.
The guidance will help those who care for nearly 36 million children from birth to age eight make wise decisions about media use, and provides four guiding… Show more

Recognizing the growth of technology use in early learning settings, the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services collaborated in the development of the Early Learning and Educational Technology Policy Brief to promote developmentally appropriate use of technology in homes and early learning settings.
The guidance will help those who care for nearly 36 million children from birth to age eight make wise decisions about media use, and provides four guiding principles for families and early educators on the use of technology with young children. The brief includes a call to action for researchers and media and app developers, highlighting topics for further research and encouraging the development of research-based products. Show less

Council of Peers

The Council of Peers is the primary nominating body of the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences. It is made up of highly respected, influential and accomplished educators, advocates, and thought leaders from across the education field. They are responsible for nominating and voting for the people, programs and organizations which will receive Bammy Awards. They also serve as presenters at the awards event.

Rapid-Cycle tech evaluations are designed to assist school leaders in making evidence-based decisions regarding ed tech acquisitions. Traditional research approaches do not meet the needs of evaluating rapidly changing education technology. They 1) take too long, 2) cost too much 3) cannot keep up with speed of development, 4) are not iterative, and 5) serve a different purpose than most school leaders need. By the time a traditional research project is complete, new iterations of the app can… Show more

Rapid-Cycle tech evaluations are designed to assist school leaders in making evidence-based decisions regarding ed tech acquisitions. Traditional research approaches do not meet the needs of evaluating rapidly changing education technology. They 1) take too long, 2) cost too much 3) cannot keep up with speed of development, 4) are not iterative, and 5) serve a different purpose than most school leaders need. By the time a traditional research project is complete, new iterations of the app can make the research outdated before it is even published.

The Ed Tech Rapid Cycle Evaluation Coach is a free and openly licensed web-based platform that helps schools and districts conduct evidence-based short cycle evaluations of educational technology.

Working with Institute of Education Sciences, OET contracted Mathematica to design and field test tools that school leaders, entrepreneurs and researchers can use to conduct rapid cycle tech evaluations and make evidence-based decisions regarding ed tech acquisitions. This project is designed to establish a standard for low-cost, quick-turnaround evaluations of ed tech. In addition to generating evidence on specific apps, the project is developing protocol tools for conducting rigorous rapid cycle evaluations of apps that practitioners, developers, and researchers can use beyond the scope of this evaluation. With the implementation of ESSA, the need for evidence-based decision making has increased significantly. The goal is to fundamentally change the procurement and implementation process to include evidence-based decision making throughout. Show less

Post #edtechchat podcasts recorded to provide educators a summary of our weekly chats.

Opportunities abound for software designers and developers to create impactful tools for teachers, school leaders, students, and their families. This guide for developers, startups and entrepreneurs addresses key questions about the education ecosystem and highlights critical needs and opportunities to develop digital tools and apps for learning. Crowd-sourced from knowledgeable educators, developers, and researchers who were willing to share what they have learned, this guide is designed to… Show more

Opportunities abound for software designers and developers to create impactful tools for teachers, school leaders, students, and their families. This guide for developers, startups and entrepreneurs addresses key questions about the education ecosystem and highlights critical needs and opportunities to develop digital tools and apps for learning. Crowd-sourced from knowledgeable educators, developers, and researchers who were willing to share what they have learned, this guide is designed to help entrepreneurs apply technology in smart ways to solve persistent problems in education.

Ten opportunities for technology to transform teaching & learning:

1. Improving mastery of academic skills
2. Developing skills to promote lifelong learning
3. Increasing family engagement
4. Planning for future education opportunities
5. Designing effective assessments
6. Improving educator professional development
7. Improving educator productivity
8. Making learning accessible to all students
9. Closing opportunity gaps
10. Closing achievement gaps Show less