The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 K-12 Edition - This report discusses the top emerging technologies, trends, and challenges that New Media believes will have a major impact on teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in pre-college education over the next five years. The report identifies mobile devices & apps and tablet computing as technologies expected to enter mainstream use in the first horizon of one year or less. Game-based learning and personal learning environments are seen in the second horizon of two to three years; and augmented reality and natural user interfaces emerged in the third horizon of four to five years. The research and analysis contained in the report will help inform K-12 educators' technology strategies over the next five years. (New Media Consortium, July 2012)...

National Broadband Plan--Chapter 11: Education - The demands of the new information-based economy require substantial changes to the existing education system. Broadband can be an important tool to help educators, parents and students meet major challenges in education. This report contains recommendations to: (1) Help improve online learning both inside and outside of the school; (2) Gather and provide data that fosters innovation; and (3) Change the E-rate program which offers schools and libraries discounted services to improve broadband availability. (FCC, March 2010)...

National Broadband Plan--Executive Summary - In early 2009, Congress directed the Federal Communications Commission to develop a National Broadband Plan to ensure every American has "access to broadband capability." The plan needed to include a detailed strategy for achieving affordability and maximizing use of broadband to advance "consumer welfare, civic participation, public safety and homeland security, community development and education--among other things. To fulfill Congress's mandate, the plan seeks to ensure that the entire broadband ecosystem is healthy. The plan makes recommendations to the FCC, the Executive Branch, Congress and state and local governments. (FCC, March 2010)...

Networks Have to Work…or Education Doesn't - State and district wide networks are becoming the new foundation for education delivery. Without a secure, reliable, equitable and state-of-the-art network in place, it is virtually impossible to consistently deploy national, state and district K-12 initiatives. This executive summary addresses the need for critical district or statewide technology network infrastructure as the foundation that enables learner-centered education. Registration required for full white paper, available here. (Education Networks of America, 2006) ...

Considerations for Planning a State Virtual School: Providing Web-Based Courses for K-12 students - This brief from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) explores the key policy issues that must be addressed when planning to deliver K-12 courses over the Web. The questions include: (1) What courses are needed? (2) How should the state work to eliminate policy barriers to online learning? (3) Should the state coordinate or manage efforts of school districts? (4) Should the state lease or create courses? (5) How will the state’s program for online courses be funded? One major recommendation is that leasing or purchasing courses is the best option for developing programs, since it is less expensive than creating and maintaining a course. (William R. Thomas, SREB, March 2002)...