Educators need to establish a clear plan for how students will use the new technology flowing into schools, or all the new hardware and software may be wasted.

A report released by the CEO Forum states that teachers should focus on training students for the skills they need in a technology-based economy instead of just settling for a few computers and an Internet connection in the classroom, the New York Times reports.

The "Power of Digital Learning: Integrating Digital Content" report was released at a hearing of Congress' Web-Based Education Commission.

(The commission has been charged with making recommendations to the President and Congress specific policies "to assist education leaders at all levels to incorporate Web-based learning strategies to improve education and achievement" as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization.)

The report claims digital technology can significantly boost learning if it is applied to meet specific educational goals, and that schools need to determine what goals can be supported by digital content.

The CEO Forum also suggests schools should complete an inventory of their digital education tools before continuing to invest in new technologies.

"You have to set the educational goals first. I'm looking at the overall goals and objectives. It is a combination of content, training and connectivity," stated CEO Forum co-chairperson Anne Bryant, who also is executive director of the National School Boards Association.

The forum also recommends that business and government work with schools to help integrate digital technology into classrooms and in the professional development of teachers, the newspaper reports.

Full text of the article is currently found at:
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/
06/cyber/education/28education.html