An Epic Development in EdTech

For educators wandering alone in a wilderness of technology-enabled education initiatives, help has arrived in the form of epic-Ed. This online community of practice (OCoP)–part of the national Connected Educators Projects– is dedicated to helping teachers, administrators, instructional technology facilitators and technology directors plan and implement computing environments in K-12 schools and districts.

Grounded in education technology research and practice at all levels, epic-ed leverages proven and cutting-edge resources to cultivate and sustain a vibrant community of innovation.

Epic-ed harnesses the knowledge of local and national stakeholders who are dedicated to preparing the next generation of technology-savvy citizens. The community has already started discussions about accessible learning and teaching strategies, planning models and other best practices.

With access to experts on topics like 1-to-1 computing, bring your own technology (BYOT), ubiquitous computing and the hot-button issue of assessment technology, schools and districts can do much more than simply pay lip service to technology-enabled learning—they can make it a reality.

Epid-ed is designed to improve learning outcomes through support and sharing.

1. Learn from those who’ve already blazed the trail:

Teachers can learn how to make pedagogical shifts, access content-specific expertise, and gain insights into classroom management strategies for technology-rich environments.Administrators can get inspired by successful initiatives around funding, the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), cloud computing, Assessment 2014 and moreEducational tech facilitators and chief technology officers can learn effective approaches for infrastructure, filtering, data and device management, and other key issues

2. Share your experiences, your frustrations and your hard-won success stories:

Connect and network with colleagues who are implementing technology-enabled programsCollaborate on lesson plans with like-minded educatorsSupport teachers and staff nationwide in their transition to technology-rich environmentsAccess professional development models for content-specific resources, tools and ideas that you can share with your school or district

All educators interested in identifying and developing best practices for technology-enabled education are welcome to join epic-ed. Once you’re part of the community, you can drop in and out of ongoing discussions and events, or select specific resources to suit your current needs. Are you part of epic-ed? What other means do you use to collaborate with your peers?

With backing from governors and state education officers, more than a dozen states have launched “leadership initiatives” based on “21st century learning” principles. The Partnership has supported this network of school leaders by providing standards, assessments and professional development programs designed to enhance student readiness.  Read this whitepaper to learn about two states that have embraced the 21st century learning approach: Arizona and West Virginia.

View the original article here