Education Stakeholders Show Dedication, May Meet Genachowski’s Challenge
Steps being taken may quicken the switch to all digital textbooks, said David Stevenson, educational software, systems and assessment provider Wireless Generation’s vice president of government affairs. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s goal for K-12 schools to use only digital textbooks within five years may be more reachable due to items discussed in closed meetings among Genachowski, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and education technology industry leaders on Thursday and Friday (CD Feb 30 p12), Stevenson said. In attendance were executives and leaders from Apple, Aruba Networks, Chegg, Discovery Education, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Idaho Department of Education, Inkling, Intel, Knewton, Kno, the Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission, McGraw-Hill, News Corp., Pearson, Samsung, Sprint and T-Mobile.
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The Leading Education by Advancing Digital Commission will highlight obstacles and better focus government leaders, schools and industry players to move forward, Stevenson added. The LEAD Commission was formed in late March, and the members are Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, TPG Capital Co-Founder James Coulter, Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Common Sense Media Founder James Steyer.
The LEAD Commission could push the digital textbook initiative forward because it will bring national attention to state policies that prevent schools from adopting digital textbooks, Stevenson said. Some states may already realize that the way they procure and present materials is stopping them from adopting digital textbooks, but those states will be encouraged to improve those policies when these powerful people bring attention to the issue.
The FCC and Education Department are showing their seriousness about moving the education industry forward by involving industry stakeholders and discussing solutions, said Dennis Van Roekel, president of the National Education Association. The fact that all these parties are coming together and discussing solutions may move the initiative quicker in some areas, he said. He is still concerned about where funds will come from and how the collaborative will involve parents and educators.
The collaborative should be getting input from teachers about what’s important to include in curricula and classrooms, Van Roekel said. Involving teacher, principal and administrator associations will be important, and the collaborative will probably eventually do that, Stevenson said. It’s important to break down any “technology vs. teachers” attitudes and make sure digital textbook adoption is teacher friendly.
The dedication shown by stakeholders may move this project forward within Genachowski’s desired timeframe, but three issues remain, Stevenson said: There needs to be better materials, groups of digitally savvy school and district leaders, and groups of teachers who want to make the transition work. “We've got a lot of areas to cover, but you've got to start somewhere,” Van Roekel said.