NETC Circuit

Provides Tips on Evaluating

Technology Tools

With more than 15,000 titles of educational software programs and millions of Web sites, how do educators determine what the best resources are and how to use them effectively? Judi Mathis Johnson, a national software evaluation expert, answers that question in the latest issue of the NETC Circuit.

The newsletter of NWREL's Northwest Educational Technology Consortium offers a basic primer by Johnson on evaluating technology tools for the classroom. She suggests consumers focus on critical considerations like how steep is the learning curve for the product; what research supports the teaching pedagogy; and what exactly does the purchase price buy?

The Circuit also describes how technology facilitates successful collaborations and supports standards-based instruction. Jeff Cooper, a former high school teacher and education technology specialist, explains how to build online learning communities. Mary Odenbach, who teaches English at a small high school in Wyoming, shows how she and her students use technology in a standards-based lesson plan.

For a free subscription to the NETC Circuit, call (800) 211-9435 or e-mail netc@nwrel.org. The newsletter can also be found at www.netc.org/circuit.