Information Technology Task Group

2007-2008

This task group will continue to monitor developments and issues affecting electronic access and infrastructure for education. The primary focus will be on gathering and sharing information about these topics, including statewide educational networks in SREB states and the telecommunications services and other technology products used by schools, colleges and state education agencies.

Open source programs (software) allow developers to freely view, modify and distribute source code. (Distribution terms set forth by The Open Source Initiative will be observed.) This is a complex and rapidly changing area of technology that may be of significant benefit to schools, colleges and state education agencies. During 2007-2008, the Cooperative will gather information regarding open source initiatives in SREB states and link them together to help share information and resources. The Cooperative also will continue to provide information about best practices and up-to-date information about open source uses in SREB states and across the country.

The SREB Educational Technology Cooperative will gather information about wireless technologies and explore how using wireless devices can affect teaching and learning. Current and emerging technical standards, as well as the policy implications for schools and campuses resulting from the use of wireless devices, will be identified. The use of wireless technologies in schools, colleges and state education agencies has grown rapidly in the last several years. This wireless information site will be updated and expanded during the course of the year.

The protection of Information Systems security against unauthorized access to or modification of information is rapidly growing in importance to schools, colleges and state education agencies. The Educational Technology Cooperative will continue to share up-to-date information, perspectives and best practices with representatives and provide this information on the cooperative Web site and through task group meetings.

The ATAlliance, formed in January 2002, is a national alliance of regional educational organizations to promote efficient and effective access to technology by schools, colleges and state education agencies. The continuing role of the cooperative is to support the ATAlliance as it markets quality contracts that are available to schools, colleges and state education agencies. It also will participate in the ATAlliance RFP work to development new RFPs for technology products and services needed by SREB states.

The K-20 educational technology community has an increasingly significant impact on every aspect of teaching and learning. Recent events have underscored the fact that Educational Technology Cooperative participants should be actively aware and involved in statewide disaster preparation, response, and recovery processes. The Cooperative will work closely with state education agencies to help them identify what they need to consider in addressing disaster preparedness.

The cooperative will continue to monitor and report on the development and implementation of initiatives designed to provide improved bandwidth and increased speed and access to information and education. The Cooperative will continue this activity primarily by sharing e-mails with reports from the Internet2 community and topics on the Information Technology Task Group meeting agenda. In addition, the Cooperative will help inform states regarding the development and implementation of initiatives, including LambdaRail. Internet2 and LambdaRail are networks for education and high-speed data transfer purposes.

For more information, e-mail Bill Thomas at bill.thomas@sreb.org.