Handbook

Name of Site: CEO Forum on Education and Technology
URL: http://www.ceoforum.org
Browser Used: Netscape Navigator
Connection: 56K modem

Navigability is good. Links are clearly labeled. Can move from page to page easily.	1 2 3 4 5
This site offers interactivity. The visitor engages with the site.	1 2 3 4 5
This site uses appropriate page format. Pages are not inordinately long.	1 2 3 4 5
Can easily find information.	1 2 3 4 5
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This site is aesthetically courteous. Text and background colors do not clash.	1 2 3 4 5

Has a proper title.	1 2 3 4 5
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Information is useful.	1 2 3 4 5
Rich content and will likely be revisited.	1 2 3 4 5
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All links work.	1 2 3 4 5
Thumbnail graphics used. Graphics download quickly.	1 2 3 4 5
Alternative text page is offered when heavy graphics or frames are used.	1 2 3 4 5
Image links and image maps have a text alternative.	1 2 3 4 5
Can see meaningful information within 30 seconds.	1 2 3 4 5

Contact person is stated with their e-mail address.	1 2 3 4 5
Announces when this page was last updated. Links have been kept current.	1 2 3 4 5
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States the name of the host school or institution.	1 2 3 4 5

Comments: The CEO Forum on Education and Technology offers timely information on the integration of technology into the classroom. The CEO Forum on Education and Technology was founded in the fall of 1996 to help ensure that America's schools effectively prepare all students to be contributing citizens and productive workers in the 21st Century. To meet this objective, the Forum will issue an annual assessment of the nation's progress toward integrating technology into American classrooms through the year 2000.

The Forum members include representatives from Apple Computer, Classroom Connect, the National Education Association, National Public Radio, Compaq, Dell, Bell Atlantic, Lucent Technologies and the National School Board Association.

The report is based on information received from more than 80,000 public schools, national statistics, and consultants, both public and private. The US Department of Education is responsible for the research and statistics, which would be helpful to technology committees, administrators, business leaders and others.

A wealth of resources is provided including:
(1) the Year 1 Report: From Pillars to Progress, which focuses on hardware and connectivity
(2) the Year 2 Report: Professional Development: a Link to Better Learning, which focuses on professional development
(3) the Teacher Preparation STaR Chart, A Self-Assessment Tool for Colleges of Education, which focuses on teacher preparation

Two years ago, I used this site and its information when I was preparing a Town Hall meeting on technology for our school district’s state-required technology plan. Particularly useful was the STaR Chart, which identifies and defines four school profiles ranging from the "Low Tech" school with little or no technology to the "Target Tech" school that provides a model for the integration and innovative use of education technology. The STaR Chart is not intended to be a measure of any particular school’s technology and readiness, but rather to serve a benchmark against which every school can assess and track its own progress.

Missing the promised February 2000 release date is the Year 3 Report that will focus on digital learning. Also not readily available is the information which states when the website was last updated. However, one might be willing to overlook these negatives as the site offers a wealth of information that is full of impact for making a statement, pro or con, about technology in the schools. This site is worthy of a bookmark for educators crusading for technology!