Introduction
Transforming K-12 Education with Information Technology
Handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) were launched in the marketplace in 1996. Within 18 months, these handheld devices had swept through the business community and virtually transformed the way people took notes and kept professional and personal calendars. Today, PDAs can connect to the Internet and provide a variety of services, from scouting out restaurants in the vicinity to using the global positioning system (GPS) and enabling enterprise-wide knowledge management systems. This is but one example of the power of technology on a grand scale, transforming how people work and play.
Why hasn't technology, be it hardware or software, had the same transformative effect on K-12 education? The National Research Council's (NRC) project on Improving Learning with Information Technology (ILIT) was created to confront this question and ultimately to enable the transformation of K-12 education through information technology. It will accomplish these goals by bringing together representatives of the K-12 education, IT industry, and learning sciences communities to roadmap the improvement of K-12 education through information technology.
The initial activity of this project was a symposium that was held on January 24-25, 2001. This publication is a report of the events that took place at the symposium.
