ETDC Background

Educators are learning more about how people learn and are changing the way they teach to take advantage of this new knowledge. Schools are working to improve the quality of their graduates while constantly asking how we know that the students have learned what is important for them to learn. Technology, and educational technology in particular, is a vital part of what our students and teachers must learn to understand and use if we want to have productive students graduating from our schools.

Technology is found throughout our K-12 schools. We spend more than $6 billion per year to educate close to a million students for 13 years each. This involves over 60,000 educators in almost 2000 school buildings. This effort depends upon everyone involved - especially the students - being competent in the ability to use technology they will find throughout their lives.

Students are faced with living in an increasingly complex world. In order for them to function in their world, schools need to teach them to 1) understand this complexity, 2) convince us that they understand, and 3) use what they learn to lead productive lives.

In our schools, students use technology in many ways. It helps them to understand their educational experiences through verbal, written, spatial, quantitative, and graphical modes (to name a few). It lets students communicate within their schools, and far beyond the school walls. It helps them to combine their mathematical, logical, other knowledge and skills. A basic understanding of technology allows students to obtain information - the important information at any time - to manage the amount of information available, and to look at that information in ways that make their lives and understanding of the world more understandable. Educational technology helps students become citizens who can productively live in our modern world.

The Educational Technology Development Center (ETDC) is a cooperative effort of the nine Educational Technology Support Centers - one at each Educational Service District throughout the State of Washington - housed at Puget Sound ESD in Burien. The ETDC is funded by a grant from Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Its mission is to support and foster the development of new models for professional development and curricular activities within Washington's K-12 schools using readily available communications technology. The Educational Technology Development Center has been working throughout the State of Washington to help develop and demonstrate the effective use of network technology in the K-12 environment. This effort has become increasingly important with the advent of the K-20 networks connecting all public schools and universities in the state.

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