Education technology took center stage in Florida last week as teachers, administrators and district technology experts gathered at FETC 2008 in Orlando. Podcasting, digital collaboration and Web 2.0 dominated much of the discussion, but security, new and emerging technologies, and environmental education were also major themes.

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 Google recently announced Knol, a new experimental website that puts information online in a way that encourages authorial attribution. Unlike articles for the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which anyone is free to revise, Knol articles will have individual authors, whose pictures and credentials will be prominently displayed alongside their work.

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Open source software will nearly double in the education space over the next four years. From its present level of $286.2 million, the market–including software, services, and maintenance–will reach $489.9 million by 2012, according to a report released today by market analyst Datamonitor, which proclaimed that “open source software has the ability to change the face of the education Industry.”

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Our district recently purchased a license for Tumble books and the kids love it.  TumbleBookLibrary is an online collection of TumbleBooks – animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they’ll love. TumbleBooks are created by adding animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you.

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Teachers across the United States will have an opportunity to communicate and collaborate with top-notch educators from all over the world through Microsoft Corp.’s Innovative Teachers Network (ITN), a new online forum that promotes the exchange of ideas and methods on how best to incorporate technology into the classroom effectively.

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Classroom 2.0, created by Steve Hargadon, is a social networking site, devoted to those interested in the practical application of computer technology (especially Web 2.0) in the classroom and in their own professional development. Especially we hope that those who feel they are “beginners” will find this a comfortable place to start being a part of the community dialog and to learn more.’

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Wikis and avatars are improving the educational experience.

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Tired of investing in expensive textbooks and proprietary software programs, Florida education officials are looking to an open online-learning platform to teach young students basic reading skills.

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 Educators who want to engage their students and add sizzle to their lessons by using video clips and interview transcripts can turn to “Open Vault,” a new web site launched by Boston-based public television station WGBH.

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Hundreds of students and their parents begged Wisconsin lawmakers Wednesday to take quick action to keep their virtual charter schools open.

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