home

==Educators have been transitioning to digital, multimedia-enhanced approaches to instruction for years. This gradual process has proven to breathe new life into existing, successful lesson plans, and offer opportunities not possible before. This change has been rather long, and required support in the form of professional development, increased hardware access, new policies related to technology, and so on. One shift that has lingered on the horizon for some time has been an effort to move from traditional textbooks, into a more "digital backpack" approach. Educators have realized that, while serving a clear purpose in blueprint and vetted content, traditional textbooks are no longer as helpful in a more technology-rich learning environment. Students have higher expectations for content, and teachers understand the need for rich, constantly-updated material. This change may very well be one of the largest technology events to occur in schools in years. Is now a point at which classrooms are truly ready to move from a traditional textbook into something possibly less structured? Is the technological capacity solid enough? Have our teaching approaches embraced this switch? What will it take to ensure that learning is as rich, if not richer, than with older media? What must be considered in moving large scale into this "digital backpack" approach to teaching and learning? This site will serve as a guide for educators to look at research, existing efforts, and important issues to consider when making this transition.==