In Technology & Learning's continued spirit of practicality, we bring you this month's cover feature, "Enough to Go Around? Budget and TCO Tool Kit" (page 32) by Todd McIntire. It is truly a sign of the times that funding for technology and related issues is a topic now appropriately addressed in articles on almost any subject we currently cover within the pages of the magazine. In this piece, McIntire focuses specifically on key resource challenges faced by school and district leaders and offers a range of easily available tools for helping them meet these challenges under today's tight funding restrictions. We certainly hope you'll find it helpful in addressing your own district's Total Cost of Ownership issues.
This month, we also bring you the final article in our three-part security series, "Secure Your Wireless Network" on page 20. In it, authors Jane Bloomquist and Atif Musa, both experienced wireless policymakers for the Chicago Public Schools, alert you to the often-hidden concerns you'll want to know about if you currently employ wireless solutions or are considering them for the future. As with funding, security is a topic you can expect us to be looking at seriously on an ongoing basis.
You will also notice something different in this month's issue: the spring edition of Digital Video in the Classroom has been inserted within our pages. If you are a technology coordinator, you will recognize DVC, as you've already received two previous editions of this quarterly. DVC is the product of a joint venture between T&L and DV Magazine, a CMP sister publication. The publication is essentially a purchasing and best-practices guide to integrating digital video and digital still photography into classroom and professional development projects. We certainly hope you enjoy this month's edition, and invite you to check out past issues at techlearning.com/digitalvideo.
Meanwhile, stay tuned for next month's Product Spotlight, which will compare and detail for you the features of a selection of student information systems-applications that have become practically synonymous with accountability and data-driven decision making. As well, Kim Carter will be reporting on the newest developments in online professional development offerings.
Our staff is also gearing up for our Tech Forum conference, which we like to call "Technology & Learning in action." The event takes place on April 29th in Chicago and offers a packed day of sessions on innovative strategies around security, economic challenges, data-driven decision making, leadership, and other timely issues. It's also a wonderful opportunity for education professionals to network in a relaxed and warm atmosphere. To check out the program, visit techlearning.com/events/techforum/chi04. We hope you'll join us there.
Susan McLester, editor in chief, T&L smclester@cmp.com
