Round of Applause for the Oregon Department of Education

Today, Google announced that the entire public education (K-12) system of Oregon will begin to use Google Apps:


Official Google Blog: Alis volat propriis: Oregon’s bringing Google Apps to classrooms statewide


This is an incredibly fantastic move by the Department of Education of Oregon for a few reasons. First, it will allow students the opportunity to use tools to collaborate with their teachers as well as other students for class projects -- or even just for studying for tests (e.g. making collaborative study sheets on Google Docs for a test). Second, it will give students real life experience using email, document editors, and much more in the cloud which is where all of their internet experiences will take place over the next 20 years. Finally, it will give students who have historically not had the chance to use internet or cloud technologies a fantastic opportunity to develop skills that will make them more successful as they (hopefully) move on to college and then into the "real world" where everyone uses technologies like these.


Mad props, Round of Applause, whatever you do to celebrate a great achievement should be hailed on the Education system in Oregon. Now, let's hope every student in the US and the world gets an opportunity to use these technologies while in the public school system someday.