Kerry Best

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What happens when libraries transform from traditional, quiet places to engaging spaces that inspire learning? The old perceptions of libraries are swept away and energized by interactive, connected learning for the entire community. That’s exactly what the strategy is at the Midland County Library in Texas. When the county decided to upgrade one of its […]

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Technology is a wonderful thing, at least in my opinion; especially when it’s used to inspire creativity, knowledge and to make learning fun and interactive. New and interactive technologies inspired the Midland County Library in Texas to change people’s perceptions of what a library can and should be. Coined as the “library of the future”, […]

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With so many schools looking to integrate various technologies for things like blended & distance learning, increased staff and student collaboration, and mobility options, many are asking “are we sure we have the necessary infrastructure?”. And if they answer yes, will it support the newest technologies, and will it work all the time, every time? […]

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For the last four or five years, I’ve watched as the Idaho Education Network (IEN) has implemented and reaped the benefits from their distance education program and use of video conferencing, or telepresence. To this day, they continue to improve on success, and during a session at ISTE 2013 last week, Brady Kraft and his […]

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For one week this last March, hundreds of thousands of workers from around the world made the commitment to telework. This year’s Telework Week resulted in a 91 percent increase in involvement in 2011, with more than 130,000 total pledges! These record numbers really show the momentum of telework in both the public and private […]

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Colleges and universities continually innovate to address the changing demands on them – increased demand by millenials for virtual offerings, pressure to keep costs down, and the changing needs of the community for a skilled workforce. These demands combined with ongoing resource constraints – limited budgets, classroom space and faculty resources – consistently drive the […]

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Budget cuts are costing many American students their arts education. As a wanna-be artist and overall proponent of all things creative, I have long valued the impact of arts education – especially in public schools. Unfortunately, these are the programs that are too often cut when budgets are slashed and difficult decisions must be made. […]

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The Johnson City School District transformed its students’ learning experiences, teachers’ teaching experiences, and parents’ academic insights with BYOD applications, allowing them the freedom to learn and connect anywhere, anytime and on any device. With wired Internet access readily available in each of the 11 schools, the district took its first steps into wireless Internet […]

It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long, but remember a couple of months ago when we were all reading articles like “5 ways technology will impact higher ed in 2013” about trends to watch in 2013? Well, at the beginning of the year, I highlighted four of those high-impact trends educators should be on […]

From super storms to snow storms, the U.S. has experienced its share of extreme winter weather over the past few months – evidenced today by the revelations from my family in #Snowklahoma. The damage left by recent blizzards, Hurricane Sandy and the Nemo Storm has businesses and residents rethinking ways to ensure continuity during severe weather. […]

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Over the years, I’ve seen how telepresence technologies revolutionize the way organizations of all sizes do business, but one area where I’m really excited about the potential is within the court system. Here in Collin County, north of Dallas, our local court system is pushing the envelope when it comes to video technology. In addition […]

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While Alaska is the largest state, it’s the least densely populated. With local government agencies and departments dispersed across more than 600,000 square miles, creating a reliable and efficient statewide IT infrastructure is no easy feat. When Corey Kos became the state of Alaska’s enterprise architect in 2010, he set out on a mission to […]

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As my colleagues just wrapped up participating in the 2-day World Congress Telehealth Executive Summit and are preparing for the 6th Annual Community for Connected Health Summit at HIMSS13, I’ve been thinking even more about telehealth technology and how far it has come since my first exposure to it almost almost thirteen years ago. The […]

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2012 was a big year for technology in education, and as promised, I’ll be diving into 5 of the top tech trends in education that are sure to take 2013 by storm! One of the biggest trends I hear teachers and administrators talking about is the Flipped Classroom. While this isn’t a new concept, it […]

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After a well deserved break and perhaps a bit of indulgence over the holidays, we are now back to the books and looking ahead at what 2013 has in store for education. Last year we watched as school districts embraced mobile learning and universities relied more on collaborative technologies. Those that took the leap and […]

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As we’ve all seen, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) made its way rather quickly into the public sector, and the challenges of implementing within government agencies has been well documented. In order to help agencies face these challenges, GovLoop recently conducted a survey & released “Exploring Bring Your Own Device in the Public Sector”. The report […]

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OK, we all see a lot of college-ranking lists – everything from top technical schools to top party schools – but most recently with the explosion of technology in higher education a new list has debuted, named the Most Connected Colleges. The listing, launched by U.S News & World Reports, is the first-ever ranking to […]

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Telework has become more prevalent within government agencies, and the latest intelligence from the Office of Personnel Management says employees are pleased! From the environment to the budget, the benefits are far-reaching. But perhaps the most important advantage is to the employees themselves. Teleworkers say they are more engaged and satisfied than their onsite counterparts, […]

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Every day educators and students from more than 400 locations across Washington State have world-class educational resources at their fingertips, and every day they rely on the same network to access it. In 1996, Washington legislators and educational leaders saw the Internet’s potential to transform learning. To guarantee that students across the state would always […]

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President Barack Obama has been reelected as the 44th president of the United States. And while he may still be holding on to his treasured Blackberry, most of us are more interested in what technology trends he and his administration will pursue to make public sector agencies smarter, faster and more efficient. Throughout Obama’s first […]

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Educators have put telepresence to the test and it’s passed with honors. In 2011, four Virginia universities joined together with one objective–to transform higher education. The partnership, dubbed 4-VA, includes members from George Mason University, James Madison University, University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The 4-VA’s goals are admirable and ambitious: […]

As we quickly approach Telework Week 2013 in March, I’ve been hearing a lot of discussion around the benefits of telework and the level of growth we have seen over the last few years in the demand for mobility. Mobility is sometimes easier said than done, though, especially when you are a city government looking […]