“Build it and they will come.” How many times have we heard this refrain? From the movie “Field of Dreams” — to many real estate, Web design and business consulting firms — the phrase has been universally adopted. So how do we “make them come” when it has to do with teachers in the technology playing field?

Offering an impressive technology infrastructure is critically important for today’s schools. Content is becoming more and more streamlined, administrative tools are technology-driven, and assistive technologies have opened many doors. Yet, getting daily access to the technology infrastructure and support from the information technology department can be like pulling the proverbial tooth. Unless we arm educators with information and skills to maximize the technologies offered at a school, the tools provided will never be used to their full potential to meet the needs of students.

Getting educators comfortable with technology and providing the research be­hind its uses has been the focus of the Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) for the past two years. CITEd is a five-year initiative, funded by the U.S. Education Department’s Office of Special Education Programs. As the project director for CITEd, I lead a team of experts who developed a new online resource for teachers, state and local administrators, and IT and professional development coordinators located on our new Web site, www.cited.org.