New Media and Educational Publishing

I was at an event this weekend, talking to another first-grade parent, and she told me about the interactive "whiteboards" her son's school uses. Imagine this: instead of the traditional green or black chalk board, there's a touch-screen large monitor that allows the teacher to write on it, but also allows her to access the Internet and her files. When I Googled this topic, I was amazed at how many hits I got, the lead being a New York Time article on this very topic. These "smartboards" are apparently only available in affluent neighborhoods for the time being, but will be more prevalent once prices drop.

Along similar lines, the digitalist blogged about the "One Laptop per Child Project" and the new XO2 laptop, which will more resemble a larger iphone than the traditional laptop.

Since educational publishing is a seasonal and ever-struggling business, will new media--and the lack of its "print" necessity--give these publishers a chance for more stability? And what kind of training will editors and other publishing professionals need to keep up with interactive media and publishing?