As budgets get stretched, schools turn to free digital tools

Think of it as a welcome demand meeting an urgent need: Even as public school funding plummets, it’s never been easier to find inexpensive or free high-quality education tools online. The digital revolution, which smashed old patterns of other traditional media, is radically changing what can be found in the average classroom. Teachers and school districts are turning online for teaching games, collaborative tools, and even custom-made entire “textbooks.”