Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Chapter 8 Technology: How Is It Changing Our Schools?

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. How Is Technology Transforming Today’s Schools – Or At Least Some of Them? By 1999, 95% of schools had computer and Internet access Many students have grown up with technology and expect education to be fast-paced and well-connected to the larger world Technology presents teachers with new and, sometimes, challenging ways to think about education

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. How Is Technology Transforming Today’s Schools – Or At Least Some of Them? New Tech high schools –Utilize project-based, group learning with a technological focus to generate discussion and problem-solving skills –Teachers become coaches rather than traditional instructors –One model of an entire school– and structure of schooling—transformed by technology

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Join the Dialogue Design your ideal school of the future. What will be the place of technology? What limitations will be placed on technology? What will be the place of teachers? Of textbooks? Of students?

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. How Is Technology Transforming Today’s Schools – Or At Least Some of Them? WebQuest –Bernie Dodge created WebQuest– a method for doing significant student-led research using the World Wide Web –The focus of learning moves from teacher talk to greater, direct activity on the part of the students Teachers lead class by defining specific research problems, goals, and reliable resources

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. How Is Technology Transforming Today’s Schools – Or At Least Some of Them? Many educators debate the effectiveness of technology in classrooms –Advocates claim that with a technology- based approached, many students become more confident and active learners –Detractors worry that technology-based learning can divert students and teachers from substantive learning to fascination with the technology itself

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Are We On the Edge of a Wonderful New Era or Is There a Downside to All This Technology? Seymour Papert: Advocate extraordinaire –“Children have entered a passionate and enduring love affair with the computer” Teachers need to use this to their advantage –The possibilities of computer use are barely explored in many classrooms New technology has the previously unimagined ability to make students more active and engaged learners

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Are We On the Edge of a Wonderful New Era or Is There a Downside to All This Technology? Neil Postman: Dissenter –Computer-based technology is negatively undermining our conception of learning and education –The very culture into which a new technology has been embedded becomes a different culture Examples from impact of television and printing press

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Are We On the Edge of a Wonderful New Era or Is There a Downside to All This Technology? Larry Cuban: A word of caution –Many educators may be overestimating the impact of technology and the changes it will bring into the classroom Example of Edison touting the motion picture as revolutionizing the education system –Many education reformers may misuse technology to temporarily solve school problems

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. What Is the Digital Divide and How Does It Affect My Teaching? Digital divide: Disconnect that occurs between those with access to technology and those without Differences occur both in the availability of resources but also the way in which the computers are used in school

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. What Is the Digital Divide and How Does It Affect My Teaching? 2003 NCES Report found: –70.7% of public high school students used a computer at home –Results disaggregated by race: 81.4% of European American students used a computer at home 44.2% of African American students used a computer at home 49.1% of Latino students used a computer at home

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. What Is the Digital Divide and How Does It Affect My Teaching? Public schools are working to bridge this divide. 88% of students reported using computers at school –Results disaggregated by race: 89.2% of European American students used computers in the classroom 89.0% of African American students used computers in the classroom 83.8% of Latino students used computers in the classroom

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. What Is the Digital Divide and How Does It Affect My Teaching? How is technology used in schools? –European American students more frequently use computers for self-directed and engaging simulations –African American students more frequently use computers for drills and practice –Boys often take to computers more quickly than girls because of early interaction with computers games Computer games are often more violent, gender- biased, and do not cater to girls’ interests

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. What About Me? How old were you when you first used a computer? Was it at home or school (or elsewhere)? Did you have computers in your classroom and/or in a computer lab? How did your school use technology?

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. How Can I Use Technology to Improve My Teaching? Solomon and Schrum’s six steps that educators need to take to harness technology for learning: –1. Teachers must recognize that the Web provides ways to address standards and acquire information that students need –2. Teachers must recognize that many free, high-quality resources are available online –3. Teachers must invest in professional technology development

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. How Can I Use Technology to Improve My Teaching? Solomon and Schrum’s six steps, cont. –4. Teachers have to link Web-based activities with standards-based curricula and topics needed for tests –5. Future educators need to be prepared to integrate technology as easily as previous teachers used textbooks and chalkboards –6. Teachers must involve parents and community members in understanding the value of using Web-based activities for learning

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Reading: “New Tech High: Education Reform Comes to Indiana Classrooms” by Matt L. Ottinger New Tech High originated in Napa, California in 1996 to prepare students for technology-based jobs –Introduced in Indiana in November 2005 The New Tech model –Focuses on project-based, group learning assignments –Aims to make school more interesting for students while bridging the digital divide

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Reading: “Meet Bernie Dodge—The Frank Lloyd Wright of Learning Environments!” by Linda Starr WebQuest concept combined Dodge’s backgrounds in engineering and teaching A WebQuest project is “built around an engaging and doable task that elicits higher order thinking of some kind” –Attempts to mimic real-world job projects Teachers using WebQuests will need both technical and pedagogical skills –Ability to create Web pages and find information online –Ability to craft an engaging assignment

Fraser TEACH © 2011 McGraw- Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved. Reading: “Networking Teachers Coaxing Colleagues to Use Technology” by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo Discovery Educator’s Network (DEN) aims to expand the use of technology in education by: –Offering professional development opportunities Live and online conferences –Technologically experienced teachers show other teachers how to incorporate these tools into their classrooms –Creating professional networking outlets for teachers