[ This material captured from a listserve exploring integrated education
offers a defense of investments in educational technology by a teacher nationally
recognized for her technology-based teaching. ]
"Please excuse the length of this message, but it so eloquently answered
the question of what to say to technology detractors that I had to pass
it on."
Laura Bashlor
Shumate Middle School
Gibraltar, Michigan
Teaching is the only major profession that requires inexperienced rookies,
from Day One, to tackle exactly the same workload and responsibilities as
20-year veterans -- without any special assistance or mentoring. Indeed,
this same professional neglect confronts more experienced teachers, too.
In most school districts, management's idea of professional development
-- the so-called "inservice" workshop tacked on at the end of
a long day of teaching -- is a disservice.
So how do teachers get trained? Remember, we are NOT talking about technology.
When technology is a part of the fabric, we have other problems -- access,
professional training, professional acceptance from administrators and supervisors,
the understanding of the community, and involvement of parents and other
responsible adults in the community. Here are some comments from a variety
of people from those groups.
TEACHERS SAY.......
Ask the teachers. A survey involving the National Foundation of Education
teachers is found at http://www.nfie.org entitled "Teachers Take Charge
of Their Learning." Here are some of their other findings, from an
Issue Brief compiled by the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education
(NFIE).
"Technology offers exciting possibilities for expanding education and
challenges for traditional curriculum design. Instead of learning math,
reading, writing and science as distinct subjects, students are learning
to use all these subjects simultaneously while engaged in projects that
relate to real life. Based on an analysis by teachers exploring the potential
of technology to support student learning and how it affects current and
future curriculum, teachers identified that:
"Technology puts vast amounts of knowledge at students' fingertips.
Data bases on every subject imaginable are made available for study in all
curriculum areas. Encyclopedias and complete collections of literary works
on compact disk and telecommunication satellite links expand the walls of
classrooms into the world.
"Technology allows for greater breadth of study. Using technology,
students can be exposed to a wide range of subjects that enables them to
master ideas and skills necessary to become competent learners. Throughout
a school year a student, with guidance, can cover a wide breadth of information
and begin to see relationships between seemingly unrelated subjects.
"Technology offers students a chance to delve deeply into subjects.
Greater accessibility to information gives students the opportunity to gather
data easily and analyze and synthesize it in new ways. Students can manipulate
data to identify those portions that are relevant to their needs. They can
integrate data from one subject area to another and use the information
to enhance their understanding.
"Technology provides a mode for developing higher-order thinking skills
and problem solving that should be reflected in the curriculum design. Using
technology, students can organize facts to define and solve problems or
access data bases on a range of public policy issues such as welfare, employment
or education to pose and address important questions.
"Technology compels that curriculum be more flexible. Technology provides
teachers a tool to create their own teaching materials, to go beyond required
textbooks and use alternate resources, and to reorganize information in
new ways. Students can also manipulate and reorder what they learn, giving
them greater control over their learning.
"Technology links curriculum with realistic experiences both inside
and outside the school. Using telecommunications and computer networks,
students can work together in cooperative learning situations to help solve
real problems, tying their education to real-life situations and giving
them invaluable learning experiences.
"Then the question is, how , and when do they get technology trained?
SECRETARY RILEY SAYS.....
The Secretary of Education says, in regards to technology use,
"We would be shocked if we found out that our children's history class
lacked a textbook for them to use, or an English class had decided to forego
teaching a piece of great literature because they had been unable to afford
copies of the book. We should feel the same indignation and shock today
when we hear that a school has not been wired to the Internet, does not
have computer equipment for its students to use, cannot access distance
learning, or that its teachers have not received the necessary training
to integrate these resources into their classrooms."
A PARENT SAYS........
Kathy Rutkowski <kmr@chaos.com>, a parent and friend of mine, says
in her NetTeachNews that the WWW is a global system...
"The World Wide Web is really a GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEM designed
for easily sharing, transferring, publishing, and disseminating information
and for supporting collaborations and interactive communications. Anyone
can publish information, and anyone who is authorized to do so can read
the information.
"This facilitates collaboration and optimizes communications. For example,
a teacher living in Herndon, Virginia can create a project concept and publish
the class activity on a web site so that teachers and students from around
the world can participate in the project or its refinement.
"The Web is also very much a global community of communities. People
from all kinds of professions, associations, and organizations are using
the web to conduct their business, network with others, conduct research,
publish ideas and creative works, learn, play, communicate and collaborate.
Corporations, small businesses, schools, universities, alumni associations,
non-profit organizations, churches, local, state, and national governments,
and international agencies and organizations are publishing vital and interesting
information about themselves and for the benefit of employees, stockholders,
customers, students, teachers, and other interested persons. Many virtual
communities are being created out of these web-based collaborations and
communications.
"Just a few years ago a common slogan was that "The Internet Is
the Revolution". Today, it would be more appropriate to declare that
the "Web Is The Revolution". The Web has genuinely captured the
imagination and interest of the masses and is significantly challenging
many traditional paradigms of publishing, merchandizing, citizenship, work,
and teaching and learning. Web economics is supporting new business and
employment opportunities around the World Wide Web.
SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS IN EDUCATION
"The World Wide Web is specifically employed in education as a:
* research and information gathering tool/medium
* publication and information dissemination tool/medium
* instruction and course/subject content delivery mechanism
* learning and knowledge building environments
* distance education environment
* administration medium including tests, student records and portfolios,
staff records, etc.
* internal and external communications medium
* internal and external collaboration medium
* professional development and training tool
THE WEB AS AN INSTRUCTION MEDIUM/TOOL
"Educators around the world are exploring the uses of the World Wide
Web as an instruction medium and tool. They and their students are using
curriculum webs created by government agencies, international organizations,
non-profit organizations, companies, and other educators covering a diversity
of curriculum. U.S. government agencies such as NASA (http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/),
the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (http://www.globe.gov/),
and the Geological Survey (http://www.usgs.gov/education/) have created
online projects and curriculum specifically for K-12 learners and in other
agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/pubs.html)
and the U.S. Department of State (http://www.state.gov/www/issues/economic/trade_reports/)
have released publications and data sets in electronic form that can easily
be integrated into curriculum by teachers and used by learners exploring
a variety of subjects.
"The United Nations has created online curriculum for k12 students
on health, urban environments, and on the UN organization (http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/menucurr.htm).
"Companies are also creating online curriculum. Genetech, a biotechnology
pioneer company, have launched Access Excellence, a national education program
that focuses on the professional development of biology teachers, and includes
a Virtual Meeting place---the AE web site (http://www.gene.com/ae/)---wherein
biology teachers can share curriculum ideas and discuss issues with scientists.
"Museums and non-profits are also providing teachers and learners with
useful online curriculum and projects. The Miami Museum of Science created
the Hurricane Storm Center to provide useful information about hurricanes
and the instruments used to measure them, and also to provide activity ideas
for educators to use in their classrooms with students.
"The Kennedy Center Education Department created ArtsEdge (http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/artsedge.html)
to help artists, teachers, and students share information, resources, and
ideas about arts education.
"Many individual teachers are working with their students to create
their own curriculum and class webs that provide links to other online resources
and also value-added material, including original research conducted by
teachers and their classes. Kathy Schrock, a library media specialist at
the Nathaniel H. Wixon Middle School in South Dennis, Massachusetts created
the Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators website (http://www.capecod.net/Wixon/wixon.htm)
which provides megalinks to curricular subject sites, online lesson plans
and projects, and information on how to integrate Internet materials into
curriculum. Texas educators, Kathy Mathison and Naomi Brown created the
Texas Rivers Project (http://www.rice.edu/armadillo/Ftbend/rivers.html)
and accompanying curriculum to be used by teachers and learners around the
world in exploring river systems.
"Despite the richness of all these various curricular sources, online
curriculum presents some unique challenges to educators. Historically, textbooks
and other major curriculum materials have had to go through sometimes lengthy
approval processes by school districts.
"New guidelines will have to be established for the use of online materials
and most likely the approval process will have to be accelerated given the
dynamic online publishing environment. National standards will help this
process. Teachers will potentially play a much greater role in the selection
and use of online curriculum than has traditionally been the case in the
selection of textbooks and CD-ROMS. Nonetheless, this necessitates that
teachers devote more time to research and project development..."
THE NTIA ADMINISTRATOR SAYS.....
Larry Irving, Administrator of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, said:
"As a nation, we have to address the 'digital divide.' We cannot afford
to allow the gap to widen between technology haves and have nots. I urge
business leaders, and all of us, to look beyond our own backyards. There
are a lot of schoolchildren in underserved neighborhoods whose schools do
not have local champions fighting for wiring -- or the laying of cable or
installation of wireless technologies -- in the schools and access to the
information superhighway."
A SENATOR SAYS........
U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Democrat Member of the House
Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection, said,
"America cannot leave kids from working families out of the knowledge-based
economy and still hope to retain its economic standing in a fiercely competitive
global environment."
Rep. Markey also said that government can help facilitate Internet accessibility
by implementing the proposed E-rate (education rate) for telecommunications
and information services. "In order to ensure that `learning links'
truly become a universal service, I believe the `E-rate' should be free
for core, basic telecommunications service," said Rep. Markey.
To meet the enormous challenges facing today's educational system, businesses,
local governments, schools and parents must work together. Initiatives such
as NetDay have highlighted the need for technology in the classroom and
garnered increasing political, corporate and community support. I believe
that NetDay is a catalyst to create the possibilites of community involvement
in schools. I believe it gives the community something to work with and
toward. I am sure that as in any project there are some places that work
better rhan others, but the bringing together of people to solve problems,
as in a electronic barnraising can at least give some community opportunities
to those who want to share, participate and discuss ideas. This may be more
powerful than the Netday.
Netday ideas are needed because, there are vast inequalities in schools
which will continue to exist. Only 10 percent of teachers have access to
the internet in their classrooms. There are no statistics on the level of
access, or the permission they have to use it , or the level of their professional
training.
Netday is a community wedge to open the closed door of the schools and to
remove the teachers and their charge from virtual isolation in a world of
chalk and talk while others fax, phone, email, relay chat, connect by satellite
and share files and information using videophones and picturetel ......it
also lends a helping hand to the teachers of support in the world of academia.
This way teachers don't have to fight for change alone.
AN INDIVIDUAL TEACHER WHO
WORKS IN THE INNER CITY SAYS....
Ted Nellen <tnellen@mbhs.bergtraum.k12.ny.us>, in response to an article
written by Larry Cuban, wrote...
"I am one of those breed of educational reformers who believes technology
will help fix our educational system. It does not entail keeping up with
the latest in technological advances. I stay lowend technologically speaking
and do just fine.
"I am working on a doctorate in education at Teachers College. I have
been named Teacher of the Year two times in NYC. I come to the table with
knowledge, so my abandoning traditional is not willy-nilly. As I move into
my computerized classroom, I am drawing on many years of experience. But
most important is that in this new environment a whole new way of looking
at teaching has to be employed. If you walk into a computer classroom and
try to teach in the tradtional manner, you will fail.
"I am an English Teacher. My classroom became computerized in 1984.
I teach in a public high school in NYC. Although I agree with many of the
assumptions of Cuban, I do have to take exception with his points from the
minority point of view. Yes to all of his points about "vast majority
of teachers", however, the majority is still doing things is the same
old same old fashion. No new thinking or application being considered let
alone being applied. One point I have come to the conclusion is almost useless
is the current way of teacher training. I had been an advocate for it, now
I am not. Waste of money.
"There are teachers who wish to teach this way and can and do with
very little training. They are all self-taught. The way I now do this is
to have my students work with teachers who express a desire to learn about
computers in the classroom. These interns have been in my classes and then
serve as interns in my classes and in working with teachers. By this method
I have produced more teacher users than in all the years I spent in those
futile teacher training workshops after school.
"All of my students have a computer in front of them and have since
1984 in my English classes. The students who have passed through my room
are from all academic levels: special ed, resource, bilingual, honors, hearing
impaired. I have the most heterogeneous classes in our school. I have maintained
the highest attendance rates in the school for 6 years. Our Chapter One
program showed the highest average rate of increase per student (22 points)
in NYC."
"Contrary to his facts on student use, we represent the opposite of
everything he says: we have low income urban students who have constant
access to computers and the net. It really isn't difficult, it is just requires
a new mind think.
"I guess one of the major mistakes most people seem to make, and Cuban
is one of them, about comparing computers with other forms of media is that
it can't be done. Computers require user interaction whereas other media
is presented. You can't be a couch potato on the Internet. The failure of
other forms of media in the classroom has been a failure to understand how
to use it. As for computers, the user is in control and the educational
pedagogy of constructivism is seen at its best. So mimicking earlier forms
of media is doomed to fail. One has to assume a new mind think to use computers.
"I do agree that as a reformer and a concerned educator, blaming the
educator is not the answer, whereas understanding the workplace and the
new environment is the key. Basically, I have ignored the critics, done
an end run on the Board of Education, and essentially done it rather than
sit and talk about it and, as a result, I am now entertaining the naysayers
of yesterday and they have decided to use computers in the classroom. So
it comes down to "Don't force the teachers to use the computers and
support those who do choose and rethink educational practices".
"At least Larry Cuban has recognized that there is a hardy band of
pioneers who have learned to use the computers imaginatively, and that is
the key,imagination combined with good sound educational pedagogy. But too
many listen to the followers of Cliff Stoll rather than enjoy the pleasures
of redesigning education and reeducating the educators. I am afraid McClintock
is correct when he says something to the effect that it will take a generation
for reform to take place, and that is just too bad.
What happens after NetDay? How do we prepare teachers for using the technology?
Is wiring the schools enough? Do kindergartners need to know how to surf
the web? How can we make sure that lower income schools have the same resources,
teacher training and equipment as schools in affluent neighborhoods? How
does technology affect literacy?
THE PRESIDENT SAYS...
...my number one priority for the next four years, is to ensure that all
Americans have the best education in the world...Let's work together to
meet these three goals: Every 8-year-old must be able to read; every 12-year-old
must be able to log on to the Internet; every 18-year-old must be able to
go to college, and every adult American must be able to keep on learning
for a lifetime.
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