Home Where We Were Where We Are Going How We Get There Why Understanding Conclusion References

Where we were…

As described in Technology Education in the American Elementary School by Michael D. Wright in 1999,

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/Winter-Spring-1999/PDF/wright.pdf

At the birth of computers educators disagreed on the purpose of technology in the classroom. Some felt that children needed to learn how to operate computers by writing code, almost like the mechanics of vehicles. As user programs developed teachers began to see that children did not need to be “mechanics” to be “drivers” and the true educational power of computers was realized.

In 1999 using extremely limited programs geared towards children, Wright found that “TE(technology education) activities appear to reach a wider range of children, perhaps as many as 75 to 80%, while many of the regular classroom lessons and activities appeared to captivate only about 20 to 25% of the children.”(Wright, 1999) Also, high academic achievers seemed to have no advantage over slower learners when learning to operate computer systems.

Wright Concluded:

TE professionals need to gain understanding of technologies value to children and education.

ESTE(elementary school technology education) appears to significantly enhance student participation in many subjects when used as a teaching method.

More empirical research is needed.

Most importantly for the time: to successfully implement ESTE, school systems will need Pre-service education, in-service education, and administrative support.

Home Where We Were Where We Are Going How We Get There Why Understanding Conclusion References

My understanding of the implementation of technology in education is that the process was begun in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s and technology was not interactive or intuitive enough at that time to be useful, time efficient, or produce significant results.

Teachers were unable to produce interactive materials due to the primitive technology.

Educational opportunities of the early 1990’s were rare and had undefined purpose due to the general lack of understanding of what technology was capable of, at the time.

“Lack of understanding of how children learn about technology and design skills.”(Engstrom, 2005)

The Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Technology in the Elementary Schools (MSTe) program was one of the first programs to implement teacher development and put the education system on track to developing technology based curriculum and implementing it in the Education System.

Where we are going… Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Technology in the Elementary Schools (MSTe) http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/SOEAHS/CTL/MSTE/index.html

“GOAL 1. To equip a group of leadership teachers in three-person MSTe teams with enhanced pedagogical, content, and leadership skills in order that they might reflect upon and improve their own practice, conduct exemplary inservice programs for other teachers, and become regional MST leaders. GOAL 2. To provide 1,320 NYS elementary school teachers with the ability to use inquiry and design as mechanisms to connect MST in their classrooms; to enhance their MST skills; and to encourage them to engage in reflective practice. GOAL 3. To develop a substantial and significant infrastructure of MST capability within the MSTe Project schools. GOAL 4. To enhance the mathematical, scientific, and technological capabilities of elementary school students through instruction that interconnects MST. GOAL 5. To support systemic change by enhancing the scale-up efforts of the NYSSI and NYCUSI and bring the lessons learned to MSTe Project participants. GOAL 6. To develop an Implementation and Resource Guide as a planning and decision-making tool for MSTe teams. (MSTe, n.d., p. 1).”(Cradler n.d.)

Home Where We Were Where We Are Going How We Get There Why Understanding Conclusion References

My understanding of where we are going…

• Administration and Staff development by educating the educators in the development process of standards based technologies, such as Professional Development Affiliate Program http://www.p21.org/

• Development of commercial products that provide intuitive software such as Inspiration and Kidspiration. http://www.inspiration.com/

• Development and disbursement by educators of

curriculum/standards based materials.

• Creation of materials, collecting data on the efficacy of those materials to improving learning, and teaching successful methods for development.

• Financial support for infrastructure Nationally

Home Where We Were Where We Are Going How We Get There Why Understanding Conclusion References

Home Where We Were Where We Are Going How We Get There Why Understanding Conclusion References

The purpose for having technology… lies in what it does for us. As a pre-service teacher technology only has a place in the classroom if it produces the desired affect. I believe the desired effects are to improve cognitive organization in students and content retention. How technology helps the teacher and the student is explained and demonstrated in the white paper How digital tools prepare students for the 21st century by Sue Collins.

Technology's purpose for Students

Engage and peek interest

Promote thinking

Identify problem

Concept mapping

Visualization leading to content retention

Use evidence based reasoning

Communicate understanding

Collaborate

Technology's purpose for Teachers

Promote inquiry and design of materials

Organize concepts and materials

Engineer curriculum/standards based lesson plans

Integrate and implement standards based lesson plans

Demonstrated a more complete understanding of a concept through generating own study materials.

81% showed improved organizational skills.

36% showed improved test scores after one experience with concept mapping software.

Expressed self confidence in creative skills.

Expressed enjoyment of creation due to ease of editing on the computer versus paper.

“…because students were able to show the connections and see the relationship between ideas, they were able to develop a more complete understanding of a concept”(Collins, 2011, p. 6)

In the white paper How digital tools prepare students for the 21st century, it was demonstrated that students that had the opportunity to create study materials in concept mapping programs…

Home Where We Were Where We Are Going How We Get There Why Understanding Conclusion References

In the pioneer days of technology, computers were difficult to use and required knowing technical language to

create programs that would interface with the user. Neither teachers nor students were able to use computers with purpose to enhance their education, just increase their knowledge of how computers work . This was impertinent to young students that would not enter the field of technology before evolution of technology made their Middle/Elementary school lessons obsolete. At that time computers were a subject of their own, but the teachers were not able to teach about a subject they were not in the development process of and technology was moving too fast for them to remain informed and continue to perform their other educational responsibilities.

As user based interface development soared, a school system in New York realized the potential for programs to dramatically entice students participation and exposure to organization techniques if teachers could be trained to implement these technologies into the classroom and MSTe was conceived.

Software companies and IT professionals recognized the benefit of and need for educational software and began limited coordination with educators in the process of development for the classroom.

Studies of the benefits and results of educational technology in the classroom recently have begun. Incredible programs and resources are becoming available and have the potential to revolutionize future of education.

Corporations have began to study the most beneficial way for school systems to utilize federally allocated funds to develop and support the growth of technology in the public school systems.

In the last 20 years computers have evolved from misunderstood machines to partners in cognitive development. Exploration of technology’s potential to improve how we teach and learn have just begun. We as educators are just beginning to recognize the potential of technology in the classroom and to better utilize it we must partner with programmers, legislators, our communities and our colleagues to continue to reap the benefits of collective development and knowledge.

Home Where We Were Where We Are Going How We Get There Why Understanding Conclusion References

Collins, S. (n.d.). How digital tools prepare students for the 21st century. http://www.inspiration.com. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from www.inspiration.com/sites/default/files/documents/How_Digital_Tools_Prepare_Students_for_the_21st_Century.pdf

Cradler, J. (n.d.). Implementing Technology in Education: Recent Findings from Research and Evaluation Studies. Technology Policy, Research & Planning, Information & Resources. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from http://www.wested.org/techpolicy/recapproach.html

Engstrom, D. E., & Barkand, J. (2005, March 17). Changes and Progress in Elementary Technology Education. http://www.iteaconnect.org. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from www.iteaconnect.org/Conference/PATT/PATT15/Engstrom.pdf

MSTe Project - Hofstra University. (n.d.). Long Island, New York's Largest Private College - Hofstra University. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/SOEAHS/CTL/MSTE/index.html

Wright, M. D. (n.d.). Technology Education in the American Elementary School. Digital Library and Archives. Retrieved April 26, 2011, from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JOTS/Winter-Spring-1999/PDF/wright.pdf