"Getting American Students Ready for the 21st Century"
This study was produced by Clinton's administration in 1996. It is a very forward thinking anaylsis about how to incorporate more technology in schools. I read the section on the responsibilities of the state education departments and was upset to see that little had changed. The summary basically said that ultimately it is up to the states to provide appropriate technology for the schools. Unfortunately, most states can't take that kind of financial addition without substracting from other programs. So far it seems like Arizona is trying to get into the game, but doesn't seem to take it to the next level.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Week 12 Readings
"Kansas 1:1 Macbook Program"
What a great idea to get all kids Macs. Of course the studies show clearly that technology used appropriately in the classroom helps students perform better. But this program took it the next step and incorporated technology in to the whole school. The realized there would be several difficult issues to address, especially the financial involvement. But the payoffs have been huge. First, it has given kids the tools they need to get ready for college and careers. Second, the Mac software has encouraged a level of creativity in the students that exceeded expectations. Finally, the emotional impact of the school trusting all students to have a Mac meant believing in them.
"Measuring Success- 3 Programs that work"
Like Kansas, other districts have brought laptops into schools with great success. This article was specifically about the problems and solutions each school had to deal with. The problems ranged from financial concerns to on site support, and intensive faculty training. But the rewards have been substantial. The three schools reported that it pushes the school to become student centered. Teachers learned to create classes that were forward thinking and research based. Another benefit is that individual laptops allowed for differentiation. Of course, individual laptops can't work for all districts until significant cultural and pedagogical changes are made. But after reading these 3 case studies, I would love to see my school try.
What a great idea to get all kids Macs. Of course the studies show clearly that technology used appropriately in the classroom helps students perform better. But this program took it the next step and incorporated technology in to the whole school. The realized there would be several difficult issues to address, especially the financial involvement. But the payoffs have been huge. First, it has given kids the tools they need to get ready for college and careers. Second, the Mac software has encouraged a level of creativity in the students that exceeded expectations. Finally, the emotional impact of the school trusting all students to have a Mac meant believing in them.
"Measuring Success- 3 Programs that work"
Like Kansas, other districts have brought laptops into schools with great success. This article was specifically about the problems and solutions each school had to deal with. The problems ranged from financial concerns to on site support, and intensive faculty training. But the rewards have been substantial. The three schools reported that it pushes the school to become student centered. Teachers learned to create classes that were forward thinking and research based. Another benefit is that individual laptops allowed for differentiation. Of course, individual laptops can't work for all districts until significant cultural and pedagogical changes are made. But after reading these 3 case studies, I would love to see my school try.
Week 11 Readings
"Critical Issue- Using Technology to Enhance Engaged Learning for All At-Risk Students"
In order to truly address the needs of at-risk students we need to reconfigure our ideas about teaching "basic facts" to providing meaningful projects. Working with basic facts isolates students. What would be more valuable heterogeneous groups that allow for deeper comprehension. Technology allows this to happen because it is easier to use with complex tasks and provide motivation for students to participate in the activities. Technology also helps teachers create projects that are more real world base and allows students more relevant information than they would find in outdated books magazines.
Jonassen, Chapter 10
This chapter helped me understand why we did what we did in boot camp last summer. The idea of e-portfolios made sense at the time, but now I see how it really is a compilation of a student's work, and how it can best be used when it is an exhibition of growth over time. It seems much more effective when you address the main questions like; "what is the purpose, who is the audience, and what learning outcomes does it demonstrate?"
In order to truly address the needs of at-risk students we need to reconfigure our ideas about teaching "basic facts" to providing meaningful projects. Working with basic facts isolates students. What would be more valuable heterogeneous groups that allow for deeper comprehension. Technology allows this to happen because it is easier to use with complex tasks and provide motivation for students to participate in the activities. Technology also helps teachers create projects that are more real world base and allows students more relevant information than they would find in outdated books magazines.
Jonassen, Chapter 10
This chapter helped me understand why we did what we did in boot camp last summer. The idea of e-portfolios made sense at the time, but now I see how it really is a compilation of a student's work, and how it can best be used when it is an exhibition of growth over time. It seems much more effective when you address the main questions like; "what is the purpose, who is the audience, and what learning outcomes does it demonstrate?"
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