Florida Educational Leadership, Florida ASCD. Volume 1, Number 2. March 2001
Cathy Cavanaugh, Ph.D.
Is educational technology a fad? Consider the following trend: In 1703, it
was stated at a teachers’ conference, “Students today can’t prepare bark to
calculate their problems. They depend upon slates…what will they do when the
slate is dropped and it break? They will be unable to write.” In 1929, it was
written in Rural American Teacher, “Students today depend upon bought
ink. They don’t know how to make their own. When they run out of ink, they will
be unable to write words or cipher until the next trip to the settlement. This
is a sad commentary on modern times.” In 1959, it was published in Federal
Teacher, “Ball point pens will be the ruin of education in our country.
Students use these devices and then throw them away! The American values of
thrift and frugality are being discarded. Businesses and banks will never allow
such expensive luxuries.” In 1983, the Vermont Board of Education declared,
“It took education more than 300 years to fully take advantage of the technological
revolution in movable type. And it was almost 100 years between the invention
of the pencil and its wide use in schools. This is not so with computers. Change
has come quickly. Our challenge is to manage that change, and to put the new
technology into the service of quality education.”
It is indeed a challenge to choose and use educational technology effectively
in today’s educational environment” (Seidenburg 1989).
Educators agree that an important goal of education is to ensure that students live better lives and help the community to become a better place as a result of being educated. We have also witnessed changes in the community over the history of American education. The first major change was from an agricultural to an industrial society. During that time, machines were used to magnify muscle power of humans. We are in the midst of the change from an industrial society to an information society, where machines are used to magnify the cognitive power of humans (Hughes 2000). An aspect of the information age is the globalization of societies and economies. The globalization has meant increased competition for our students. They experience competition from foreign students when applying to college, and they experience competition from skilled foreign workers when applying for jobs. Our students need special skills and knowledge to become global citizens.
In order to prepare all students for success in the information age, we must recognize that our strength and security as a nation depend on remaining competitive in the global high-tech economy, now and in the foreseeable future, and education is a key factor that can prepare us for this new world and ensure our success (NSBA 1997). An education that prepares students for a future in the information age will increase their professional and creative options. Education that effectively includes educational technology can strengthen the health of communities. Information technology represents over 33% of national economic growth now, and by 2006, half of all US jobs will be in the IT sector or will require IT skills. High-tech workers make 78% more money than average workers and provide excellent working conditions. US businesses will create 1.6 million IT jobs this year, but half will go unfilled (ITAA 2000). If American high school graduates cannot fill the fastest-growing category of jobs, those jobs will go overseas. However, if schools supply skilled workers, businesses are attracted to the community.
Is all of this to say that schools should become technology-training centers? Certainly not. We must continue to offer a liberal arts education while preparing students to succeed in the information age. One challenge that we face is that “…the majority of students, even good ones, believe that much of the present academic curriculum is not worth the effort it takes to learn it. The answer is not to make them work harder; it is to increase the quality of what we ask them to learn” (Glasser 1993). There is a difference between real and perceived quality. American schools are doing a better job of educating all children, but the public and students do not see it this way. The changes we are experiencing in society have brought competition in education. Students have choices. If public schools don’t provide quality education, who will? Charter schools, private schools using vouchers, home schools, virtual schools, and commercial online education providers. Each of these providers is growing, and their quality is not consistent. It is important for all educators to work on continual quality improvement.
Effective schools are places where why is more important than how. Technology must serve as a way for students to think, present, research and do, in different, more enriched, and more powerful ways. We want our students to understand ways that technology helps them learn and adapt. Used this way, technology is not the primary focus but a valuable benefit. Ninety percent of the technology that we will use in ten years either hasn’t been invented yet, or it isn’t accessible now. The cognitive skills, learning how to learn and adapt, are most valuable in school, work, and life. Schools thrive on information: teachers and students require the right information, from the right sources, right now. Student performance can improve when the enhancement of teaching and learning with technology is adopted as the norm (NSBA). Technology is best used when it adds value to a strong curriculum, not when it becomes a curriculum. Technology-rich classrooms are most successful when advanced technologies are linked with advanced teaching strategies, including cooperative learning, thematic teaching, guided inquiry, and critical thinking skills (NSBA).
When we talk about technology in schools, we are talking about powerful new tools for learning, and also in many cases about changing the way teaching and learning happen. What is changing in education? In their article, The Educational Paradigm Shift, Ian Jukes and Ted McCain state that education will soon not be limited to a single location, a specific time, the single instructor, just people as teachers, memorization, paper-based resources, linear learning, the intellectual elite, occurring in childhood, and controlling learners (2000). This paradigm shift means that schools may adopt block scheduling and integrated content, looping, multi-age classes, IEP for all, performance assessment, small group and individualized learning, and technology tools. For anyone, change is work. The work of change is made easier for people who understand and believe in the need for change. Technology can help manage the changes in education.
Integration of technology into education begins with the recognition that at school, everyone’s job is to learn! All staff must embrace change and see themselves as learners and models of learning. Next, understand that technology integration is as much about change as it is about technology, and know the importance of the change. Some of the benefits for the school and the community of technology integration are a stronger professional bond among teachers, who are less isolated when they use communication technology such as email. The non-teaching work of the school is more efficient. Communication with parents and the community increases. Students develop a new system of knowledge that enhances valuable skills.
According to US Department of Education reports, decades of use and hundreds of studies indicate that when used properly, technology can enhance the achievement of all students, increase families’ involvement in schooling, improve teachers’ skills and knowledge, and improve school administration. A US DOE study of nine technology-rich schools concluded that the use of technology resulted in educational gains for all students (1995). A 10-year study by Apple noted that students in tech-rich environments performed well on standardized tests, and developed competencies not usually measured: exploring and representing data, social awareness, confidence, communication (Ringstaff, Marsh & Yocam,1995). A 2000 report shows that students are more successful in school, are more motivated to learn, and have increased self-confidence and self-esteem when technology is present in the educational environment. This is especially true for students with special needs. Technology is also a catalyst for successful collaborative learning and teamwork in small groups, and helps students that seldom participate in class discussions become more involved (Software & Information Industry Association). It is important to allow time, expect time, and be willing to spend time working toward positive change. The Children’s Partnership reports that multimedia and telecommunications improved attitudes toward learning, and increased active and independent learning. Higher-level thinking skills develop when students use technology that supports research, communication, and analysis. Educationally, integrating technology can be a no-lose situation: standardized test skills remain strong, while the harder-to-measure cognitive skills improve.
What can schools do to integrate technology? The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for teachers and students provide a guide (ISTE, 1999). A survey can help you identify and prioritize needs. For example, the “Technology in My Life Survey” from Jamie MacKenzie (1993) indicates a stage of technology mastery, from survival through innovation. The needs at each stage are different. Studies have outlined 4 stages through which teachers may pass in learning and applying new technologies in their teaching:
Survival: struggle, teacher-directed
Mastery: coping, confidence
Impact: tech-enhanced, learner-centric
Innovation: restructures learning
Keys to Effective Technology Professional Development: (NSBA)
To be most effective, technology professional development should be part of shared school wide instructional mission. It should be planned and supported to endorse early adopters and provide incentive and recognition to share success. Technology should be placed in regular classrooms with a goal of 6-8 computers per room. Teachers need time to develop proficiency.
The role of the school educational technology leader is to support staff, and to encourage the use of technology to free teachers to teach. School technology leaders model ideals of lifelong learning at their stage of technology competency. Try the “Technology Literacy for Administrators” survey from the association of school administrators at http://www.aasa.org/SA/apr9902.htm.
Leaders need to do the vision thing: empowering teachers and students in new ways. To develop the school educational technology vision, ask, “What is our preferred future with technology?” Base the vision on the school’s mission and describe what you want to see students and teachers doing as they learn. Be specific, positive, inspiring. Assume new frameworks. Be open to dramatically new teaching, facilities, and approaches. Imagine if it was 2005, and your school had achieved its vision of education with technology! Describe the school, teachers and students. What is done differently and better? How are students more prepared for the world? The difference between now and then is your plan. Avoid vision-killers such as reliance on tradition, fear of ridicule, stereotypes, fatigue, short-term thinking, and naysayers.
If you still think educational technology is a fad, participate in the Florida Educational Technology Conference each winter. http://www.fetc.org
References:
Glasser, W. 1993. The quality school. New York: HarperPerennial.
Hughes, B. 2000. Two problems facing education. Online at: http://www.toysrbob.com.
Information Technology Association of America. 2000. IT workforce studies and statistics. Online at: http://www.itaa.org/workforce/resources/articles.htm
International Society for Technology in Education. 2000. National educational technology standards for students. Eugene, OR: ISTE.
Johnson, D. & Bartleson, E. 1999. Technological Literacy for Administrators. AASA Online. Online at http://www.aasa.org/SA/apr9902.htm.
Jukes, I. & McCain, T. 2000. New schools for a new age. Peachland, BC, Canada: The InfoSavvy Group & Cystar.
MacKenzie, J. 1993. Assessing Staff Technology Competence, From Now On, 3:9. Online at http://www.staffdevelop.org.
National School Boards Association. 1997. Educational Technology Toolkit. Online at: http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/index.html
Ringstaff, C., Marsh, J., & Yocam, K. 1995. ACOT Teacher Development Center Annual Progress Report: Year Two, Cupertino, CA: Apple Computer, Inc., for the National Science Foundation.
Seidenburg, T. 1989. Washington Mathematics 34 (1).
Software & Information Industry Association. 2000. 2000 Report on the Effectiveness of Technology in Schools. Washington, DC: SIIA.
The Children’s Partnership. 1994. America’s Children and the Information Superhighway: A Briefing Book and National Action Agenda. Santa Monica, CA. Online at http://www.childrenspartnership.org/bbar/techin.html
US Department of Education. 1995. Technology and education reform: technical research report. Washington, DC: USDOE. Online at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/SER/Technology/