The technology race is on. Where do you think our school is in terms of placement? Are we at the head of the pack, in the middle, or are we at the back of the pack? As I share the facts and research about the importance of integration of technology into curriculum instruction to impact student learning and test scores, I would ask that you assess the direction our district is going to reach our shared mission, which is to empower and inspire our students to reach their full potential through a unified effort of students, teachers, administration, and parents.
Students are more ready than ever to embrace technology in education than ever before. Look states in her discussion paper that students are born into technology. Its all around them, forcing them to embrace it and become more tech savvy than their parents and teachers. Since 1996, state and district level agencies have poured $10 billion, and the federal government another $3 billion , and who knows how much more since 2005 to acquire and integrate computer-based technologies into schools. Despite this costly initiative, we still lag behind in how we integrate technology to impact the learners we face each day. So what are the issues that hold us back?
Technology is an everyday occurrence, from using a home entertainment system, iPods, smart phones, the internet, video games, appliances, and the list goes on. I will give you proof that the students of today need our school leadership, teachers, and all stakeholders to embrace technology as the norm, rather than a choice, to prepare students for their future. The Center for Applied Educational Technology (CARET) has gathered compelling research and evaluation findings about how technology impacts and influences student achievement and academic performance in relation to curricular goals. (Cradler, McNabb, Freeman, Burchett)
In the CARET report, the findings remind us that technology generally improves performance when the learning objectives explicit to the students are part of the effective technology implementation. Technology provides many opportunities for teachers to differentiate for student’s needs. Numerous studies document that the use of computer-based and assisted software integrated into content area show significant change in acquired knowledge and independent use of skills and strategies in elementary, middle and high school students. A recent study illustrates how alignment between the content area learning standards and carefully selected technology uses can significantly increase test scores. The 8 year longitudinal study of SAT I performance demonstrated that students participating in the technology-integrated school reform at NH Brewster Academy raised their test scores by average increases of 94 points over students who participated in the traditional school experience.(Bain & Ross, 1999)
Higher-order thinking and problem solving (e.g., information research comparing and contrasting, synthesizing, analyzing, and evaluating) enable learners to apply their content knowledge in a variety of ways leading to innovation and deeper understanding of content domains. (CARET, May, 2002) The use of technology to build thinking skills is not just for the best and brightest students. In the Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) pull-out program, developed in the 80s to build the thinking skills of students, combined technology with drama and Socratic dialogue. Through this combination, disadvantaged students in Grades 4-7 achieved twice the national average gains on reading and math test scores. (Coley et al., 1997; Pogrow, 1996) My question is, why is it taking us so long to make the changes necessary to impact our students?
Technology can be useful in linking work experiences with academic subjects. In a nationwide review Olson (1998) found program where students were learning new basics or basics plus skills. These skills included the ability to use technology to communicate ideas and information orally, as well as in writing. These skills involved working in groups, problem solving when answer weren’t self evident, understanding how systems work, and collecting, analyzing and organizing data. Our educational institutions must prepare students to work in a computer-filled economy. We will need to teach our students to identify and solve problems (expert thinking); and to engage in complex human interactions (leading, teaching, marketing, & negotiating.)(Look, 2005)
Extensive school reform efforts involve “rethinking the way, we teach. (Bain &Smith, 2000, p. 152) An increasing number of educators are calling for high standards and challenging learning for all students. New technologies can provide meaningful learning experiences for all children. Schools need to focus on the relationship between technology and education reform that will develop students who can function effectively in the world beyond the classroom.(NCREL) Teachers need to think outside of the box and create and use strategies that will impact student learning. This needs to be done through a well laid out plan for professional development that will change the way we teach. We need to support teachers
The new vision is to develop challenged-based learning activities that emphasize and integrate higher level thinking skills, and authentic task that foster composition, comprehension, and applications of skills. Our students need to be taught in ways that helps them to integrate learning into problem solving strategies for future use in a technological society. All students are provided opportunities to use a variety of modern technologies, including a range of software applications, telecommunications, web 2.0, etc. to support their work on challenge-based authentic learning activities, to ready them for the global society.(CRESPAR) Building better instruction is done through the integration of technology into research proven instructional strategies that impact the learner. Robert Marzano has compiled the results of more than 100 reports on instruction. His analysis has identified the instructional strategies that have the highest probability of enhancing student achievement for all students. Technology alone is not effective, but coupled with research proven methods, is a powerful tool.(MCREL)
Research show that when students are engaged in a project based learning environment, they were more likely to collaborate, participate, produce more and higher quality writing, have greater access to information & improve research analysis skills , direct their own learning, readily engage in critical thinking and problem solving skills and spend more time doing homework on computers. The evaluation of programs with laptop immersions found that participation in the program attained higher GPAs, received higher Math and English grades, and were more likely to exceed grade level expectations. (Look, 2005) The research is everywhere. We need to meet the challenge before us and leap into the 21 st century and the digital age. It will not go away, and we are stifling the future generations if we do not rise to the occasion and teach them the way they learn.
In Look’s discussion paper on The impact of technology on Education, she reiterates the fact that the growing influence on technology on our lives means that today’s students need to acquire different and evolving skill sets to cope and thrive in this changing technological society. We may think we are doing just fine , but are our students being held back by the way we instruct them? Do we know for sure that we are empowering and inspiring our students and aiding in their ability to develop their full potential? I say we need to check it out and determine the status, find out what is needed, and develop a plan to accomplish the vision and mission set before us. The vision and mission are timeless, but how we accomplish it will be ever changing.
Teachers, administrators, and school communities can take the following steps to promote engaged learning through technology for all students. (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 1996) So where do you think we are we in the integration of technology as a district? Do we fall in the front, middle, or back of the pack? I think we’re somewhere in the middle with room to move ahead. Thank you for your time and consideration in forging ahead to meet the vision to empower and inspire every kid who comes through our doors.
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