For the past year teachers and administrators in MSAD 46 have been designing a new elementary school. Part of this design has been an ongoing review and examination of what technology we want to have in the building and how teachers and students could use that technology to increase student learning. Many of our conversations have focused on the classroom environment and what technology tools would be most effective in engaging students to increase their learning.
One presiding factor in these conversations has been how technology is currently used in the school. For example, one second grade teacher found that some students who struggled to spend more than a few minutes reading print material did not seem to mind spending much longer periods of time reading the same material on a computer screen. These students also seemed to retain what they read from the screen more than what they read on paper. Another teacher who proctored both the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA), a paper and pencil test, and the Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA), a computer-administered test, found that students seemed more comfortable doing what amounted to the same work on the computer. As a result of these experiences, some teachers have decided to display reading material in their classes on computers because they are such a comfortable medium for students.
Other teachers have found that students’ learning can be enhanced by the use of a document camera and a projector. With this technology, teachers have been able to project any book onto a white board and, as one teacher said, make “every book a Big Book!” Teachers have also used this technology to demonstrate how to write letters or numbers in real time and to display student work for the whole class to see. The teachers reported that with this technology the students are genuinely engaged in their learning.
Furthermore, our special services department has begun using the Kurzweil program in many locations to allow students to have material read to them by the computer. The students hear the material through earphones and see the words highlighted on the screen which visually reinforces what they are hearing. Furthermore, students can also use the program independently, which in turn helps them gain confidence.
These experiences clearly indicate that our students are quite comfortable with technology. They have grown up in an environment that is radically different than the environment of my childhood. They have lived their entire lives with computer technology that educators are still getting to use. For the students, the world is literally at their fingertips via Instant Messaging, text messaging, and other emerging forms of communication.
Educators are also coming to this realization. For example, educators at a symposium in Texas in 2005 shared the following comments about technology and today’s students’ readiness to use technology: “The students were born into the digital age. They grew as the technology grew. Often, the students are more proficient than the teachers and it can be intimidating. We, as educators, were here before the digital revolution and have had to learn the technology and are therefore
immigrating into the digital age.
All that students know is linked to technology — such as satellites, remote controls, cell phones, PDAs, etc. These kids don’t know a world that isn’t digital. They are geared to the use of multimedia/engaging content. We grew up without any digital equipment in the home/classroom. We have to learn to use technology as adults — as if we were immigrants to a new ‘country.’
We grew up the radio and TV generations. Students today stream and download music. We bought cassettes and 8 tracks, they customize and personalized their own CDs. We went to the library for hardcopy information; they reach first for the Web for information.
We are afraid to type the wrong thing and break the computer. They are willing to try and try again until they learn the computer program” (Muir, 2006). Clearly students are eager for a technology-rich environment.
Knowing how important technology is to our students and how much more important it will be in the future is one thing. Knowing how to create that environment and acclimating it to the new ways of teaching that it will require is something very different. After numerous conversations with my colleagues, however, I feel I can offer suggestions for teachers and administrators.
The first suggestion is for educators to make the decision to become technology literate. This means becoming a student of technology and not being afraid to try new things. Educators should use the Internet as a resource to help learn something new for example. Also, they should not be afraid to make mistakes.
In our school we have a veteran teacher of forty-one years who is one of the most technology-literate educators in our district. She makes the decision to be technology literate every day, often doing things that I’ve never seen. Does she ask for my help? Of course! But not knowing all of the answers does not hold her back. I think about the changes she has seen in her career and it amazes me how quick she is to try new technology. She is a great role model for making the decision to be technology literate.
Second, educators should become active pursuers of technological pedagogy. They should actively seek out ideas and knowledge concerning how to use technology in the classroom. A great place to start searching for teaching ideas is Google, a web site that searches millions of web pages looking for keywords typed into the search box.
Another resource for technology use is a colleague. More and more educators are compiling lists of web sites they have found helpful and then making those lists available to their fellow professionals. Teachers may want to visit my district’s web site to see some great resources.
Administrators can also be helpful in setting up the proper conditions for teachers to learn technology. One way to do this is to encourage teachers to become active pursuers of technology. According to a publication from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, teachers become active pursuers of technology for the following reasons:
Teacher interest in technology. Some teachers tend to be motivated by this variable, particularly if they have a computer at home.
Enhance subject-matter learning. If the teacher feels technology can help students learn a particular subject better, he or she is more likely to adopt the technology.
Teaching career enhancement. If the teacher feels administrators expect or would value his or her use of technology, he or she is more likely to do it.
Teacher interest in experimentation. If the teacher wants to try something new, then the technology has appeal (Collins, 1991).
Administrators should find out during teacher evaluations which of these reasons motivate their staffs and encourage them to set goals related to technology. Our middle school principal did this last year and was pleased with the response she received. Not only did the students do more computer-centered projects, a few teachers who classified themselves as technology illiterate helped the students do a video-based project.
Of course, administrators should also be active pursuers of technology knowledge themselves. As with anything, a leader cannot expect staff to embrace technology if he or she never checks e-mail or uses PowerPoint. In fact, the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators lists a set of standards and performance indicators that are a good starting point for administrator’s to use as a resource.
Finally, administrators should encourage teachers to adopt new technology. Many veteran teachers think they are technology-illiterate and approach using any new technology with a great degree of trepidation. They may need a great deal of time, encouragement, and assistance once they get started. However, even teachers who are technology savvy need time and encouragement from administrators so they know that what they are doing is valued. According to Loucks-Horsley (1996), teachers go through a series of steps when looking at innovations in teaching with technology:
Awareness Stage. I am not concerned about it.
Informational Stage. I would like to know more about it.
Personal Stage. How will using it affect me?
Management Stage. I seem to be spending all my time getting materials ready.
Consequence Stage. How is my use affecting learners?
Collaboration Stage. How can I relate what I am doing to what others are doing?
Refocusing Stage. I have some ideas about something that would work even better (Loucks-Horsley, 1996).
Since technology adoption is very dependent on how much time a teacher has to work with technology (Collins 1991), one way to encourage this adoption is to build a schedule that provides time to experiment with it.
There is great potential for enhancing student learning using technology when educators invest time and effort in adapting new technologies to the classroom. Administrators help by providing time and encouragement to their staff, which in the end benefits students the most. Our students are growing up in a technology-oriented world and we owe it to them to give them the best education possible with the tools we now have.
Collins, A. (1991). Toward a design science of education (Publication No. IR014417). New York: Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Muir, M. (2006). 1 to1 reason: Digital emigration. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from http://1to1emigration.blogspot.com/
National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators. (2002). Profiles for technology literate administrators. Retrieved November 26, 2007, from http://cnets.iste.org/administrators/a_profiles.html - Retrieved April 2, 2008 from this location.
Loucks-Horsley, S. (1996). Professional development for science education: A critical and immediate challenge. In R. Bybee National Standards and the science curriculum: Challenges, opportunities, and recommendations. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.
David Fournier has been a Technology Coordinator in MSAD 46 for the past eight years, and in a prior life had been an Air Force Offi cer and offi ce manager, a computer lab supervisor at a high school, and a software support representative/trainer. He has served as a leader on the MSAD 46 Administrative Team, the MSAD 46 Technology Committee, the MSAD 46 Tiger Wellness Team, and the new Pre-K-8 Building Technology Committee. He is completing a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Maine.